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Dark Sky Paradise

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Dark Sky Paradise
Studio album by
Big Sean
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2015 (2015-02-24)
Studio
  • Doe
  • Record Plant
  • Yolo Estate (Los Angeles)
  • Glenwood Place (Burbank)
  • No Name (Malibu)
  • Orange Room (Atlanta)
  • S.O.T.A. (Toronto)
GenreHip hop
Length49:57
Label
Producer
Big Sean chronology
Hall of Fame
(2013) 		Dark Sky Paradise
(2015) 		Twenty88
(2016)
Deluxe edition cover
Singles from Dark Sky Paradise
  1. "I Don't Fuck with You"
    Released: September 19, 2014
  2. "Paradise"
    Released: October 7, 2014
  3. "Blessings"
    Released: January 30, 2015
  4. "One Man Can Change the World"
    Released: June 19, 2015
  5. "Play No Games"
    Released: September 22, 2015

Dark Sky Paradise is the third studio album by American rapper Big Sean. It was released on February 24, 2015, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from Drake, Kanye West, E-40, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Jhené Aiko, Lil Wayne, and Ariana Grande, while the production was handled by a variety of collaborators, including Kanye West, DJ Mustard, DJ Dahi and Key Wane, who also serves as the album's executive producer alongside Big Sean himself. The album was supported by five singles: "I Don't Fuck with You", "Paradise", "Blessings", "One Man Can Change the World" and "Play No Games".

Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the change in Sean's production and lyricism being more atmospheric and substance-filled. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 173,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. In August 2020, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Singles

The album's lead single, "I Don't Fuck with You" featuring E-40, was released on September 19, 2014.[1] The song peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[2]

The album's second single, "Paradise", was released on October 7, 2014.[3] The song peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

The album's third single, "Blessings" featuring Drake and Kanye West, was released on January 30, 2015.[4][5] The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

"One Man Can Change the World" featuring Kanye West and John Legend, was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on June 19, 2015, as the album's fourth single.[6] The song peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

"Play No Games" featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign, was sent to urban contemporary radio on September 22, 2015, as the album's fifth single.[7] The song peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.4/10[8]
Metacritic72/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Billboard[11]
Complex[12]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[13]
Exclaim!7/10[14]
HipHopDX4.0/5[15]
Pitchfork7.1/10[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Spin6/10[18]
XXL4/5[19]

Dark Sky Paradise was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews.[9] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[8]

In a review for Exclaim!, Samantha O'Connor noted that "stormier production and moodier lyricism replace Sean's predictable sunny wordplay and pop culture puns", further concluding that "Big Sean has reached a personal high by finding his Dark Sky Paradise, and it's his honesty that takes listeners there with him".[14] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Artistically, three is the charm Big Sean as Dark Sky Paradise is much more expansive than previous efforts, sometimes grinding with executive producer Kanye West's love of the dark, and other times bouncing with the snark, swagger, and style that propelled this Detroit rapper to the top".[10] John Kennedy of Billboard said, "With sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career".[11] Justin Charity of Complex said, "Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, and impassioned when he wants to be, Sean has advanced (if not graduated) from the tepid mythmaking of Hall of Fame. Here he's dynamic, and a pretty good rapper".[12] Eric Diep of HipHopDX said, "With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean is prepared to leave his mark".[15]

Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "A spirited combination of grown-man statement-making and round-the-way bull".[13] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "In the last year, he's made real strides toward lucidity, and on Dark Sky Paradise, his third and best album, he is more human than ever before".[20] Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork said, "Dark Sky Paradise is a big leap in the direction of the ideal Big Sean full-length".[16] Dan Rys of XXL said, "'One Man Can Change the World' in particular, which deals with the loss of his grandmother and his acceptance of her passing, really underlines what the entire work is about: dealing with the ups and downs in life and figuring out the best way to accept them and move forward. With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has finally found that balance".[19] Michael Madden of Consequence said, "Mostly, though, Dark Sky Paradise is an ambitious tasteful album from a rapper who's often viewed as neither".[21] Dan Weiss of Spin said, "More of the same, really, and what same is that anyway? His beats, hooks and musicality tread slightly above water".[18] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone stated, "His third and best record isn't that moment yet, but he's one step closer".[17]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Dark Sky Paradise
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard 25 Best Albums of 2015
15
[22]
10 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015
5
[23]
Idolator 15 Favorite Albums of 2015
11
[24]
Stereogum 40 Best Rap Albums of 2015
37
[25]
Variance 50 Best Albums of 2015
22
[26]

Industry awards

Awards and nominations for Dark Sky Paradise
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2015 BET Hip Hop Awards Album of the Year Nominated [27]

Commercial performance

Dark Sky Paradise debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 173,000 album-equivalent units (including 139,000 copies as pure albums sales) in its first week.[28] This became Sean's first US number one debut and his highest first week sales to date.[28] In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, earning an additional 58,000 units.[29] In its third week, the album dropped to number ten on the chart, earning 38,000 more units.[30][31] By the end of 2015, Dark Sky Paradise was ranked as the 22nd most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[32] On August 19, 2020, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of two million units in the United States.[33]

Track listing

Dark Sky Paradise track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Dark Sky (Skyscrapers)"
RobGotBeats2:58
2."Blessings" (featuring Drake)
4:12
3."All Your Fault" (featuring Kanye West)
3:44
4."I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40)
4:44
5."Play No Games" (featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign)
  • Key Wane
  • Jay John Henry
3:36
6."Paradise (Extended)"
Mike Will Made It3:35
7."Win Some, Lose Some"
5:04
8."Stay Down"
4:10
9."I Know" (featuring Jhené Aiko)
  • Anderson
  • McFarlane
  • Weir
  • Chilombo
  • DJ Mustard
  • Key Wane
5:20
10."Deep" (featuring Lil Wayne)
  • DJ Mustard
  • Key Wane
4:35
11."One Man Can Change the World" (featuring Kanye West and John Legend)
Johnson4:14
12."Outro"
DJ Dahi3:43
Total length:49:57
Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Deserve It" (featuring PartyNextDoor)
PartyNextDoor4:21
14."Research" (featuring Ariana Grande)
  • Anderson
  • Natche
  • Leland Wayne
  • Ariana Grande
  • Michael Carson
  • Hansbro
3:50
15."Platinum and Wood"
  • Anderson
  • Weir
  • Ismail Abdul-Aziz
Key Wane2:43
Total length:60:51

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[34][35]

Musicians

  • Amaire Johnson – keyboards (1), piano (11)
  • Gregg Rominiecki – additional vocals (1)
  • Allison Porter – background vocals (2)
  • Jahaan Sweet – background vocals (2)
  • Jake Nelson – background vocals (2)
  • Michael St. Peter – background vocals (2)
  • Sophia Kaminski – background vocals (2)
  • Travis Scott – additional vocals (3)
  • Jhené Aiko – additional vocals (7)
  • DJ Dahi – background vocals (7, 9)
  • Kanye West – additional vocals (8)
  • Tilthony Daniels – sound effects (8)
  • Key Wane – background vocals (9, 10)
  • Nicole Lequerica – background vocals (9, 10)
  • Natasha Bedingfield – background vocals (11)

Technical

  • Gregg Rominiecki – mixer (1, 11), recording engineer (all tracks)
  • Gadget – mixer (2)
  • Rob Kinelski – mixer (3–5, 12, 14)
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixer (6, 9, 10)
  • Stan Greene – mixer (7, 8, 13, 15)
  • Maximilian Jaeger – mixer (11), recording engineer (1, 3–14)
  • Noah Shebib – recording engineer (2)
  • Noel Cadastre – recording engineer (2)
  • Noah Goldstein – recording engineer (3)
  • Miguel Maloles – recording engineer (4)
  • John Kercy – recording engineer (10)
  • Fabio Patrignani – recording engineer (11)
  • Gregg Morrison – assistant mixer (2)
  • David Baker – assistant mixer (4, 5, 12, 14)
  • Maddox Chhim – assistant mixer (6, 9, 10)
  • Ryan Kaul – assistant mixer (6, 9, 10)
  • Gregg Moffet – assistant recording engineer (2)
  • Jesse Germano – assistant recording engineer (11)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Dark Sky Paradise
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[53] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[33] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "iTunes – Music – I Don't F**k With You (feat. E-40) – Single by Big Sean". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on September 22, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Big Sean Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  3. ^ "Paradise – Single by Big Sean on iTunes". iTunes Store. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Tom Breihan (January 30, 2015). "Big Sean – "Blessings" (Feat. Drake & Kanye West)". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "Amazon.com: Blessings [feat. Drake] [Explicit]: Big Sean: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  6. ^ "Big Sean Reveals Next Single Will Be 'One Man Can Change The World'". Vibe. June 19, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "Big Sean – Play No Games ft. Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign Lyrics & Official Video". Muxic Beats. September 22, 2015. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Dark Sky Paradise by Big Sean reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Dark Sky Paradise Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Dark Sky Paradise – Big Sean". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Kennedy, John (February 23, 2015). "Big Sean, 'Dark Sky Paradise': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Charity, Justin (February 24, 2015). "Review: Big Sean's "Dark Sky Paradise" Proves He's a Better Rapper Than You Thought". Complex. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Anderson, Kyle. "'Dark Sky Paradise' by Big Sean: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  14. ^ a b Samantha O'Connor (February 24, 2015). "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  15. ^ a b Diep, Eric (February 24, 2015). "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Sergent, Jordan. "Big Sean: Dark Sky Paradise". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (February 24, 2015). "Dark Sky Paradise". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Weiss, Dan. "Review: Big Sean's Neither Beautiful Nor Twisted But Quite Dark Fantasy 'Dark Sky Paradise'". Spin. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  19. ^ a b Rys, Dan. "Big Sean Drops the Album Fans Wanted With 'Dark Sky Paradise' – XXL". XXL. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  20. ^ Caramanica, Jon (February 23, 2015). "Reviews: New Albums From Big Sean, Emile Haynie and DRKWAV". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  21. ^ Madden, Michael (February 25, 2015). "Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". Consequence. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
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  23. ^ "The 10 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2015". Billboard. December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
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  25. ^ Breihan, Tom (December 7, 2015). "The 40 Best Rap Albums Of 2015". Stereogum. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  26. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2015". Variance. December 4, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  27. ^ Fleischer, Adam (October 13, 2015). "Here's The Full List Of 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Winners". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  28. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (March 4, 2015). "Big Sean Scores His First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  29. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 11, 2015). "Kelly Clarkson Claims Her Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
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  32. ^ a b "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
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  54. ^ "British album certifications – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
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