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Double or Nothing (Big Sean and Metro Boomin album)

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Double or Nothing
Studio album by
Big Sean and Metro Boomin
ReleasedDecember 8, 2017
Recorded2017
Genre
Length41:28
Label
Producer
Big Sean chronology
I Decided
(2017) 		Double or Nothing
(2017) 		Detroit 2
(2020)
Metro Boomin chronology
Without Warning
(2017) 		Double or Nothing
(2017) 		Not All Heroes Wear Capes
(2018)
Singles from Double or Nothing
  1. "Pull Up N Wreck"
    Released: November 3, 2017
  2. "So Good"
    Released: February 13, 2018[1]

Double or Nothing is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Big Sean and American record producer Metro Boomin. The album was released on December 8, 2017, by GOOD Music, Def Jam Recordings, Republic Records, Universal Music Group and Boominati Worldwide.[2] It features guest appearances from Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, Kash Doll, Young Thug, and Swae Lee. The album's production was handled primarily by Metro Boomin, alongside Earlly Mac, Pi'erre Bourne and Southside.

The album was supported by two singles: "Pull Up N Wreck" featuring 21 Savage and "So Good" featuring Kash Doll.

The album received a mixed reception from critics, with some praising the chemistry between Big Sean and Metro Boomin, while others felt the project lacked cohesion. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, but it didn’t achieve the kind of commercial success that some of their previous solo efforts had.

Background

[edit]

In an interview with Billboard published on December 1, 2017, Big Sean announced the collaborative album.[3][4] The two previously worked on Sean's previous studio album, I Decided (2017), on the single "Bounce Back" and album tracks "Sacrifices" and "Voices in My Head / Stick to the Plan". The album art and release date was announced on December 6, 2017,[5][6] while the track listing was announced via social media the following day, the day before release.[7]

The intro song, "Go Legend" featuring Travis Scott, was previewed by Sean at Lollapalooza 2017 in Chicago. The song originally was thought to have Offset as an additional feature but did not make the studio version of the song.

Songs from the album were previewed by American athlete LeBron James via Instagram the day before release.[8]

Singles

[edit]

The lead single, "Pull Up N Wreck" featuring 21 Savage, was released on November 3, 2017, for streaming and digital download.[9] "So Good" featuring Kash Doll was sent to rhythmic radio on February 13, 2018, as the album's second single.[1]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic54/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
HipHopDX2.6/5[12]
HotNewHipHop74%[13]
Pitchfork5.4/10[14]
Sputnikmusic2.7/5[15]
The 4055.5/10[16]

Double or Nothing received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with a general criticism of the collaborative pairing. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 54, based on 4 reviews.[10] Claire Lobenfeld of Pitchfork criticised the album's lyricism, stating that "Though fun and at times politically salient, even Metro Boomin cannot rescue Big Sean from his habit of writing the absolute corniest lyrics imaginable."[14] Chase McMullen of The 405 commented that "There's no denying Big Sean has had more staying power in hip hop than some might have expected, but for Metro Boomin, who's largely been wise in choosing fresh faces on equal creative footing for his full length projects, Double or Nothing is a dull misstep."[16] In another mixed review, Trent Clark of HipHopDX concluded: "While the essential purpose of the album is never specified, Sean spends a ridiculous amount of time skeeting on tracks with no filter on the filler."[12]

Online music publication Sputnikmusic stated Double or Nothing is "ostensibly 10 bangers processed through Metro’s lean, gothic synths and Sean’s plain-spoken statements of wealth and general overconfidence. It’s boring stuff."[15]

Joshua Robinson from hnhh stated than the album "demonstrated the next step in Big Sean’s growth“ and singled songs like “Who’s Stopping Me“ and the off-kilter “Even The Odds“ and concludes with the statement: “Love it or hate it, Double or Nothing had plenty of highlights.“[17]

Legacy

[edit]

In retrospect, Big Sean described Double or Nothing as a “straight fun“, experimental project where he stepped out of his usual creative process. Metro encouraged him to freestyle without overthinking, leading to quick, instinctive recordings. "He wanted me to record like how Future records... whatever comes to your first mind, get on the mic, say that shit, and we’re moving on." Although some fans loved the album and others didn’t, Sean expressed that he “loved“ it, viewing it as part of his creative evolution, especially after experiencing burnout in 2017. In a March 2025 interview on the St. Brown Podcast, he explained, "Art is subjective... Anything could always be better. I was just vibing out." He also mentioned that releasing Double or Nothing just months after I Decided (which hit No. 1) allowed him to "maximize [his] creativity".[18][19][20][21]

In interviews, Metro Boomin reflects on the reception of Double or Nothing in and shares his perspective on the criticism the album received. In a conversation with GQ, Metro acknowledges having been affected by the negative response: "I still do like the album," he says, but emphasizes that much of the backlash was rooted in online criticism directed at Big Sean. He defends the rapper, stating, "A lot of those songs, or a lot of the sh*t that he said — if another huge rapper or rappers similar to him said it, they would just let it slide." Speaking on the ProducerGrind podcast, Metro expands on this point, explaining that the album differed sonically from what fans expected — not only based on his collaborations with Future but also on previous tracks with Big Sean such as Bounce Back, Research and Sacrifices. "I feel like they just wanted that — they wanted me to give Big Sean just a whole bunch of street beats." Instead, the project surprised listeners: "It wasn’t what n****s thought it was going to be. So I feel like they were just like, ‘WTF??’"

