Notorious for her sexually-charged lyricism and erotic music videos, Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion continues to be one of the year’s most talked about artists.
Deliberately released to alleviate the exhaustion of quarantine and pandemic life — in other words, to share some “good news” — Stallion’s debut album, which was released on Nov. 20, is a surprisingly bubbly collection of rap, pop and R&B.
Sexuality and sex in the media is often a subject kept quiet, or referred to exclusively through metaphor or subtle imagery. Stallion’s work, however, embraces sex in its fullest form and to its fullest capacity. Stallion’s music is not limited to a woman’s point of view, however. Artists such as DaBaby, Ty Dolla $ign and Young Thug are featured on some of Stallion’s most popular tracks, debriefing their own sex lives and each offering their own laundry list of bedroom experiences and desires.
Stallion’s song, “Shots Fired,” immediately delves into the widely-publicized conflict with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, who allegedly shot Stallion in the foot in July following an argument between the two. While the track primarily focuses on Stallion’s assertion of power over Lanez, the track’s musicality settles sufficiently for the background as Stallion’s rapping takes center stage.
In “Circles,” Stallion rises above the ranks of “‘lil boys,” or those undeserving of her attention. Featuring a sped-up sample of R&B singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan’s 2010 track “Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles),” the track bounces against light percussive work and a catchy, rhythmic flow that’s all Stallion. For those not as well-versed in Stallion’s discography, “Circles” is nevertheless a feel-good bop — and Stallion rightfully dubs the track “every bad b****[es’] song.” Here, Stallion takes a moment to reflect on an eventful past year, rapping about foolish men, broken friendships and a deceased mother. Despite the emotional onslaught, Stallion continues to be the resilient, fierce woman she is.
Following this track is “Cry Baby (feat. DaBaby),” where Stallion and DaBaby verse back-and-forth describing their tumultuous sex lives. “Dont f*** me like that, f*** me like this,” Stallion explains as her correcting her sexual counterpart is followed by a brief, implicative “clapping” rhythm. In keeping to the theme of the track’s title, a baby babble sample wails along a bassy beat.
“Do It On The Tip (feat. City Girls & Hot Girl Meg)” radiates sexual confidence. Both Stallion and City Girls, specifically Yung Miami and JT, echo sentiments of haughtiness as they subvert gender norms: “I should own a bakery way n***as bring the cake to me / And if that boy a baller, I bet I can make him play for me.” Like “Tina Snow,” “Hot Girl Meg” is another one of Stallion’s self-proclaimed alter egos, embodying her lively, carefree personality that is often presented as a college girl who parties on the down-low. While still making use of an “808-inspired” beat, the track intentionally refrains from otherwise distracting sonic elements, leaving ample space for Stallion and the Miami hip-hop duo’s steady verses.
Nearly sounding as if taken from the Dance Dance Revolution soundtrack, “Sugar Baby” is Stallion in control. According to Stallion, her boyfriend must provide financial support — not to mention, “measure-up” physically — in efforts to maintain a romantic relationship.
“Movie (feat. Lil Durk)” recounts a frenzied night spent at the strip club. Stallion plays the role of a performer, while Lil Durk is here to watch the show unfold. The track itself sounds suitable for the club with a subby low-end and deep, bassy beats.
“Freaky Girls (feat. SZA)” leans heavily on an ostensibly ‘90s sonic palette and features R&B goddess SZA — the collaboration of which also serves as SZA’s first feature of the year. On “Freaky Girls,” the two share hopes in finding a partner sexually gratifying enough for the girls’ sexual desires but courageous enough to satisfy their adventurous spirits.
“Body” is a quintessential “Megan Thee Stallion” moment. Arguably the most sonically-explicit track on the album, where the sound of a woman’s moans are most audible at the beginning and end of the song, the track further emphasizes Stallion’s keen ability to “body” unparalleled attractiveness. Though not especially creative, the hook is, admittedly, very catchy: “Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody.” The track’s accompanying music video features the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Blac Chyna and Jordyn Woods, to name a few.
“What’s New” presents an indifferent Stallion as she reflects on time wasted and energy lost on those around her. With a swinging wolf-whistle and a thumping drumbeat, Stallion proudly humbles those who have and continue to wrong her. Closing out the track with a “middle finger out the roof,” Stallion stands somewhere between seeming unbothered and giving her “haters” far too much time of day.
“Work That” is Stallion self-assured and proud of her ability to satisfy her partner with ease. Here, Stallion’s verses melodically drive the track, notably on her “ride it like a rodeo” lyric. The phrase is sung in a way that detracts from Stallion’s otherwise fierce rap verses.
“Intercourse (feat. Popcaan & Mustard)” is tolerable at best. Popcaan’s lazily-sung, overly auto-tuned verse that is combined with an underdeveloped, passive instrumental backdrop leaves Stallion with a track that only seems to clash with, rather than complement, her phonetic finesse. Even Stallion’s eloquent rap verses can’t redeem “Intercourse” — it’s too far gone.
Disappointingly, “Go Crazy (feat. Big Sean & 2 Chainz)” fails to live up to its name. Production-wise, the song is simply too plain and too ordinary for Stallion’s own good. Considering the sampling of The Jackson 5’s 1970 “ABC” alongside a Big Sean and 2 Chainz feature, one would expect an elaborate, high-energy song whose composition, at bare-minimum, adequately frames Megan’s raps. In truth, “Go Crazy” lacks the zeal and edge that make Stallion a stand-out act.
“Don’t Rock Me To Sleep” is an unexpected exploration of pop-driven sensibilities. Despite the track’s entertaining, optimistic instrumental, Stallion’s restrained, sing-song flow sticks out like a sore thumb. While the song misses the mark in its attempt to feign pop-song popularity, Stallion gets a few points for stepping so sharply out of her comfort zone.
Stallion comes to her senses in “Outside,” a melodically-sweet, swirling track. Stallion stands up for herself, rapping that she “ain’t for the streets, ’cause b****, I am the street … / And I’ma be outside ’til I don’t wanna be,” over a wavy synth and shiny beat.
“Savage Remix (feat. Beyoncé)” takes TikTok-viral “Savage” and turns it up a notch. Featuring none other than the queen herself, Beyoncé’s silky vocals spill over Stallion’s hard-hitting verses before joining in on the fun, rapping in part with her. The track was nominated for Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for the upcoming Grammy Awards — deservingly so.
The second single off the album, “Girls In The Hood,” transforms the 1987 Eazy-E song “Boyz-N-The-Hood” into a female-empowerment anthem. Stallion fronts a deal-with-it attitude — “I’m a hot girl, I do hot shit” — while a punchy instrumental breathes in and out with each rhyme.
In uniquely electronic-based “Don’t Stop (feat. Young Thug),” Stallion clearly asserts her expectations for those interested in a sexual encounter: “I don’t even say, ‘What’s up?’ / I just tell him what I want.” The instrumentation alone sounds typical of a “PC music” track, with its dramatically-distorted synth textures.
Free from the shackles that bind one’s own sexuality away from the public arena, Stallion’s “Good News” is raw, feminine energy. Many women, myself included, feel empowered by Stallion’s raunchy lyrics. By unabashedly embracing her sexuality, Stallion exudes an air of confidence felt in each and every verse. Unfortunately, what’s left of the album sonically fails to live up to the enthusiasm and fervor that is Stallion’s rhythmic rap flow.
Mia Hammett is a Contributing Writer. She can be reached at hammettm@uci.edu.
