FM!
by Vince Staples
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Mojo
    Dec 17, 2018
    60
    FM! initially feels slighter, not least because of a brisk 22-minute duration. The breeziness is deceptive, though, as Staples and producer Kenny Beats construct a minimalist update of G-funk where the jams are always freighted with an awareness of potential violence. [Feb 2019, p;.84]
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  2. Clash Music
    Nov 7, 2018
    60
    As it stands FM! is little more than a placeholder--an interesting but self-indulgent sketch from an artist who could be creating masterpieces.
  3. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 15, 2018
    46
    FM! might have personality, but it's of the more obnoxious and self-obsessed "Get the Fuck Off My Dick" variety, and there's simply not enough quality on display to justify its own brief and largely annoying existence. Next.

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed Album of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 115 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 105 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 115
  3. Negative: 5 out of 115
  1. dylanmagno
    May 18, 2019
    8
    Vince Staples goes for simple, fast, and minimalistic on this one. Though it is not as epic or "good" in a traditional sense as Big Fish orVince Staples goes for simple, fast, and minimalistic on this one. Though it is not as epic or "good" in a traditional sense as Big Fish or Summertime '06, it doesn't try to be. Instead, it grips your attention (something that certain portions of '06 failed to do), balances accessibility with intrigue well (something that Big Fish felt lacking in), and knows it's minuscule place in the world. It sets off to do something simple: to keep the listener invested and excited, and it achieves that very well.
    FM! is also a clear showcase of Vince's knack for irony, juxtaposing the overall theme of summer and fun with frantic, dark, bass-heavy production and harsh lyricism. The album is perhaps the most potent example to date of Vince's ability to meld accessibility with artistic value.
    Perhaps the most common criticism of the album is its length. However, what one must understand when listening to this album is that the short length was an intentional technique used by Vince to play to the album's strengths: simplicity and straightforwardness. Sure, just because it was intentional doesn't make it right, but FM! doesn't feel abrupt in the slightest. In fact, the listener most likely would have gotten sick of the fast-pace and minimalist production and pessimistic lyrics had it been any longer. Instead, the albums greatest flaw is its overuse of hard-hitting, bass-driven beats. Vince seems to have had a lapse of his usual deviation from the norm in the making of this decision, and it hinders the potential of this album.
    In conclusion: NEWEARLSWEATSHIRT    … Full Review »
  2. DavidCall360
    Nov 2, 2018
    8
    Not as great as Big Fish Theory or Summertime '06, but it's still pretty damn good. This is a fun little banger of an album. It reminds me ofNot as great as Big Fish Theory or Summertime '06, but it's still pretty damn good. This is a fun little banger of an album. It reminds me of the immediacy of Pusha T's Daytona from earlier this year. I'm into it.… Full Review »
  3. abergs1125
    Nov 6, 2018
    9
    really fun listen, slaps top to bottom, gorgeous flow. vince is unstoppable
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