27 year old lyricist Earl Sweatshirt's most recent delivery, Sick!, was released on January 14th, 2022. This, being his fourth solo studio album, was a display in growth and understanding through the eyes of an artist continuing to find his footing in the landmine that is life. The track "2010" was released on November 18, 2021, and was the first single from the project to be offered to fans of the Some Rap Songs artist. As this body of work was his first release since 2019's Feet Of Clay, expectations were high and Sweatshirt delivered.
Sick! followed in the footsteps of his previous two projects, Some Rap Songs and Feet Of Clay, delving and diving in depth about abstract concepts with tertiary relatability. The architecture of Earl's composition lends itself to a somewhat dreamy, dreary feeling. You find yourself getting lost within the intricate flows until something hits you on repeated listens. That "something," as avid Earl Sweatshirt listeners will tell you, sticks with you for the long haul from that point on and the unorthodox beauty in Earl's album unravels itself before you.
"2010" encapsulates what the entire Sick! project has to offer. The twisting, tumultuous rhyme patterns with a deadpan delivery coexist in a space that can be missed if you skim through it. While being one of Earl's simpler and more direct showings, it still fits within his realm of painting masterpieces that, up close, may not captivate a viewer. Taking a step back to unveil the rest of the work shows just how incredible the piece truly is.
How do you feel about Earl Sweatshirt's newest album Sick!? Did you like his performance of "2010?" Share your thoughts below.
