Music Review: “Heroes & Villains”

The album “Heroes & Villains” by Metro Boomin consists of a plethora of hip-hop/rap styles. The album starts with “On Time.” setting a concrete foundation for the rest of the album, with strong vocals from John Legend and developed violin and orchestrated instrumentals. This track ends the first half of the track with Morgan Freeman’s vocals and the use of a speech by Homelander from the TV series The Boys. This sets the tone for the ending of the song and a smooth transition to the next track.

Future starts out the next track “Superhero” with a strong flow, consisting of the iconic Metro Boomin tagline. The use of Metro Boomin’s sound effects such as car engines creates a strong audial environment for the listener. Toward the end of the track, Chris Brown enters, switching the flow and ending the track on a villainous note.

On the next track “Too Many Nights,” Don Toliver uses his soothing vocals, introducing a track that flows extremely well. This is a track that can be put on during late night car rides. Future ends off the track, noting that “Too many nights” have been putting stress on him.

The next track “Raindrops,” consists of Travis Scott’s iconic voice that can be recognized by almost any avid music listener. The flow from Travis Scott is unmatched, as the track progresses flawlessly, as Metro Boomin’s beat production lays a strong foundation for Travis Scott’s vocals. Throughout the track, Travis Scott’s iconic ad-libs are integrated, while his iconic echoing voice surrounds the listener’s ears.

Continuing further, the next track, “Umbrella” starts off with a similar tone to “On Time,” except piano is being played. 21 Savage enters the scene with his iconic bar rapping. The use of bass by Metro Boomin during 21 Savage’s part shows off the true vibe of 21 Savage, as Metro Boomin has produced several tracks for 21 Savage. This past duoship between Metro Boomin and 21 Savage has helped them create a centerpiece in the album. Later in the track, Young Nudy enters, featuring his own verse. The track finishes with 21 Savage and the use of “4L” is used throughout the song by 21 Savage, which is one of 21 Savage’s recognizable terms meaning “for life.”

Further down the album, the track “Metro Spider” starts with Metro Boomin’s piano production. Young Thug’s quick vocals create a tone that provokes urgency and hype. This track would be considered as harder rap, as Young Thug’s rapping and synchrony with Metro Boomin’s beat creates a piece that can easily fit as rap into the album.

Another track that stands out to most listeners is “Creepin’” featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage. This dangerous duo’s vocals created one of the other centerpieces in the album. Emphasizing The Weeknd’s vocals in the beginning of the track, Metro Boomin produced a beat that replicates The Weeknd’s usual vibe. Furthermore, Metro Boomin integrated a contrasting 21 Savage beat with The Weeknd’s beat or vibe. The beautiful execution of this track, combining two worlds of hip-hop/rap is accredited to Metro Boomin’s talent.

Another track that stands out is “Feel The Fiyaaaah” featuring A$AP Rocky and Takeoff. The track starts with an upbringing sample from Peabo Bryson’s “Feel the Fire.” This track includes A$AP Rocky’s vocals, flowing flawlessly as usual. Soon after, Takeoff’s iconic ad-libs appear, as if the track was produced by the recognizable trio called the Migos, including Takeoff, Quavo, and Offset. The iconic ad-libs by Takeoff and his vocals changes up the vibe during the middle of the track, and ultimately ends with A$AP Rocky’s vocals.

Overall, this album by Metro Boomin was executed beautifully and his beat production was one of the best in 2022. The featuring of several hip-hop/rap artists created a diverse album that consisted of different types of rap artists. Furthermore, the inclusion of contrasting artists such as The Weeknd and 21 Savage on “Creepin’” helped the album pop out in terms of features. Heroes & Villains consists of several ‘must listen’ tracks to add to your playlist.