Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Melt My Eyez See Your Future is the fifth studio album by American rapper Denzel Curry, released through PH and Loma Vista Recordings on March 25, 2022. The album includes features from Robert Glasper, Buzzy Lee, Saul Williams, Bridget Perez, T-Pain, 6lack, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah, 454, and Slowthai, and production from Cardo, FnZ, Thundercat, JPEGMafia, and Kenny Beats, among others. It was preceded by the singles "Walkin", "Zatoichi", and "Troubles". The album received widespread acclaim from critics, with reviewers praising Curry's lyrical abilities and the album's production.

Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Studio album by Denzel Curry
Released	March 25, 2022 (2022-03-25)
Recorded	2019–2021^[1]
Genre	Hip hop
Length	45:10
Label	PH Loma Vista
Producer	Cardo Clutch George Darko DJ Khalil Dot da Genius Drtwrk Elijah Fox FnZ HWLS JGramm Jonnywood JPEGMafia Kal Banx Karriem Riggins Kenny Beats Mickey de Grand IV Mike Hector Naz Noah Goldstein Powers Pleasant Robert Glasper Thundercat
Denzel Curry chronology
Unlocked 1.5 (2021) Melt My Eyez See Your Future (2022) Designed by Angels (TBA)
Singles from Melt My Eyez See Your Future
"Walkin" Released: January 24, 2022 "Zatoichi" Released: February 24, 2022 "Troubles" Released: March 21, 2022

Background, promotion, and release

Denzel Curry first began envisioning the album's themes in 2018, and began working on it after the completion of his 2019 album, Zuu.^[1] In a May 2020 interview with XXL, he shared his plans to retire from making music after releasing three more full-length bodies of work.^[2] His first collaboration extended play with Kenny Beats, Unlocked, was released on February 7, 2020, followed by a remixed version of the EP, titled Unlocked 1.5, on March 5, 2021. He revealed the album title in a November 2021 interview with Las Vegas Weekly.^[3] Melt My Eyez is a metaphor for people's tendency to avoid facing difficult topics in day-to-day life, while See Your Future is motivation for moving on by putting one's past behind and focusing on what's yet to come.^[1] The album's themes were also inspired by several classic works of cinema, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Mandalorian, Return of the Jedi, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and Ran.^[4]

It is said to be his most mature body of work yet. He talked about retiring some of his past alter egos in favor of embracing his true personality and feelings through the music: "I'm not trying to be Zeltron. I'm not trying to be Aquarius Killa. I'm not trying to be Raven Miyagi. I'm not trying to be any of those personalities or any of those people. I'm Denzel. I'm a human being. I have feelings." He intended for the album to go in an entirely different direction from his previous works, calling it "the end of an era" and telling fans they were not going to "hear the same type of Denzel anymore".^[5]

Curry announced the album on January 5, 2022, by sharing a "Western-style" teaser trailer to his official YouTube channel.^[6] The short trailer depicts Curry walking through a desert alone while an appropriate instrumental plays, before displaying a list of people who are featured or have worked on the album, among them: T-Pain, Rico Nasty, JID, Slowthai, Thundercat, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins, and Dot da Genius.^[7] On January 24, the single "Walkin" was released, along with a similarly Western- and sci-fi-inspired music video directed by Adrian Villagomez. That same day, Curry announced a North American and European tour with special guests Kenny Mason, Mike Dimes, Redveil, and PlayThatBoiZay.^[8] On February 24, another single—"Zatoichi" featuring Slowthai, titled after the Japanese fictional character—was released, also accompanied by a music video directed by Villagomez.^[9] On March 18, Curry revealed the album was to be released on March 25.^[10] On March 21, a third single—"Troubles" featuring T-Pain—was released,^[11] along with a music video starring the two.^[12] The album was released on March 25, 2022.^[13]

Extended edition

On June 1, 2022, a remix of "Walkin" featuring Key Glock, was released as the first single for the extended version of the album.^[14]

