Cold Visions
| Cold Visions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 April 2024 | |||
| Studio | Bladee's house (Stockholm) | |||
| Genre | Rap | |||
| Length | 63:36 | |||
| Label | Trash Island | |||
| Producer |
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| Bladee chronology | ||||
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Cold Visions is the seventh solo studio album by the Swedish rapper Bladee. A surprise album, it was self-released under his Trash Island label on 23 April 2024. As his 30th birthday approached, Bladee experienced a depressive episode, feeling anxious about ageing and the mixed reception to his previous solo album Spiderr (2022). He recorded Cold Visions at his house in Stockholm across a two-week period. It is his first studio album not to be released by his longtime record label Year0001 because he wanted to make music that was true to himself. The album was executive produced by Bladee and Gabriel Schuman; it was primarily produced by F1lthy, with contributions from Skrillex, Whitearmor, and James Ferraro, among others.
Cold Visions is Bladee's longest release to date; it is a rap album characterized by audio logos, references to his past work, and a recurring theme of paranoia. Critics considered it one of his darker works, and the album was promoted by a tour across North America and Europe. Several publications featured it on their year-end lists.
Background and recording
[edit]Bladee released his sixth solo studio album, Spiderr, on 30 September 2022, to mixed reception.[1] In March 2024, he released the collaborative studio album Psykos with longtime collaborator Yung Lean,[1] to positive reviews.[2][3] Although he has used guitars in his music before, this was the first time he committed to a post-punk and alternative rock sound.[3]
As his 30th birthday approached, Bladee experienced a depressive episode, feeling anxious about ageing and the mixed reception to Spiderr.[1] Kieran Press-Reynolds from Pitchfork wrote that Bladee was experiencing "something like a mid-career crisis".[4] Cold Visions was recorded at Bladee's house in Stockholm across a two-week period.[1] The album was primarily produced by F1lthy, with contributions from Skrillex, Whitearmor,[5] James Ferraro, among others.[6]
Composition
[edit]Publications have classified Cold Visions as a rap album.[4][5][7] With its 30 tracks and a runtime of nearly 64 minutes,[8] it is Bladee's longest release.[9] Paranoia is a recurring theme in the album[10] and the songs seamlessly transition into each other.[4] Critics felt that Cold Visions contained darker themes and production when compared to Bladee's previous work.[4][11][12] Press-Reynolds felt it was darker compared to the "sublime optimism" of Crest (2022) and 333 (2020) and the "summery bounce" of Good Luck (2020) and The Fool (2021).[4] Charles Lyons-Burt from Slant Magazine said that Bladee's work "has never sounded so paranoid, dark, and dangerous";[11] HotNewHipHop's Zachary Horvath called it "extremely dark".[12] AllMusic's Fred Thomas wrote that the majority of the album is "aggressive and nihilistic", and "dense, paranoid, and nightmarish".[13] Writing for Paste, Madelyn Dawson called F1lthy's production "dark" and "distorted".[14] Quinn Moreland of The Guardian wrote that, across the album, "he purges his demons over raging, blown-out trap beats"; Bladee described the lyricism in the album as "really honest, more like a diary".[1] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote: "Bladee delivers most of his heavily-accented lyrics in a blurry, downcast, syncopated hum, while the blown-out beats conjure icy-tundra landscapes".[5]
Cold Visions contains references to Bladee's older work.[14][15] Press-Reynolds wrote that "nearly every song makes some kind of allusion to a previous release". Throughout the album, he mentions his songs "Everlasting Flames" (2014) and "Redlight Moments" (2017). On "Don't Wanna Hang Out", he reveals more of the "previously established lore about the mystical Drain Gang High School", as described by Press-Reynolds. Audio logos from his previous work are also included on the album, such as a tag from the 1998 film Blade and a sound effect from the 2008 video game Street Fighter IV.[4] Fans created a document to name every reference and interpolation on the album;[4] Sam Goldner of Pitchfork called the samples and producer tags "overstimulating".[16]
Songs
[edit]Tracks 1–8
[edit]
