This Unruly Mess I've Made

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This Unruly Mess I've Made
Studio album by
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2016 (2016-02-26)
Recorded2013–2015
Genre
Length57:39
Label
  • Macklemore LLC
  • ADA
Producer
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis chronology
The Heist
(2012) 		This Unruly Mess I've Made
(2016)
Singles from This Unruly Mess I've Made
  1. "Downtown"
    Released: August 27, 2015
  2. "Dance Off"
    Released: February 25, 2016

This Unruly Mess I've Made is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on February 26, 2016, by Macklemore LLC and Alternative Distribution Alliance. Following the success of the duo's hit album The Heist (2012), which earned them their first Grammy wins, the duo delved into lyrical themes that tackle political and social issues, including white privilege, fame and the scrutiny of the media and tabloids. The album was supported by two singles: "Downtown" and "Dance Off",[3] along with "White Privilege II" featuring Jamila Woods, which was released as the album's promotional single.[4]

Background[edit]

Following the success of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' debut album The Heist (2012), Macklemore revealed the album cover artwork for their follow-up album, titled This Unruly Mess I've Made, on January 15, 2016, on his Instagram post.[5] The album was self-released on February 26, 2016.[5] He also revealed on the trailer for their album on his official website,[5] which features himself discussing about how their album was created and their inspiration for making the new music.

Singles[edit]

The duo's lead single for This Unruly Mess I've Made, titled "Downtown", was released on August 27, 2015. The song was produced by Ryan Lewis, who co-wrote it with Macklemore. The duo collaborated with artists including Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz on this track. The music video for "Downtown" featuring Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz, was also released on August 27, 2015.[6]

The album's second single, "Dance Off", was released on February 25, 2016, in Australia, New Zealand and selected countries of Europe. The song was not released in the United States.[7] The song contains a dialogue from actor Idris Elba and a guest appearance from American recording artist Anderson .Paak. The music video for "Dance Off" featuring Idris Elba was released on May 17, 2016.[8]

Promotional singles[edit]

"Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" featuring Ed Sheeran, was released on August 5, 2015.[9] The previously-leaked track, "White Privilege II" featuring Jamila Woods, was released on January 22, 2016.[10] "Brad Pitt's Cousin" was released on April 12, 2016, also in Australia and New Zealand.[11] The song features guest vocals from Xperience.

Other songs[edit]

On February 24, 2016, the music video was released for "Kevin" featuring Leon Bridges.[12]

Release[edit]

In the weeks and months of predating the album's release, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis shared three songs from the album such as "Downtown" featuring Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Eric Nally, "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" featuring Ed Sheeran, and "Kevin" featuring Leon Bridges.[13]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?5.4/10[14]
Metacritic59/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
The A.V. ClubC+[17]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[18]
The Guardian[19]
NME3/5[20]
Pitchfork5.1/10[21]
Rolling Stone[22]
Spin7/10[23]
ViceA−[24]
XXL4/5[25]

This Unruly Mess I've Made has received generally mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, the score currently has a score of 59 out of 100 based on 17 reviews.[15]

Jeremy Gordon of Pitchfork gave the album a 5.1 out of 10, describing it as "an occasionally inspiring, often corny rap album made for winning Grammy nominations and waking the hearts of the unwoken."[21] Louis Pattison of NME said, "It's equal parts witty and serious, poppy and knotty, cracking wise one minute, then demanding you sit quietly and listen carefully through some complicated soul-searching."[20]

Writing for Rolling Stone, Mark Seliger said of the album, "On Unruly Mess, Macklemore's confrontational side returns..."[26] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a grade of B−, saying, "Unruly Mess sees him embracing his role as a social justice champion, sent to expand the minds of his (mainly young, white, suburban) audiences."[18]

Commercial performance[edit]

The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, with 61,000 album-equivalent units; it sold 51,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[27] The album debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[28] The album dropped to number 31 in its second week on the Billboard 200 and left the chart entirely after its seventh.