On September 30, 2022, the extended edition was released featuring 10 new songs recorded by Curry and the Cold Blooded Soul Band, as well as two previously unreleased songs— "Larger Than Life" and "Chrome Hearts" (featuring Zacari). The album was promoted with a livestream concert: Melt My Eyez: Live From the Komodo City Cafe, on September 29.^[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.3/10^[16]
Metacritic	85/100^[17]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[18]
Beats Per Minute	83%^[19]
Clash	9/10^[20]
DIY	^[21]
Dork	^[22]
HipHopDX	3.7/5^[23]
Kerrang!	4/5^[24]
The Line of Best Fit	8/10^[25]
NME	^[26]
Pitchfork	7.3/10^[27]

Melt My Eyez See Your Future 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 85, based on eight reviews.^[17] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.^[16]

Robin Murray of Clash described the album as a "breathless, breath-taking experience" and awarded it a score of nine out of ten.^[20] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME gave it five out of five stars, calling Curry "the Renaissance man of Southern hip-hop" and praising his ability to "[provide] a priceless sense of self-discovery as he explores his countless facets."^[26] David Crone of AllMusic applauded Curry's "reflections on past misdoings [...] while his verses are packed with slick wordplay."^[18] Alisdair Grice of DIY said, "It feels like an album not caught in time, instead spanning and encompassing it".^[21] Alex Nguyen from Beats Per Minute enjoyed the album, saying, "Melt My Eyez See Your Future is a profound exploration of the state of the world and Curry himself. He works with a diverse set of producers and collaborators to transform his sound and incorporates the aesthetics of Westerns and the samurai films that inspired them to disclose his inner feelings and personality".^[19] Blaise Radley of Dork said, "Taken as a whole, this is the sort of cohesive artistic statement he's been aching to make for years".^[22] Reviewing the album for HipHopDX, Ben Brutocao stated, "It's not an ambitious but heavy-handed declaration of truth (Ta13oo), nor is it an all-encompassing love letter to his home state (Zuu). It's just a rap album, albeit a very good one, and it shows just how dynamic and forceful Denzel Curry can be when he releases himself from the poisonous burden of perfection".^[23]

Kerrang! critic Emma Wilkes said, "While this record isn't going to lure rock purists out of their dens, it has greater ambitions in mind, and the amount it achieves in the space that it does is staggering. For any artist of any genre, this is the textbook for innovation".^[24] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Steven Loftin stated, "An exploration of his wildest ideas and most focused inner thoughts, Melt My Eyez See Your Future comes together like a cataclysmic showing of everything he's learned, and most importantly, he's embracing himself".^[25] In a positive review, Pitchfork's Steven Kearse said, "On Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Curry again retools his sound, trading livewire energy for introspection and vulnerability. The album lacks the vividness of his past releases, but its concept offers a glimpse into Curry's roving mind".^[27]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Critic/Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Beats Per Minute	BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2022	26	^[28]
Complex	The Best Albums of 2022	10	^[29]
Consequence	Top 50 Albums of 2022	43	^[30]
Kerrang!	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	22	^[31]
The Line of Best Fit	The Best Albums of 2022 Ranked	18	^[32]
Loud and Quiet	Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2022	35	^[33]
NME	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	22	^[34]
Okayplayer	Okayplayer's 22 Best Albums of 2022	11	^[35]
PopMatters	The 80 Best Albums of 2022	35	^[36]
Spectrum Culture	Top 20 Albums of 2022	14	^[37]

Commercial performance

Melt My Eyez See Your Future debuted at number 51 on the US Billboard 200,^[38] and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[39]

