Beautiful and Brutal Yard
Beautiful and Brutal Yard | ||||
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Studio album by J Hus | ||||
Released | 14 July 2023 (2023-07-14) | |||
Genre |
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Length | 63:02 | |||
Label | Black Butter | |||
Producer | EY, Maestro The Baker, TSB, Marco Bernardis, P2J, Alex Blake, iO, Levi Lennox, Scribz Riley, The Elements, Fumes, Lekaa Beats, Sammy Soso | |||
J Hus chronology | ||||
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Singles from Beautiful and Brutal Yard | ||||
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Beautiful and Brutal Yard (also abbreviated B.A.B.Y[2][3]) is the third studio album by British rapper J Hus, released on 14 July 2023 through Black Butter Records. The album includes collaborations with Drake, Naira Marley, Jorja Smith, Burna Boy, Popcaan, CB, Villz and Boss Belly.[4] It was preceded by the singles "It's Crazy" and "Who Told You" featuring Drake.[5] J Hus will tour the UK and Ireland in October and November 2023 in support of the album.[6] The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize.[7]
Background and promotion
In May 2023, Spotify-sponsored billboards appeared in London. The billboards were labelled "Don't Say Militancy" and included a phone number. When called, a voicemail would play that confirmed an upcoming J Hus album.[8][9] Shortly after, the album's lead single "It's Crazy" released.[10] On 8 June 2023. the second single "Who Told You" released.[11]
The album's announcement on 29 June 2023 was accompanied by a trailer in which J Hus walks through his own mansion before being delivered a vinyl copy of his album and before he is transported "in front of a beat-down neighborhood". A voiceover by Idris Elba states, "No matter what's going on around me, I'm still myself. And now my eyes are open and I can see the beauty of everything. I always calculate trying to challenge destiny and test fate. Welcome to my Beautiful and Brutal Yard, may peace be onto you."[12]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 83/100[13] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Clash | 8/10[2] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[14] |
Mixtape Madness | 4/5[15] |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.1/10[16] |
The Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Beautiful and Brutal Yard received a score of 83 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[13] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian named it his album of the week and noted, "that its polarities hold together for more than an hour is partly down to J Hus's famed adaptability, his facility to ride any beat thrown his way".[3] NME's Niall Smith described it as "a scattershot burst of brilliance" as well as "an elongated, yet joyous return from J Hus", who "channels his lyrical potency, struggles and romantic pursuits into one unified portrait".[1] Hayley Milross of The Line of Best Fit stated that the album "shows Hus display his greatest quality – his music" and "displays both the beauty and brutality of the world", calling it "an album that connotes the essence of home, and his home is his music".[14] Clash's Dwayne Wilks wrote that while the album "remind[s] us why [J Hus is] so adored", he found that there is "less of his story" and it does not reach the heights of J Hus's previous two albums, but concluded "no other artist commands rhythm and rhyme like Hus, and it's patently clear that the Stratford rapper is enjoying making music again, which is a blessing for the rest of us".[2] Will Pritchard, reviewing the album for The Telegraph, called it "the record of the summer" along with "thrilling, hip-twisting, [and] unsettling", on which "Hus still leads the pack with his pitless charisma, linguistic inventiveness, and musical curiosity".[17] Pritchard, writing for Pitchfork, described it a "carnal and philosophical investigation of masculinity against lush, robust beats that evoke a distinctly Black British take on G-funk".[16]
Year-end lists
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Complex UK | Complex UK's Best Albums of 2023 | 3 | [18] |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2023 | 32 | [19] |
Commercial performance
In the United Kingdom, Beautiful and Brutal Yard debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 17,260 album-equivalent units.[20] The sales consisted of 1,722 CDs, 557 vinyls, 294 cassettes, 305 digital downloads, and 14,383 sales-equivalent streams.[20][21]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro (The GOAT)" |
|
| 2:13 |
2. | "Massacre" |
|
| 3:31 |
3. | "Who Told You" (featuring Drake) |
|
| 3:28 |
4. | "Militerian" (featuring Naira Marley) |
|
| 3:13 |
5. | "Palm Tree" |
|
| 2:38 |
6. | "Nice Body" (featuring Jorja Smith) |
|
| 3:34 |
7. | "Masculine" (featuring Burna Boy) |
|
| 3:24 |
8. | "Come Look" |
|
| 3:00 |
