G-Eazy Plays It By The Numbers In "The Beautiful & Damned"

2010s hip-hop has been largely dominated by trends, and it's hard for an artist to tread away from that - it's a risky game. G-Eazy has been an underlying component of the decade's hip-hop scene, but he's not quite defining any new standards on his new record. G-Eazy plays it by the numbers in The Beautiful & Damned, taking advantage of his newfound popularity.

G-Eazy has been in the public eye quite a bit recently, most notably for his relationship with Halsey. He definitely makes sure you know he's dating her on the record, firstly with the duo's iconic hit song 'Him & I.' It's a nice representation of the good of the record: an overall dark mood and a hook with a catchy and moody melody. Halsey sounds sensual over the hooks, and the way G-Eazy follows up with passion drive is a nice testament to their relationship. The beat for closing track 'Eazy' samples Halsey's 'Hold Me Down,' which, funnily enough, samples guest Son Lux's song 'Easy,' which this song is completely based off of. It's all come full circle. The ties to Halsey feel like a bit much (one song was enough), though both songs are the stars of the record, so it'll pass.

Beyond the nice moments G-Eazy and Halsey share on the record, there really isn't much to point out. Opening title track 'The Beautiful & Damned' has an awesome beat and a solid flow to bring the record to a strong start, which is carried on with 'Pray For Me,' though it does get a bit repetitive. The core of the record is difficult to get through with how simply annoying it is, like in 'The Plan.' 'No Limit' is just obnoxious, perhaps by association of the guests (A$AP Rocky and Cardi B). There's a brief flash of excellence in the chilling hook of 'Pick Me Up' delivered by Anna Of The North, but then it sinks back down into an average and uneventful record.

G-Eazy plays it by the numbers in The Beautiful & Damned, using his new popularity and the big names on the tracklist to hype up an album that only has its spots of brilliance. Many tracks either come off of average, uneventful, or obnoxious, and given how many tracks are on the record, there are far too many of these kinds of songs to justify a great album.

Favorite Tracks: Him & I, Eazy, Pick Me Up

Least Favorite Tracks: No Limit, The Plan, Charles Brown

Rating: 67 / 100

Stream or buy The Beautiful & Damned on Apple Music: