“Thank god it’s Friday” is a phrase I was saying a lot this past weekend. Sure, Fridays are great because the weekend is coming, people can go out and socialize, and I get to have my chicken–over–rice from a halal cart as a reward for making it through the week. However, this Friday was extra special—we were blessed with the debut album Glorious from Memphis rapper GloRilla, featuring the hit single “TGIF." Her most recent mixtape, Ehhthang Ehhthang, was released earlier this year, and the new direction her music has taken in just six months is remarkable.
First teased on Sept. 20, with the single “HOLLON,” the album’s rollout has been quite successful considering the pressure that was on GloRilla after releasing re–playable bangers like “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)” on her previous mixtape. As the rollout began, all we could say was encapsulated perfectly by Big Glo herself: “AYEEEEE.” Glorious, however, exceeded expectations and continued GloRilla’s reign with the same 808s, horns, and biting lyricism that made her previous mixtape memorable.
“HOLLON,” “TGIF,” “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME (feat. Sexyy Red)” and “HOW I LOOK (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)” are all reminiscent of Ehhthang Ehhthang but in a newer, more fashionable way. She pays respect to old staples in the Hip hop industry by sampling “Wipe Me Down” by Trill Family in “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME.” Lyrics like “Get my goons, swipe that bitch, and now dispute the charges / Makin’ music, beatin’ on bitches, I be really marchin” on “HOLLON” and “Just rode by the cemetery, it’s plenty room for hoes / fuck the money missionary, got plenty room for more” off “HOW I LOOK” demonstrate the harsh delivery and provocative lyricism that GloRilla is recognized for.
The middle of the album, however, is easily the most unique part of the record. The intimate four–track run starts with “STOP PLAYING," a track with a noticeably slower tempo and calmer production than the rest of the album. With self–aware lyrics like “My ex, he cheated / didn’t cry, I cheated / his opp, let him eat it / Big Glo undefeated,” GloRilla lets her bad bitch energy shine, demonstrating that she can pull through despite the setbacks she faces. The chorus’ mantra of “stop playing with that girl” sets the stage for the following tracks: “DON’T DESERVE” featuring Muni Long is an ode to women in abusive relationships who deserve much better. The chorus is somewhat surface level, telling a woman that she shouldn’t let a man cheat on or beat her—a seemingly extremely low bar to clear. However, Glo shows support for her girl friends in getting them to do better in who they’re dating: don’t stay in a relationship where you aren’t treated the way you deserve to be treated.
That’s when the record takes a turn that nobody was expecting; “RAIN DOWN ON ME”—featuring Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, and Chandler Moore—manages to successfully blend hip–hop with GOSPEL (gasp). The song is certainly a switch–up from other tracks, which talk about shaking ass and making money; on this song, Glo thanks God for helping her out throughout her life and getting her to where she is today. GloRilla also hired several prominent gospel singers to feature on the track, giving it an iconic twist on the hip–hop genre. This smoothly leads into the last song of the four–track run, “GLO’S PRAYER.” Glo gets devastatingly personal in the track, admitting that she herself struggles with shitty guy problems, not finding true love, and having confidence in oneself—issues she seemingly had figured out in the previous tracks.
The album, while still having some obvious bangers like “I LUV HER (feat. T–Pain)”, would have felt duller if it weren’t for this well–executed break in the middle section. She echoes the same mantras of being a baddie in many of her songs, which I personally enjoyed a lot, although many people may get irritated with the repetition. Songs such as “QUEEN OF MEMPHIS (feat. Fridayy),” and “PROCEDURE (feat. Latto),” for example, blended into the background and were not very impactful due to their lackluster production. The experimental mid–section helped the album stand out from her previous mixtape. All in all, Glorious certainly lives up to its name, and the future for GloRilla in the rap industry seems bright if she can keep this level of work ethic and execution up.
