Glorilla’s debut album, Glorious, is a triumph story to form. The Memphis rapper channels the spirit of her musical roots, effortlessly blending crunk and gospel influences, an unlikely pair. Her bold choice and infectious energy are the peak of the album, solidifying her as a rising star in the hip-hop genre.
The album showcases Glorilla’s remarkable talent and self-assuredness as an artist. The record was released through CMG / Interscope. The album was very energetic, with a good balance of bragging, appreciation, and club anthems. It was a very engaging listening experience because I had no idea what would come out of Glo’s mouth next. I thought it was a strong foundation in her career.
The project celebrates success, authenticity, and self-worth, which sometimes gets a bit repetitive. I was hoping for a bit more balance in that sense. Nonetheless, she did an excellent job with her storytelling, detailing her rise from the Memphis streets to the forefront of the music industry.
In the last track on the album, "Queen of Memphis," featuring Fridayy, Glorilla starts off by reflecting on her life and feeling thankful. She looks around and appreciates the good things she's got going on. This vibe of gratitude takes her to a chill ending, where she finds peace and happiness in her experiences. But before diving into how the album wraps up, I need to talk about the journey throughout the album."
Tracks like “Procedure” featuring Latto, “How I Look” with Megan Thee Stallion, and “WHATCHU KNOW ABOUT ME” with Sexyy Red stood out to me. They show how Glo can connect and collaborate with her talented peers in hip-hop. It was refreshing to see sisterhood in the genre, especially since 2024 has been the year of female rappers. These songs showed women's empowerment. In terms of the songs, I liked the song’s back-and-forth flow between the artists. It makes the songs engaging and infectious.
As stated earlier, Glo tended to sound repetitive with certain topics. There were plenty of high-energy anthems. But, her collaboration with Muni Lung on “Don’t Deserve” completely threw me for a loop. When Glo said, “Them red flags be lookin' green, we get colorblind (For real). But it's certain s–t that you don't do, and you can't cross them lines (Real s–t)”, it showed a deeper side of Glo. It went from rap to R&B quickly. On top of that, there is a Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, and Chandler Moore feature, “Rain On Me” and a solo track entitled “Glo’s Prayer”, that offers a reflective and soulful side to Glorilla. These songs demonstrate her versatility as an artist and her ability to connect with listeners on a deeper level.
I’m not saying Glo needs to have all sad and vulnerable songs on her album; however, there needs to be more balance. Also, there are eight songs that feature features, and this is a fifteen-song album. Her collab with T-PAIN on “I Luv Her” had a beat switch, which was nice but not very memorable. “Step” with Bossman Dlow also gave that vibe.
Yet, I think that, sometimes the most powerful moments come when she is bragging and by herself. Honestly, tracks like "Let Her Cook" showcase her raw talent and unfiltered expression. Or “TGIF”. TGIF usually stands for ‘Thank God it’s Friday’, but Glo changed it to ‘Thank Glo It’s Friday’. And she is rapping over a beat used in the anime, ‘Death Note’. That’s creative since she is blending herself with her faith, she’s making it her own.
Overall, Glorious is a great album that showcases hard-hitting beats, catchy hooks, and honest lyrics. GloRilla is a talented artist with a bright future, and this album marks just the beginning of her journey. With its strong debut, Glorious solidifies GloRilla's position as a rising star in the hip-hop world. Her infectious energy, clever lyrics, and bold personality make her a force to be reckoned with. Metacritic rated the album a 60% and i have to disagree, I think the album was 75%.
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