Staples promotedBig Fish Theory with atour through Canada and the United States, the Life Aquatic Tour. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and debuted at number 16 on the USBillboard 200. It was supported by three singles: "BagBak", "Big Fish" and "Rain Come Down".
The majority ofBig Fish Theory was recorded atEastWest Studios inLos Angeles, except for "Ramona Park Is Yankee Stadium" and "BagBak", which were recorded with producer Ray Brady at The Torch, also in Los Angeles.[3] Staples met Zack Sekoff, the album's primary producer, through Staples' DJ Westside Ty.[4]
Big Fish Theory's sound was inspired byDetroit techno.[5] Los Angeles producer Zack Sekoff, who has production credit on five of the songs on the album, sourced inspiration when on a semester abroad inLondon from artists such asBurial,James Blake,Novelist,Wiley andZomby.[4]
On November 29, 2016, Staples announced he would go on a 2017tour in promotion ofBig Fish Theory, the Life Aquatic Tour, alongsideKilo Kish. It began on February 24, 2017, inSan Diego, California, and ended on April 9 of the same year, inPhoenix, Arizona.[20][21]
On January 3, 2017, Staples announced that he would release a song called "BagBak" on February 2, 2017.[22] On May 18, in an interview onZane Lowe's showBeats 1, he announced the title of his upcoming album and released an accompanying single, "Big Fish".[23][24] He also announced thatBig Fish Theory would be released on June 23, 2017.[25][26] On June 8, he released his third single, "Rain Come Down",[27] as well an accompanying music video.[28] On June 11, he released the album's artwork and an Instagram photo of the 12-song track list.[29][30]Billboard's Tatiana Cirisano listed the "clever" artwork, which depicts a "frightened-lookingguppy", as one of the best of 2017.[31]
Big Fish Theory was met with widespread critical acclaim. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 89, based on 25 reviews.[33] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[32]
AllMusic critic Neil Z. Yeung thought that "Big Fish Theory cements Staples' status as one of the most talented and forward-thinking voices in rap in the late 2010s".[19]The A.V. Club's Clayton Purdom stated: "OnBig Fish Theory, an album about the guilt that comes with transcending one's home, Staples finds a better language still."[34] Liam Egan ofClash described the album as "a record that not only sees Vince taking risks and progressing forward as an artist, but also another astounding example of what hip-hop should and can be in 2017".[39] Eric Renner Brown ofEntertainment Weekly thought thatBig Fish Theory "surpasses expectations, with incisive lyrics and beats that spurn current trends for a set that sounds unlike anything else in hip-hop right now".[35]The Guardian's Kate Hutchinson stated that the record "makes for a challenging, dystopian listen, the blade runner to everyone else's replicant".[17]
Joe Madden ofNME stated that Staples' lyrics are "emotionally calibrated for 2017: antsy, alienated and occasionally overcome with nihilistic despair at the state of the world. And his bleak lyrical brilliance is perfectly matched byBig Fish Theory's experimental production".[7]Pitchfork gave it the title of "Best New Music" with writer Sheldon Pearce stating that "Big Fish Theory feels like a natural progression" and further added: "Amid the gleaming productions, he's still exploring darkness."[8]Rolling Stone's Christopher R. Weingarten stated: "sure, it's less focused than the reportage of 2015'sSummertime '06, but the varying emotions and outlooks mark a full step forward into becoming a multi-layered, genre-crossing, emotion-spilling pop auteur in the vein of [Kanye] West,Drake orChildish Gambino."[13]The Line of Best Fit's Erik Thompson wrote that "on this record it is clear that Staples is making his own assertive artistic statement for these turbulent times, while also firmly establishing himself as one of the brash, singular voices that is going to be leading the music world into the chaotic, unpredictable future".[40] Sputnikmusic praised the album, calling it the best hip hop album of 2017.[41]
^"Instagram photo by @vincestaples". Instagram. June 11, 2017. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. RetrievedJuly 1, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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