Skins
by XXXTentacion
  • Record Label: Empire
  • Release Date: Dec 7, 2018
User Score
3.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 186
  3. Negative: 102 out of 186
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  1. BlackManta
    Dec 11, 2018
    2
    Not a fan of this XXXTentacion album. Hopefully his next album will be better
  2. vanessa13
    Dec 18, 2018
    1
    Was very disappointed in this album. For having such a loud and polarizing personality, his music is quite the opposite. Awful production, lack of originality or substance, lyrics to leave no mark. Forgettable.
  3. Agrondelx
    Aug 16, 2019
    0
    This is a tremendous mess of an album which only exists because of money-greedy producers.
  4. Aplucity
    Apr 12, 2019
    1
    X is hit or miss for me and this album is a huge miss. The only close to good song in this album is Train Food and that song is still extremely weak. We will never get another Revenge :(
  5. QuintonKnight
    Feb 27, 2019
    3
    The so called songs on the album are not songs. There drafts of songs. This album is a draft of an album. Unfinished. I can’t even give it a 4 because of terrible songs like One Minute and just plain bad songs like Staring at the Sky. As a fan of XXXTentacion, I’m very disappointed.
  6. spenceryang8
    Feb 3, 2019
    2
    Skins is one of the year's least gratifying albums, but out of everyone involved in its creation, XXXTentacion is probably the least at blame.

    FAV TRACKS: TRAIN FOOD

    LEAST FAV TRACK: WHOA (MIND IN AWE)
  7. rextree
    Feb 19, 2019
    1
    These songs were just thrown together with limited tools. Limited tools worked for The White Stripes, but not for X. No one is going to remember these "songs" because they aren't just that... songs.
  8. thedaywalker
    Dec 11, 2018
    1
    XXX has released 3 albums and i'm still failing to see what is so appealing about his music... Skins is just unnecessary cash grab, by whoever is gonna profit from the sales of it.

    It is clearly compilation of unfinished work, with plenty songs with X just making some "melodic" sounds to the mic, over some amateurish beat selection and blend samples. The song one minute sees Kanye    XXX has released 3 albums and i'm still failing to see what is so appealing about his music... Skins is just unnecessary cash grab, by whoever is gonna profit from the sales of it.

    It is clearly compilation of unfinished work, with plenty songs with X just making some "melodic" sounds to the mic, over some amateurish beat selection and blend samples.

    The song one minute sees Kanye West just attention seeking and a very out of place, screaming XXX, the instrumental does not fit with what XXX wanted to achieve. Together with the single BAD! Which i can barely call a song, with so little said and what was said was basically said mumbling.

    Small highlights are the 2 first songs, Guardian Angel and Train Food, that show a more rapping XXX, more sharp with his delivery, even though lyrically it's nothing out of this world, but those 2 songs are definitely more pleasing to listen to then the rest of this album, unfortunately they aren't good enough to make this album any less of a drag to listen to. Really my least favorite album this year

    Favorite Tracks: Guardian Angel, Train Food
    Least Favorite Tracks: Rest of the album    … Expand
  9. TurkeyBoi
    Jan 31, 2019
    3
    Yeah, no.
    This isn't finished, and anyone who claims to think this even sounds like a fully fleshed project is lying to themselves. There are a couple of gems in here, but for the most part, Skins sounds like it doesn't need to exist. Kanye's victim blaming on 'One Minute' doesn't help anything, either.
    FAVOURITE TRACKS: Train Food, What Are You So Afraid Of LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: One    Yeah, no.
    This isn't finished, and anyone who claims to think this even sounds like a fully fleshed project is lying to themselves. There are a couple of gems in here, but for the most part, Skins sounds like it doesn't need to exist. Kanye's victim blaming on 'One Minute' doesn't help anything, either.

