Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is the fifth studio album by the American rapperKendrick Lamar, released on May 13, 2022, byPGLang,Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE),Aftermath Entertainment, andInterscope Records. The album serves as his first release under his creative company PGLang, and his final project with both TDE and Aftermath. Lamar, who executive produced the album under thepseudonym Oklama, reunited with frequent collaboratorsSounwave, J. Lbs,DJ Dahi, andBekon for the majority of the album's production.
Upon release,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's lyricism and the album's scope, although some found it inconsistent and Kodak Black's appearance controversial. The album was supported by threesingles: "N95", "Silent Hill", and "Die Hard", all of which charted within the top 10 on the USBillboard Hot 100. Other promotional initiatives included headlining performances atGlastonbury Festival andRolling Loud, and a musical guest appearance on theseason 48 premiere ofSaturday Night Live.Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers debuted atop theBillboard 200, marking Lamar's fourth number-one album in the United States. The album wonBest Rap Album at the65th Annual Grammy Awards and received eight nominations, includingAlbum of the Year. To further promote the album, Lamar embarked on his fourth solo headlining tour, titledthe Big Steppers Tour, which visited Europe, North America and Oceania.
Following the release of his fourth studio albumDamn (2017),Kendrick Lamar took a five-year musical hiatus.[1] During this time, he executive produced thesoundtrack album for the superhero filmBlack Panther (2018),[2] became a father of two children with his longtime romantic partner Whitney Alford,[3][4] and founded the creative services companyPGLang with his creative partnerDave Free.[5] Lamar cites a two-year stretch ofwriter's block as one of the reasons behind his long absence.[6]
In December 2020, theRoskilde Festival announced that Lamar would be headlining the festival's 50th anniversary event in 2021, noting that "new material [was] on the way".[7][8] However, the festival was cancelled in May 2021 due toCOVID-19 restrictions.[9][10] In an August blog post, Lamar announced that he was in the process of producing his final album underTop Dawg Entertainment, writing:
I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers. The morning rides keep me on a hill of silence. I go months without a phone. Love, loss, and grief have disturbed my comfort zone, but the glimmers of God speak through my music and family. While the world around me evolves, I reflect on what matters the most. The life in which my words will land next. As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling. There's beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. I've prayed for you all. See you soon enough.[11]
Rap has truly helped my expansion of self. Beyond the perception of who I believed to be. [...] Music is air to a young nigga at this point. Mr. Morale, the catalyst of my self-expression.
— Kendrick Lamar onMr. Morale & the Big Steppers[12]
Lamar describedMr. Morale & the Big Steppers' songwriting as material he's written in the past that's "just now seeing daylight" due to his own personal insecurities. He and his longtime producer,Sounwave, began recording the album in early 2019 during a week-long brainstorming session in London; the only song from the session that made it onto the album was "Father Time". Both Lamar and Sounwave described making the album as "one of the toughest creative processes imaginable" due to Lamar's privacy, theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the deaths ofNipsey Hussle andKobe Bryant.[13][14]
During recording sessions, Lamar shielded the album away from most of his family members because he didn't want their influence or feelings to override his own; had he told them about it, then "them shits would've never came out". Sounwave admitted that there were times during the album's creation where "I was almost ready to give up music. Not going to lie to you. I was that lost and that down 'cause there was nobody dropping music and nothing coming out to inspire you." In an attempt to "stay alive and keep my hope alive in music", he took on anA&R position for bothMr. Morale & the Big Steppers andBaby Keem'sThe Melodic Blue (2021).[13][14]
Lamar credits becoming a father as what made him "question everything the most". WhenMr. Morale & the Big Steppers was nearing completion in May 2021, he contemplated scrapping the project because of how personal it was. He ultimately released the album because of how beneficial it would be for his children in the future.[13]
The standard edition ofMr. Morale & the Big Steppers is adouble album consisting of 18 songs split into two sections, titledBig Steppers andMr. Morale, which each have nine tracks.[15] The digital version found on streaming services also contains "The Heart Part 5", originally released as a stand-alonepromotional single, appended to the end of the record as a bonus track.[16] With a playing time of over 73 minutes, it is Lamar's second-longest recorded studio album behindTo Pimp a Butterfly (2015) at just over 78 minutes.[17]
