Dark Sky Paradise

Dark Sky Paradise
Studio album by Big Sean
Released February 24, 2015
Recorded 2013–15
Genre Hip hop
Length 49:57
Label
Producer
Big Sean chronology
Hall of Fame
(2013)		 Dark Sky Paradise
(2015)
Singles from Dark Sky Paradise
  1. "I Don't Fuck with You"
    Released: September 19, 2014
  2. "Paradise"
    Released: October 7, 2014
  3. "Blessings"
    Released: January 31, 2015
  4. "One Man Can Change the World"
    Released: June 19, 2015
  5. "Play No Games"
    Released: September 22, 2015

Dark Sky Paradise is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist Big Sean. It was released on February 24, 2015, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2015, at various recording studios, primarily in Los Angeles, California. The album features guest appearances from Kanye West, Drake, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, Jhené Aiko, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lil Wayne, John Legend and E-40, while the production was primarily handled by Kanye West, along with DJ Mustard, Mike WiLL Made It and Vinylz, among others.

The album was supported by five singles; "I Don't Fuck with You", "Paradise", "Blessings", "One Man Can Change the World" and "Play No Games".

Upon its release, Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the change in Sean's production and lyricism being more atmospheric and substance-filled. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 173,000 equivalent album units and 139,000 copies in the first week. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By December 2015, the album has sold 350,000 copies in the United States.[1]

Singles

The album's lead single, titled "I Don't Fuck with You" featuring E-40, was released on September 19, 2014. The production on the song was handled by DJ Mustard, his label-mate Kanye West, and Mike Free. After the reception the song has received, it became a commercial success peaking at number one on the US Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. To date, the song has sold over a million copies in the United States.[2]

The album's second single, "Paradise" was released on October 7, 2014. The song was produced by Mike WiLL Made It. As of September 2014, the song was included as part of his untitled EP; which it was released alongside with these tracks "I Don't Fuck with You" and 2 others, "4th Quarter" and "Jit / Juke". The extended version was then announced to be included on the album. Despite never being sent to radio, the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 13, 2015.[3]

In January 2015, Sean released the track, titled "Blessings" featuring guest vocals by Drake and GOOD Music's label-mate Kanye West. The song was produced by Vinylz. It was officially released on January 31, 2015, as the album's third single. The shorten version of the song, featuring the collaboration between Sean and Drake, has been announced to be included on the album. The song peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100. As of June 2015, the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4]

"One Man Can Change the World" featuring Kanye West and John Legend was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on June 19, 2015 as the album's fourth single.[5] The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 13, 2015.[6]

"Play No Games" featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign, was sent to US urban contemporary radio on September 22, 2015, as the album's fifth single.[7]

Promotion

On February 16, 2015, "Win Some, Lose Some" and "One Man Can Change the World" featuring John Legend and Kanye West, were released as the album's first and second pre-order tracks the week before the album's release.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Billboard[10]
Complex[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[12]
Exclaim!7/10[13]
The Michigan DailyB[14]
New York Daily News[15]
Pitchfork Media7.1/10[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
XXLXL (4/5)[18]

Upon its release, Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews.[8] In a review for Exclaim!, Samantha O'Connor noted that "stormier production and moodier lyricism replace Sean's predictable sunny wordplay and pop culture puns," further concluding that "Big Sean has reached a personal high by finding his Dark Sky Paradise, and it's his honesty that takes listeners there with him."[13] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Artistically, three is the charm Big Sean as Dark Sky Paradise is much more expansive than previous efforts, sometimes grinding with executive producer Kanye West's love of the dark, and other times bouncing with the snark, swagger, and style that propelled this Detroit rapper to the top."[9] Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork Media give the album a score of 7.1 out of 10, saying "Dark Sky Paradise is a big leap in the direction of the ideal Big Sean full-length."[16]

Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone stated, "His third and best record isn't that moment yet, but he's one step closer."[17] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound give the album a B, saying "Mostly, though, Dark Sky Paradise is an ambitious tasteful album from a rapper who's often viewed as neither."[19] Dan Weiss of Spin give the album a six out of ten, saying "More of the same, really, and what same is that anyway? His beats, hooks and musicality tread slightly above water."[20] Dan Rys of XXL give the album an XL rating, saying " 'One Man Can Change the World' in particular, which deals with the loss of his grandmother and his acceptance of her passing, really underlines what the entire work is about: dealing with the ups and downs in life and figuring out the best way to accept them and move forward. With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has finally found that balance."[18]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Year Rank
Billboard 25 Best Albums of 2015[21] 2015
15
10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015[22]
5
Complex The Best Albums of 2015 (So far)[23]
8
The Best Albums of 2015[24]
6
HipHopDX Top 25 Albums of 2015[25]
*

