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)		 Twenty88
(2016)
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, primarily in Los Angeles, California. The album features guest appearances from Kanye West, Drake, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Jhené Aiko, PartyNextDoor, Lil Wayne, John Legend and E-40, while the production was handled by a variety of collaborators, including Key Wane, DJ Mustard, DJ Dahi and Kanye West, who also serves as the record's executive producer alongside Big Sean himself.

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. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 173,000 album-equivalent units and 139,000 copies in the first week. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By February 2016, the album has sold 350,000 copies in the United States.[1] Dark Sky Paradise was supported by five singles; "I Don't Fuck with You", "Paradise", "Blessings", "One Man Can Change the World" and "Play No Games".

Singles

The album's lead single, titled "I Don't Fuck with You" featuring E-40, was released on September 19, 2014.[2] The production on the song was handled by DJ Mustard, Kanye West and Mike Free. After the reception the song received, it was released as the album's first single. It became a commercial success peaking at number one on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. To date, the song has sold over a million copies in the United States.[3]

The album's second single, "Paradise" was released on October 7, 2014.[4] The song was produced by Mike Will Made It. In September 2014, it was announced that the song would be included on 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".[5] Leading to its album release, Sean re-recorded the track as the extended version 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.[6]

In January 2015, Sean released the track, titled "Blessings" featuring guest appearances by Drake, and GOOD Music's label-mate Kanye West.[7][8] 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 Billboard Hot 100. As of March 2016, the song was certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[9]

"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.[10] The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 13, 2015.[11]

"Play No Games" featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign, was sent to urban contemporary radio on September 22, 2015, as the album's fifth single.[12] The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 15, 2016.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.4/10[14]
Metacritic72/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Billboard[17]
Complex[18]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[19]
Exclaim!7/10[20]
The Michigan DailyB[21]
Pitchfork7.1/10[22]
Rolling Stone[23]
Spin6/10[24]
XXL4/5[25]

Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews.[15] 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."[20] 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."[16] John Kennedy of Billboard said, "With sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career."[17] Justin Charity of Complex said, "Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, and impassioned when he wants to be, Sean has advanced (if not graduated) from the tepid mythmaking of Hall of Fame. Here he's dynamic, and a pretty good rapper."[18]

Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "A spirited combination of grown-man statement-making and round-the-way bull."[19] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "In the last year, he's made real strides toward lucidity, and on Dark Sky Paradise, his third and best album, he is more human than ever before."[26] Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork said, "Dark Sky Paradise is a big leap in the direction of the ideal Big Sean full-length."[22] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone stated, "His third and best record isn't that moment yet, but he's one step closer."[23] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "Mostly, though, Dark Sky Paradise is an ambitious tasteful album from a rapper who's often viewed as neither."[27] Dan Weiss of Spin said, "More of the same, really, and what same is that anyway? His beats, hooks and musicality tread slightly above water."[24] Dan Rys of XXL said, "'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."[25]

Year-end rankings

Publication Rank
Billboard
Complex
HipHopDX
* denotes an unranked list

Commercial performance

Dark Sky Paradise debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with 173,000 album-equivalent 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.[32] The album spent a further two weeks in the chart's top 10. On February 1, 2016, Dark Sky Paradise was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[33] As of February 2016, 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 Sign)
  • 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
  • Dean
 4:14
12. "Outro"  
DJ Dahi 3:45
Total length:
 49:57

Notes

Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] 28
Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)[35] 5
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[36] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[37] 88
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[38] 85
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[39] 5
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[40] 29
French Albums (SNEP)[41] 136
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[42] 76
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[43] 23
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[44] 30
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 39
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 41
US Billboard 200[47] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[48] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[49] Platinum 350,000^

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

References

  1. 1 2 "Top 50 Albums Chart". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ "iTunes – Music – I Don't F**k With You (feat. E-40) – Single by Big Sean". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ Jay Balfour (January 10, 2015). "Hip Hop Single Sales: Kanye West, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Paradise – Single by Big Sean on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Big Sean – Untitled EP". DJBooth. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ Tom Breihan (January 30, 2015). "Big Sean – "Blessings" (Feat. Drake & Kanye West)". Stereogum. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Blessings (Extended Version) [feat. Drake & Kanye West] – Single by Big Sean on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Big Sean Reveals Next Single Will Be 'One Man Can Change The World'". Vibe. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases".
  13. ↑ "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Dark Sky Paradise by Big Sean reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Dark Sky Paradise Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  16. 1 2 Jeffries, David. "Dark Sky Paradise – Big Sean". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Kennedy, John (February 23, 2015). "Big Sean, 'Dark Sky Paradise': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  18. 1 2 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.
  19. 1 2 Anderson, Kyle. "'Dark Sky Paradise' by Big Sean: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. (Time Inc.). Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  20. 1 2 Samantha O'Connor (February 24, 2015). "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. 1 2 Sergent, Jordan. "Big Sean: Dark Sky Paradise". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  23. 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher (February 24, 2015). "Dark Sky Paradise". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Weiss, Dan. "Review: Big Sean's Neither Beautiful Nor Twisted But Quite Dark Fantasy 'Dark Sky Paradise'". Spin. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  25. 1 2 Rys, Dan. "Big Sean Drops the Album Fans Wanted With 'Dark Sky Paradise' – XXL". XXL. Townsquare Media. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  26. ↑ Jon Caramanica (February 23, 2015). "Reviews: New Albums From Big Sean, Emile Haynie and DRKWAV". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  27. ↑ Madden, Michael. "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Billboard.com's 25 Best Albums of 2015: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 15, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  29. ↑ "The 10 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015". Billboard. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Best Albums of 2015". Complex. December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  31. ↑ "The Top 25 Albums of 2015". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  32. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (March 4, 2015). "Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  34. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". ARIA. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  35. ↑ "ARIA Urban Albums Chart". ARIA Charts. Archived from the original on March 8, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Big Sean. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  43. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  46. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Big Sean. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Big Sean – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Big Sean. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  49. ↑ "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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