The opening track of Cold Visions is "Paranoia Intro", a track that "sets the tone for the cloudy set of tracks to follow" according to Krueger.[17] During the opening line, Bladee is cut off by Vincent Price's laugh in "Thriller" (1983) by Michael Jackson.[4] Bladee raps about being embarrassed about his age over airy synthesizers.[4][17] "Wodrainer" explores themes of substance abuse, depression, paranoia, being loyal towards Drain Gang, and not wanting to become mainstream.[18] The track "Yung Sherman" is a collaboration with the producer of the same name;[19] during one line, he compares losing his phone to heartbreak and creates "fairly intriguing internet poetry", according to Stereogum's Danielle Chelosky.[20] "Flatline" is written about letting somebody down, and Bladee's emotional vocals shift between quiet whispers and soft cries.[4] The track contains delicate emotions, wispy adlibs, and a synth melody.[11][10] According to Crissy Saucier of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, the track sees Bladee "reflect[ing] on patterns in his relationships, acknowledging a tendency toward self-destructive behavior".[10] Consequence's Jonah Krueger described the production on the track as "icy" and "in-your-face", alongside the following "One Second" featuring Yung Lean.[21] "Sad Meal" contains a harsh delivery and makes references to his debut mixtape Gluee (2014) and the scrapped project Rainworld;[15] the track is also written about being at McDonald's.[4] "Fun Fact" also features Yung Lean, and Paper's Shaad D'Souza called it "menacing and brusque".[22] "Only God Is Made Perfect" begins with Bladee announcing "drain gang" with a beat drop cutting off Bladee's line: "I used to sell—"; the line is replaced by "the album title cut[ting] in a cunning redaction".[14]
Tracks 9–20
[edit]On "Don't Wanna Hang Out", Bladee expresses that he wants to spend time alone, sharing his irritations with "fake friends and clout chasers" over a beat produced by F1lthy. Writing about the beat, Raphael Helfand of The Fader said that it "crescendos as triumphantly as a Lex Luger beat".[23] "I Don't Like People (Whitearmor Interlude)" contains an appearance from fellow Drain Gang member Whitearmor;[24] the track presents Bladee chanting the song's title atop a synth progression.[10] Another track that features Yung Lean, the lyrics in "I Don't Like People" hint toward Bladee's departure from his longtime record label Year0001.[1][25] The track begins with eerie synthesizers and deep bass, presenting Bladee's dark delivery using Auto-Tuned vocals. Yung Lean explores the feeling of "being overwhelmed by constant attention".[10] "End of the Road Boyz" begins with a sample of deafening screams taken from a viral Roblox video. The track sees Bladee changing moods, alternating between cheerful warbles and sad murmurs.[4] On "D.O.A.", Bladee repeats the song's title and Skrillex creates a bounding instrumental with trembling synthesizers.[20] "Don't Do Drugz" carries a message against substance abuse, with Bladee urging people close to him to avoid drugs.[18] "Lows Partlyy" contains "blooming synths", depressing lyrics, and is "eerily joyous" according to Press-Reynolds.[4] "So Cold Interlude" sheds light on the emotionally vulnerable side of Bladee. The following "Message to Myself" is a moment of "restored confidence" after the previous track.[18] "Terrible Excellence", a track about being obsessed with loneliness, contains another Yung Lean feature and contains an aggressive and bass-heavy beat.[12] The title of "Red Cross" is a reference to Bladee's 2022 album with Ecco2K, Crest; the track is characterized by paranoia due to Bladee's vocal delivery.[18] Thaiboy Digital and Yung Lean feature on "Lucky Luke".[26]
Tracks 21–30
[edit]Joel Rodriguez from the KLSU radio station described "River Flows in You" as "by the books" rage music.[18] On "King Nothingg", Bladee makes light of trauma dumping and murder. The track contains convulsing bass thuds and shivering synths.[4] Rodriguez felt that "Bad 4 Business" has "lowkey" production and "sparse" lyrics.[18] "Otherside" contains a feature from Sickboyrari, also known as Black Kray. Bladee's flow begins steady but slowly fades by the end of the track; Helfand described F1lthy's instrumental on the track as "fried". Sickboyrari appears late in the song, with a "codeine-coated delivery", which Helfand said "allows us to imagine what Chief Keef might sound like if he was born in the south".[27] "Normal" shows more of Bladee's angry and emotional side.[18] His vocals on "Flexing & Finessing" twitch with unusual vocal effects and shifts. Press-Reynolds said that Bladee randomly saying "I'm back!" on the track sounded "as if he's returning home from work in the twilight haze".[4] The track "PM2" sees Bladee rapping the line "Fucking giving these lames percentage", which some fans interpreted as a critique of Year0001.[25] On "False", Bladee questions his existence and fading sense of direction in a club. The penultimate track "Can't End on a Loss (Outro)", one of the two outro tracks, sees Bladee reflecting on his childhood and his career. The final track is "Cold Visions (Outro 2)", contains a piano instrumental mixed with synthesizers. Rodriguez described it as "a more emotionally touching closing track".[18]
