Quavo, former member of the iconic rap group Migos, released his third solo studio album, “QRÖMLIFE,” on Friday. It comes three years after the release of Rocket Power, his memorial album for his deceased nephew and groupmate, Takeoff.
Entirely produced by Pharrell Williams, “QRÖMLIFE” offers experimental tracks that give Quavo a bit of a different sound than fans are accustomed to. Half of the album features artists such as T.I., Future, Justin Timberlake, and, perhaps most importantly, Offset.
The album starts off with “Backwards.” This track starts with a strong introductory flow from Quavo before quickly switching style and picking up speed. Quavo’s rapping style throughout the track is familiar to fans. His flow, combined with a fun beat from Pharrell and a feature from T.I. make this song a catchy and powerful start to the album.
“BA” is the second track of the album, as well as a personal favorite. The track is named after Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, the perfect title for a song about spending money and living lavishly.
The song, which features Future, has a funky beat and the signature Pharrell 4-count intro, as does most of the album. The chorus stands out, as it is split in half by both a rap flow and a more melodic flow from Quavo.
For Migos fans, the fourth track, titled “Away”, holds sentimental value. The track features Quavo’s former groupmate, Offset. The two have not collaborated since 2021, when Migos released their last album as a group. The song’s transition from Quavo to Offset feels natural, highlighting their chemistry even after years of not working together.
Their raps flow nicely with the song’s vibey beat. While the track feels incomplete without Takeoff (also nicknamed “The Rocket”), Offset seems to pay his respects with his line “Let’s take the rocket, go outer space.”
Quavo offers what might be his best performance of the entire album on the fifth track, “Baby Breath.” The track features Pharrell, Tyler, the Creator, and A$AP Rocky. It is evident that the four artists are both feeding off of each other’s energy while generating even more energy.
Each artist’s verse is separated by the chorus, where listeners excitedly anticipate whichever verse comes next. As the track progresses, more and more hype is created. These notable features make “Baby Breath” one of the best songs on the album.
“Factory Trim” is the seventh track of the album, as well as the halfway point. The track offers yet another funky beat produced by Pharrell. Quavo’s rap verses and slightly melodic refrain make the track feel like he is going back and forth with himself. The song is a solid choice for the album’s middle point.
The second half of the album includes features from Lil Baby, Yung Miami, and Justin Timberlake. However, it does not stand out nearly as much as the first half. Aside from Pharrell’s unique collection of beats, the latter part of the album does not have much to offer. Luckily, the last two tracks completely save the album’s ending.
The second to last track on the album, “HAAVIN”, was released as a single. The track begins with the chorus; the beat sounds very much like a retro video game score. About 40 seconds in, the beat drops, and Quavo raps over a slightly more traditional sounding rap beat for about a minute before the song returns to the chorus.
Despite having two different sounds, the chorus and the verse work incredibly well together. All aspects of this track make it one of the album’s most notable hits.
“Destined” is the album’s final track. With this track, Quavo shows unapologetic appreciation for everything that he has been blessed with, including his success. He reflects on the negative places that he could have ended up in life.
The rapper also pays homage to his musical roots with the line, “Remember where it started, forever Migo gang.” Lyrically, this track is an incredibly strong ending to the album.
In an interview with Complex’s Idea Generation, Quavo acknowledges that his album sounds different from what fans might expect from him. He emphasizes wanting to branch out, proving that he can be bigger and better than he already is.
While the album is not extraordinary, Quavo’s success in his search for a new sound should be appreciated. QRÖMLIFE offers such a variety of different sounds and rap styles that there is something for many kinds of rap fans to add to their playlist.