9. | "Cream" (featuring CB) |
|
| 3:23 |
10. | "Comeback" (featuring Villz) |
| TobiShyBoy | 3:50 |
11. | "Alien Girl" |
|
| 3:11 |
12. | "Fresh Water/Safa Kara" |
|
| 3:57 |
13. | "My Baby" |
|
| 3:56 |
14. | "Problem Fixer" |
|
| 2:50 |
15. | "Killy" (featuring Popcaan) |
|
| 3:03 |
16. | "It's Crazy" |
|
| 3:46 |
17. | "Bim Bim" |
|
| 2:53 |
18. | "Come Gully Bun (Gambian President)" (featuring Boss Belly) |
| TobiShyBoy | 3:08 |
19. | "Playing Chess" |
|
| 4:04 |
Total length: | 63:02 |
Charts
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[22] | 2 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] | 70 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[24] | 87 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[25] | 38 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] | 19 |
French Albums (SNEP)[27] | 169 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] | 14 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[29] | 21 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[30] | 19 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] | 41 |
UK Albums (OCC)[32] | 1 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[33] | 1 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b c Smith, Niall (14 July 2023). "J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard review: a triumphant summer blast". NME. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ a b c Wilks, Dwayne (14 July 2023). "J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (14 July 2023). "J Hus: Beautiful and Brutal Yard review – still Britain's most adaptable, charismatic MC". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ Helfand, Raphael (29 June 2023). "J Hus announces new album Beautiful and Brutal Yard". The Fader. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "J Hus announces Beautiful & Brutal Yard album date & tracklist". GRM Daily. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (30 June 2023). "J Hus announces third album Beautiful and Brutal Yard and first UK tour in six years". NME. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Snapes, Laura (27 July 2023). "Mercury Prize 2023: Arctic Monkeys tie Radiohead's record for most nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "J Hus announces new music with mysterious billboards". dmy.co. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "J Hus Begins His 'DON'T SAY MILITANCY' Album Roll-Out". Hypebeast. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "J Hus returns with new song "It's Crazy"". The FADER. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ DAILY, GRM (29 June 2023). "J Hus announces 'Beautiful & Brutal Yard' album date & tracklist". GRM Daily. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Mier, Tomás (29 June 2023). "J Hus Announces Beautiful and Brutal Yard Album, Featuring Drake, Burna Boy, Jorja Smith". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Beautiful & Brutal Yard by J Hus Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ a b Milross, Hayley (14 July 2023). "J Hus: Beautiful and Brutal Yard Review – respect and power collide". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ Simpson, Joe (14 July 2023). "Album Review: J Hus solidifies his sound on Beautiful and Brutal Yard". Mixtape Madness. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Will (17 July 2023). "J Hus: Beautiful and Brutal Yard Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Will (14 July 2023). "Rita Ora masters the ballad, Mahalia is the voice of British RnB – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ Patterson, Joseph JP; Keith, James; Cagna, Claudia (15 December 2023). "Complex UK's Best Albums of 2023". Complex UK. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (21 July 2023). "Charts analysis: J Hus lands second No.1 album". Music Week. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (24 July 2023). "J Hus Crowned on U.K. Albums Chart With 'Beautiful and Brutal Yard'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 24 July 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1742. Australian Recording Industry Association. 24 July 2023. p. 25.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "J Hus Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 29, 2023". Hitlisten. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 29, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 21 July 2023". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Album 2023 uke 29". VG-lista. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – J Hus – Beautiful and Brutal Yard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "British album certifications – J Hus – Beautiful And Brutal Yard". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- v
- t
- e
- Common Sense (2017)
- Big Conspiracy (2020)
- Beautiful and Brutal Yard (2023)
- "Samantha"
- "Did You See"
- "Who Told You"
- "Disaster"
- "What Do You Mean?"
- "Stinking Rich"