SR3MM explained

SR3MM
Type:studio
Artist:Rae Sremmurd
Cover:Rae Sremmurd – SR3MM.png
Border:yes
Genre:
Length:
  • 38:04
  • 101:30 (with Swaecation and Jxmtro)
Label:
  • Ear Drummer
  • Interscope
Producer:
Prev Title:SremmLife 2
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Sremm 4 Life
Next Year:2023
Swaecation
Type:studio
Artist:Swae Lee
Cover:Swaecation.jpg
Genre:
Label:
  • Ear Drummer
  • Interscope
Producer:
  • Bizness Boi
  • Chopsquad DJ
  • Daniel + Harry
  • EY
  • FWDSLXSH
  • G. Ry
  • Karl Rubin
  • Mally Mall
  • Marz
  • Mike Will Made It
  • Neenyo
  • Scorp Dezel
  • Singawd
  • TuneDaRula
Jxmtro
Type:studio
Artist:Slim Jxmmi
Cover:Jxmtro.jpg
Genre:Trap
Label:
  • Ear Drummer
  • Interscope
Producer:

SR3MM is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd. It was released on May 4, 2018, by Ear Drummer Records and Interscope Records. The triple album also includes the debut solo studio albums by each of the duo, Swaecation by Swae Lee and Jxmtro by Slim Jxmmi. The album features guest appearances by Juicy J, Travis Scott, Future, Pharrell, Young Thug, The Weeknd and Zoë Kravitz, among others.

SR3MM was supported by eight singles: "Perplexing Pegasus", "T'd Up", "Powerglide" and "Close" for SR3MM; "Hurt to Look" and "Guatemala" for Swaecation; and "Brxnks Truck" and "Chanel" for Jxmtro. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, with 57,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

Background

In early 2018, Rae Sremmurd and Mike Will Made It announced that Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi would release their solo albums—Swaecation and Jxmtroduction—in the same package with an album by the duo, as a triple album package called SR3MM.[3]

Promotion

The lead singles from the albums SR3MM, Swaecation and Jxmtro, "Perplexing Pegasus", "Hurt to Look" and "Brxnks Truck" was released on August 4, 2017, while the latter two were released on March 1, 2018, simultaneously.[4] [5] The production for "Perplexing Pegasus" was handled by the duo's frequent collaborators Mike Will Made It, J-Bo, as well as Kent Lucciano, while "Hurt to Look", was handled by Bizness Boi, FWDSLXSH and EY, and "Brxnks Truck" was handled by Mike Will Made It and J-Bo.[6] [7] [8] The Tomás Whitmore-directed music video was released on November 17, 2017.[9] [10] "Perplexing Pegasus" performed moderately on charts, peaking at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[11] The song was used in 15 second television commercials advertising each of the 12 National Football League (NFL) teams then competing in the 2017–18 playoffs.[12]

The second singles from the albums SR3MM, Swaecation and Jxmtro, "T'd Up", "Guatemala" and "Chanel" featuring Swae Lee and Pharrell, was released on February 5, 2018, April 11, 2018 and April 5, 2018, respectively.[13] [14] [15] The production for "T'd Up" was handled by Metro Boomin, Chopsquad DJ and Swae Lee, while the production for "Guatemala", was handled by Mally Mall, TuneDaRula and Karl Rubin, and "Chanel" by Mike Will Made It and 30 Roc.[13] [14] [15] "Guatemala" also performed moderately as "Perplexing Pegasus", peaking at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]

The third single from the album SR3MM, "Powerglide" featuring Juicy J, was released on March 1, 2018.[5] The production was handled by Mally Mall, Jean Hovart and Mike Will Made It.[16] The Andy Hines-directed music video was released on March 13, 2018.[16] The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]

The fourth single from the album SR3MM, "Close" featuring Travis Scott, was released on April 18, 2018.[17] The production was handled by 30 Roc and Mike Will Made It.[17] The song peaked at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]

