The Melodic Blue
by Baby Keem
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Sep 10, 2021
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
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  1. Zh0
    Sep 18, 2021
    8
    I think Baby Keems debut studio album The Melodic Blue is a very good album. he clearly carves out his own lane in hip hop with this album despite the obvious influences he takes from the likes of Kanye , Kendrick and Travis Scott but with unique flows and great production he really makes it his own. My favourite tracks are family ties , South Africa, trademark usa, range brothers , issuesI think Baby Keems debut studio album The Melodic Blue is a very good album. he clearly carves out his own lane in hip hop with this album despite the obvious influences he takes from the likes of Kanye , Kendrick and Travis Scott but with unique flows and great production he really makes it his own. My favourite tracks are family ties , South Africa, trademark usa, range brothers , issues and scars. Even with the fairly shallow subject matter through most of the project overall I think it’s a very solid project and I can’t wait to hear more.… Expand
  2. MetacriticOnur
    Oct 4, 2021
    8
    excellent
    [ ek-suh-luhnt ]

    adjective
    possessing outstanding quality or superior merit; remarkably good.
  3. BigDJohnWick
    Nov 11, 2021
    4
    This album is extremely lackluster production-wise, the surface-level trap beats are largely utilized on this project, melodies unfortunately don't hit. Keem has potential if he uses his voice and flow to his advantage, but for now, he has some work to do.
  4. carrsean
    Sep 21, 2021
    7
    This is not the best album of the year, but The Melodic Blue does not aim for such prestige. Instead it's goal is to introduce Baby Keem as a future contender for rap's upper echelon and have some fun. And i believe it succeeds at both.
    The tracklist shifts from emo rap reflections and some of the most outrageous (and expensive sounding) bangers you'll hear all year. "trademark usa" is    This is not the best album of the year, but The Melodic Blue does not aim for such prestige. Instead it's goal is to introduce Baby Keem as a future contender for rap's upper echelon and have some fun. And i believe it succeeds at both.
    The tracklist shifts from emo rap reflections and some of the most outrageous (and expensive sounding) bangers you'll hear all year. "trademark usa" is one of the best openings of a rap album from this year from the repurposing of his mediocre XXL Freshman freestyle into something actually cool to ROSALIA's cameo on the hook - it paints a vivid and kaleidoscopic picture of what exactly you'll be getting into for the remainder of the hour. "pink panties" has a humorous hook that's very off putting, but it's paired with some of Keem's best flows on the album. "range brothers" and "family ties" not only feature some buck wild features from Kendrick Lamar, but some buck wild showmanship from Keem. Kendrick blows Keem out of the water lyrically, but when it comes to the weird-isms Keem has been perfecting since DIE FOR MY **** you can hear Kendrick trying really hard to match Keem's oddball energy ("amazing brother", "top of the morning"). That Fetty Wap line on "scapegoats" - I can't tell if it was clever or just offensive. "issues", "first order of business" and "scars" are the emo rap-py songs. They definitely help the "cocoa" has a beat that matches that chaotic energy, but has a calmer flow from Keem than either of the Kendrick songs. That being said, he still shows out with some of that signature perverted and outlandish bars and cadence that has defined Keem until this point. "16" is like Drake's "Feel No Ways" and just as good too. I love this as a song, but as a closer I wish it was longer.
    People low-key seem to hate on Baby Keem as an industry plant. And I can understand why, but the outrage or criticism should only hold weight if the artist and art in question shows no respectable skill. The Melodic Blue sounds expensive and meticulous, it has a clean sheen to it the kind that few rap albums these days can ever hope to sound like. There is not a single beat on this album that sounds poorly mixed or mastered. Keem comes in sounding this good, so i'm excited to see where he'll go from here. Hopefully his second album capitalizes on the potential here the same way The Melodic Blue honed what made DIE FOR MY **** so remarkable.    … Expand
  5. GoBlinn
    Sep 23, 2021
    8
    unos temita piola y otros tranqui:
    kendrick le copa el album y el tema con don toliver esta re copado despues tiene otras canciones buenisimas y unos temitas tranki q te olvidas.
  6. Base_
    Sep 16, 2021
    7
    The Melodic Blue picks up where Baby Keem left off with his two singles in Durag Activity and family ties, but falls short of both of these singles throughout the album. While there were no apparent flaws with the album, it does not reach the heights of his work heading into this album (particularly his feature on DONDA). With that said, there is enough on this album for people to comeThe Melodic Blue picks up where Baby Keem left off with his two singles in Durag Activity and family ties, but falls short of both of these singles throughout the album. While there were no apparent flaws with the album, it does not reach the heights of his work heading into this album (particularly his feature on DONDA). With that said, there is enough on this album for people to come back to. Issues, scars, gorgeous, and range brothers are all songs (in addition to durag activity and family ties) that showcase his talent and explains the hype surrounding his debut album. While it is not a masterpiece these gems provide a solid foundation for a very promising young artist.… Expand
  7. kdotbit
    Sep 19, 2021
    7
    Very enjoyable album. It’s got a lot of humour it’s additions paired with hard hitting beats. Baby Keem is going on his own path without forcing to follow Kendricks shadow. Just more refined and cohesive album in the future.
  8. veljko_
    Jan 9, 2022
    6
    Baby Keem showed a lot of potential on this album and I believe that he is capable to make an amazing project in the future, but this one was too inconsistent to be considered great.

