Quinn XCII is back with his fifth studio album The People’s Champ. An album that’s all about finding time for yourself and being your own champion amidst the lows, the Detroit-based singer delivers his iconic sound and hard-hitting lyrics true to his artistry.
The album consists of 12 tracks with a mix of collaborations from artists like Big Sean, AJR and Adrian Cole– each bringing on their own unique style to the table. And of course, a Quinn XCII album would be incomplete without his best friend and long-time collaborator, Chelsea Cutler. With previous duets of “Stay Next To Me,” “Flare Guns” and “Calling All Angels,” their new song “Let Me Down” is the perfect addition to their collection of songs with its easy-going beats and story that talk all about the one-sidedness of relationships.
The album starts off with “Bartender”, a smooth beat track mixed with horns and drums. While the song may be easy to listen to and Quinn XCII delivers some deep lyrics about using alcohol to “steal the pain”, choosing this song to be the first track on the album was definitely an interesting decision and one we aren’t sure about. Especially with this album’s message of being your own hero, something that was uplifting and power-packed should be expected– and not met with something incredibly depressing. Nonetheless, we shouldn’t immediately jump to conclusions about what the album entails based on the first song!
Continuing to give The People’s Champ a listen, songs like “FOMO (Don’t Do Cool Shit)”, “The Lows” and “Being Me” easily became favorites of the album. “FOMO (Don’t Do Cool Shit)” was all about what the song title suggests and has Quinn XCII practically begging for his friends to stop doing stuff without him. “The Lows”, a leading single, is upbeat and incredibly reminiscent of the vibes from his previous album Change of Scenery II. And Quinn XCII navigates misdirections that life may bring in “Being Me” – a song filled with solid melodies and bops you can tap your feet to.
This album provides a new vulnerable side to Quinn XCII and the lyrics sound as if Quinn is talking to himself in the mirror– finding ways to hype himself up while dealing with all kinds of anxieties. And while this album is quintessential to what Quinn does best, blending all genres of music ranging from hip-hop to pop to reggae, this album does not reign supreme on the podium.
OG fans of Quinn XCII know, without a doubt, that his album The Story of Us will remain a fan favorite and was the perfect album for Quinn to debut. Songs like “Candle,” “Straightjacket” and “Always Been You” had fans throwing their hands in the air and learning to never trust someone from a Midwest suburb.
And even listening to From Michigan With Love and A Letter To My Younger Self, Quinn’s growth as an artist was extremely prominent and you could hear the new techniques he successfully tried in each track. However, The People’s Champ lacked key components of what Quinn is more than capable of. It was missing some of the passion that Quinn pours into his music, and at times, tracks felt flat and almost incomplete.
While Quinn definitely shows up with his vocals and incredible ability to sing and rap, the lack of overall soul and power made the album feel as if it deserved a participation trophy over the grand prize.
Our overall rating of the album: 6/10
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