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Macklemore|BEN

BEN

Macklemore

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After a long six-year absence, Seattle pop-rap star Macklemore reintroduced himself with Ben. Taking the title from his birth name, this third solo effort is his most vulnerable confessional to date, one that allows him to purge some inner demons and share a bit of himself with fans who might be more accustomed to his rousing hit singles with Ryan Lewis. While 2017's Gemini peppered pop-leaning anthems amongst a glut of timely, trap-laden hip-hop, Ben is almost an even split, with the first half of the set dedicated to radio-friendly fare like the '80s synth pop gem "1984," the inspirational "Chant" with Tones and I, and the bouncy, cheerful bop "No Bad Days" with Collett. He rejoins Windser and Lewis -- who both participated in 2021's big "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis" reunion, "Next Year," which oddly doesn't appear on this album -- for the midtempo, acoustic guitar highlight "Maniac." The production and songwriting on this first half are upbeat and endearing, which feels great until you really listen to the lyrics, which reveal the true heart of Ben. Hardened ruminations on life and death, his relapse and overdose during the COVID-19 lockdowns, struggles with faith, and the ebb and flow of his mainstream popularity fill songs such as "Faithful," "God's Will," and "Day You Die." On "Tears," he takes his creative storytelling to another level, framing his alcohol addiction as a lifelong, love-hate relationship. It's a no-frills, honest approach that is much appreciated after all these years since his earlier, more thoughtful days. Fans of that period will delight when Ben pivots to old-school boom-bap -- DJ Premier even has a credit on "Heroes" -- with standouts such as the head-nod, horn-sampling bar-fest "Grime" and the contemplative sprawl of the dreamy "Lost/Sun Comes Up," which could have been a late-era Mac Miller track. Imagining how the world would react to his death (and facing addiction and the deaths of his friends), it's melancholy and moving all at once. Balancing the personal with biting social commentary, he later adopts a Kendrick Lamar flow for the popping "I Need." Altogether, Ben feels like the first time Macklemore has truly let listeners into his inner world, showcasing his underrated lyrical skills and enough varied production to keep the album moving forward toward a hopeful finish.

© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

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BEN

Macklemore

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1
CHANT (feat. Tones And I) Explicit
00:04:30

Valerie Pinkston, Vocals - Nita Whitaker, Vocals - BRIdgette bryant, Vocals - Oren Waters, Vocals - Macklemore, Producer, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Andrew Joslyn, Composer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Willie Wheaton, Vocals - Niomisha Wilson, Vocals - Josephine Howell, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Tyler Dopps, Composer - Adam Aejaye Jackson, Vocals - Harrison White, Vocals - Tones and I, Vocals, FeaturedArtist

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Macklemore, LLC.

2
NO BAD DAYS (feat. Collett) Explicit
00:02:53

Dave Dalton, Composer, Additional Producer - Collett, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Chloe Gasparini, Composer - Jordan Santana, MixingEngineer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

3
1984
00:03:24

Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Tyler Dopps, Composer, Producer - Sam Wish, Producer - Sam Wishowski, Composer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

4
MANIAC (feat. Windser)
00:03:00

Macklemore, MainArtist - Ryan Lewis, Composer, Producer - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Jon Castelli, Mixer - Dale Becker, Masterer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer, Writer - Josh Deguzman, Mixer - Jordan Santana, Engineer - Jordan Topf, Composer - Brian Wall, Composer, Producer - Katie Harvey, Masterer - Windser, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Noah McCorkle, Masterer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2023 Macklemore, LLC.

5
DAY YOU DIE (feat. Sarah Barthel of Phantogram)
00:03:12

Macklemore, MainArtist - Sarah Barthel, Composer - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Sarah Barthel of Phantogram, Vocals, FeaturedArtist

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

6
HEROES (feat. DJ Premier)
00:02:55

Christopher Martin, Composer - DJ Premier, DJ, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Macklemore, MainArtist, CoProducer - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Jon Castelli, Mixer, MixingEngineer - Dale Becker, Masterer, MasteringEngineer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Joshua Rawlings, Composer - Josh Deguzman, Engineer, Engineer & Mixer, MixingEngineer - Katie Harvey, Assistant Masterer, AssistantEngineer - Noah McCorkle, Assistant Masterer, AssistantEngineer - Terrance B Cole, Composer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2023 Bendo, LLC

7
GRIME Explicit
00:03:25

Macklemore, Producer, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Josh Rawlings, Composer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Jordan Santana, MixingEngineer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

