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Ben (Macklemore album)

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Ben
The cover features Macklemore against a blue background, wearing a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and gold rings on his left hand. The album title appears above him, colored in white.
Studio album by
Macklemore
ReleasedMarch 3, 2023 (2023-03-03)
Recorded2020–2022
GenreHip hop
Length54:03
Label
Producer
Macklemore chronology
Gemini
(2017) 		Ben
(2023)
Singles from Ben
  1. "Chant"
    Released: July 22, 2022
  2. "Maniac"
    Released: August 19, 2022
  3. "Faithful"
    Released: October 28, 2022
  4. "Heroes"
    Released: January 20, 2023
  5. "No Bad Days"
    Released: March 14, 2023

Ben is the third solo studio album by American rapper Macklemore. It was released on March 3, 2023, by Bendo and Warner Music. It features guest appearances by charlieonnafriday, Collett, DJ Premier, Jackson Lee Morgan, Livingston, Morray, NLE Choppa, Sarah Barthel, Tones and I, and Vic Daggs II. It is his first album in 6 years since his 2017 album Gemini (2017). The album was recorded between 2020 and 2022.

The album garnered positive reviews from critics. Ben debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and spawned five singles: "Chant", "Maniac", "Faithful", "Heroes" and "No Bad Days".

Background and promotion

[edit]

Macklemore officially revealed the album's release date and cover art on November 7, 2022.[1] He has stated that much of the album's content was influenced by his relapse with alcohol addiction during the COVID-19 lockdowns: "I think that pain is a catalyst for great art," he said. "I don't want to inflict the pain on myself anymore to make art. It's not like I need to self-sabotage in order to create, but I think that it created some darker, more honest, and vulnerable moments on the album."[2]

On February 16, 2023, Macklemore and his seven-year-old daughter, Sloane, filmed part of their music video for "No Bad Days" at the Climate Pledge Arena during a Seattle Kraken hockey game. Sloane directed the entire music video, which was released March 3, 2023.[3]

Singles

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The album was preceded by four singles. The first single, "Chant" with Tones and I, was released on July 22, 2022.[4] The second single, "Maniac" featuring Windser, was released on August 19, 2022.[5] The third single, "Faithful" featuring NLE Choppa, was released on October 28, 2022.[6] The fourth single, "Heroes" featuring DJ Premier, was released on January 20, 2023.[7] The fifth single, "No Bad Days" featuring Collett, was released to contemporary hit radio on March 14, 2023.[8]

Ben Tour

[edit]
Ben
Tour by Macklemore
Start dateApril 3, 2023 (2023-04-03)
End dateJuly 11, 2024 (2024-07-11)
Legs6
No. of shows69

Setlist

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  1. Chant
  2. Thrift Shop
  3. No Bad Days
  4. Downtown
  5. Same Love
  6. White Walls
  7. Maniac
  8. Heroes
  9. Wings
  10. Otherside
  11. These Days
  12. Starting Over
  13. 1984
  14. And We Danced
  15. Dance Off
  16. Glorious
  17. TAIL LIGHTS
  18. The Town
  19. My Oh My
  20. Good Old Days
  21. Can't Hold Us

Tour dates

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List of concerts, showing date, city, country and venue
Date City Country Venue
2023
Europe
April 3 Dublin Ireland 3Arena
April 4
April 7 Glasgow Scotland O2 Academy
April 9 Manchester England Victoria Warehouse
April 11 Birmingham O2 Academy
April 12 London Brixton Academy
April 16 Amsterdam Netherlands AFAS Live
April 17 Brussels Belgium Forest National
April 18 Paris France Zénith Paris
April 19
April 21 Cologne Germany Lanxess Arena
April 22 Berlin Verti Music Hall
April 24 Munich Olympiahalle
April 25 Offenbach Stadthalle
April 27 Hamburg Edel-optics.de Arena
April 29 Warsaw Poland EXPO XXI
April 39 Vienna Austria Wiener Stadthalle
May 2 Zürich Switzerland The Hall
May 3 Milan Italy Alcatraz
May 4
May 6 Stavanger Norway Kongeparken
May 7 Copenhagen Denmark Vega
May 9 Oslo Norway Sentrum Scene
May 11 Stockholm Sweden Gröna Lund
June 29 Marmande France Plaine De La Filhole
July 1 St. Gallen Switzerland Open Air St. Gallen
July 2 Arras France Main Square Festival
July 22 Ostrava Czechia Colours of Ostrava
August 11 Saalburg Germany SonneMondSterne
August 16 Esch-sur-Alzette Luxembourg Rockhal
August 20 Hasselt Belgium Pukkelpop
September 10 Berlin Germany Lollapalooza
North America
September 17 Nashville United States Ryman Auditorium
September 19 Washington, D.C. The Anthem
September 21 Boston MGM Music Hall at Fenway
September 22 New York City The Rooftop at Pier 17
September 23 Philadelphia The Met
September 26 Toronto Canada Rebel
September 27 Detroit United States The Fillmore
September 29 Chicago Aragon Ballroom
September 30 Milwaukee The Rave/Eagles Club
October 1 Minneapolis Minneapolis Armory
October 3 Denver Mission Ballroom
October 5 Salt Lake City The Complex
October 7 Portland Roseland Theater
October 8
October 9
October 10 Spokane Spokane Arena
October 11 Missoula Adams Center
October 12 Boise Idaho Central Arena
October 14 San Francisco The Masonic
October 17 Phoenix Arizona Financial Theatre
October 18 Los Angeles Hollywood Palladium
Middle East
October 28 Dubai UAE Coca-Cola Arena
North America
December 21 Seattle United States Climate Pledge Arena
December 22
2024
Oceania
May 8 Wellington New Zealand TSB Arena
May 9 Auckland Spark Arena
May 11 Sydney Australia Hordern Pavilion
May 12
May 13
May 15 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
May 17 Brisbane Riverstage
May 18 Darwin Bassinthegrass
May 20 Perth HBF Stadium
May 21
Europe
May 31 Hanover Germany EXPO Plaza
June 1 Mönchengladbach Warsteiner HockeyPark
July 11 Nîmes France Arena of Nîmes

