It's Been Awful

About

One of the most respected artists on the Top Dawg roster for more than a decade, Isaiah Rashad didn’t exactly plan for the five-year gaps between his albums. After 2016’s <i>The Sun’s Tirade</i>, a well-received debut, it took until 2021 for the Chattanooga rapper’s full-length return <i>The House Is Burning</i>. Fast-forward to 2026, and his <i>IT’S BEEN AWFUL</i> opener <b>“THE NEW SUBLIME”</b> appears all too ready to catch his fans up with what’s been happening. Much like the album title, the slow-burning track sets a dour tone for his third album, a beautifully constructed audio document full of confessions and contemplations. As if mirroring his emotional state, the tempo soon rises for <b>“M.O.M.”</b>—short for “man on a mission”—and dips on the 808-laden single <b>“SAME SH!T,”</b> each focused on family ties and the intertwined imperative to hustle. He explores flaws and failings along the way, the comedown on <b>“HAPPY HOUR”</b> as consequential as the preceding highs. Between the rehab stints mentioned on <b>“AIN’T GIVIN’ UP”</b> and the reflections of lust’s compound impact on <b>“ACT NORMAL,”</b> he’s not only been through a lot but he’s processing it. Unlike <i>The House Is Burning</i>, which included a substantial number of features, Rashad limits the other voices here to a scarce few, admittedly in line with its highly personal nature. Among these are SZA, who tells it like it is on the deceptively peppy <b>“BOY IN RED,”</b> and Dominic Fike, who lends melodic support on the ethereal highlight <b>“CAMERAS.”</b>

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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