Lil Baby - Its Only Me (2022)

Atlanta rapper Lil Baby fast became one of the most popular artists of his day, hitting the top of the charts time after time with his accessible, pop-ready trap. Third studio album It's Only Me is no exception, finding him again delivering vocal performances that are raw yet melodic over the kind of tightly produced instrumentals that have proven to be a formula for multi-million streaming numbers and worldwide commercial appeal. The album's 23 tracks are mostly banging, bass-heavy midtempo trap tunes. Highlights include the steady simmer of "Shiest Talk," with some great interplay between Lil Baby and Pooh Shiesty; the spare and moody "In a Minute"; and "Pop Out," a song made more exciting by hooky Kanye-esque samples and the unexpected beat switch that introduces a solid feature from Nardo Wick. In addition to the rap tracks, It's Only Me dabbles in moments of R&B, with crooned hooks from Fridayy on the lovelorn "Forever" and Jeremih assisting with the slow and somber "Stop Playin." While pleasant enough one track at a time, the entirety of the album quickly becomes tedious, with instrumentals so similar they start sounding generic and Lil Baby approaching nearly every track with repetitive flows and lyrics that feel disconnected and static. Ultimately, It's Only Me sticks to the formula that's taken Lil Baby to the top, but it somehow fails to communicate the personality and creative fire that was hard to miss on earlier albums.~It's Only Me Review by TiVo Staff