Maps of Music

Skins (2018)

Where the lyrics of Skins take you, and where it was really made.

Released after its creator's death, Skins still debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 despite mixed reviews and a short, unfinished-sounding running time.

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Album story

Overview

• Skins (stylized in all caps): third studio album by American rapper XXXTentacion
• Released posthumously on December 7, 2018 through Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution
• Guest appearances from Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Kanye West
• Theme: heartbreak and mental turmoil
• Genres draw influence from lo-fi, nu metal, screamo, emo, punk rock, ambient, trap and acoustic
• Lead and only single "BAD!" reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100
• Leaked online three days before the official release date

Background

• After the EP A Ghetto Christmas Carol in December 2017, XXXTentacion announced three new albums: Bad Vibes Forever, SKINS, and ?
• His second studio album ? came out in March 2018
• XXXTentacion was murdered in June 2018, before Bad Vibes Forever and Skins could be released
• After his death, a post on his Instagram said the album would be very short
• An iTunes Store link briefly showed 10 tracks and 17 minutes on November 7 before it was taken down
• DJ Scheme, his official DJ, said Skins would not be XXXTentacion's final posthumous album
• Kanye West privately previewed a song from his upcoming album Yandhi that featured posthumous vocals by XXXTentacion
• "One Minute", featuring West, leaked on November 23, 2018 and was confirmed by the official track listing on December 3

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer.
• Began his music career on SoundCloud in 2013 with the song "News/Flock" and the mixtape XXX (Unmastered) in 2014.
• Formed the underground collective Members Only in 2015 and became a leading figure in SoundCloud rap and emo rap.
• Gained mainstream attention with the 2016 single "Look at Me!", which peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Debut album 17 (2017) debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200; second album ? (2018) debuted at number 1.
• Lead single "Sad!" posthumously reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was RIAA diamond certified in 2021.
• Was murdered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, on June 18, 2018, at age 20; three perpetrators received life sentences without parole.

Legacy

• Claimed around 110 million RIAA-certified units in the US and over 13 million BPI-certified units in the UK.
• Credited as an early pioneer of rage music, a subgenre of trap.
• Subject of the 2022 documentary Look at Me.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• XXL: Scott Glaysher called the album a chaotic medley of rock and rap that leaves more questions than answers
• The Independent described it as another fiery blast of catharsis with depression invited to throw down rather than hinted at
• Slant Magazine said even songs where the rapper can be heard for more than a few seconds feel more like demos than finished tracks
• Metacritic average of 44 from 9 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews
• Critics aimed criticism at the album's short length and unfinished nature

Reappraisal

• Glaysher credited the late artist's versatility and his attempt to handle many genres
• Glaysher wrote that the album feels skeletal, the songs are short, poorly mixed and feel unfinished
• Glaysher argued the album could have been XXXTentacion's best project had he lived to finish it
• Glaysher concluded it would keep his cult-like following listening to new music

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 132,000 album-equivalent units in the first week
• 52,000 of those units were pure album sales
• Second US number-one album for XXXTentacion
• Charted on the US Billboard 200 for 18 weeks before leaving the chart
• RIAA gold certification for sales of 500,000 units in the US

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Skins was leaked to the internet three days before its official release date.
• After XXXTentacion's death, a post on his Instagram said the album would be very short, literally a minute long.
• An iTunes Store link showed 10 tracks and 17 minutes of running time for a short period on November 7 before it was taken down; the page was later reinstated.
• The lead single "BAD!" reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Kanye West had previewed a song from his upcoming album Yandhi that featured posthumous vocals by XXXTentacion in September 2018.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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