Track listing

Melt My Eyez See Your Future standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Melt Session #1" (featuring Robert Glasper)	Denzel Curry Robert Glasper Bridget Perez	Glasper	4:01
2.	"Walkin"	Curry Kalon Berry Keith Mansfield	Kal Banx	4:40
3.	"Worst Comes to Worst"	Curry Oladipo Omishore Joshua Portillo Anna Wise Alain Macklovitch Bappi Lahiri Salma Agha	Dot da Genius Naz	2:50
4.	"John Wayne" (featuring Buzzy Lee)	Curry Sasha Spielberg Barrington Hendricks	JPEGMafia	2:36
5.	"The Last"	Curry Michael Mule Isaac De Boni Justin Elwin Ryan DeGrandy	FnZ HWLS	4:22
6.	"Mental" (featuring Saul Williams and Bridget Perez)	Curry Saul Williams Perez Julian Gramma Mike Hector Elijah Fox	J Gramm Hector Fox	2:26
7.	"Troubles" (featuring T-Pain)	Curry Faheem Najm Kenneth Blume III Khalil Abdul Rahman	Kenny Beats DJ Khalil	2:40
8.	"Ain't No Way" (featuring 6lack, Rico Nasty, JID, Jasiah and Kitty Cash)	Curry Ricardo Valentine Maria-Cecilia Kelly Destin Route Malachi-Phree Pate Powers Pleasant Cachee Livingston Louis Leibfried Glasper Tim Friedrich Simmie Simms III	Pleasant Sucuki^[a] Lo^[a]	4:24
9.	"X-Wing"	Curry Michał Suski George Mardoyan Julius Herold Matthew Samuels	Drtwrk Clutch George Darko	2:56
10.	"Angelz" (featuring Karriem Riggins)	Curry Karriem Riggins Sharina Castillo DeGrandy Perez Mark Ellerbee Linda Hargrove	Riggins Mickey de Grand IV	3:51
11.	"The Smell of Death"	Curry Stephen Bruner	Thundercat	1:20
12.	"Sanjuro" (featuring 454)	Curry Willie Wilson Ronald LaTour, Jr. Berry	Cardo Kal Banx^[b]	2:07
13.	"Zatoichi" (featuring Slowthai)	Curry Tyron Frampton Perez Pleasant Jonathan Birkner G. Jacobo Q. Williams Richard Spencer	Pleasant Jonnywood^[a]	3:30
14.	"The Ills"	Curry Noah Goldstein Omishore Macklovitch	Goldstein Dot da Genius	3:22
Total length:				45:10

Extended edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Melt Session #1" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Glasper Perez	Mickey de Grand IV	4:01
2.	"Walkin" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Berry Mansfield	Mickey de Grand IV	4:40
3.	"Worst Comes to Worst" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Omishore Portillo Wise Macklovitch Lahiri Agha	Mickey de Grand IV	2:50
4.	"Mental" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Williams Perez Gramma Hector Fox	Mickey de Grand IV	2:26
5.	"Troubles" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Najm Blume III Rahman	Mickey de Grand IV	2:40
6.	"Chrome Hearts" (featuring Zacari)	Curry Aaron Booe Zacari Pacaldo	Aaron Bow Zacari	4:24
7.	"X-Wing" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Suski Mardoyan Herold Samuels	Mickey de Grand IV	2:56
8.	"Angelz" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Riggins Castillo DeGrandy Perez Ellerbee Hargrove	Mickey de Grand IV	3:51
9.	"Larger Than Life"	Curry Blume III	Kenny Beats DJ Khalil	1:20
10.	"The Ills" (Cold Blooded Soul Version)	Curry Goldstein Omishore Macklovitch	Mickey de Grand IV	3:22
Total length:				1:15:07

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• "Walkin" contain a sample of "The Loving Touch", written and performed by Keith Mansfield.
• "Worst Comes to Worst" contain a sample of "Come Closer", written by Bappi Lahiri and Salma Agha, as performed by Salma Agha.
• "Angelz" contain a sample of "Nothing Left to Do", written by Mark Ellerbee and Linda Hargrove, as performed by After All.
• "Zatoichi" contain a sample of "Amen, Brother", written by Richard Spencer, as performed by the Winstons.

Personnel

• Denzel Curry – rap vocals
• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Nathan Burgess – mixing, engineering
• Robert Glasper – keyboards (1), additional keyboards (8)
• Bridget Perez – background vocals (2), additional vocals (10, 13)
• Anna Wise – additional vocals (3)
• A-Trak – sampler (3, 14)
• Buzzy Lee – vocals (4)
• Mickey de Grand IV – additional keyboards (5)
• Sharina Castillo – additional vocals (10)
• Thundercat – additional vocals (11)
• Gaby Duran – additional vocals (13)
• Shawn K – additional vocals (13)

Charts

Chart performance for Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[40]	12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[41]	62
Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[42]	38
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[43]	100
Irish Albums (OCC)^[44]	48
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)^[45]	36
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[46]	17
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[47]	7
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[48]	73
UK Albums (OCC)^[49]	30
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[50]	13
UK R&B Albums (OCC)^[51]	1
US Billboard 200^[38]	17
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[39]	11

References

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