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
HipHopDX2.4/5[11]
Pitchfork6.0/10[12]
Rolling Stone[13]

Ben 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 71, based on four reviews.[9]

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic wrote, "Altogether, Ben feels like the first time Macklemore has truly let listeners into his inner world, showcasing his underrated lyrical skills and enough varied production to keep the album moving forward toward a hopeful finish."[10] Clayton Purdom of Rolling Stone stated, "To be sure, Ben features plenty of catharsis and oversharing, but it also has no grand answers or conclusions, just apologies, acceptance, and ambiguity. Some of Ben's success must be attributed to the producer Budo, a longtime collaborator, here providing skillful texture to the album's broader arc, but the truth is that Macklemore, who on his last album rhymed 'porno' with 'DiGiorno,' has matured. Ben is handily his best album. It's a midcareer downshift from an artist who desperately needed it."[13]

In a mixed review, Matthew Ismael Ruiz of Pitchfork wrote, "These experiences, while certainly authentic, aren't particularly interesting. The struggle of the wealthy and talented white rapper was never especially sympathetic. And on Ben, his trials are mostly internal, the enduring struggle of man to find meaning and leave a legacy. This Macklemore is likely the most honest version we've seen to date."[12] Taylor Rubright of HipHopDX also gave a mixed review, stating "Macklemore is a dexterous rapper at his best, but the songs that showcase his talents are mostly confined to the middle of the album", additionally commenting that "despite some solid songwriting about addiction and mortality, Macklemore's comeback album still experiences the same struggles with corniness and over-sincerity that torpedoed him from a household name to an afterthought, leading to a mixed bag that's more admirable than actualized."[11]

Track listing

[edit]
Ben track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Chant" (featuring Tones and I)
4:30
2."No Bad Days" (featuring Collett)
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Andrews
  • Chloe Gasparini
  • Dave Dalton
Budo2:53
3."1984"
3:24
4."Maniac" (featuring Windser)
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Andrews
  • Jordan Topf
  • Brian Wall
  • Ryan Lewis
  • Budo
  • Wall
  • Lewis
3:00
5."Day You Die" (featuring Sarah Barthel)
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Sarah Barthel
Budo3:12
6."Heroes" (featuring DJ Premier)
  • Budo
  • Macklemore[c]
2:55
7."Grime"
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Andrews
Budo3:25
8."I Need"
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Andrews
  • Lewis
  • Rawlings
Budo3:39
9."Lost / Sun Comes Up" (featuring Jackson Lee Morgan)
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Andrews
  • Jackson Morgan
Budo5:51
10."Faithful" (featuring NLE Choppa)
Budo3:27
11."Tears"
  • Haggerty
  • Karp
  • Dopps
  • Naz
  • Naz
  • Dopps
3:13
12."Sorry" (featuring Livingston)
Budo3:29
13."God's Will" (featuring Vic Daggs II)
  • Budo
  • Daoud
3:13
14."I Know" (featuring Charlieonnafriday)
  • Budo
  • Kid Culture
2:53
15."Tail Lights" (featuring Morray)
Budo4:50
Total length:53:55

Note

  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer

Charts

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Chart performance for Ben
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 48
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 17
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 69
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 107
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[18] 61
French Albums (SNEP)[19] 80
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 37
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 44
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 17
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[23] 18
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[24] 9
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[25] 3
US Billboard 200[26] 18
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[27] 4
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[28] 6

References

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  1. ^ Krol, Charlotte (November 7, 2022). "Macklemore shares details of new album 'BEN' alongside 2023 UK and European tour". NME. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (February 10, 2023). "Macklemore Opened Up About How His Relapse During COVID Inspired His Upcoming Album". Uproxx. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (February 20, 2023). "Macklemore recruits 7-year-old daughter Sloane to direct 'No Bad Days' music video". CNN. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (July 22, 2022). "Macklemore Shares Video for Latest Single "Chant"". Complex. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  5. ^ Callas, Brad (August 19, 2022). "Macklemore Releases New Single and Video for "Maniac"". Complex. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (November 2, 2022). "Macklemore Explains How His Sobriety Journey Inspired New Song 'Faithful': Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Elibert, Mark (January 20, 2023). "Macklemore Salutes 'Heroes' DJ Quik & N.W.A On New Preemo Collab". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Top 40/Mainstream Future Releases". AllAccess. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Ben by Macklemore Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Ben - Macklemore". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Rubright, Taylor (March 18, 2023). "Macklemore's Comeback Album 'Ben' Stumbles Down The Same Musical Pitfalls That Halted His Stardom". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew (March 9, 2023). "Macklemore: Ben Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Purdom, Clayton (March 3, 2023). "Macklemore's 'Ben' is a Surprising Downshift From a Pathological Over-Sharer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Macklemore – Ben". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  15. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Macklemore – Ben" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Macklemore – Ben" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "Ultratop.be – Macklemore – Ben" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  18. ^ "Macklemore Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – Macklemore – Ben". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Macklemore – Ben" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  22. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Macklemore – Ben". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  25. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  26. ^ "Macklemore Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  27. ^ "Macklemore Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  28. ^ "Macklemore Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
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