Let’s hope YoungBoy Never Broke Again is “Bigger & Better” for his next album. On Nov. 10, YoungBoy released his 21st studio album titled “Decided 2.” Since  YoungBoy is of the most popular rap artists — the youngest to ever have 100 entries in the top 100 songs, according to Billboard — his album was widely anticipated. Unfortunately, it has received negative backlash from critics, such as a 5/10 from Clash Music and a C- from ratinggamesmusic. 

“Decided 2” mainly focuses on YoungBoy’s faults and gifts during his lifetime, specifically during his adulthood. AsYoungBoy’s fourth mixtape of the year, the album is quite similar to his previous works. “Don’t Try This at Home,” released in April, is similar to “Decided 2.” Both albums display the same boppy, yet simplistic beats, paired with the same repetitive lyrics regarding YoungBoy’s money, a common theme found throughout his music.

Despite the disarray of this album, there are a few good songs. “Bop” has an energetic beat, paired with the deep meaning of YoungBoy’s lyrics about lost friends and his personal life. For example, he rapped about a deceased friend of his, with lyrics like, “R.I.P. Dump, now I done see this once before.” The song also boasts about YoungBoy’s relationships with women. The lyrics pair well with the beat, although at times,  compared to previous songs, the lyrics are repetitive.

When it comes to uniqueness and the overall aesthetic of the album, the tracks are immersive; the lyrics allow you to imagine a day in YoungBoy’s life. Regrettably, many songs by YoungBoy follow the same beat patterns and lyrical meanings, overall decreasing the rating of the album. Additionally, “Better Than Ever” is the only song with a feature in the album, highlightingRod Wave’s talents.  However, it finds itself duplicating the song  “Fight the Feeling,” also by Wave, proving that “Decided 2” lacks creativity. There are some exceptions throughout the album that introduce new beats. “Guitar Hero” is a perfect example of this because it starts off with a guitar riff rather than the usual electric-jazz type beat. 

Despite the drawbacks regarding similarities to previous albums and repetitive lyrics, the songs have deep meanings to them. In “My Body,” YoungBoy raps about his previous relationships, and how he loves someone but he assumes she doesn’t love him back. Additionally, in “Came A Long Way,” YoungBoy gives us a heartfelt rap about his past, talking about how he grew up on the streets and his father is in jail. He also raps about how he will ensure that his children live a lavish life.

Nevertheless, most of the album is quite similar to the rest of YoungBoy’s albums, and each song is quite similar to others seen on his and other prominent artists’ discographies. Throughout the album, we hear lyrics about women and money, especially in the first half of the album; even more so, however, the production and beat of the song do not match the lyrics. 

When compared with the competition of other albums previously released this year, “Pistolz and Pearlz” by Kodak Black is very similar to “Decided 2.” The album portrays the same “hit or miss” aspect, and most songs do not have the perfect production to lyrics ratio that appeals to listeners.  Additionally, the album has a slightly lower critic score than “Decided 2” with a 46, while “Decided 2” has a 50. Both albums follow a similar pattern, where the main themes revolve around their relationships with women.

Rober Murray, a critic from Clash Music, gave this album a 50/100 due to its mediocrity. “It’s not that ‘Decided 2’ is a bad record, per se; it’s more that YoungBoy has so often walked this road before,” Murray said. The album sticks to normal rap norms, keeping it within the seas of competition, between not only YoungBoy’s previous albums, but albums outside YoungBoy’s realm, such as Drake’s “For All the Dogs.” With all these factors, this album deserved the score of 50/100 it earned.  YoungBoy and various other rappers have used the same type of lyrics and beat, and this album doesn’t particularly showcase any new talents fromYoungboy. Perhaps YoungBoy’s next album will be more of a “Bop.”