All We Got (ft. Kanye West & Chicago Children's Choir): Already, this one is just way too much fun. The hook could’ve been a bit cleaner, but the verses are a strange mix of soulful and screwball that work really well. I also found myself laughing at the cleverness of some of the lyrics. Really good start to the mixtape, I’m having fun already.
No Problem (ft. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne): Even though Chano's vocals sound a bit crazy on this one, this one is extremely energetic, and it's just too much fun for me to ignore. Initially, I wasn't as crazy about the track as everyone else, but wow, repeat listens have done this one wonders for me. It's infectious, it's fun, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne bring in the fun on the track as well, and I can definitely say this grew on me a lot. Definitely one of my favorites on the album.
Summer Friends (ft. Jeremih & Francis & The Lights): Lyrically, this one feels extremely personal. I also like Chance’s flow on this one, and the more somber sound in his voice really makes the song work. Jeremih’s verse at the end, while short, is very satisfying. I really like this one a lot.
D.R.A.M. Sings Special: This quasi-interlude kind of confused me, but for its very short runtime, it sounds pretty nice. D.R.A.M.’s voice is good and he performs the song well. Not sure why it’s on Chance’s mixtape when it has no Chance, but it’s still enjoyable.
Blessings: It’s really interesting because this one is very soulful, and it sounds very different. With so many rap songs about money and power, it’s really interesting to see Chano rap about his faith in God. Beyond that, Chance’s voice and flow are strong, and the instrumental is great. Definitely a really good song, I’ll probably listen to this more than a few times after this review.
Same Drugs: An extremely nice, lighter song with some really rock-solid vocals from Chance and a nice piano melody. I also like the lyrical odes to Peter Pan on this one. Another really strong song from Chano.
Mixtape (ft. Young Thug & Lil Yachty): While I actually like the lyrics and the subject matter, and Chance’s flow is still pretty solid, I’m not crazy about the hook on this one. The verses are good, though and I also liked Young Thug and (dare I say it) Lil Yachty’s performances on this one. While this one is a slight step back, it’s still a pretty solid song.
Angels (ft. Saba): Once again, Chance comes through with some crazy good flow on this upbeat, exciting song. I feel like this one has so much potential to grow on me, and I think it’s overall a very good song.
Juke Jam (ft. Justin Bieber & Towkio): Another one that’s a lot slower, but Chano doesn’t skip a beat on this one, and his flow and vocals still sound very good. Towkio’s hook is also catchy and vocally very nice, and Justin Bieber’s cameo, though it comes out of nowhere, also sounds great. I think I’ll be listening to this one quite a bit in the future, a very enjoyable song.
All Night (ft. Knox Fortune): Chance’s verses are catchy and fun to listen to, and the song has some really interesting vocals, but the hook is really unmemorable and the song itself is a bit too short. I don’t feel much motivation to go back to this one after the review, and while it’s not the worst on the mixtape, it’s certainly not one of the best.
How Great (ft. Jay Electronica & My cousin Nicole): Though I like the soulful intro on this one, and I think it’s sweet that Chance let his cousin Nicole sing the intro, I feel like it goes on just a bit too long. When it does kick in, though, it’s a pretty great song with some really clever lyrics and fantastic flow from both Chance and Jay Electronica. Again, the intro could’ve been way shorter, but this song is extremely enjoyable overall.
Smoke Break (ft. Future): It’s not the best song on this tape, but Chance once again comes through with a solid hook and some good flow overall. Future’s verse is not bad, either.
Finish Line / Drown (ft. T-Pain, Kirk Franklin, Eryn Allen Kane & Noname): Right from the beginning, my head was bobbing. There are so many artists on this track, but all of them work to make this a really awesome, feel-good song. It’s soulful, it’s catchy, it’s exciting, and even when it changes tone with “Drown,” it still sounds wonderful, both instrumentally and vocally. This might be the best song on the mixtape, and I’ll definitely be listening to this on a loop down the line, which I don’t say often about 6 and a half minute tracks.
Blessings (Reprise) (ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, BJ The Chicago Kid & Raury): I like how Chance’s verse is more spoken-word poetry on this one, and once again, I’m really feeling the soul on this one. It’s not the mixtape’s best song, but it’s a very sweet, nice ending to this mixtape.
Overall, I’m glad I listened to this mixtape because it was extremely enjoyable. It was different in the best kind of way, it was soulful, exciting, and Chance really showed off his talents on this one. His flow is strong, his lyricism is amazing, and his vocal performances feel really unique and interesting. There were so many really memorable songs on this mixtape that I’ll definitely try to listen to long after this review is posted, and here’s hoping Chance keeps making projects as strong as this one.
Favorite tracks: All We Got, No Problem*, Summer Friends, Blessings, Same Drugs, Juke Jam, How Great, Finish Line / Drown
Least favorite track: Mixtape
Rating: Excellent
(*An asterisk next to a “favorite track” indicates that the track wasn’t initially one of my “favorite tracks” when I first wrote the review. If a track has an asterisk next to it, it means the song wasn’t initially a favorite of mine, but it grew on me, and the text for the song may have been edited to more properly reflect that.)
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