Megan Thee Stallion: Megan review β rap skill showcase is a sour sermon on superiority
(Hot Girl)
The feelgood fun of Hot Girl Summer and WAP has been replaced by icy tales of false friends, adultery and incessant betrayal in a broadly humourless, navel-gazing album
When Megan Pete found fame at the turn of the decade, it was as the bringer of fierce, frisky, feelgood fun. Though always preoccupied with spreading word of her own sex appeal and appetites, there was a light-heartedness and communality to the rapperβs early hits, whether she was teaming up with BeyoncΓ© for the double Grammy-winning Savage Remix, or joining forces with Nicki Minaj and Cardi B for the earwormy, meme-worthy Hot Girl Summer and hilariously outrageous WAP respectively.
A few years on, the mood has soured substantially. The 29-year-old may have secured a spot in the rap firmament β recent single Hiss debuted at No 1 on the Billboard charts β but judging by Megan, the self-titled third album from which it was taken, itβs never been lonelier at the top. This record does work as a skill showcase β the rapperβs flow is satisfyingly brisk and crisp β but Megan mainly acts as an icy, insanely repetitive sermon on its creatorβs own superiority, as she bemoans the alienation being βthat bitchβ results in. Gone is the warmth of Hot Girl Summer or the irreverent camaraderie of WAP: Meganβs world is one of false friends (she is currently feuding with Minaj), mutually adulterous relationships and incessant betrayal, spurred by jealousy.
Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Live Nation
Β© Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Live Nation