    FAVOURITE TRACKS: Train Food, What Are You So Afraid Of
    LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: One Minute (feat. Kanye West)    … Expand
  10. basedreview
    Dec 8, 2018
    1
    Yet again, X's albums are not but a compilation of songs loosely tied together. Another noticeable similarity with his previous work is that the quality of any given individual song is representative for the whole album. One could describe previous albums as messy, difficult, trashy, but never, as in this case, unfinished. Train food is an obvious Eminem rip-off. The Kanye Track soundsYet again, X's albums are not but a compilation of songs loosely tied together. Another noticeable similarity with his previous work is that the quality of any given individual song is representative for the whole album. One could describe previous albums as messy, difficult, trashy, but never, as in this case, unfinished. Train food is an obvious Eminem rip-off. The Kanye Track sounds like Limp Bizkit revivalism. There are like 3 loops across the album of him groaning over some lofi beat you could find on "24/7 lofi jams to study to" live-streams on YouTube. He even reuses the Jocelyn Flores sample and just adds one verse to it. 4th grade song-writing. Mediocre beat choice. Vocals that make you grimace. Not even finished.… Expand
  11. srtgoren
    Dec 8, 2018
    1
    This is the worst album I’ve heard this year. Mediocre beats, lyrics aren’t good and the album isn’t even finished. Disappointed.
  12. clem666
    Aug 21, 2020
    3
    'SKINS' is clearly oozing XXX's energy. From the beginning we are attracted by his way to deliver lyrics, sing, rap and his instrumentals. This feels privy and definitely reflects the work made by XXX during his life.

    The other side of this project is saddly darker than the depression the artist has fought all his life. It is not an assumption that 'SKINS' took shape from greedy    'SKINS' is clearly oozing XXX's energy. From the beginning we are attracted by his way to deliver lyrics, sing, rap and his instrumentals. This feels privy and definitely reflects the work made by XXX during his life.

    The other side of this project is saddly darker than the depression the artist has fought all his life. It is not an assumption that 'SKINS' took shape from greedy producers and the owners of XXX's music. They effortlessly took pieces of his work and shamelessly commercialized it. 80 % of the songs on the album feels like unfinished tracks. 'Guardian angel' and 'Train food' are the only two tracks which look like being finished. And one of them is a remix/remake of another very popular XXX's song. That's just a sad mess.

    I feel torn by this album because a part of me was (and still is) happy to listen to projects XXX was working on before he suddenly passed out. But another part of me didn't (and still don't) want it because I know everytime I stream it the money goes to wrong people. And that part of me feels betrayed because these people just spit on XXX's fans by serving them a cold and moldy dish for a dishonest remuneration. The thing is I can't (and won't) stop listening to 'SKINS' even if I know that. These people just made the best of the cheap shots.    … Expand
  13. leumassregor
    May 24, 2021
    3
    It's unfortunate they released this obviously unfinished album. Jah is a fantastic writer, producer, and all around great rapper. This album obviously would of been amazing if he was still here to work on it. It is a bit disrespectful that the label and Jah's parents released his unfinished work.

    The only thing I enjoyed was the diversity of music genres on this album, which X always    It's unfortunate they released this obviously unfinished album. Jah is a fantastic writer, producer, and all around great rapper. This album obviously would of been amazing if he was still here to work on it. It is a bit disrespectful that the label and Jah's parents released his unfinished work.

    The only thing I enjoyed was the diversity of music genres on this album, which X always seems to do well.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed Album of 2018
72
#72 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
44

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 9
  3. Negative: 3 out of 9
  1. The Observer (UK)
    Dec 17, 2018
    40
    There’s nothing here quite as aurally arresting as Moonlight, off XXX’s ? LP, but his recasting of Slim Shady as an eclectic depressive indelibly coloured this year.
    Read full review
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    Dec 14, 2018
    60
    Some of Skins is good, some of it is not good. Musically, the tone is, mostly, consistent and effective, and the album’s overall effect is that of a sickly, vivid insight into a troubled life. And there’s not much else to say about it.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    Dec 14, 2018
    30
    The album never makes a case for X as anything other than a thinly subversive figure and never even rationalizes the baggage that comes saddled with it. X’s musical legacy will forever be interlinked to violence. Skins is merely a shallow attempt to overwrite that legacy gone awry.
    Read full review
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