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Light Tunnels" (featuring Mike Slap)
Lewis6:37
2."Downtown" (featuring Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz)
Lewis4:52
3."Brad Pitt's Cousin" (featuring Xperience)
  • B. Haggerty
  • Lewis
  • Tyler Andrews
  • Rawlings
Lewis3:11
4."Buckshot" (featuring KRS-One and DJ Premier)
Lewis3:33
5."Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" (featuring Ed Sheeran)
Lewis5:05
6."Kevin" (featuring Leon Bridges)
Lewis4:40
7."St. Ides"
  • B. Haggerty
  • Lewis
  • Karp
  • Rawlings
Lewis3:39
8."Need to Know" (featuring Chance the Rapper)
Lewis3:52
9."Dance Off" (featuring Idris Elba and Anderson .Paak)
3:49
10."Let's Eat" (featuring Xperience)
  • B. Haggerty
  • Lewis
  • Andrews
  • Rawlings
Lewis2:55
11."Bolo Tie" (featuring YG)
Lewis3:37
12."The Train" (featuring Carla Morrison)
3:07
13."White Privilege II" (featuring Jamila Woods)
8:42
Digital deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."The Shades"
  • B. Haggerty
  • Lewis
  • Karp
  • Rawlings
Lewis3:44
15."Spoons" (featuring Ryan Bedard)
  • B. Haggerty
  • Lewis
  • Karp
  • Rawlings
Lewis3:48
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • ^[b] signifies a co-producer.

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

Footnotes
  1. ^ "Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's 'This Unruly Mess I've Made' is an unruly mess". 6 March 2016.
  2. ^ "An Honest Attempt At A Fair Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Review". 26 February 2016.
  3. ^ "1-100 List - Hottest 100 2015 - triple j". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  4. ^ Hernandez, Victoria (February 26, 2016). "Macklemore and Ryan Lewis lead singles". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Spanos, Brittany (January 15, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Announce new album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  6. ^ MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - DOWNTOWN (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO). 27 August 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Lukas Graham make it a hat-trick with '7 Years'". ARIA. September 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Ryan Lewis (17 May 2016). "MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - DANCE OFF (FEAT. IDRIS ELBA) OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO". Retrieved 8 September 2016 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Growing Up (Sloane's Song) feat. Ed Sheeran. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FEAT. JAMILA WOODS - WHITE PRIVILEGE II. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Major Lazer spend second week at #1". ARIA Charts. August 27, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  12. ^ MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - KEVIN (FEAT. LEON BRIDGES) - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Camp, Zoe (January 15, 2016). "Macklemore and Ryan Lewis share three songs". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  14. ^ "This Unruly Mess I've Made by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Reviews for This Unruly Mess I've Made by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis". Metacritic. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  16. ^ Jeffries, David. "This Unruly Mess I've Made – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  17. ^ Hugar, John (February 26, 2016). "Clumsy messages hurt what could have been a great album from Macklemore". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Rahman, Ray (February 26, 2016). "This Unruly Mess I've Made by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  19. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (February 25, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: This Unruly Mess I've Made review – writhing earworms". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Pattison, Louis (February 26, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – 'This Unruly Mess I've Made' Review". NME. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Gordon, Jeremy (February 26, 2016). "Macklemore / Ryan Lewis: This Unruly Mess I've Made". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  22. ^ Dolan, Jon (February 25, 2016). "This Unruly Mess I've Made". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  23. ^ Weiss, Dan (March 3, 2016). "Review: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Are the Best Kind of Bleached Assholes on 'This Unruly Mess I've Made'". Spin. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  24. ^ Christgau, Robert (September 23, 2016). "Enjoy, However Bad This Shit Gets: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  25. ^ Glaysher, Scott (March 4, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Push Boundaries on 'This Unruly Mess I've Made'". XXL. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  26. ^ Seliger, Mark (March 14, 2016). "Why Macklemore Risked It All for 'White Privilege II'". Rolling Stone.
  27. ^ "The 1975 Gains First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. 2016-03-06. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  28. ^ Mendizabal, Amaya (March 9, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Debut at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  29. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  30. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 40 Urban Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  31. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  33. ^ "Ultratop.be – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  34. ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  35. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 09.Týden 2016 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  36. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  37. ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  38. ^ "Lescharts.com – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  39. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  40. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 9, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  41. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  42. ^ "Charts.nz – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  43. ^ "VG-lista - Topp 40 Album uke 9, 2016". Lista.vg.no. Archived from the original on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  44. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  45. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – This Unruly Mess I've Made". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  46. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  47. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  48. ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  49. ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  50. ^ "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  51. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2016". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  52. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2016". Ultratop. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  53. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
Sources

Menyes, Carolyn (January 15, 2016). "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Unpack 'This Unruly Mess I've Made' Tracklist". Music Times. Retrieved February 2, 2016.

External links[edit]

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