Critical reception

Publications varied in reviewing the albums as a collective album or individually. The triple-disc album was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 10 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Neil Yeung of AllMusic concluded that "Taken as a whole – SR3MM is nearly two hours long – the album is a serious time investment. However, broken up into three parts as intended, it provides a trio of easily digestible bites that gives Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi freedom to indulge their own artistry while maintaining their bond as a duo". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian concluded that SR3MM is "a decent triple album, but it would have been better yet boiled down to an eclectic single album" as "the grandness of the presentation slightly oversells the contents. Neither of the albums are as epic a statement as the concept suggests, and the best tracks from each could happily live side by side on a single album". Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork summarized: "The triple album from Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee is their clearest personal statement yet." Meaghan Garvey of Rolling Stone wrote that "The hip hop duo's 27-track opus takes the electric chemistry that made them stars into rich new territory", adding that "their music has grown lusher, their cadences more complex, making the leap to SR3MM less of a stretch that it might seem". Clayton Purdom of The A.V. Club believed that SR3MM "delivers quantity and quality by zeroing in on its creators' charisma, clarifying the appeal that's been there the whole time. In the strange pantheon of triple LPs, there's nothing else like it". Online publication Highsnobiety stated: "The collective album, overall, is more innovative, more daring, and flat-out riskier than its predecessors", adding that "the three albums contain fresh, carefully curated music."

In a mixed review, Wren Graves of Consequence wrote that "There's the idea — the idea — that combined solo albums can add up to more than the sum of their parts. But musically, Speakerboxxx comes from another planet than The Love Below. On SR3MM, Discs One, Two, and Three are all hanging out on the same street corner. There are plenty of interesting moments. But it would have been nice to go on a journey". Similarly, Tom Breihan of Stereogum concluded that SR3MM "stands as a misguided experiment, a too-long indulgence from a group that thrives on concision and immediacy".[18] Jordan Sargent of Spin believed that SR3MM "sports some of the duo's best ever songs", adding the thought that "it feels hypnotic and bewitching, the conjuring of a spell".[19] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork stated that SR3MM "is the strongest of the three albums, further proving that the pair work best as a unit".

Swaecation

Online publication Highsnobiety complimented Swae Lee's vocals and production, stating "the album's more melodic beats are where Swae's latest manifestation is heard clearest" and adding that Swaecation is "a tender passion project that allows one of hip hop's most melodically gifted stars to explore outside the familiar template that has brought him success thus far. Simply put, Swae Lee has delivered his most earnest and wholesomely candid work to date".

Jxmtro

Comparing Jxmtro to Swaecation, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork wrote that "While Swae's blend of pop, R&B, and dancehall is more daring, Jxmmi's Jxmtro is more consistent and reveals more of himself as an artist and person. As the more introverted (and less celebrated) of the two brothers, Jxmmi uses his opportunity to rap with fluidity, putting his ideas first for a change, rapping about growing up, outgrowing friends, and prioritizing". Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! considered Jxmtro as "a less adventurous outing, but Jxmmi shows marked improvement in his own technique".

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
Billboard50 Best Albums of 2018
Complex50 Best Albums of 2018
Rolling Stone50 Best Albums of 2018

Commercial performance

SR3MM debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, with 57,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[20] On October 26, 2018, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and streams in excess of 500,000 units in the United States.

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[23]

SR3MM

Technical

Swaecation

Technical

Jxmtro

Technical

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[24] 116
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 53