Promotion and release
[edit]On 23 April 2024, Bladee released a music video for Cold Visions's opening track "Paranoia Intro", which led to fans wondering if an album was coming.[15] Later that day, Cold Visions was self-released as a surprise album under his label Trash Island.[1][4][28] It is Bladee's first studio album not released by his longtime record label and management company Year0001. He stopped working with the label because he no longer sought to be a bigger artist and wanted to focus on staying true to himself.[1] "One Second" received a music video created by Harmony Korine's creative company EDGLRD on 1 May 2024.[29] Throughout August and October 2024, Bladee undertook on a North American tour to promote Cold Visions.[30] He performed songs from the album live for the first time at the Osheaga Festival during August 2024, after shows in Chicago and Houston were postponed due to issues with his visa.[31] The tour concluded on October 18, in Philadelphia.[30] He embarked on the European leg of the tour in December 2024.[32]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[4] |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.9/5[33] |
Cold Visions was awarded the "Best New Music" accolade from Pitchfork. Press-Reynolds wrote that it is "his most realized project to date" and said "Bladee's version of rap is blemished but beautiful, imperfect and half-coherent in a way that makes banal thoughts feel endearingly askew".[4] For AllMusic, Thomas said that although "Cold Visions creates an atmosphere that's intense and sometimes challenging to engage with […] Bladee's way with his horrific words and worldview is nothing short of fascinating".[13] Sputnikmusic wrote: "Of the aesthetics and sounds explored using production here, few seem fit for human consumption".[34]
Cold Visions was placed in both mid-year and year-end lists of the best albums of the year. The staff from The Fader deemed it the fourth best album of the year. Colin Joyce wrote that it blends abstract elements with reflections on violence and the weight of existence in a dark world.[35] Pitchfork considered it the eighth best album of the year; Goldner called the album a "30-track meltdown" and felt it contained "some of [Bladee's] most inventive flows yet".[36] It was included in both Slant Magazine's mid-year and year-end list of the best albums of 2024. Lyons-Burt wrote that Bladee "deepens his sound" with the album. He further wrote that the line "it's 9 p.m. in the morning" on "Red Cross" captures the eerie and reversed atmosphere of Cold Visions.[11] Paste placed it at 97 in their list of the best albums of the year; Dawson called it a "love letter" to Drain Gang, and wrote that "Bladee cements himself as a genuine artist".[14] It also appeared in an unranked year-end list from AllMusic.[37]
Year-end lists
[edit]| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | 100 Best Albums of 2024 | — | [37] |
| The Fader | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 4 | [38] |
| Paste | 100 Best Albums of 2024 | 97 | [14] |
| Pitchfork | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 8 | [39] |
| Slant Magazine | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 33 | [40] |
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Paranoia Intro" |
| 1:10 | |
| 2. | "Wodrainer" |
|
| 2:33 |
| 3. | "Yung Sherman" (featuring Yung Sherman) |
|
| 2:12 |
| 4. | "Flatline" |
|
| 2:54 |
| 5. | "One Second" (featuring Yung Lean) |
|
| 1:51 |
| 6. | "Sad Meal" |
|
| 2:01 |
| 7. | "Fun Fact" (featuring Yung Lean) |
|
| 1:48 |
| 8. | "Only God Is Made Perfect" |
|
| 1:48 |
| 9. | "Don't Wanna Hang Out" |
|
| 1:39 |
| 10. | "I Don't Like People (Whitearmor Interlude)" (featuring Whitearmor) |
| Whitearmor | 0:38 |
| 11. | "I Don't Like People" (featuring Yung Lean) |
|
| 2:40 |
| 12. | "End of the Road Boyz" |
|
| 2:15 |
| 13. | "D.O.A" (with Skrillex) |
|
| 2:20 |
| 14. | "Don't Do Drugz" |
| Lusi | 1:33 |
| 15. | "Lows Partlyy" |
| Lusi | 2:16 |
| 16. | "So Cold Interlude" |
|
| 1:36 |
| 17. | "Message to Myself" |
|
| 1:15 |
| 18. | "Terrible Excellence" (featuring Yung Lean) |
|
| 2:33 |
| 19. | "Red Cross" |
|
| 2:17 |
| 20. | "Lucky Luke" (featuring Thaiboy Digital and Yung Lean) |
|
| 2:07 |
| 21. | "River Flows in You" |
|
| 1:44 |
| 22. | "King Nothingg" |
|
| 2:26 |
| 23. | "Bad 4 Business" |
|
| 1:42 |
| 24. | "Otherside" (featuring Sickboyrari) |
|
| 2:35 |
| 25. | "Normal" |
| Lusi | 1:18 |
| 26. | "Flexing and Finessing" |
|
| 3:04 |
| 27. | "PM2" |
|
| 2:08 |
| 28. | "False" |
| Lusi | 2:07 |
| 29. | "Can't End on a Loss (Outro)" |
|
| 3:33 |
| 30. | "Cold Visions (Outro 2)" (featuring Ecco2K) |
|
| 3:33 |
| Total length: | 63:36 | |||
Notes
- Track titles are stylised in all caps.
