Image via Getty/Kevin Winter
It's been three years since Chance the Rapper dropped his last full-length solo project, Coloring Book. Released in May 2016, Coloring Book was a success, both critically and commercially, and it cemented Chance’s status in rap's upper echelon. He has been relatively quiet in the past few years, but the buzz surrounding his forthcoming album has only grown in recent years, culminating with his string of singles in 2018 (“I Might Need Security,” “Work Out,” “Wala Cam,” “65th & Ingleside,” “The Man Who Has Everything,” “My Own Thing”).
On April 10, Chance told fans that his wife had given him the blessing to put his full attention on finally finishing the follow-up to Coloring Book. In an Instagram caption, he wrote, “My wife gave me the go ahead to put everything else on hold and really go to work on my debut album. It’s been a lil hard at times, I obviously miss Chicago and family and working on other stuff, but there is no joy like making a project. Somehow I always forget that I’m so, so good at this.”
Here is everything we know about Chance the Rapper’s next album.
It’s coming in July
Chance the Rapper teased his upcoming LP on social media in February, sharing an Instagram video to his account in response to constant fan requests about the status of the project. “I been making music, and it’s funny when people get at me in my comments like, ‘Yo, where’s the music at? We need an album now,'” he said. “You gonna get that shit when I’m ready,” he concluded with a smile, before saying “July, though.” For emphasis, he also captioned the post “Jooly.” Hours later, Chance revealed the release date of his forthcoming album with a pair of cryptic tweets (“July” and “Owbum”). His manager, Pat Corcoran, confirming the announcement in a post of his own: “CHANCE ALBUM. JULY.”
It will be Chance’s “1st album”
The morning after Chance tweeted the release date for his next full-length project, he took to Twitter to officially reveal that the LP would serve as his proper debut album. “This my 1st album so it’s really good,” Chance wrote. “I got real famous so I gotta lotta eyes on me that wasn’t fans of me they just fans of what’s popular. My first album is for my fans.” It's unclear if the distinction of a debut “album” will change his distribution plans, but after eschewing the idea of selling his projects for years, this detail could raise the stakes.
Don’t expect it to resemble ‘Coloring Book’ or ‘Acid Rap’
In the same series of tweets where he announced the release of his forthcoming LP, Chance explained what separates his debut album from mixtapes like Acid Rap and Coloring Book: “I’ll always be immensely proud of what I did with Coloring Book. ‘Same Drugs,’ ‘Summer Friends’ and ‘Juke Jam’ are some the realest songs I’ve ever written so u don’t have to defend Coloring Book to me. It happened, it made history but I did it already. The album won’t be Acid Rap either.”
So does this mean that the album won’t sound like Chance’s previous offerings? It’s tough to say, especially given the variety of singles he dropped in 2018. Sonically, vibrant cuts like “My Own Thing,” “Work Out,” and “Wala Cam” fit right alongside the summery vibe that penetrates Coloring Book. But on the other hand, tracks like “I Might Need Security” and “65th and Ingleside” feature some of the coarser, more combative bars of his career. Only time will tell which path, if any, Chance’s debut album follows.
“GRoCERIES” gives us a taste of the album’s musical direction
After teasing the track in April, followed by a more fleshed out preview in May, Chance served up his first single of 2019, “GRoCERIES,” featuring Houston dance-rapper TisaKorean. Backed by loose, playful production courtesy of Murda Beatz, the effortless jam finds Chance in his element, referencing childhood favorites like Minute Maid juice and Crash Bandicoot. Admit it: Chance never sounds better than when he’s waxing nostalgic over upbeat production. Let’s hope the song portends what’s to come on Chance 4.
The album was inspired by the music he danced to at his wedding
Hours after dropping his first single of 2019, “GRoCERIES,” Chance spoke with Zane Lowe about his new album, particularly how the forthcoming project is inspired by music he danced to at his wedding.
“The whole album has been inspired by the day that I got married and how I was dancing that day,” he told Lowe. “We had a reception with the legendary DJ Pharris and we all danced our hearts out. It was the hardest I ever danced in my life and I’m a great longtime dancer. Everything in it is all the different styles of music that make me want to dance and remind me of that day and remind me of that night and all those people that were there.” He added, “I’ve been waiting to make an album for a long time. So, the process has been just me being back in the studio all the time. Just making two songs a day. And trying to have fun. But at the same time, I understand that it’s going to be more. More songs. More flexes. More dancing. Just more.”
A tentative tracklist was previewed in ‘Next Chapter’ trailer
Chance kicked off his debut album rollout by closing out the month of June with a preview of his “Next Chapter.” Following a series of clips that provide a roadmap to his career, the trailer ends with a snapshot of a tentative tracklist for the album, which has been compiled by Hip Hop N More and can be seen here (or at the 53-second mark of the video above). While there’s no sign of “GRoCERIES” or any of the loosies he dropped last year (“Might Need Security,” “65th and Ingleside,” “Work Out,” “Wala Cam,” “My Own Thing,” “The Man Who Has Everything”), 20 brand new Chance tracks is something to get excited about.
Potential features may include Kanye West and Childish Gambino
Last June, Chance the Rapper revealed in an interview with Complex's Open Late, that he enlisted Kanye West for his own seven-track album. Two months later, Kanye was spotted outside of a radio station in Chicago, where he told reporters that he made the trip home to collaborate with Chance. “I came out here with Chance to work on his album, and I’ve just been hanging out with my friends,” West told Fox 32 News.
Granted, in no way does this confirm that Kanye is actually featured on or has crafted a beat for the latest version of Chance’s solo project. Nor does it confirm that he's producing a seven-track LP a la last summer’s Wyoming sessions. But it would be more surprising if Kanye doesn’t contribute at all, than if he does in some way. And we'd love to finally hear the full version of this viral studio clip.
In the same conversation with Open Late, Chance also teased a side project with Childish Gambino, revealing, “We’ve got six songs that are all fire, but I think the album is going to be more than 14 songs.” Although it sounds like their collaborations will end up on a joint project, don’t be surprised if Childish Gambino, too, appears as a featured guest on Chance’s next LP.
Cities have already been announced for the tour
One month after teasing the release date of his debut album, Chance took to Twitter to reveal the first round of cities he'll be hitting immediately following the drop. After his “#owbum drops,” he says he will head to Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, St. Louis, and Seattle. The specific dates have been left unannounced, but the cities are confirmed. He was also scheduled to perform at the massive 50th anniversary celebration of Woodstock on August 16, but that festival has reportedly been canceled. So, we'll have to wait for tour. See you there.
The album is available for pre-order along with tickets for his next tour
On the same day that he made his first two mixtapes, 10 Day and Acid Rap, available on major streaming services for the first time, Chance launched a pre order for his next studio album. He’s also offering a pre-sale for a forthcoming world tour. It’s worth noting that this marks the first time Chance has ever actually sold his music or pressed any of it to vinyl or CD.