GLORIOUS (Opaque Gold Vinyl)

After her rapid rise to stardom with a viral single, several scattered mixtapes, and a handful of singles and features with varying impact, Memphis rapper GloRilla uses her debut studio album GLORIOUS to deliver on the promise of everything that came before it. The album is packed with features from some of the big-name friends GloRilla has made along the way, including Sexyy Red on the weekend-starting crunk nostalgia banger "Whatchu Kno About Me," Megan Thee Stallion on the menacing bass-led sizzle of "How I Look," and Muni Long on the sentimental R&B trap lament "Don't Deserve." In addition to these highlights, other tracks make space for T-Pain, Latto, gospel star Kirk Franklin, and others. GloRilla doesn't necessarily need the help, though, especially when she's in her zone on the skeletal turn-up anthem "TGIF" or the ready-to-fight "Hollon," a song with an irresistible chanted hook that doubles as a war cry. The album segues between raw and rowdy rap tracks, R&B moments, and some gospel detours, but it's all glued together with a cohesive production style informed by Memphis' history of self-reliant rap innovation. GLORIOUS is where GloRilla emerges from the awkward, uncertain phase that artists thrust into the spotlight often go through. She uses these songs as a statement of intent, pushing beyond the limitations of the interchangeable rap star persona to show her creative depth, and constructing an album environment where she's able to seamlessly transition between dominating the party and opening up about vulnerabilities.

- Fred Thomas - allmusic.com