It’s undeniable that the artistic partnership between Future and Metro Boomin is a match made in heaven. It feels like it was just yesterday that the duo rocked the world with their album “WE DON’T TRUST YOU,” which featured a hot-headed track that ignited a historic rap feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. A few months later, the duo dropped their second chart-topping album, continuing their streak of creating ghostly, futuristic melodies that remain timeless.
Future has now stepped away from the duo’s shared spotlight to release his most recent solo album, “MIXTAPE PLUTO,” which is a reminder of the raw and grim lyricism that helped build his solo career. The album, which was released on Sept. 20, ventures beyond Future’s usual themes of sex, drugs and money in his lyrics — though, not without it. In a 17-track project produced by 808 Mafia’s Southside and Wheezy, each song masterfully paints the dark reality of Future’s high-end life.
Tracks like “LOST MY DOG” craft a personal narrative that the artist has not discussed publicly. Future reflects on the pain that comes with losing loved ones to addiction by rapping, “Lookin’ at his texts, he was battlin’ with depression / I should’ve seen the signs as soon as I received the message, yeah.” Though Future does not manage to reach the emotional ballad-like crescendos of artists like XXXTentacion, he experiments with ways to share his “solitary point of view,” as shown on “SURFING A TSUNAMI,” a dreamlike track reminiscent of video game music. He’s interchanging the unexplored sense of vulnerability with his typical harsh cutting bite.
Longtime fans are treated primarily with his no-time-for-games persona on “MIXTAPE PLUTO,” as the Atlanta rapper constantly pays homage to the city that shaped him. His unapologetic flow on “PRESS THE BUTTON” testifies to his childhood: “Spent a fifty on a crib, I got another big year comin’ (Freebandz) / Crank it up and I switch gears on it (Where you goin’?) / Hustlin’ like I was back on the Front Street / Do this shit in a whole ‘nother country.” His work pulls his upbringing to the conceptual forefront of “MIXTAPE PLUTO,” creating an ambiance that manages to be both modern and nostalgic.
Despite traversing into new emotional territory on the album, no Future release would be complete without love songs, for women and drugs alike. On “TOLD MY,” Future stays true to form through singing: “I put all my drugs in a designer bag (Woah) / Bad bitch in the city, got her hibernatin’, yeah / Shorty want a Perc’, got it under me, yeah (Shorty want a Perc’).” These topics, which he delves into against his unmistakable rhythm, help to paint a portrait of a life filled with adrenaline.
Flexing his ability to blend high-stakes bravado and personal introspection, “MIXTAPE PLUTO” offers both the energetic bangers and the quieter moments of reflection that Future’s fans crave. His ability to weave his gritty reality into moody, atmospheric beats keeps listeners on the edge, never knowing what themes the next song will address. “MIXTAPE PLUTO” is more than just another album — it’s a testament to Future’s strong sense of craft, reminding us that in Future’s future, we trust.
Contact Chazzel Ferbol at [email protected].