Almost Healed

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"Big Dawg" redirects here. Not to be confused with Big Dawgs.

Almost Healed
Studio album by
Lil Durk
ReleasedMay 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
Recorded2022 – April 2023
GenreDrill
Length56:35
Label
Producer
Lil Durk chronology
Loyal Bros 2
(2022) 		Almost Healed
(2023) 		Nightmares in the Trenches
(2023)
Singles from Almost Healed
  1. "All My Life"
    Released: May 12, 2023
  2. "Pelle Coat"
    Released: May 25, 2023
  3. "Stand by Me"
    Released: July 14, 2023

Almost Healed is the eighth studio album by American rapper Lil Durk. It was released through Only the Family, Alamo Records, and Sony Music on May 26, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Chief Wuk, Future, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Rob49, Morgan Wallen, and Juice WRLD. Production was handled by Alicia Keys herself, Chopsquad DJ, Dr. Luke, ATL Jacob, Hendrix Smoke, Ghostrage, Touch of Trent, Haze, Southside, Smatt Sertified, Looisey, Desro, Metro Boomin, T99, Ryderoncrack, LMC, Cloud, Zaytoven, Wheezy, Juke Wong, LilJuMadeDaBeat, Cubeatz, B3 Productions, 7ink, Square, Quis, Inuya, Major Seven, Emzy, Charlie Handsome, LowLowTurnThatUp, Paul Monstereal, Crevm Dian, Jusvibes, RunItUpNick, Indiyah, Yeahthismoh, John Lam, Lufye, and AK. Almost Healed is a drill album.[1][2][3]

Background and singles

[edit]

Up until May 2023, the album was known under the title The Voice 2.0, a sequel to Durk's sixth studio album, The Voice (2020), which he began teasing in January 2023.[4] In an interview with XXL, Durk shared that recording is part of what helps him cope with stress and the recent loss of his brother, also revealing that he goes to therapy.[5] In return, he wanted to give his fans "therapy" by releasing the album soon, as he revealed in an interview with Billboard. He referred to the record as "the biggest album ever" regarding all the things going on in his life at that point.[6] On April 13, 2023, he announced that he had just finished the album without "half the help" he had been asking for, alluding to the album title "almost healed". That same day, he asked his followers to reach out to SZA as he wanted her to be featured on the album.[7] During that time, the album was still titled The Voice 2.0, the "2.0" implying personal growth since the prequel.[8] On May 12, 2023, the lead single of the album, "All My Life", which features fellow American rapper J. Cole was released, and the two were spotted with a group of children filming the official music video exactly ten days before.[9] The song was released on May 12, the formerly announced release date of the album. Meanwhile, Almost Healed was pushed back to May 26.[10] On May 22, the production credits were revealed, followed by the full tracklist the next day.[11][12] The second single of the album, "Pelle Coat", was released on May 25, 2023, one day before the release of the album, alongside the official music video that stars Durk and Alicia Keys and is a combined video of that song and the collaboration with Keys, "Therapy Session", which appears as a promotional single and the song before on the album. The third and final single of the album, "Stand by Me", which features American country music singer Morgan Wallen, was sent to US radio crossover on July 14, 2023.[13]

Artwork

[edit]