8
I NEED
00:03:39

Valerie Pinkston, Vocals - Nita Whitaker, Vocals - BRIdgette bryant, Vocals - Oren Waters, Vocals - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ryan Lewis, Composer - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Willie Wheaton, Vocals - Niomisha Wilson, Vocals - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Joshua Rawlings, Composer - Adam Aejaye Jackson, Vocals - Harrison White, Vocals

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

9
LOST / SUN COMES UP (feat. Jackson Lee Morgan)
00:05:51

Macklemore, MainArtist - Jackson Morgan, Composer - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Jackson lee Morgan, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Jordan Santana, MixingEngineer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

10
FAITHFUL (feat. NLE Choppa) Explicit
00:03:27

Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Jon Castelli, Mixer - Dale Becker, Masterer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Tyler Dopps, Composer - Josh Deguzman, Mixer, Engineer, Engineer & Mixer - NLE Choppa, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Jordan Santana, Engineer - Bryson Lashun Potts, Composer - Katie Harvey, Assistant Masterer - Noah McCorkle, Assistant Masterer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo LLC

11
TEARS
00:03:13

Naz, Composer, Producer - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Tyler Dopps, Composer, Producer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

12
SORRY (feat. Livingston)
00:03:29

Livingston, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Sasha Sloan, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Drake Livingston, Composer

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

13
GOD'S WILL (feat. Vic Daggs II) Explicit
00:03:13

Jacob Dutton, Composer - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Daoud, Producer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Tyler Dopps, Composer - Daoud Anthony, Composer - Vic Daggs II, Vocals, FeaturedArtist

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

14
I KNOW (feat. charlieonnafriday)
00:02:53

Kid Culture, Producer - Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Sasha Sloan, Composer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Daniel Hackett, Composer - Jordan Santana, MixingEngineer - Charlie Finch, Composer - charlieonnafriday, Vocals, FeaturedArtist

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

15
TAIL LIGHTS (feat. Morray) Explicit
00:04:50

Macklemore, MainArtist - Ben Haggerty, Composer - Budo, Producer - Josh Rawlings, Composer - Tyler Andrews, Composer - Jon Castelli, MixingEngineer - Joshua "Budo" Karp, Composer - Morae Ruffin, Composer - MoRRay, Vocals, FeaturedArtist

© 2023 Bendo, LLC ℗ 2022 Bendo, LLC

Album review

After a long six-year absence, Seattle pop-rap star Macklemore reintroduced himself with Ben. Taking the title from his birth name, this third solo effort is his most vulnerable confessional to date, one that allows him to purge some inner demons and share a bit of himself with fans who might be more accustomed to his rousing hit singles with Ryan Lewis. While 2017's Gemini peppered pop-leaning anthems amongst a glut of timely, trap-laden hip-hop, Ben is almost an even split, with the first half of the set dedicated to radio-friendly fare like the '80s synth pop gem "1984," the inspirational "Chant" with Tones and I, and the bouncy, cheerful bop "No Bad Days" with Collett. He rejoins Windser and Lewis -- who both participated in 2021's big "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis" reunion, "Next Year," which oddly doesn't appear on this album -- for the midtempo, acoustic guitar highlight "Maniac." The production and songwriting on this first half are upbeat and endearing, which feels great until you really listen to the lyrics, which reveal the true heart of Ben. Hardened ruminations on life and death, his relapse and overdose during the COVID-19 lockdowns, struggles with faith, and the ebb and flow of his mainstream popularity fill songs such as "Faithful," "God's Will," and "Day You Die." On "Tears," he takes his creative storytelling to another level, framing his alcohol addiction as a lifelong, love-hate relationship. It's a no-frills, honest approach that is much appreciated after all these years since his earlier, more thoughtful days. Fans of that period will delight when Ben pivots to old-school boom-bap -- DJ Premier even has a credit on "Heroes" -- with standouts such as the head-nod, horn-sampling bar-fest "Grime" and the contemplative sprawl of the dreamy "Lost/Sun Comes Up," which could have been a late-era Mac Miller track. Imagining how the world would react to his death (and facing addiction and the deaths of his friends), it's melancholy and moving all at once. Balancing the personal with biting social commentary, he later adopts a Kendrick Lamar flow for the popping "I Need." Altogether, Ben feels like the first time Macklemore has truly let listeners into his inner world, showcasing his underrated lyrical skills and enough varied production to keep the album moving forward toward a hopeful finish.

© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

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