Due to its "messy but honest" lyrical content, many critics have regardedMr. Morale & the Big Steppers as Lamar's most confessional body of work.[29] Its concept provides an independent analysis and reflection of his life experiences during histherapy journey.[30] Throughout the album, Lamar revolves around personal themes regarding hischildhood andgenerational trauma,[31]sexual addiction andinfidelity to Alford,[32] and struggles withcelebrity worship and fame.[33] Other topics addressed on the album include fatherhood,daddy issues,[34]therapeutic breakthroughs,spiritual consolation,[35]gender identity,[36]accountability,[37]fake news,cancel culture,capitalism, andperformative activism.[38][16][15] Regarding the album's candid viewpoint, Dr. Christopher Driscoll, assistant professor of religion, Africana, and American studies atLehigh University, writes "Within the intensely polarizing times we live today, very few artists across genres have the skill and the willingness to be so responsibly honest. Hip hop's always been better than many cultural spaces when it comes to unflinching honesty. [Lamar] runs with the latitude afforded by the hip hop culture he loves. The results are healing."[39]
On April 18, 2022, Lamar revealed the album's title and release date through aPGLang-headed letter.[44] Following the announcement, his website was updated with a page titled "The Heart", which contained 399 empty computer folders.[45] Lamar confirmed the project would be a double album on May 3, by sharing a photo of the album'smaster copy.[46] The album artwork was revealed on May 11.[47][48] The cover, photographed by Renell Medrano, features Lamar wearing acrown of thorns and holding his and Alford's daughter while Alford cradles an infant in the background.[49]Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was released via digital download and streaming on May 13.[50] The album was released on CD on May 27,[51] and on vinyl and cassette tape on August 26.[52]
On June 23, 2022, Lamar performed four songs fromMr. Morale & the Big Steppers—"Savior", "Rich Spirit", "Count Me Out", and "N95"— at French fashion houseLouis Vuitton's Men's Spring/Summer 2023 show, in honor of their late artistic directorVirgil Abloh, duringParis Fashion Week.[53][54] Hours after the performance, he headlined Milano Summer Festival.[55] Lamar headlinedGlastonbury Festival on June 26, becoming the first hip-hop artist to close out the festival.[56][57] As a part of his concert tour, he headlinedRolling Loud on July 24.[58] On October 1, 2022, Lamar served as the musical guest on theseason 48 premiere ofSaturday Night Live.[59][60]
To help anticipateMr. Morale & the Big Steppers' arrival, Lamarsurprise released "The Heart Part 5" as a promotional single on May 8, 2022, with an accompanying music video.[61] The fifth installment to his "The Heart" song series, it was met with widespread critical acclaim and peaked at number 15 on the USBillboard Hot 100.[62][63] On May 14, Lamar released the music video for "N95".[64] The song, which debuted at number three on the Hot 100, was sent to Italiancontemporary hit radio on May 20, as the album's lead single.[65] The second single "Silent Hill" was serviced to Americanrhythmic radio formats on May 31.[66][67][68] "Die Hard" was sent to American rhythmic contemporary radio on August 9, as the album's third single.[69]
On May 13, 2022, following and in promotion of the album's release, Lamar announced his fifth solo headlining tour, the Big Steppers Tour, which visited Europe, North America and Oceania. Baby Keem andTanna Leone served as the opening acts for three of the tour's four legs.[70] The October 22 performance atAccor Arena in Paris, France waslivestreamed onAmazon Music'sTwitch channel to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the release of Lamar's second studio albumGood Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012).[71] A director's cut of the performance was released as a concert film, titledKendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, exclusively toAmazon Prime Video on November 23.[72]
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was met with widespread critical acclaim.[81] AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received anaverage score of 85, based on 26 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[74] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[73]
Ben Bryant ofThe Independent called the album a "tender opus from the defining poet of his generation", writing, "The rapper's first album in five years is a haunting and surprising meditation on fatherhood and family".[82] In a five-star review forThe Guardian,Alexis Petridis praised the themes, lyricism and style.[33] Robin Murray fromClash enjoyed the album, saying, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is one of his most profound, complex, revelatory statements yet, a double album fueled by sonic ambition, the will to communicate, and Kendrick's staunch refusal to walk the easy path".[83] Steve Loftin ofThe Line of Best Fit said, "It being one so vulnerable and exposing (including using his family for the artwork), stripping the skin down to the bone, is bold, beautiful, but most importantly, a reminder that an artist like Kendrick Lamar is once in a generation".[84] Reviewing the album forNME, Kyann-Sian Williams stated, "WhileGood Kid, M.A.A.D City showed the world what it's like to grow up as a kid in Compton, his fifth album serves up vignettes about what it's like to be a Black adult whose trauma still haunts them".[78] Rob Moura ofPopMatters said, "OnMr. Morale & the Big Steppers, renowned rapper Kendrick Lamar observes the strife plaguing his kingdom and consciously abdicates the throne".[25] Writing forExclaim!, Riley Wallace stated, "Kendrick Lamar lets it all out, and even if it's the last time we hear from him in this form, he's metaphorically put his whole heart on the table, with yet another body of work worthy of multiple spins and endless dissection".[77] Fred Thomas fromAllMusic also stated that "While not always an easy listen, the album shows more of its intention as it goes, and ultimately makes sense as the next logical step forward in Lamar's increasingly multi-dimensional artistic evolution".[75]