    best tracks: family ties ft. Kendrick Lamar and 16
    worst track: gorgeous

    rating: 6.1
  9. ztrk06
    Nov 28, 2021
    7
    Started listening to Baby Keem with this album and all I can is it is really good and I love it. 808s by Kanye was released 13 years ago and you can hear it's influence on this album and I love Love Lockdown drums sample on the "scars". Nice work by young Baby Keem, he has a great career ahead.
  10. Fuerstenberg
    Feb 1, 2022
    7
    Baby Keem's debut "The Melodic Blue" is all about versatility, while the mostly self-produced project is enjoyable and remarkably good. After a break of more than 3 years, it's also Kendrick Lamar's comeback.

    Of course, his debut album is not perfectly balanced yet, but it definitely has its highlights and a sharp and focused Keem shows us many different moods and styles. Even if his    Baby Keem's debut "The Melodic Blue" is all about versatility, while the mostly self-produced project is enjoyable and remarkably good. After a break of more than 3 years, it's also Kendrick Lamar's comeback.

    Of course, his debut album is not perfectly balanced yet, but it definitely has its highlights and a sharp and focused Keem shows us many different moods and styles. Even if his voice is annoying from time to time, it's a solid debut for Kendrick's cousin.

    My favorites:
    "family ties"
    "durag activity"
    "lost souls" (with Brent Faiyaz)
    "16"
    "first order of business"

    ~ Fürstenberg
    February 1, 2022    … Expand
  11. Doyeyaboy
    Mar 10, 2022
    8
    Great album few bad tracks but lots of great ones fav tracks include trademark USA, South Africa, family ties, scars, first order of business vent, 16
  12. garfield7081
    Mar 25, 2022
    6
    baby keem is a very talented artist that can evolve into something more. for the time being, he shows spurts of greatness while being dragged down by questionable production choices

    best song: family ties

    worst song: range brothers
  13. djangopiazza
    May 12, 2022
    10
    Absolutely fantastic! Easily the best album of 2021. Incredible production and solid range across the album which is further improved by the addition of disc 2. Not a single bad song on here, only good and great.
  14. drakeludin
    Oct 6, 2022
    8
    Some tracks are not great but for the most part this is a good alum that I think will lead keem into the next big 3
  15. Eddie0108
    Oct 30, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a good album, but I think he could have exploited the sounds much better considering the production company he worked with.… Expand
  16. bsty
    Nov 29, 2022
    10
    Hot after hit no low notes perfect album baby keem has a crazy future can't wait to see where he goes
  17. Redds24
    Jan 19, 2023
    8
    To start, I think that this album is truly amazing and it shows Baby Keem’s heritage and origins, although at times, songs like cocoa, don’t exhibit the same kind of energy that sounds like a range, brothers or family ties do. Trademark USA might as well be called the baby Keem anthem. It shows who he is as a person and the overall song is amazing, with a mixture of great, sound mixing,To start, I think that this album is truly amazing and it shows Baby Keem’s heritage and origins, although at times, songs like cocoa, don’t exhibit the same kind of energy that sounds like a range, brothers or family ties do. Trademark USA might as well be called the baby Keem anthem. It shows who he is as a person and the overall song is amazing, with a mixture of great, sound mixing, and amazing vocals from Baby Keem. this album also o had some amazing features on it, all the way from Kendrick Lamar, family ties to even some features on pink panties. This album just shows the come up of baby Keem. And his relations to people in the music industry I think that the best song on this album was trademark USA. At the beginning of this song you hear a remix of baby Keem’s freestyle on XXL freshman class and that really fit with the song, and has one of the best beat drops of the decade. Sounds like Coco and first order of business steer away from this topic and create a new sub topic and how he’ll do anything just to get a girl, although sounds like trademark USA did exhibitor and sometimes with the lyric I am a hot girl and I need a girlfriend.… Expand
  18. Diego_19
    Jan 31, 2023
    6
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Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. AllMusic
    Dec 22, 2021
    60
    Keem is a necessary, forward-thinking presence in the rap zeitgeist -- but The Melodic Blue is a set of variables and experiments, not the game-changer he's capable of producing.
    Read full review
  2. The Guardian
    Dec 16, 2021
    100
    There are so many incredible hooks in different modes of catchiness: Drakeian crooning (Lost Souls, Scars), Young Thug or Future-style Atlantan fantasias (Cocoa), Mo Bamba-ish lairy taunting (South Africa), and even the monotone syllables of “du-rag ac-tivity” are a minimalist earworm. Baby Keem is marked for greatness.
    Read full review
  3. The Guardian
    Dec 16, 2021
    100
    There are so many incredible hooks in different modes of catchiness: Drakeian crooning (Lost Souls, Scars), Young Thug or Future-style Atlantan fantasias (Cocoa), Mo Bamba-ish lairy taunting (South Africa), and even the monotone syllables of “du-rag ac-tivity” are a minimalist earworm. Baby Keem is marked for greatness.
    Read full review
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