* denotes an unordered list

Commercial performance

Dark Sky Paradise debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 173,000 equivalent album units and first-week sales of 139,000 copies in the United States, Big Sean's biggest sales week yet. It was Big Sean's first number one album on the chart.[26] The album spent a further two weeks in the chart's top ten. On February 1, 2016, Dark Sky Paradise was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[27] As of December 2015, the album has sold over 350,000 copies in the United States.[1]

Track listing

Dark Sky Paradise — Standard edition
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Dark Sky (Skyscrapers)"  
Rob Got Beats 2:58
2. "Blessings" (featuring Drake)
 4:12
3. "All Your Fault" (featuring Kanye West)
 3:44
4. "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40)
 4:44
5. "Play No Games" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign)
  • KeY Wane
  • Jay John Henry
 3:36
6. "Paradise (Extended)"  
Mike WiLL Made It 3:35
7. "Win Some, Lose Some"  
 5:04
8. "Stay Down"  
 4:10
9. "I Know" (featuring Jhené Aiko)
  • Anderson
  • McFarlane
  • Weir II
  • Chilombo
  • DJ Mustard
  • KeY Wane
 5:19
10. "Deep" (featuring Lil Wayne)
  • DJ Mustard
  • KeY Wane
 4:35
11. "One Man Can Change the World" (featuring Kanye West and John Legend)
Johnson 4:14
12. "Outro"  
DJ Dahi 3:45
Total length:
 49:57
Notes
Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 28
Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)[29] 5
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[30] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 88
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[32] 85
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[33] 5
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[34] 29
French Albums (SNEP)[35] 136
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36] 76
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[37] 23
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[38] 30
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 39
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 41
US Billboard 200[41] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[42] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[43] Platinum 350,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 "Top 50 Albums Chart". hitsdailydouble. HITS Digital Ventures. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Jay Balfour (January 10, 2015). "Hip Hop Single Sales: Kanye West, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Big Sean Reveals Next Single Will Be 'One Man Can Change The World'". Vibe. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases".
  8. 1 2 "Dark Sky Paradise Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  9. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "Dark Sky Paradise – Big Sean". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  10. ↑ Kennedy, John (February 23, 2015). "Big Sean, 'Dark Sky Paradise': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  11. ↑ Charity, Justin (February 24, 2015). "Review: Big Sean’s "Dark Sky Paradise" Proves He’s a Better Rapper Than You Thought". Complex. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Kyle. "'Dark Sky Paradise' by Big Sean: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. (Time Inc.). Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Samantha O'Connor (February 24, 2015). "Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ Selander, Kenneth (February 22, 2015). "Big Sean's 'Dark Sky Paradise' a mix of catchy and emotional beats". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  15. ↑ Farber, Jim (February 24, 2015). "Music review: Rapper Big Sean's 'Dark Sky Paradise' is confident and marked by sharp, crisp phrases". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Sergent, Jordan. "Big Sean: Dark Sky Paradise". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher (February 24, 2015). "Dark Sky Paradise". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  18. 1 2 Rys, Dan. "Big Sean Drops the Album Fans Wanted With 'Dark Sky Paradise' - XXL". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  19. ↑ Madden, Michael. "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ Weiss, Dan. "Review: Big Sean's Neither Beautiful Nor Twisted But Quite Dark Fantasy ‘Dark Sky Paradise'". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Billboard.com's 25 Best Albums of 2015: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  22. ↑ "The 10 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015". Billboard. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Best Albums of 2015 (So Far)". Complex. June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Best Albums of 2015". Complex. December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  25. ↑ "The Top 25 Albums of 2015". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  26. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (March 4, 2015). "Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  28. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". ARIA. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  29. ↑ "ARIA Urban Albums Chart". ARIA Charts. Archived from the original on March 8, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Big Sean. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  37. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Big Sean. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Big Sean. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  43. ↑ "American album certifications – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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