Faith (Pop Smoke album)
Faith is the second and final studio album by American rapper Pop Smoke. It was posthumously released on July 16, 2021, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. The deluxe edition of the album that includes four additional tracks was released on what would have been Pop Smoke's 22nd birthday, July 20, 2021. On July 30, six additional tracks were added, including the late rapper's hit single "Dior", from his breakout 2019 mixtape Meet the Woo. The album's guest appearances include Kanye West, Pusha T, Rick Ross, The-Dream, 42 Dugg, 21 Savage, Rah Swish, Travi, Beam, The Neptunes, Bizzy Banks, Takeoff, Lil Tjay, Swae Lee, Future, Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Kodak Black. The deluxe edition adds additional appearances from G Herbo, OnPointLikeOP, Killa, Dread Woo, Tayy Floss, Fetty Luciano, Anuel AA, and Obasi Jackson. Faith is a drill, trap, and hip hop record with elements of pop-trap, gospel, and pop.
A total of four singles were released throughout July 2021. "Mr. Jones" featuring American rapper Future was released as the lead single the same day as the album. It peaked at number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 70 on the Billboard Global 200. "Demeanor" featuring English singer Dua Lipa was released to rhythmic contemporary and contemporary hit radio formats in the United States on July 20, 2021, as Faith second single. It peaked at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. "Woo Baby" featuring American singer Chris Brown was also sent to American rhythmic contemporary radio as the album's third single on July 22, 2021. The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Billboard airplay Rhythmic chart.
Faith received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Some criticized the production and considered the album unfinished. Others criticized the number of features and called it a cash grab. Entertainment Weekly, HipHopDX, and Yardbarker placed Faith on their lists of worst albums of 2021, while Capital Xtra placed the album on their best albums of 2021 list. Despite it getting mixed reviews, the album was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 and giving the late rapper his second US number-one hit. Pop Smoke became the first artist in history to have his first two albums posthumously debut at number one on the Billboard 200. The album also peaked at number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Canadian Albums Chart. It reached the top-10 of 17 other regions, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.
Background
After American rapper Pop Smoke was shot and killed at the age of 20 during a home invasion, fellow American rapper 50 Cent decided to help finish the late rapper's album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon by serving as executive producer. After the album was released on July 3, 2020, it was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, and spawning four US Billboard Hot 100 top 20 singles "For the Night", "What You Know Bout Love", "The Woo", and "Mood Swings". The album helped Pop Smoke win Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Rap Album at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.On May 1, 2021, American producer Rico Beats hinted at the release of another posthumous Pop Smoke album. The producer posted a mirror selfie and added, "I see and hear everything kept it cool tho no worries pay back around the corner Pop smoke new album loading". After Rico Beats indicated the release of Pop Smoke's second album, 50 Cent told radio personality Kris Kaylin in an interview that he was unsure if he would be involved and executive produce it. On June 4, Haitian-American record executive Steven Victor announced that there would be a second posthumous project released. Rico Beats announced that Faith was "95% loading the fuck up" and also confirmed that he would be one of the producers on the album through a post on Instagram on June 15.
