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In My Mind
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In My Mind Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

  • Summary: The major label full-length debut release for R&B singer Bryan James Sledge features guest appearances from such artsts as Big K.R.I.T., Buddy, Chance the Rapper, and Kendrick Lamar.
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Top Track

Church
She say she wanna drink, do drugs and have sex tonight But I got church in the mornin', church in the mornin' She say she wanna drink, do drugs and... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Exclaim
    Feb 22, 2016
    90
    In an industry where the idea of a meritocracy is as foreign as a retirement plan, Bryan James has achieved the near impossible. In My Mind is the most earnest soul album in years.
  2. Austin Chronicle
    Mar 17, 2016
    89
    The MC locates and provides new polish on the lost sex-positivity found in yesteryear.
  3. HipHopDX
    Feb 25, 2016
    84
    Much like his subdued persona in the media and social world, BJ has put forth a project that speaks louder than any other outlier that dictates what rides the trend.
  4. AllMusic
    Feb 22, 2016
    80
    Crowded and long overdue as it is, In My Mind is a satisfying and mature showcase for one of the most skilled and creative talents in R&B.
  5. The New York Times
    Feb 22, 2016
    80
    The best parts of In My Mind, BJ’s strong major-label debut album, come when this young singer tasks himself with ethical responsibility.
  6. Pitchfork
    Feb 25, 2016
    76
    Sledge is a very straightforward lyricist; he doesn't stunt, he yearns. His lyrics favor plainspoken confessions over catchy turns of phrase, and when the album falters, it's because his words reduce a pair of lovers to their mouths and hands.
  7. Consequence
    Feb 22, 2016
    67
    The two halves feel out of balance here. Had they been more equally matched, In My Mind could’ve reached another stratosphere.

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. clem666
    Aug 9, 2020
    6
    'In My Mind' benefits from a mirific start. Intro gives way to a chaining of great and varied featurings, as a feeling of peaceful lightness'In My Mind' benefits from a mirific start. Intro gives way to a chaining of great and varied featurings, as a feeling of peaceful lightness invade us. And it goes that way for the first half of the album, which tackles interesting subjects with a particular touch. Voices and rhythms are changing as we are moving forward with the project. We discover the sweet and powerful voice of BJ the Chicago Kid without getting tired of it. Mellow crescendos follow one another with catchy edges.
    However and unfortunately we end up getting bored somewhere at the half of 'In My Mind'. For me it was just after 'Heart Crush' and 'Jeremiah/World Needs More Love'. Love songs in this R&B style are way too unoriginal (even in 2016)... Still some 'second part' tracks are worth the trip, as the one with Kendrick Lamar (obviously) or the last one ('Turnin' Me Up'), but that's all. Generally speaking it really gets repetitive.
    In my opinion the first part of 'In My Mind' saves the album from being a series of R&B stereotypes (as 'Love Inside' may be), usual conventions and mainstream rhythms.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best Album of 2016

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