Despite the criticism, Metro remains proud of the work: "That album still hard as f*** to me. I know it’s hard." He believes the project would be more appreciated if released today: "I feel like if we held that album and dropped it right now, ns be like, ‘Ooh! That sht is hard as f.’" He continues to defend the collaboration, highlighting that it featured "a lot of hard, solid songs" and a cohesive artistic vision.[22][23]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Double or Nothing debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 and number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with 50,000 album-equivalent units, of which 10,000 were pure album sales in its first week of release.[24]

Track listing

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[25]

Double or Nothing[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Go Legend" (featuring Travis Scott)
Metro Boomin4:28
2."Big Bidness" (featuring 2 Chainz)
Metro Boomin4:33
3."Who's Stopping Me"
3:33
4."Pull Up N Wreck" (featuring 21 Savage)
3:47
5."So Good" (featuring Kash Doll)
Metro Boomin4:28
6."Savage Time"
  • Anderson
  • Wayne
  • Webster
  • Christopher Elliot
Metro Boomin5:35
7."Even the Odds" (featuring Young Thug)
Metro Boomin3:46
8."In Tune"
Metro Boomin4:15
9."Reason" (featuring Swae Lee)
3:18
10."No Hearts, No Love"
Metro Boomin3:45
Total length:41:28

Notes

  • "Savage Time" features additional vocals from Travis Scott
  • "Even the Odds" features additional vocals from Gucci Mane

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[25]

Charts

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Top 40/R Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates". All Access. January 30, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Double Or Nothing by Big Sean & Metro Boomin". Apple Music. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  3. ^ "Big Sean & Metro Boomin Detail Surprise Joint LP 'Double or Nothing': 'It's About What You're Bringing to the Table'". Billboard. December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  4. ^ "Big Sean and Metro Boomin to Drop Joint Album 'Double or Nothing'". XXL. December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "Big Sean and Metro Boomin Share 'Double or Nothing' Release Date". XXL. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "Big Sean & Metro Boomin Announce Release Date for Joint Project 'Double or Nothing'". Billboard. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  7. ^ "Big Sean and Metro Boomin Share 'Double or Nothing' Tracklist". XXL. December 7, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  8. ^ "LeBron James Previews Big Sean & Metro Boomin's 'Double or Nothing' Album on Instagram". Billboard. December 7, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  9. ^ "Pull Up N Wreck (feat. 21 Savage) – Single by Big Sean on Apple Music". iTunes. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Double Or Nothing by Big Sean Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  11. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Double or Nothing – Big Sean / Metro Boomin". AllMusic. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Clark, Trent (December 8, 2017). "Review: Big Sean & Metro Boomin's "Double Or Nothing" Takes An L Without Bouncin' Back". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  13. ^ Robles, Julian (December 12, 2017). "Big Sean and Metro Boomin "Double or Nothing" Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Lobenfeld, Claire (December 13, 2017). "Big Sean / Metro Boomin: Double or Nothing". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Review: Big Sean and Metro Boomin – Double or Nothing". Sputnikmusic. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  16. ^ a b McMullen, Chase (December 15, 2017). "Review: Metro Boomin squanders his good will on a clumsy Big Sean effort". The 405. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  17. ^ "Why Big Sean is One of the Greatest of All Time". HNHH. May 30, 2022.
  18. ^ "8 Things We Learned from Big Sean's 'Drink Champs' Interview". Complex Networks.
  19. ^ "Big Sean & Hit-Boy Have an Epic Conversation | GQ - the Global Herald". October 29, 2021.
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/qjMNNnN8D4o
  21. ^ youtu.be/q-VRYeE8-oE
  22. ^ "The Return of Metro Boomin, the Architect of Atlanta Rap". December 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "Metro Boomin: Top 5 Plugins, MPC Vs FL Studio, Producer Albums, 2017 Retirement, Mixing Tips, Faith". YouTube. January 22, 2023.
  24. ^ Anderson, Trevor (December 12, 2017). "Quality Control Tops R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart; Big Sean & Metro Boomin Debut at No. 2". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  25. ^ a b "Double Or Nothing / Big Sean". Tidal. December 22, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean & Metro Boomin – Double or Nothing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Big Sean & Metro Boomin – Double or Nothing" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  28. ^ "Canadian Albums: December 30, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Big Sean & Metro Boomin – Double or Nothing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  30. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 50, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  31. ^ "Combined albums chart for the Week 50, 2017 – Ending December 14, 2017". Skaties.lv [lv]. December 17, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  32. ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  33. ^ "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 50, 2017". VG-lista. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  34. ^ "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 16, 2017. Click on "Veckans albumlista".
  35. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  36. ^ Caulfield, Keith (December 18, 2017). "Luke Bryan Lands Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'What Makes You Country'". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  37. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: December 30, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  38. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
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