Anderson .Paak remains one of the biggest artists in R&B and Neo-Soul. While his come up had been well-documented prior to the release of Malibu, there is no denying that the album was his magnum opus. In fact, today, the album officially turns 10 years old. This sprawling R&B masterpiece has some truly incredible songs. Artists like BJ The Chicago Kid, Rapsody, ScHoolboy Q, and Talib Kweli are all over the tracklist. The diversity of sounds is sensational and .Paak's songwriting is on another level. While the artist certainly attempted to reach these heights again, he was never truly able to do so. To this day, he remains a major artist, having even done a Silk Sonic album with Bruno Mars. Surely, more solo albums are still to come.
Release Date: January 15, 2016
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul
Tracklist for Malibu
- The Birds
- Heart Don't Stand a Chance
- The Waters Ft. BJ the Chicago Kid
- Strawberry Season / Carry Me
- Put Me Thru
- Am I Wrong Ft. Schoolboy Q
- Without You Ft. Rapsody
- Parking Lot
- Light Weight Ft. the Free Nationals
- Room in Here Ft. the Game & Sonyae Elise
- Your Prime
- Come Down
- Silicon Valley
- Celebrate
- Dreamer 5000 Ft. Talib Kweli & Timon Family Choir
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Awards & Critical Reception
Malibu was a critical darling upon its release. HotNewHipHop's review of the album was quite favorable, and the same can be said of other publications. It received an 8.6 out of 10 from Pitchfork, as well as an A- from Consequence of Sound. On Metacritic, the album has an aggregate score of 85 out of 100, making it one of the best albums from 2016.
As for its awards potential, Malibu was sadly snubbed from any major awards. At the Grammys, it was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album. In the end, it ultimately lost.
What Did HotNewHipHop Commenters Think?
Back in 2016, our commenters could be pretty harsh when it came to new records. However, the reception on HotNewHipHop was overwhelmingly positive. "Wow... 2016 and already my opinion best rnb album. Extremely creative," one commenter wrote. "His voice is so unique, definitely one of my new favorite artist. The whole album is a creative masterpiece, but look out for The Waters, Put Me Thru, Silicon Valley, and The Dreamer," said another.
There were some criticisms of the artist, with one of our users stating, "I respect his come up but his voice just annoys me after awhile." Needless to say, Anderson's talent was clear to everyone listening. Sure, the album wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but most could see the vision.
