Amen (Rich Brian album)

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Amen
Studio album by
Rich Brian
Released2 February 2018
Recorded2016–2017
GenreHip hop[1]
Length44:03
Label
Producer
Rich Brian chronology
Amen
(2018) 		The Sailor
(2019)
Singles from Amen
  1. "Glow Like Dat"
    Released: 15 August 2017
  2. "Chaos"
    Released: 5 October 2017
  3. "See Me"
    Released: 8 January 2018

Amen is the debut studio album by Indonesian rapper Rich Brian. It was released on 2 February 2018, by 88rising and Empire.[2] It is the debut commercial project by Rich Brian after releasing a string of non-album singles since 2016, such as "Dat Stick". The album was primarily produced by Rich Brian, alongside Bkorn, Cubeatz, Frans Mernick, Austin Powerz, Rogét Chahayed and Wesley Singerman and features guest appearances from Offset, Joji, Niki and AUGUST 08.

Background[edit]

On 26 May 2017, Rich Brian was featured in an interview with XXL about his artistic transition, by stating,[3]

"This project that I'm working on, I think it's going to be an introduction to a more serious rap. There's still going to be funny stuff. When you listen to it, you might still laugh and stuff, that's cool. That's what I'm going for too. But it's not a joke. When people listen to it, they're going to be like, 'It's that real shit."

On 19 December 2017, Brian announced the album's title, alongside the reveal of the cover art.[4] On 29 January 2018, he unveiled the album's tracklist.[5]

Promotion[edit]

Singles[edit]

The album's lead single, "Glow Like Dat" was released for streaming and digital download, alongside its music video on 15 August 2017.[6]

The album's second single, "Chaos" was released on 5 October 2017.[7]

The album's third single, "See Me" was released on 1 January 2018.[8]

Other songs[edit]

The non-album single, "Crisis" was released on 10 November 2017.[9] The song features a guest appearance from British rapper 21 Savage.

The collaborative single with Kris Wu and Joji, "18" featuring Trippie Redd and Baauer, was released on 16 January 2018.[10]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim![11]
The Guardian[13]
Highsnobiety[14]
HipHopDX3.6/5[15]
Pitchfork5.9/10[16]

Amen garnered a generally positive reception from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17] Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian gave Amen a positive review, stating: "His neo-G-funk backings – synthscapes in pink neon with weed smoke drifting across them – are admirably lush and melancholic, but his flow is his greatest skill of all, deadpan patter that rattles out like ticker tape."[13] Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX commended the content of the album in comparison to Brian's previous work, also commending the production: "The kaleidoscope of production is freshly tailored to Brian's equally mixing moods with trap drums helping the crypto flexes and somber keys leading the way for the emo-pop ballads. It's the exact musical buffet that the majority of 18-year-olds would eat up 2018. Rich Brian's attempt at honesty throughout the album forebodes critics from outright clowning him while the beats are definitely catchy enough to keep his live shows rocking like a pulpit. As long Rich Brian remains in the driver seat and Rich Chigga in the trunk, Brian Immanuel's future will bright."[15]

Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork stated that "the debut from Rich Brian has the fun, wit, and snark of a choice tweet but lacks the essential qualities of a solid well-made rap album", criticising the album's lyricism: "But there is very little happening within his verses right now, and even as he's pivoted toward the personal, he's still doing impressions, sonically and stylistically."[16]

Exclaim! stated that "Rich Brian's full-length debut isn't good in any typical sense, which shouldn't shock anyone."[11]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States, initial projections for the first week sales were between 19,000 and 22,000 album-equivalent units.[18]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks written and produced by Rich Brian, except where noted.

Amen[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Amen"  1:56
2."Cold"  3:48
3."Occupied"  2:41
4."Introvert" (featuring Joji)
 3:42
5."Attention" (featuring Offset)
2:50
6."Glow Like Dat"  3:30
7."Trespass"  2:59
8."Flight"
  • Mernick
  • Chahayed
  • Singerman
  • Rich Brian[19]
2:57
9."See Me"  3:32
10."Enemies"  3:27
11."Kitty"  2:45
12."Little Prince" (featuring Niki)
Niki2:52
13."Chaos"  2:12
14."Arizona" (featuring August 08)
  • Imanuel
  • Joseph Hill, Jr.
  • Joshua Crosby
  • Sheldon Young[21]
4:52
Total length:44:03

Charts[edit]

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] 27
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 108
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24] 18
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] 61
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] 30
UK Albums (OCC)[27] 87
US Billboard 200[28] 18

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Rich Brian Discusses Debut Album 'Amen' and Name Change: 'Rich Chigga Isn't Me Anymore'". Billboard.
  2. ^ a b "Amen by Rich Brian on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  3. ^ Madden, Sidney (26 May 2017). "Rich Chigga Gets Serious About Rap". XXL. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. ^ Slingerland, Calum (19 December 2017). "Rich Chigga Announces Debut Project 'Amen'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  5. ^ Berry, Peter A. (30 January 2018). "See Rich Brian's 'Amen' Album Tracklist". XXL. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Glow Like Dat - Single by Rich Chigga on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Chaos - Single by Rich Chigga on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Rich Chigga Is Now Known as Brian, Shares New Single "See Me"". HYPEBEAST. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Crisis (feat. 21 Savage) - Single by Rich Chigga on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  10. ^ "18 – Single by Kris Wu, Rich Brian, Joji, Trippie Redd & Baauer on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Rich Brian- Amen review". Exclaim!. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Reviews for Amen by Rich Brian". Metacritic.
  13. ^ a b Beaumount-Thomas, Ben (2 February 2018). "Rich Brian: Amen review – online sensation's dreamy, deadpan debut". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  14. ^ Greenwood, Douglas (2 February 2018). "Rich Brian's Supremely Confident Flow Makes 'Amen' a Triumph". Highsnobiety. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  15. ^ a b Glaysher, Scott (6 February 2018). "Review: Rich Brian Sheds His Trapper Aspirations For Honesty On "Amen"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  16. ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (6 February 2018). "Rich Brian: Amen Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  17. ^ Amen by Rich Brian, retrieved 26 October 2018
  18. ^ "HITS Daily Double : Rumor Mill – Your Top 20: Whose Woods These Are". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  19. ^ "I produced/wrote "Flight" on @brianimanuel's debut album w the kings @rogetchahayed, @wesleysingerman and Chigga himself". Instagram. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  20. ^ "Meet the Latest Indonesian R&B Singer Trying to Take Over the US". Vice. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  21. ^ "TAMAGOTCHI (Prod. by Channel Tres)". SoundCloud. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  22. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Ultratop.be – Rich Brian – Amen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Canadian Albums: February 17, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Rich Brian – Amen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  26. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  27. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Top 200 Albums: February 17, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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