On May 2, 2023, Durk promised to reveal the details about his next album if the post reached 100,000 comments. After having received said amount, the rapper posted the release date and cover,[14] the latter of which depicted a black and white photograph showing Durk surrounded by blurry figures.[15][16] Shortly afterwards, the cover was replaced by a picture of Durk with his head wrapped in a bandage and blood dripping out of his right eye with a white overlay.[17]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[22]
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork6.3/10[2]
Clash7/10[18]
Slant Magazine[19]
Rolling Stone70/100[1]
HipHopDX60/100[20]
AllMusic[21]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Almost Healed received "mixed or average reviews" based on a weighted average score of 60 out of 100 from 6 critic scores. Dylan Green of Pitchfork felt that Almost Healed lacked cohesiveness, explaining that "it never knows what kind of experience it wants to deliver" and "Durk's presence is strong and his endurance is inspiring, but his intentions are as muddied as ever".[2] Writing for Clash, Robin Murray praised the album's themes writing: "Music, as ever, became a point of solace – new album 'Almost Healed' is explicitly dubbed an act of therapy, and it's the sound of someone getting a lot off their chest."[18] Paul Attard, of Slant Magazine, also praised the album's themes but criticized a lack of consistency throughout the album stating: "It's admirable that an artist of Durk's popularity is willing to rap about topics such as generational trauma and structural violence on tracks like the well-meaning, if suffocatingly sappy, "All My Life." And while the authenticity of his verses is bolstered by the vivid details he peppers throughout, like seeing blood from a miscarriage in the toilet on "Sad Songs," it's also a little off-putting to then hear him threatening to "pull up with a stick" on "Big Dawg." Humans are complicated, contradictory beings, but there's an almost jarring disconnect on Almost Healed given how quickly and brazenly Durk flips the script."[19] HipHopDX's Louis Pavlakos criticized the guest features on the album stating, "Durk's insistence on making radio friendly tracks includes another lackluster team up for pop crossover. The Morgan Wallen-assisted 'Stand by Me' reeks of desperation from a man seeking approval from people who don't respect Hip Hop."[20]

Commercial performance

[edit]

In the United States, Almost Healed debuted at number three on US Billboard 200 chart, earning 125,000 album-equivalent units (including 2,000 in pure album sales) in its first week. This became Lil Durk's sixth top ten album on the chart. The album also accumulated a total of 167.82 million on-demand streams of the album's songs.[23] In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, earning an additional 67,000 units.[24] In its third week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, earning 50,000 more units.[25] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning 41,000 units, bringing its four-week total to 283,000 units.[26]

Track listing

[edit]
Almost Healed track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Therapy Session" (with Alicia Keys)Alicia CookAlicia Keys1:27
2."Pelle Coat"
Chopsquad DJ4:13
3."All My Life" (featuring J. Cole)
Dr. Luke3:43
4."Never Again"
  • Banks
  • Jackson
Chopsquad DJ2:19
5."Put Em on Ice"
  • Banks
  • Jackson
Chopsquad DJ2:03
6."Big Dawg" (with Chief Wuk)
2:40
7."Never Imagined" (featuring Future)
  • Chopsquad DJ
  • Ghostrage
3:12
8."Sad Songs"
  • Banks
  • Darontez Mayo
  • Trenton Turner
  • Ethan Hayes
  • Touch of Trent
  • Haze
2:36
9."Before Fajr"
2:00
10."War Bout It" (featuring 21 Savage)
Metro Boomin2:40
11."You Got Em"
  • Banks
  • Ryder Bucaro
  • Liam McAlister
  • Aaron Tanarasoo
  • Indyah McAlister
  • T99
  • Ryderoncrack
  • LMC
  • Cloud
  • Indyah
2:22
12."Grandson" (featuring Kodak Black)
2:20
13."300 Urus"
3:24
14."Same Side" (featuring Rob49)
2:33
15."B12"
  • Banks
  • Bucaro
  • Ryderoncrack
  • Quis
  • Inuya
2:43
16."At This Point We Stuck"
  • Banks
  • Canady
  • Omar Walker
  • ATL Jacob
  • Major Seven
  • Emzy
1:54
17."Cross the Globe" (featuring Juice WRLD)
2:04
18."Dru Hill"
  • Banks
  • John Balan
  • Virga Paul-Emanuel
  • Justin Gibson
  • LowLowTurnThatUp
  • Paul Monstereal
  • Crevm Dian
  • Jusvibes
2:55
19."Belt2Ass"
  • Banks
  • I. McAlister
  • L. McAlister
  • Mohammed Al-Khuzahi
  • RunItUpNick
  • Indyah
  • LMC
  • Yeahthismoh
2:39
20."Stand by Me" (featuring Morgan Wallen)
Dr. Luke3:39
21."Moment of Truth"
  • Banks
  • John Lam
  • Luca Steinkirchner
  • Lam
  • Lufye
  • AK
2:59
Total length:56:25

