Musiq Soulchild is back with another album and this time he is joined by Hit Boy, the other half of Nas‘ King's Disease series + Magic. To be frank, this album is a breath of fresh air as Musiq Soulchild has been unable to recreate the passion and production value that made 2011's Musiqinthemagiq such an amazing album. How is the 10 track Victims and Villains as an album? Let's press play! Stream the Album on Amazon Music
In these lines, Soulchild is speaking on how no one is at fault for the dissolution of the situationship, it wasn't love, it was just a passionate physical affair that is now over. He also gives us insight into some of the issues in the situationship:
One can only assume that his love interest in question was overly focused on everything going on around the situsationship that Musiq got tired of it and wanted to...wait for it "cancel his subscription".
Hit Boy supplies the back drop and does a good job of producing and instrumental that feels sad and conclusive. The organs in the background of the verse gives the song a "funereal" feel which I can only assume was intentional.
In the second verse he goes from being tempted to remembering why she is his ex and why they broke up. It breaks him out of his fantasy and he begins to rebuke the thoughts.
The beat from Hit Boy that underpins the lyrics has a cool snare that gives the track energy and an upbeat pacing. The instrumentation on top is control and subdued to give Musiq Soulchild wide open lane to do what he does best. I remember you my ex is a great song that we can all relate to.
He wants to make sure he builds a solid foundation so that the relationship can blossom into something
The backing track is slow, pensive, emotional, and deep. The “Splashy” high-hat and snares are the perfect companion to the dreamy and ominous melody. I found myself zoning out multiple listening to this track, it’s a vibe. Hit Boy did a great job thematically with the composition, much props to him.
Make sure you watch our Whip Appeal Review of "your love is life" and let us know your thoughts on the Musiq Soulchild Hit Boy collaborative in the official thread.
Analyzing 3 Random Songs from Victims and Villains Album by Musiq Soulchild and Hit Boy
we were just binging
"we were just binging" showcases just how creative Musiq Soulchild's lyrics are for this go around. In this song, Soulchild is relating a dying situationship to a show on a streaming video platform. It's a very cool concept that yields lyrics such as:In these lines, Soulchild is speaking on how no one is at fault for the dissolution of the situationship, it wasn't love, it was just a passionate physical affair that is now over. He also gives us insight into some of the issues in the situationship:
One can only assume that his love interest in question was overly focused on everything going on around the situsationship that Musiq got tired of it and wanted to...wait for it "cancel his subscription".
Hit Boy supplies the back drop and does a good job of producing and instrumental that feels sad and conclusive. The organs in the background of the verse gives the song a "funereal" feel which I can only assume was intentional.
I remember you my ex
In this track, Musiq Soulchild speaks on those lonely late nights where he is tempted to mess around his ex. Anyone who has broken up with someone can relate to slipping over their crib for a little late night rendezvous every now and again. He makes it clear with the following lines:In the second verse he goes from being tempted to remembering why she is his ex and why they broke up. It breaks him out of his fantasy and he begins to rebuke the thoughts.
The beat from Hit Boy that underpins the lyrics has a cool snare that gives the track energy and an upbeat pacing. The instrumentation on top is control and subdued to give Musiq Soulchild wide open lane to do what he does best. I remember you my ex is a great song that we can all relate to.
Beat of a Slow Dance
Musiq Soulchild once again shows his creativity with this song by relating his heart beat to the tempo of a slow dance. He makes it clear that the relationship needs to move slow to ensure that it works out properly. The lyrics are very mature and show a more measured approach to dating from Musiq Soulchild. In the second verse he states:He wants to make sure he builds a solid foundation so that the relationship can blossom into something
The backing track is slow, pensive, emotional, and deep. The “Splashy” high-hat and snares are the perfect companion to the dreamy and ominous melody. I found myself zoning out multiple listening to this track, it’s a vibe. Hit Boy did a great job thematically with the composition, much props to him.
your love is life
We took your love is life out on the road for our Whip Appeal segment.Lifestyle Analysis
Previous Musiq Soulchild albums would give you tracks like “Ridiculous”, “On My Radio”, and etc that would be perfect in active settings, that is not this album. Victims and Villains is a very morose, semi-dark, and emotive album that will be perfect in most settings but not all.| Focused | Active | Chill | Commute |
| beat of a slow dance white rice deja vu | None. | I remember you my ex imreallytrynaf*ckwichu is it love, is it lies between love and war we were just binging | your love is life victims and villains Will I Touch the Sky |
Parting Thoughts
This Musiq Soulchild Hit Boy collaborative album is minimalistic, morose, and expressive. It is some of Soulchild’s best music in years and highlights Hit Boy’s versatility as a producer. It also shows how 10 great tracks is often better than 15 (11 great tracks/4 duds). The Soulchild Hit Boy new album proves that sometimes less is more.What I Like the Most
What I liked the most about this album is that it felt cohesive, consistent, and did not over stay its welcome. I would love to see "your love is life" released as the next single from Victims and Villains as I feel it's catchy and fun. Victims and Villains is a departure from Soulchild's previous albums as it didn’t follow the typical ping pong between super happy “in love” songs and slow and sad “we broke up” songs. This album feels more middle of the road emotionally for Musiq and may be a marker on where he is as an artist or simply the impact of Hit Boy production.What I Don't Like
I don't have any complaints with the album, however the middle of the road vibe may turn some listeners off of the project. There are no tracks that fall firmly in the archetypical R&B/Soul staples such as:- The "Love Making" Song
- The "I'm On My Way to the Club" Banger
- "Take Me Back" Slow Song
- "I Want to Be Your One and Only" Ballad
- "Let's Smash" Track
- "I Love You" Track
Final Score
The Musiq Soulchild Hit Boy collaborative album Victims and Villains is a showcase of soul, talent, and growth...for that reason I give it 5 out of 6ZEROS.
Make sure you watch our Whip Appeal Review of "your love is life" and let us know your thoughts on the Musiq Soulchild Hit Boy collaborative in the official thread.
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