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rae Sremmurd's 3xLP SR3MM is anything but overstuffed. Fact. Cupcake. Lorna. May 12, 2018. September 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180909112541/http://www.factmag.com/2018/05/12/rae-sremmurd-sr3mm-review/. September 9, 2018. live.
  2. Web site: Stream of the Crop: 9 New Albums for Heavy Rotation. Noisey. Joyce. Colin. May 4, 2018. May 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180507003545/https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/wj7vyx/stream-of-the-crop-rae-sremmurd-blocboy-jb-iceage-new-albums-may-4-2018. May 7, 2018. live.
  3. Hear Rae Sremmurd Preview New Album 'Sr3mm' With Hazy 'T'd Up'. Rolling Stone. 5 February 2018 . April 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180408063946/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rae-sremmurd-preview-new-album-sr3mm-with-hazy-td-up-w516357. April 8, 2018. live.
  4. Rae Sremmurd Fly High on Their New Single 'Perplexing Pegasus': Listen. Billboard. Lamarre. Carl. August 4, 2017. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180525173212/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7890049/rae-sremmurd-perplexing-pegasus-new-song. May 25, 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Listen to three new songs from Rae Sremmurd. The Fader. March 1, 2018. April 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180506213454/http://www.thefader.com/2018/03/01/listen-to-three-new-songs-from-rae-sremmurd. May 6, 2018. live.
  6. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Return With New Single 'Perplexing Pegasus'. XXL. Weinstein. Max. August 3, 2017. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225314/http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/new-music/2017/08/rae-sremmurd-perplexing-pegasus/. May 4, 2018. live.
  7. Web site: Perplexing Pegasus. YouTube Music. Rae Sremmurd. August 3, 2017. May 4, 2018. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918002932/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is7ELh4LzUI. live.
  8. Web site: Producer FWDSLXSH Breaks Down How Swae Lee's Debut Solo Single "Hurt To Look" Came Together. Genius. shy ink. April 10, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504155533/https://genius.com/a/producer-fwdslxsh-breaks-down-how-swae-lee-s-debut-solo-single-hurt-to-look-came-together. May 4, 2018. live.
  9. Web site: Video: Rae Sremmurd – "Perplexing Pegasus". Spin. Josephs. Brian. November 17, 2017. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180620041134/https://www.spin.com/2017/11/rae-sremmurd-perplexing-pegasus-video/. June 20, 2018. live.
  10. Web site: Rae Sremmurd 'Perplexing Pegasus' by Tomás Whitmore. PromoNews. Knight. David. November 23, 2017. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180627062519/http://www.promonews.tv/videos/2017/11/23/rae-sremmurd-perplexing-pegasus-tom%C3%A1s-whitmore. June 27, 2018. dead.
  11. Rae Sremmurd Chart History: Hot 100. Billboard. May 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180523080920/https://www.billboard.com/music/Rae-Sremmurd/chart-history/hot-100. May 23, 2018. live.
  12. News: Rae Sremmurd Teams Up with the NFL for the 2018 Playoffs. RaeSremmurd.com. January 9, 2018. June 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180327192300/http://www.raesremmurd.com/news/rae-sremmurd-teams-nfl-2018-playoffs. March 27, 2018. live.
  13. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Return With New Song "T'd Up". Complex. Gracie. Biance. February 4, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180401072039/http://www.complex.com/music/2018/02/rae-sremmurd-return-with-new-single-td-up. April 1, 2018. live.
  14. Web site: Swae Lee Drops New Track "Guatemala" f/ Slim Jxmmi. Complex. Espinoza. Joshua. April 11, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504012624/http://www.complex.com/music/2018/04/swae-lee-slim-jxmmi-guatemala. May 4, 2018. live.
  15. Web site: Rae Sremmurd & Pharrell Join Forces on "Chanel". Respect.. Powell. Jon. April 6, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225304/http://respect-mag.com/2018/04/rae-sremmurd-pharrell-join-forces-on-chanel/. May 4, 2018. live.
  16. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Release Official 'Powerglide' Video. The Source. MoClassified. March 13, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225426/http://thesource.com/2018/03/13/rae-sremmurd-release-official-powerglide-video/. May 4, 2018. live.
  17. Web site: Rae Sremmurd – "Close" ft. Travis Scott. Spin. Cook-Wilson. Winston. April 18, 2018. May 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504225434/https://www.spin.com/2018/04/rae-sreummurd-close-stream-spotify-apple/. May 4, 2018. live.
  18. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Just Made History's Least Ambitious Triple Album. Stereogum. Breihan. Tom. May 9, 2018. May 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180528133303/https://www.stereogum.com/1995265/rae-sremmurd-sr3mm-album-review/franchises/status-aint-hood/. May 28, 2018. live.
  19. Web site: Rae Sremmurd's SR3MM Is Charming in Its Imperfection. Spin. Sargent. Jordan. May 11, 2018. May 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180610154802/https://www.spin.com/2018/05/rae-sremmurd-sr3mm-review/. June 10, 2018. live.
  20. Post Malone's 'Beerbongs & Bentleys' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. May 13, 2018. May 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180514001355/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8455743/post-malone-beerbongs-bentleys-spends-second-week-no-1-billboard-200-albums-chart. May 14, 2018. live.
  21. Web site: Rae Sremmurd Reference WWE Wrestlers On Their New Song 'Rock N Roll Hall of Fame'. Genius. May 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180507153801/https://genius.com/a/rae-sremmurd-reference-wwe-wrestlers-on-their-new-song-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame. May 7, 2018. live.
  22. Web site: Rae Sremmurd & Juicy J Remix Three 6 Mafia's "Side 2 Side" For "Powerglide". Hypebeast. HP Cheung. March 1, 2018. May 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180504155342/https://hypebeast.com/2018/3/rae-sremmurd-juicy-j-powerglide-three-6-mafias-side-2-side-hurt-to-look-brxnks-truck. May 4, 2018. live.
  23. Web site: Credits / SR3MM / Rae Sremmurd. Tidal. September 18, 2020. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918002918/https://listen.tidal.com/album/88120411/credits. live.
  24. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181204224411/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-billboard-200-albums. December 4, 2018. live.
  25. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. June 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190405160444/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums. April 5, 2019. live.