See how Billboard ranks the new songs from Lil Baby’s new album, FRESH.
Lil Baby
Kevin Mares
Lil Baby finds himself at an interesting point in his career. On one hand, he’s six years removed from his star-making My Turn era, and hasn’t had the same kind of hit records or released a critically acclaimed album since. Conversely, he has also amassed 160 Billboard Hot 100 entries (including 13 top 10s) throughout his career, as well as four consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, showing that his core audience and beyond have remained invested in what he puts out.
In the music game, though, narratives are often just as impactful as numbers. So while one person may feel he is still highly successful, another may rightfully say he has lost steam since the massive “We Paid” with 42 Dugg, and his politically-charged anthem “The Bigger Picture.”
As for Baby himself — per his recent comments on Popcast — he doesn’t even view what could be perceived as a “cold streak” as a slump. This year’s “Dead Fresh”, a top 20 song on the Billboard Hot 100, showed some people that even if he can’t catch lightning in a bottle again, he still has a little electricity in his arsenal. The true intrigue, for many, is: How can he evolve his style? What new stories does he have to tell? Was 2020-2022 just a run, or is he as good as he established himself then to be?
His new album FRESH isn’t a major shift in his sound, and doesn’t reveal much new about him. But it is a reminder that he can rap well, and is among the best of this era within his tier of artists. There are some fun, inspired production choices, but, for the most part, Lil Baby remains who we have always known him to be. Check out our ranked list of the 17 tracks on FRESH below.
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“Be the One”
This beat is really busy and overpowers his vocals a bit. Also, his delivery lacks fervor, which makes it disjointed from what feels like a triumphant beat. The hook and verses also leave a lot to be desired. This one won’t get the like button on Spotify or Apple Music.
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“Top Uh It”
This is a pretty middle-of-the-road Lil Baby record. The heavy production is loaded with drums and hi-hats, and he employs the signature flows that made him famous. It is pretty underwhelming for an album opener, though; not because those have to be slower or more pensive — which has rarely been his flavor — but this specific song just didn’t have an X-factor for it to be his comeback intro.
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“Rareform”
“Rareform” has a better beat than the previous two cuts, and his flow is a bit more animated. Still, the record is missing a spark. Part of what endeared us to Lil Baby early on was the palpable passion in every bar he spit. “Rareform” feels like going through the motions, which directly clashes with what the title conveys. Fortunately, he gives us those spirited moments elsewhere on the album.
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“Televised”
This song suffers from feeling like a formulaic Wham song as well. It is just above mid-tempo production; his flow is fluid, but his voice sounds drab. Is he still excited to be making music? It would be nice to feel that.
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“All Us”
“All Us” has a dark element to it, which is refreshing. As we said in the introduction, he makes some inspired production choices, and this is one of them. Of course, his higher-pitched voice and the sinister sounds mix together like oil and water, but the simple yet effective chorus lifts the track a bit. “I’m the one putting on for all us” is Instagram caption-ready.
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“Life of the Party (L.O.T.P)”
We can’t lie, this song made us laugh. It feels like at some point in every artist’s career, they make a birthday-themed record. There is a very high bar to meet in doing this that very few meet. However, we applaud Baby for the attempt. This was easy to picture soundtracking people’s social media posts, so he might get some shelf life out of the track.
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“Your Fault”
Melodic Baby! He does not go into this mode enough. He doesn’t fully commit to singing here, but the feeling is conveyed through the soul sample-laden, somber beat. While the drums are hard-hitting, this song may have actually been a lot better if he stripped back the production a bit. Nonetheless, this was a refreshing stop toward the back half of the LP.
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“Like a Brat”
Lil Baby excels at making music about spending money on women, which is a big reason why they enjoy him so much. This is an example of providing the same product, but changing the silhouette. The musicality and delivery don’t steer too far from what he usually drops, but the content and excitement in his vocals make it hit harder. Spoiling a loved one like a brat does make a person feel all warm inside, so that just may be the reason he sounds so enthused.
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“My Side”
Is that an electric guitar? And Baby belting and harmonizing? This is what we’re looking for! “My Side” feels like Baby was playing rock music and thinking, “Wait, I can do this.” And hearing him emote so hard in those crescendo singing parts was really nice. Obviously, he isn’t a pure powerhouse singer, but just imagining the idea of him being moved to let loose as such in the booth is enough. “My Side” has a lot of potential.
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“In Your Head” (feat. Rylo Rodriguez)
Baby’s best side may be when he is vulnerable and yearning. He and Rylo understood the assignment on “In Your Head,” fighting to get their women to stop overthinking and understood they’re down for them. The beat switch when Rylo comes in was a great decision as well. This is the best song on the album in terms of structure, progression, and execution. It feels very high-stakes.
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“From the Back”
We smiled when we caught the “Do It” sample; it often feels like Mykko Montana and K CAMP don’t get their flowers for such a great record — so good on Lil Baby for paying homage. He also didn’t jump right into matching the original song’s energy, which was a nice curveball. Instead, he built up to it and then dropped their vocals at the very end. This track is incredibly fun and might teach a lot of young people about a 2012 classic.
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“Ain’t Goin”
The marching band instruments in the background really lift this record. This is what we were looking for: Baby finding ways to evolve his trap sound. He acknowledges this musical decision in the chorus with references to HBCUs and drumsticks, which was a nice touch. Again, he could’ve had a little more energy to truly capture the essence of a down-south halftime show, but the track was good enough to not be too picky.
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“Mr. Do Something”
This is a quintessential Lil Baby record in all of the best ways. A full-throttle trap beat, an endless flow, and cool punchlines. The peak of the track is the refrain: “I’m a Black man, Mr. Do Something, I got blue hundreds/ Young n—a sitting in first class, looking like new money.” This is a mission statement in all of the best ways.
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“Dead Fresh”
“Dead Fresh” is one of the best singles Lil Baby has put out in a long time. It doesn’t even differ that much from his usual output, despite being produced by Pharrell, but it has the energy and swaggy raps that one looks for from him. (And — not to mention — a cool and catchy hook.) This song absolutely deserves the attention it has gotten since its July release. Now, it being one of the best songs on this album? Your mileage may vary on whether that is a good or bad thing.
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“Burnt S–t”
“Burnt S–t” used a cheat code with the celestial piano strokes, but hey, we aren’t complaining. Baby does an excellent job attacking this beat and the pockets within it. It would have been easy to be more dialed back and flow alongside it, but whatever was on his mind while recording this track made him do otherwise. It worked to near perfection.
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“Keep Goin”
The intrigue missing from the album opener can be found in the closer. Sure, he doesn’t deviate too much from the standard Lil Baby song, but the messaging is powerful. “Keep Goin” feels like a true bow on this album, and a meta-update on his life. Say whatever you want about him, but he is a success story, and he is going to continue doing him. It’s hard to be mad at that.
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“All My Partnas” (feat. Future, Young Thug & Rylo Rodriguez)
Who had a heartfelt song by these four gentlemen on their bingo card? We sure didn’t, but it was good subversion and a strong display of their versatility. Women enjoy these particular four artists, so leaning into that was brilliant. The content may not necessarily be uplifting, but their willingness to be melodic may make it worth overlooking. This is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the album, and has real hit potential.