Notes

  • "Sad Songs" features additional vocals from Booka600

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Almost Healed"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[48] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Reeves, Mosi (May 26, 2023). "Lil Durk Balances Chiraq Realism and Global Pop Ambition on 'Almost Healed'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Green, Dylan (June 3, 2023). "Lil Durk: Almost Healed Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Lil Durk's New Album "Almost Healed" Offers a Window Into His Struggle". nnn.ng. May 26, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Andriyashchuk, Yuriy (January 8, 2023). "Lil Durk teases possible release of "The Voice 2.0" album". Hip-Hop Vibe. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Callas, Brad (April 21, 2023). "Lil Durk Talks Going to Therapy, His Relationship With India Royale, and What Jay-Z Told Him at a Party". Complex. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Saponara, Michael (April 14, 2023). "Lil Durk Launches the Durk Banks Scholarship Fund at Howard University With Amazon Music: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Saponara, Michael (April 14, 2023). "Lil Durk wants the Goat 'SZA' on his new album - for one reason". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Cline, Georgette (April 20, 2023). "Lil Durk reveals all about new album, wild moment with Jay-Z, the real deal on India Royale relationship and more". XXL. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. ^ Centeno, Tony M. (May 2, 2023). "J. Cole & Lil Durk Preview Their Upcoming Collaboration 'All My Life'". WWPR-FM. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  10. ^ Price, Jack; Dionne, Zach (May 11, 2023). "Lil Durk Taps J. Cole for New Single and Video "All My Life," Delays 'Almost Healed' Album Release". Complex. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (May 22, 2023). "Lil Durk Unveils "Almost Healed" Tracklist". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  12. ^ @RapCaviar (May 20, 2023). "Peep the producers Durk assembled for Almost Healed ❤️‍🩹" (Tweet). Retrieved May 23, 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Crossover". Hits. July 14, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Devin (May 5, 2023). "Lil Durk Announces New Album 'Almost Healed'". Rap-Up. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  15. ^ Kearns, Sarah (May 8, 2023). "Lil Durk's New Album 'Almost Healed' Drops Next Week". Hypebeast. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  16. ^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (May 5, 2023). "Lil Durk reveals release date and cover art for new album Almost Healed". XXL. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (May 12, 2023). "Lil Durk changes new album release date, YoungBoy Never Broke Again still drops". XXL. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Murray, Robin (May 26, 2023). "Lil Durk – Almost Healed | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Attard, Paul (May 26, 2023). "Lil Durk 'Almost Healed' Review: A Jarring Flip of the Script". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Pavlakos, Louis (May 30, 2023). "Lil Durk 'Almost Healed' Wants To Be Accepted By Everyone But Satisfies No One". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  21. ^ Lil Durk - Almost Healed Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved June 10, 2023
  22. ^ Almost Healed by Lil Durk, retrieved June 10, 2023
  23. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 4, 2023). "Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' Jumps Back to No. 1 on Billboard 200 After Release of Deluxe Editions". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  24. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 11, 2023). "Stray Kids' '5-STAR' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 18, 2023). "Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Back Atop Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 25, 2023). "Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Hits 14 Weeks Atop Billboard 200, Most Since Adele's '21'". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  27. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  28. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Lil Durk – Almost Healed" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lil Durk – Almost Healed" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lil Durk – Almost Healed" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  31. ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  32. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lil Durk – Almost Healed" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  33. ^ "Lescharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lil Durk – Almost Healed" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  35. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  36. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "2023 22-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  38. ^ "Charts.nz – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  39. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  40. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  41. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  42. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  43. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  44. ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  45. ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  46. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  47. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  48. ^ "American album certifications – Lil Durk – Almost Healed". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
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