In a four-star review forThe Daily Telegraph, Will Pritchard praised the album's concept and the Kendrick's ability to take "big swings" on songs such as "Father Time" and "Worldwide Steppers". Pritchard lightly criticized the "occasional blip" on the album, citing the command to "stop tap dancing around the conversation" in "We Cry Together" as the album's most obvious misstep.[76] In a positive review,Pitchfork's Stephen Kearse said, "On his fifth album, Kendrick retreats from the limelight and turns to himself, highlighting his insecurities and beliefs. It's ambitious, impressive, and a bit unwieldy".[21]Rolling Stone critic Jeff Ihaza said, "ThePulitzer Prize-winning rapper spends much of his fifth studio album deconstructing his own mythology. The result is at moments brilliant but on the whole, frustratingly uneven".[23] In a more mixed review, Miloslaw Archibald Rugallini of Sputnikmusic praised the album's writing and performance, but criticized the production and perceived lack of cohesion, stating that "the instrumentals rarely serve the performances they exist to enhance", and that "the listening experience is defined by languorous stretches between big moments, and becomes more of an exercise in patience than an engaging and enlivening journey".[85]Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times opined that "Mr. Morale is probably Lamar's least tonally consistent work", "rangy and structurally erratic, full of mid-song beat switches, sorrowful piano and a few moments of dead air".[86]
Despite being met with widespread acclaim,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers also received criticism. The inclusion of rapperKodak Black on the album garnered controversy due to him having been accused of rape in 2016 and pleading guilty to first-degree assault and battery.[87][88][89][90] While "Auntie Diaries" was met with praise from critics and some transgender listeners,[91][92] the song was also met with criticism due to Lamar's repeated usage of "faggot", in addition to accusations ofdeadnaming andmisgendering his trans relatives and media personalityCaitlyn Jenner.[93][94][95]
Upon release,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers received the largest first day streams of 2022 onApple Music, garnering over 60 million streams.[115] In the United States, the album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 chart, opening with 295,000album-equivalent units that consisted of 35,000 album sales and 258,000 streaming units (calculated from the 343.02 million on-demand streams the album's tracks received).Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers became Lamar's fourth number-one album in the country, and was the largest opening week for an album in 2022 at the time.[116] The album became the first hip-hop album of 2022 to reach one billion streams onSpotify.[117] As of November 30, 2022,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers was the thirteenth best-selling album of the year according toHits.[118] Still, according to the magazine, the album has moved a total of 1,063,000 album-equivalent units by the end of 2022, including 177,000 pure album sales, 52,000 song sales, 1.127 billion audio-on-demand streams, and 66.091 million video-on-demand streams.[118]
"United in Grief", "Count Me Out", and "Mother I Sober" interpolates "Paradise", written by John Scherer and Tim Maxey, as performed by Not the Twos.
"Worldwide Steppers" contains samples of "Break Through", written byVincent Crane and Pat Darnell, as performed byThe Funkees; contains samples of "Look Up Look Down", written by Phillip Hunt, as performed by Soft Touch; and contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "When There is No Cheese at the Cookout", spoken by Radel Ortiz.[119]
"Father Time" contains samples of "You're Not There", written by Kennis Jones, as performed by Hoskins 'NCrowd.
"We Cry Together" contains a sample of "June", written byFlorence Welch, as performed byFlorence and the Machine; and contains samples of "Valentine", written by Gary Peacock, as performed by Gary Peacock, Art Lande, and Eliot Zigmund.
"Crown" contains samples of "Through the Night", as performed by Duval Timothy.
"Mr. Morale" contains an uncredited excerpt from the clip "Dallas Cowboys look pathetic vs the Seahawks", spoken by Josh Shango, courtesy ofThe Dallas Cowboy Show.[120]
^Caraballo, Ecleen Luzmila (December 1, 2022)."The Best Albums of 2022".Complex.Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. RetrievedDecember 2, 2022.
^Szatan, Gabriel (December 23, 2022)."The 50 Best Albums of 2022".The Guardian.Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. RetrievedDecember 23, 2022.
^Lyons-Burt, Charles (December 7, 2022)."The 50 Best Albums of 2022".Slant Magazine.Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. RetrievedDecember 8, 2022.
^"Czech Albums – Top 100".ČNS IFPI.Note: On the chart page, select20.Týden 2022 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
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