While I wasn’t exactly moved by FUTURE, which is a sentiment I heard from a lot of people, I wasn’t given too much time to dwell on it as Future immediately followed it up with HNDRXX. The sheer amount of music he puts out and the pace at which he does is almost comical at times.
The difference in quality between HNDRXX and FUTURE is apparent almost immediately. The latter definitely felt like a thrown together mixtape while HNDRXX has a much more polished, high quality feel to it that makes me think this was aimed at as his next major album; even featuring guest spots from Rihanna and The Weeknd. It’s also the more intimate of the affair with majority of the songs aimed squarely at his female listeners. The songs still hit hard but in a much different way from the trap beats you’ll hear on FUTURE. I really like the way the beating bass pairs with the guitar on “I Thank U”, the wailing synths on “Solo”, and the moody piano on “Sorry.” “Selfish” and “Incredible” will definitely be the biggest radio hits off the tape. Like almost all of projects, there’s some songs on here that completely miss their mark to me, but there’s definitely more hit than miss this time around.
“She told me she was an angel
She fucked two rappers and three singers
She got a few athletes on speed dial
I’m tryna get the case dismissed before I see trial
And these codeine habits ain’t got nothin’ to do with my lil’ child”
HNDRXX hasn’t changed my opinion about his (nonexistent) lyrical ability, but it does see him leaning more on his melodies and harmonies than rapping, which is when I think he’s at his best. It’s also when his music feels the most impactful. I had much stronger emotional resonance than I did with FUTURE, which is in part due to his more personal songwriting, but I do think he would have been better served combining the best elements from both projects to create something truly memorable.
Have you heard HNDRXX? What’d you think about it? Do you think it’s the stronger of the pair like I do? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your rating for the album.
