Ta13oo

Ta13oo
Cover for Ta13oo and Act 3: Dark
Studio album by
Denzel Curry
ReleasedJuly 27, 2018
Recorded2017–2018[1]
GenreHip hop[2]
Length43:20
Label
Producer
Denzel Curry chronology
13
(2017) 		Ta13oo
(2018) 		Zuu
(2019)
Alternative covers
Act 1: Light
Act 2: Gray
Singles from Ta13oo
  1. "Sumo"
    Released: March 30, 2018
  2. "Percs"
    Released: May 25, 2018
  3. "Clout Cobain"
    Released: July 12, 2018
  4. "Vengeance"
    Released: September 5, 2018
  5. "Black Balloons"
    Released: March 27, 2019

Ta13oo (stylized TA13OO and pronounced Taboo) is the third studio album by American rapper Denzel Curry. It was released on July 27, 2018, through PH Recordings and distributed by Loma Vista Recordings. The album serves as the follow-up to Curry's second studio album, Imperial, released in 2016, and the 13 EP, released in 2017. Ta13oo features guest appearances from Twelve'len, GoldLink, Nyyjerya, JID, JPEGMafia, ZillaKami, and additional vocals by Billie Eilish. Production was handled by FnZ, DJ Dahi, Ronny J, Illmind, Charlie Heat, and Mickey de Grand IV, among others.

Ta13oo was supported by five singles: "Sumo", "Percs", "Clout Cobain", "Vengeance", and "Black Balloons". The album received widespread acclaim from critics.

Background

[edit]

In an interview with Zane Lowe, Denzel Curry described the structure of the album: "I was in a dark space when I was working on the dark part. I was tryna work on the light part when I was working toward my happiness."[3]

A statement accompanying the music video to "Clout Cobain" stated: "Across the three sections of Ta13oo, Denzel explores topics including molestation, the presidential election, fame, hatred, paranoia, revenge, love, the current state of music and personal tales of his own near-death experiences. Sonically, the album ranges just as widely as its subject matter, sounds of paranoia, fear of loss, brooding melancholy and mood swings straight from hell all find their way onto Ta13oo."[4]

Release and promotion

[edit]

The first single, "Sumo", was released on March 30, 2018 for streaming and digital download.[5] The second single, "Percs", was released on May 25, 2018.[6] The third single, "Clout Cobain", was released on July 12, 2018, alongside a music video.[7] "Black Balloons" and "Cash Maniac" were made available for digital download as promotional singles on July 23 and 24, 2018.[8][9]

The album was released as three acts consecutively between July 25 and 27, 2018, with the album released in its totality on July 27, 2018.[10][11][12] Subsequently, "Vengeance" was released as a single on September 5, 2018, while "Black Balloons" was promoted on March 27, 2019.[13][14]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic86/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Highsnobiety3.5/5[17]
HipHopDX4.5/5[18]
HotNewHipHop91%[19]
The Music[2]
Pitchfork7.7/10[20]
Pretty Much AmazingA−[21]
Sputnikmusic4.2/5[22]

Ta13oo was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on six reviews.[15]

Marshall Gu of Pretty Much Amazing wrote, "Ultimately, easily one of the most simultaneously hardest and atmospheric hip-hop albums of the year".[21] In his review for HipHopDX, Justin Ivey praised the album, writing, "Curry has constructed a project that plays to the sonic structures of the era without sacrificing meaningful content in doing so. TA13OO is the culmination of his promise and talent, resulting in Curry's magnum opus".[18] Sputnikmusic's critic Jordan M. said, "Realistically, Ta13oo is extremely satisfying from a consumption standpoint. It's everything I'd want from a rap album this year".[22] Concluding his review for AllMusic, Neil Z. Yeung stated that "With this additional substance and strategic guest contributions, Curry is elevated on TA13OO -- despite this deep dive into despair and darkness -- hinting at more insight on future efforts".[16]

In a positive review, Dean Van Nguyen of Pitchfork wrote that "It's when he sticks to the highly personal that Curry's music is devoid of all cliché—the power of his performance, the veracity of his pen, and the color of his wordplay make him an expert at voicing the tribulations of this doomed condition we call being young. All of this makes him impossible to place in the broader SoundCloud rap domain. Signs point to an artist who will outlast any single distribution platform—or any of the genres named for them".[20] Trey Alston of Highsnobiety gave the album a favorable review, writing, "To call it psychedelic is a cliché, but the album is a multi-part, constantly-moving, collection of harsh emotions with a funky twist that works, even if the final leg slows down the momentum a tad".[17]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select year-end rankings of Ta13oo
Publication List Rank Ref.
Complex 50 Best Albums of 2018
29
[23]
Consequence The Top 50 Albums of 2018
45
[24]
Stereogum The Best Albums of 2018
44
[25]
Vinyl Me, Please The Best Albums of 2018
31
[26]

Track listing

[edit]

Credits were adapted from the album's liner notes.[27]

