From a Birds Eye View
Studio album by
Cordae
ReleasedJanuary 14, 2022
GenreHip hop[1]
Length41:36
Label
Producer
Cordae chronology
Just Until...
(2021) 		From a Birds Eye View
(2022)
Singles from From a Birds Eye View
  1. "Gifted"
    Released: August 27, 2020[2]
  2. "Super"
    Released: October 7, 2021[3]
  3. "Sinister"
    Released: December 3, 2021[4]

From a Birds Eye View is the second studio album by American rapper Cordae. It was released through Atlantic Records and Art@War on January 14, 2022. The album features guest appearances from Gunna, Lil Wayne, H.E.R., Lil Durk, Freddie Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, Eminem, and Roddy Ricch.

Background

In an August 2020 interview with Apple Music, Cordae said, "I'm like a hundred songs deep in. Like this next one, I'm really taking everything to a whole 'nother level. I really love doing music and perfecting my craft and I'm getting better every day. And the new music from here on out is going to show that".[5]

In a January 2022 Billboard interview, the rapper discussed the inspiration behind the album, emphasizing that the project is more "memory-driven" than his debut. He mentions life experiences, including being arrested at a protest, visiting slave dungeons in Egypt and Ghana, and losing his childhood best friend, as significant influences on the album's content. On the album's title, he said, "I think about my legacy all the time... always just trying to think and look at the bigger picture from a broader perspective. From a bird's eye view."[6]

Release and promotion

The bonus track on the album, "Gifted", features Roddy Ricch and was released on August 27, 2020, with a music video directed by Cole Bennett. The track was produced by Cordae, Bongo ByTheWay, and Ray Keys.[7]

The album's second single, "Super", was released on October 7, 2021, alongside a music video. The single was produced by Jack Uriah, Kid Culture, and Jenius.[3]

The album's third single, "Sinister", was released on December 3, 2021, along with a music video and a guest appearance from American rapper Lil Wayne. The single was produced by Hit-Boy.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Clash7/10[10]
HipHopDX2.9/5[11]
HotNewHipHop79%[12]
NME[1]
Pitchfork5.0/10[13]

From a Birds Eye View was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on seven reviews.[8]

Notably, NME gave the album a perfect rating, writing, "The older generation may wish to cast doubt on younger artists, but he breathes hope into the continuation of hip-hop with his imaginative, playful flows. From a Birds Eye View is a true delight, revealing greater depth with each listen, and Cordae truly seems to be having fun while proving he's here to stay."[1] Clash praised the album's "amazing moments of storytelling and technical rapping", though the reviewer noted that tracks such as "C Carter" fell short of Cordae's standards.[10]

More mixed reviews came from AllMusic and Pitchfork. Jayson Buford wrote, "It's easy to tune out Cordae's music because he doesn't have an ethos that separates his music from other rappers with a working-class worldview."[13] Fred Thomas wrote, "Still in command of strong technical skills and now rapping over instrumentals crafted with bigger budgets, Cordae falls short when he starts sounding a little too comfortably at home in the mainstream."[9]

Track listing

From a Birds Eye View track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Shiloh's Intro"Shiloh YoungKid Culture1:08
2."Jean-Michel"
2:43
3."Super"
  • Kid Culture
  • Jenius
  • Uriah
2:57
4."Momma's Hood"
3:32
5."Want From Me"
  • Dunston
  • Jacob Dutton
  • Pamela Phillips
  • Vincent Brantley
  • Rickey Smith
3:50
6."Today" (featuring Gunna)
Kid Culture3:02
7."Shiloh's Interlude" Kid Culture0:22
8."C Carter"
  • Dunston
  • Anthony
  • Kameron Cole
  • Daoud
  • Hollywood Cole
3:13
9."Sinister" (featuring Lil Wayne)
2:28
10."Chronicles" (featuring H.E.R. and Lil Durk)
3:32
11."Champagne Glasses" (featuring Freddie Gibbs and Stevie Wonder)
Kid Culture4:17
12."Westlake High"
  • Dunston
  • Hackett
  • Matthew Spatola
  • Shola Fagbemi
  • George Kerr
  • Kid Culture
  • Matty Spats
  • Sholz
2:56
13."Parables (Remix)" (featuring Eminem)
4:46
14."Gifted" (featuring Roddy Ricch and Ant Clemons)
2:48
Total length:41:34

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for From a Birds Eye View
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] 44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 93
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 18
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 68
Irish Albums (IRMA)[19] 83
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] 28
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 55
UK Albums (OCC)[22] 100
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[23] 21
US Billboard 200[24] 13

Notes

  1. ^ Mancini, who publicly came out as a trans man in January 2023,[14] is credited by his deadname.

References

  1. ^ a b c Williams, Kyann-Sian (January 14, 2022). "Cordae – From a Birds Eye View review: confident rhymes and nostalgic hip-hop sounds". NME. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "Cordae and Roddy Ricch team up for new single, 'Gifted'". NME. August 28, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Cordae Drops New Single and Music Video "Super"". Hypebeast. October 7, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Cordae Teams Up With Lil Wayne in Video for New Single "Sinister"". Complex. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  5. ^ "Cordae and Roddy Ricch Connect on 'Gifted'". Rap-Up. August 27, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  6. ^ "Why Cordae Had to 'Go Through Some S–t' to Make His New Album". Billboard. January 14, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Cordae Drops New Song "Gifted" f/ Roddy Ricch". Complex. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "From A Birds Eye View by Cordae Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "From a Birds Eye View Review by Cordae". AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Saunders, Chris (January 14, 2022). "Cordae – From a Bird's Eye View". Clash. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Brake, David (January 27, 2022). "Cordae 'From A Bird's Eye View' Reveals The Pitfalls Of Idolizing Rap Purism". HipHopDX. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Blair, Robert (January 18, 2022). "Cordae "From A Birds Eye View" Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Buford, Jayson (January 21, 2022). "Cordae: From a Bird's Eye View Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (January 31, 2023). "How Kendrick Lamar's "Auntie Diaries" Helped Music Engineer Emerson Mancini Come Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Cordae – From a Birds Eye View" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of January 29, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  18. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Cordae – From a Birds Eye View" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  19. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 21 January 2022". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  20. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Cordae – From a Birds Eye View". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  22. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  23. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  24. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of January 29, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
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