SremmLife 2 explained

SremmLife 2
Type:studio
Artist:Rae Sremmurd
Cover:Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife 2.jpg
Label:
  • Ear Drummer
  • Interscope
Producer:
Prev Title:SremmLife
Prev Year:2015
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Next Year:2018

SremmLife 2 (sometimes stylized as SremmLife II) is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd. It was released on August 12, 2016, by Ear Drummer Records and Interscope Records. The album serves as a sequel to their previous studio effort, SremmLife (2015). It features guest appearances from Kodak Black, Gucci Mane, Juicy J, Lil Jon and Bobo Swae.

SremmLife 2 was supported by four singles: "By Chance", "Look Alive", "Black Beatles" and "Swang". The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 and later reached number four. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Promotion

The album's lead single, "By Chance", was released on February 13, 2016,[1] the song peaked at number 39 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[2] The album's second single, "Look Alive", was released on April 14, 2016,[3] the song peaked at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4]

"Black Beatles" featuring Gucci Mane, was sent to urban contemporary radio on September 13, 2016, as the album's third single.[5] On September 22, 2016, the music video for "Black Beatles" was released on Rae Sremmurd's Vevo account on YouTube.[6] The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]

"Swang" was sent to urban contemporary radio on January 24, 2017, as the album's fourth single,[7] the song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]

Other songs

The album's first promotional single, "Over Here", was released on March 23, 2016, the song was released as an interactive music video powered by Doritos.[8] "Set the Roof" featuring Lil Jon, was released on August 7, 2016, as the album's second promotional single.[9]

Critical reception

SremmLife 2 was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 13 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Exclaim!s Calum Slingerland gave the album a positive review, calling it "a rarely relenting party with more substance than the last". Narsimha Chintaluri of HipHopDX gave the album a positive review stating, "SremmLife 2 is worthwhile (and much needed) bid for album of the summer. It's top heavy, "By Chance", "Look Alive", and "Black Beatles" feeling a lot like one of the best three song stretches of the year, but Swae brings a promising sense of experimentation to the entire project". Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork wrote: "SremmLife 2 collects all of the quirks in the margins of its predecessor and develops them; more than anything else, SremmLife 2 is the ultimate middle finger to grouches who think this brand of rap can't be complex." Grant Rindner of The Line of Best Fit commented: "There are real signs of musical development on Sremmurd 2 that point to longevity for the duo." David Sackllah of Consequence said, "SremmLife 2 may not pack the punch of its predecessor, but it shows that the brothers are growing musically. Far from one-note, Rae Sremmurd have the chops to sustain a long and varied run going forward". David Jeffries of AllMusic stated that "Hotter singles make their debut a better buy, but for a group pegged as a one-hit wonder early on, SremmLife 2 dispels that myth with style".

In more mixed reviews, XXLs Scott Gleysher stated: "SremmLife 2 is by no means a sophomore slump but just doesn't quite fill the same space as the first installment did last year." Lukas Maeder of Rolling Stone commented: "Stretching beyond SremmLife, their party-starting choruses are squeaked, squawked and shouted; mellower stuff can get a Makonnen-esque broken falsetto ("Swang"); "By Chance" succeeds with a haughty Dana Dane accent."

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
BillboardBest Albums of 2016
ComplexThe 50 Best Albums of 2016
ThrillistThe 30 Best Albums of 2016

Commercial performance

SremmLife 2 debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, with 30,000 album-equivalent units with 15,000 pure album sales in its first week.[10] The album later reached a new peak at number four on the chart on the issue dated November 26, 2016, due to the success of "Black Beatles".[11] On April 24, 2024, SremmLife 2 was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with two million album-equivalent units in the United States.

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[12]

Performance

Production

Technical

Miscellaneous

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016–2017)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 83
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[14] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2016)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[15] 151
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] 68
Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Position
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[17] 68
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[18] 44
US Billboard 200[19] 29
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20] 32

Notes and References

  1. Web site: By Chance – Single by Rae Sremmurd. iTunes Store. May 17, 2018. https://archive.today/20180517054214/https://itunes.apple.com/az/album/by-chance-single/1083735969. May 17, 2018. dead.
  2. Rae Sremmurd Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Billboard. May 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180514105102/https://www.billboard.com/music/rae-sremmurd/chart-history/r-b-hip-hop-songs. May 14, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: Rae Sremmurd – Look Alive (Prod. By Mike Will Made It). HotNewHipHop. April 14, 2016. May 17, 2018. Lilah. Rose. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517153428/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rae-sremmurd-look-alive-new-song.1969393.html. May 17, 2018. live.
  4. Rae Sremmurd Chart History: Hot 100. Billboard. May 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180521065830/https://www.billboard.com/music/rae-sremmurd/chart-history/hot-100. May 21, 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Urban/UAC Future Releases. All Access. May 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910021933/https://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases. September 10, 2016.
  6. Rae Sremmurd release Black Beatles music video. Entertainment Weekly. September 22, 2016. May 17, 2018. Robinson. Will. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517223109/http://ew.com/article/2016/09/22/rae-sremmurd-black-beatles-music-video/. May 17, 2018. live.
  7. Web site: Top 40/M Future Releases . All Access Music Group . January 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170104203955/http://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases. January 4, 2017 .
  8. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Shares Interactive 'Over Here' Video. The Fader. March 23, 2016. May 17, 2018. Leight. Elias. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517153507/http://www.thefader.com/2016/03/23/rae-sremmurd-shares-over-here. May 17, 2018. live.
  9. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Drop New Video for 'Set the Roof' f/ Lil Jon. Complex. August 7, 2016. May 17, 2018. Diep. Eric. https://web.archive.org/web/20180517152920/http://www.complex.com/music/2016/08/rae-sremmurd-new-song-set-the-roof-feat-lil-jon. May 17, 2018. live.
  10. Web site: First weeks sales for Sremm Life 2 puts it at number 7 . Schwartz . Danny . August 20, 2016 . HotNewHipHop . August 20, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160821182558/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/first-week-sales-for-partynextdoors-p3-and-rae-sremmurds-sremmlife-2-news.23590.html . August 21, 2016 . live .
  11. Bon Jovi Earns Sixth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. November 13, 2016. November 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161114173915/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7573590/bon-jovi-sixth-no-1-album-billboard-200-charts-this-house-is-not-for-sale. November 14, 2016. live.
  12. SremmLife 2. CD liner notes. Rae Sremmurd. Interscope Records. 2016. 90499-7.
  13. Web site: CHART WATCH #382. auspOp. August 20, 2016. August 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160915074312/https://www.auspop.com.au/2016/08/chart-watch-382/. September 15, 2016. live.
  14. Web site: NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. August 22, 2016. August 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828041212/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4262. August 28, 2016. live.
  15. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016. Billboard. December 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161208120131/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/top-billboard-200-albums. December 8, 2016. live.
  16. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2016. Billboard. June 11, 2020.
  17. Web site: Album Top-100 2017. Hitlisten. January 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110234132/http://hitlisten.nu/top2017.asp?list=Album%20100. January 10, 2018. live.
  18. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2017. Plötutíóindi. is. April 1, 2022.
  19. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171224115207/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/top-billboard-200-albums. December 24, 2017. live.
  20. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. June 11, 2020.

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