Act 1: Light
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Taboo"
3:17
2."Black Balloons" (featuring Twelve'len and GoldLink)
  • FnZ
  • Matt Rad
  • Mickey de Grand IV
3:30
3."Cash Maniac" (featuring Nyyjerya)
  • Curry
  • DeBoni
  • DeGrandy
  • Mule
  • Samuel Ahana
  • Imani Taylor
  • FnZ
  • Mickey de Grand IV
  • Swish
3:18
4."Sumo"
Charlie Heat3:47
Act 2: Gray
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
5."Super Saiyan Superman"
  • Curry
  • DeBoni
  • Mule
  • Justin Elwin
  • FnZ
  • HWLS
2:12
6."Switch It Up"
2:55
7."Mad I Got It"
3:52
8."Sirens" (featuring JID)
DJ Dahi3:56
9."Clout Cobain"
  • Curry
  • Julian Gramma
  • Mike Hector
  • J Gramm
  • Hector
3:51
Act 3: Dark
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
10."The Blackest Balloon"
  • Curry
  • DeBoni
  • DeGrandy
  • Mule
  • Soulja Mook
  • FnZ
  • Mickey de Grand IV
2:55
11."Percs"
  • Curry
  • DeBoni
  • Mule
3:06
12."Vengeance" (featuring JPEGMafia and ZillaKami)
  • FnZ
  • Mickey de Grand IV
4:00
13."Black Metal Terrorist"
  • Curry
  • DeBoni
  • Hirschenberg
  • Mule
  • Spence, Jr.
  • Mickey Degrand
  • FnZ
  • Ronny J
  • M-Sol[a]
2:41
Total length:43:20

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • All tracks stylized in all caps.
  • "Taboo" features background vocals by Tish Hyman and VSC
  • "Black Balloons" features background vocals by Savannah Cristina and Mickey de Grand IV, and additional vocals by Nathan Burgess and Illeana Cardenas
  • "Cash Maniac" and "Vengeance" feature additional vocals by Mickey de Grand IV
  • "Sirens" features additional vocals by Billie Eilish
  • "The Blackest Balloon" features additional vocals by Soulja Mook
  • "Black Metal Terrorist" features additional vocals by Gino Vento

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Ta13oo
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 27
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 40
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 173
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31] 84
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] 30
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] 36
Irish Albums (IRMA)[34] 37
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[35] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 62
US Billboard 200[37] 28
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] 15

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schube, Will (July 27, 2018). "How Denzel Curry Reinvented Himself on 'TA13OO'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Handke, Tobias (July 25, 2018). "Denzel Curry – TA13OO". The Music. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  3. ^ "TA13OO by Denzel Curry on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Ross, Alex Robert (July 12, 2018). "Denzel Curry Releases "CLOUT COBAIN," Confirms 'TA13OO' Details". Noisey. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  5. ^ "Sumo – Single by Denzel Curry on Apple Music". iTunes. March 30, 2018. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Mojica, Nick (May 25, 2018). "Denzel Curry Take Aim at New Wave Rappers on New Song "Percs"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  7. ^ Goddard, Kevin (July 12, 2018). "Denzel Curry Shares New Single & Accompanying Video "Clout Cobain"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  8. ^ Schatz, Lake (July 24, 2018). "Denzel Curry premieres new songs "Cash Maniac" and "Black Balloons": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  9. ^ Murray, Robin (July 25, 2018). "Denzel Curry Shares 'Black Balloons' x 'Cash Maniac'". Clash. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Goddard, Kevin (July 25, 2018). "Stream The First Act Of Denzel Curry's "TA1300" Project Called "Light"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  11. ^ Slingerland, Calum (July 26, 2018). "Hear Denzel Curry's 'TA13OO: Act 2 (Gray)'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 27, 2018). "Denzel Curry Shares New Album 'TA13OO': Stream". Stereogum. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  13. ^ Shifferaw, Abel (September 5, 2018). "Denzel Curry Drops the Visuals for "Vengeance" f/ Jpegmafia and Zillakami". Complex. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  14. ^ Indiana, Jake (March 27, 2019). "Denzel Curry Drops a Freaky "BLACK BALLOONS" Visual". Highsnobiety. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  15. ^ a b "TA13OO by Denzel Curry Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "TA1300 – Denzel Curry". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Alston, Trey (July 30, 2018). "Denzel Curry's 'TA1300' Is an Excessively Dark Head Trip". Highsnobiety. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Ivey, Justin (August 2, 2018). "Review: Denzel Curry's "TA13OO" Is The Equator Between Hype & Substance". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  19. ^ Findlay, Mitch (July 31, 2018). "Denzel Curry "Ta13oo" Review". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Van Nguyen, Dean (July 27, 2018). "Denzel Curry: TA13OO". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Gu, Marshall (December 10, 2018). "Review: TA13OO by Denzel Curry". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  22. ^ a b M., Jordan (July 31, 2018). "Review: Denzel Curry – TA13OO". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  23. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2018". Complex. December 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 6, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  24. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2018". Consequence. December 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  25. ^ "The Best Albums of 2018". Stereogum. December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  26. ^ "The Best Albums of 2018". Vinyl Me, Please. December 19, 2018. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  27. ^ Ta13oo (Media notes). Denzel Curry. Loma Vista Recordings. 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Denzel Curry – Ta13oo". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Denzel Curry – Ta13oo" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Denzel Curry – Ta13oo" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  32. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Denzel Curry – Ta13oo" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  33. ^ "Denzel Curry: Ta13oo" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  34. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Denzel Curry". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  35. ^ "Charts.nz – Denzel Curry – Ta13oo". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  37. ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  38. ^ "Denzel Curry Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
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