- Tracks 9–11, 14, and 29 are stylised without punctuation.
Personnel
[edit]- Gabriel Schuman – executive production, additional production, mixing, mastering, transitions[41]
- Bladee – executive production, cover artwork[41][42]
- James Ferraro – additional sound effects[41]
- Malibu – additional sound effects[41]
- Inef Coupe – additional sound effects[41]
- Ville Nordström – cover artwork[42]
- Ecco2K – cover imaging and post-production[42]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Moreland, Quinn (18 November 2024). "'I was really not OK': Bladee on PTSD, Charli xcx and being struck by lightning". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ Link, Moritz (13 March 2024). "Es geht in die Coda" [It goes into the coda]. laut.de (in German). Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Nadine (1 April 2024). "Yung Lean / Bladee: Psykos". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Press-Reynolds, Kieran (30 April 2024). "Bladee: Cold Visions". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (24 April 2024). "Stream Bladee's Surprise New Mixtape Cold Visions". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Cold Visions / Bladee / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "25 Best Rap Albums Of 2024 So Far". HotNewHipHop. 29 June 2024. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "Cold Visions - Album by Bladee". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (24 April 2024). "Bladee Drops Whopping 30-Song Project "Cold Visions" With Multiple Yung Lean Features". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Saucier, Crissy (28 April 2024). "Bladee releases boundary-pushing personal album, 'Cold Visions'". The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d "The Best Albums of 2024 … So Far". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Horvath, Zachary (24 April 2024). "Bladee & Yung Lean Further Their Chemistry on "Terrible Excellence"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Fred. "Cold Visions - Bladee". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Paste. 2 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Fairbrother, Logan (16 June 2024). "Bladee Serves Up a Music Video for "SAD MEAL"". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". Pitchfork. 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b Krueger, Jonah (26 April 2024). "Song of the Week: Thom Yorke Waltzes Through Devastation on "Knife Edge"". Consequence. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rodriguez, Joel (15 May 2024). "Bladee "Cold Visions" Album Review". KLSU. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Nafekh-Blanchette, Spencer (4 August 2024). "Bladee Made Osheaga Feel Like the Internet". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ a b Chelosky, Danielle (10 January 2025). "In The Era Of Brainrot, Bladee's Cold Visions Is A Masterpiece". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of April 2024". Consequence. 1 May 2024. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ D'Souza, Shaad (26 April 2024). "Sound Off: 10 Songs You Need to Hear Now". Paper. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Songs of the Summer 2024: Slacker". The Fader. 20 August 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ Crone, David. "Bladee Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
- ^ a b Hinton, Patrick (8 November 2024). "Sad Boys and Drain Gang artists announce departure from YEAR0001". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 17 November 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "The only tracks you need to hear from July 2024". Dazed. 31 July 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Songs You Need In Your Life: April 2024". The Fader. 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (24 April 2024). "Stream Bladee's Surprise New Mixtape Cold Visions". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ Richlin, Harrison (2 May 2024). "Harmony Korine Brings His EDGLRD Aesthetic to New 'One Second' Music Video — Watch". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (21 May 2024). "Bladee announces North American shows". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ Chelosky, Danielle (3 August 2024). "Bladee Shares New Video With Yung Lean, Performs Cold Visions Songs Live For The First Time At Osheaga". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ "live.gtb.sg/eu/". live.gtb.sg. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ^ jesper (30 April 2024). "Review: Bladee - Cold Visions". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ jesper (30 April 2024). "Review: Bladee - Cold Visions". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2024". The Fader. 17 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". Pitchfork. 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b "AllMusic Best of 2024". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2024". The Fader. 17 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". Pitchfork. 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". Slant Magazine. 12 December 2024. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Schuman, Gabriel [@ohyesitsgabe] (23 April 2024). "@dg_bladee #COLDVISIONS" – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c Fairbrother, Logan (23 April 2024). "Bladee Drops Gritty Surprise Mixtape Cold Visions". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.