Music and lyrics
Faith is a drill, trap, and hip hop record, with the songs containing elements of pop-trap, gospel, and pop. The album opens up with the gospel-influenced spoken word and soul intro "Good News". The intro features Pop Smoke's mother speaking over the instrumentals of her son's 2019 single "Welcome to the Party" while explaining the reasoning behind the album's title and explains Pop Smoke had a natural drive, a drive to materialize greatness and to show his listeners that they, too, can achieve greatness. In the following track "More Time", Pop Smoke raps about being a confident man on the streets while trying to honor his mother's wishes. It consists of reverberating keys added by American composer Nicholas Britell. "Tell the Vision" featuring Kanye West and Pusha T is a drill track that uses a synth-pop production and features the use of drill drums, lurching synths, choral flourishes, and interspersed spoken testimonials. In the song, West raps the intro while it features a sample of Power 105.1 host Angie Martinez delivering an ode to Pop Smoke. Pop Smoke raps about his early life in Brooklyn, New York, and the struggles he faced at the time, while Pusha T disses Canadian musician Drake and hints on releasing an album soon. "Manslaughter" featuring Rick Ross and The-Dream is an R&B, hip-hop, and pop track that features strings and downbeat percussion. The rappers discuss how they would go to great lengths to defend their loved ones. Pop Smoke sings of being willing to commit a crime if someone upsets him or his family. The song initially had a different beat and featured Dread Woo and Dafi Woo, however Victor explained that they couldn't clear the sample."Bout a Million" featuring 21 Savage and 42 Dugg is a chamber folk, ambient, and drill track with braggadocio, a lead guitar, and 808's. It's lyrics are about the three rappers flexing their expensive jewels and lifestyles, and their upbringing and experiences throughout different places in the United States. "Brush Em" featuring Rah Swish is a drill track that uses percussion. Pop Smoke and Rah Swish both rap about their dangerous tendencies and about the streets of Brooklyn. "Top Shotta" with The Neptunes, featuring Pusha T, Travi, and Beam is a dancehall-inspired drill track that utilizes a tropical beat and caribbean-style steel drums. The track was originally supposed to feature American rapper Eli Fross. "30" featuring Bizzy Banks is a drill song with interplay between the two rappers. It is followed by drill track "Beat the Speaker", in which Pop Smoke raps about the death of Kenneka Jenkins. "Coupe" has the use of looping 808's, while the lyrics discuss the themes of celebrity excess. Pop Smoke raps "Don't run in my crib, I'll put guns to your head" before a brief pause in the music to emphasize the line's profundity. Robin Murray from Clash stated that "Coupe" and "Beat the Speaker" are "freestyle carved out into individual track". "What's Crackin" featuring Takeoff is a trap song that uses bells in the background. "Genius" featuring Lil Tjay and Swae Lee is a drill song. HotNewHipHop author Aron A. expressed that " Tjay and Swae Lee's contributions electrify through smooth vocal performances". "Mr. Jones" featuring Future sees both rappers rap about their lavish lifestyles and pursuit for self-gratification. "Woo Baby Interlude" is sung A cappella and was originally called "Tiger". According to Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo of Exclaim!, the song is "raw and uncut". "Woo Baby" featuring Chris Brown is an R&B and trap song. The song uses an uncredited sample of American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo's 2005 number one hit single "So Sick".
"Demeanor" featuring Dua Lipa is an electropop and disco-pop song that uses a bassline, rhythm guitar, drums, funky groove and bounce, woozy vibes, and rhythmic verses. It contains a spliced-in verse from an unreleased Pop Smoke track called "Face2Face". In the song, Pop Smoke sings about how women enjoy the way he acts and being intoxicated. The late artist then raps about suffering through poverty. Lipa gets her own verse as she sings: "You can't say Pop without Smoke", referring to Pop Smoke's line "You cannot say Pop and forget the Smoke" in his 2019 song "Gatti" with JackBoys and Travis Scott. "Spoiled" featuring Pharrell is a pop, funk and R&B song with keyboard melodies. Its lyrics discuss women as being spoiled. "8-Ball" featuring Kid Cudi is a Latin and drone-influenced blues and Middle Eastern track that features a guitar and elastic bassline. Both Pop Smoke and Kid Cudi rap about luck, loss and love. Udit Mahalingan of The Line of Best Fit stated that "Back Door" featuring Quavo and Kodak Black is about a "piece of maternal advice into a meditation on the urban New York experience". Faith closes with the lofi hip hop and trap song "Merci Beaucoup", which stands for "thank you very much" in French. It makes use of a UK drill-style bassline and sonic undertones. Pop Smoke raps about attacking his enemies, taking their jewelry, and women wanting to be with him. It then transitions to a spoken word outro, in which Pop Smoke stands on his accomplishments and predicts more, emphasizing his loyalty to his goal. Rolling Stone author Milan Kordestani opined that Pop Smoke is "clearly speaking to his target audience" during "Merci Beaucoup". Kordestani recognized that Pop Smoke was "referencing his marketing strategy at the same time". The author concludes that when Pop Smoke writes his lyrics, he isn't thinking about the 'masses'; instead, he is thinking about the people in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. He's aiming for an audience that will want to hear his distinct lyrics and voice.