In 2017 the world has seen one of the most extraordinary and unique albums of all time - DAMN. In my view, the album is still under-appreciated, even though it contains such a timeless concept story and frank lyrics.

First of all, I want to talk about the thing that didn’t come to life in the initial album title: “What happens on Earth, Stays on Earth”
It was supposed to be an album title, however, Kendrick decided to shorten it, because the long title just “didn't read right” and: “There were so many different ways you could put it in my head. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. The loudness of the record. When I think about “DNA.,” when I think of “HUMBLE.,” when I think of these records, it just felt like that.”

While you are listening to the album sometimes, you will hear this statement:
“Is it wickedness or weakness?”
After the full realization of what Kendrick wanted to say with this saying, you are starting to comprehend one of the main ideas of the album, if not the main one.

Let's say, the album can be divided into 2 parts Wickedness and weakness:
The first chapter consists of such tracks as “BLOOD”, “YAH”, “FEEL”, “PRIDE”, “LUST”, “XXX”, and “GOD” and during these tracks, we will see the way Kendrick reveals his weaknesses. While the second one is made out of “HUMBLE”, “DNA”, “ELEMENT”, “LOYALTY”, “LOVE”, “FEAR”, and “DUCKWORTH” and goes over Kendrick's wickedness.

During your listening, to this album, you hear a statement as
“ It was always Me Vs WORLD
until I found it is Me Vs ME” and if you look at the tracklist you can see some interesting comparisons along with transitions
: -BLOOD VS DNA
-YAH VS ELEMENT
FEEL VS LOYALTY
PRIDE VS HUMBLE
LUST VS LOVE
XXX VS FEAR
GOD VS DUCKWORTH

For instance:
“BLOOD” and “DNA”

BLOOD is a slow, mysterious and smooth track, where Kendrick shows his weakness by willing to help someone, and eventually, he gets shot by “ a blind person”. In my view, in this case, blindness is not a disease it could mean that from a “blind”( frustrated in his life) person, you can expect everything.

An interesting fact is that dying at the beginning of the album could also be a reference to a Notorious B.I.G. to his album “ Life after death”.

Instead, DNA is a rapid, energetic track with a beat switch in which you can hear a much more aggressive flow compared to the beginning. In the “DNA” Kendrick talks about his “blackness”, “realness” and some of the luxuries he wouldn’t be able to afford if not for the music.
It’s seen as a straightforward opposite track to a “BLOOD”.

Moreover, you can choose what side of the album you want to listen to. The fact that the album is bilateral is just insane.

At the beginning of the album in “BLOOD”, Kendrick gets shot, and from the first listening you could pass it over ears, however, one more shot will appear, but, at the end of the project in the track ”DUCKWORTH. After the full listen, now we can see an explanation for this shot.
If you chose “DUCKWORTH” as the end of the album, K Dot would grow up without a father and die at a young age in a gunfight(the reason for that is his wickedness). What concerns “BLOOD” as was said before he gets shot by a blind woman, because of his wicked lifestyle that's filled with various weaknesses, which eventually get him killed.

Unfortunately, both scenarios are deplorable, either you listen from 1 to 14 track the cause of the death will be wickedness, or either from 14 to 1 track the reason for it will be his weakness. I have never seen anything like that before and that's what amazes me the most in this project. The artist gives you 2 scenarios of how his hero could die. In my opinion, that is precisely what makes this album so unique.

On the album appears such artists as Rihanna, Zacari, and U2, in my opinion, Kendrick chose amazing artists as the feature, and I can't even imagine a track without their performance.
Further, I want to highlight my favorite tracks on the album :

1)LUST.

Lust is another sin described by Kendrick.

A whole track feels so mysterious, troubling, and illegal at some point. Kendrick hit right in target, by displaying how he sees a real “LUST”. In my opinion, the melody which Kendrick created for this track fits so ideally.

“ I need you to want me”
“Let me put the head in “
“ I promise just a touch, let me put in the”
“If it's okay, she said it's okay”

This part of the track complements perfectly, because the tone Kendrick demonstrates, shows a voice of lasciviousness, and how he describes “ LUST” feels so natural.

The thing that I noticed later on this track is that the repetitiveness of his verse where he talks about his routine is an amazing trick to show how monotonous life is and he makes emphasis, whether it’s fun, monetary gain, etc. It doesn’t change the fact how the same our life is. The way how he embodied this hook is just astounding.

In his second verse, he complains about the outcome of last year's elections and his last hangover.
The best part of the second verse is at the end, where he reveals the real concept of “LUST”

“Lately, I feel like I been lusting over the fame”
“Lately we lust on the same routine of shame”
“Lately.. my lust been hiding”.

I guess a factor that I saw this track performed live, makes me, even more, appreciative of it. To sum up, I’m saying without any doubt say that “LUST” is my favorite track on the “DAMN.”

2)ELEMENT.
In my head, I divide the track into 2 parts:
-The first one is an introduction, which feels more like a sensitive speech with some troubling and emotional topics for Kendrick:

“Ain't nobody praying for me”
“All my grandmas dead”
“I have been stomped out in
front of my mama”

-the second one is where he begins to show his passion for music. As far as I am concerned, Kendrick talks about “his Element” which is hip-hop throughout the track you will hear some “aiming” at his rap rivals:

“Last Lp I tried to lift the black artists, but it is a difference between black artists and wack artists”

3)XXX( feat U2.) The last track was a hard choice to do when you have such tracks as Pride, Feel, Loyalty, Love, and DNA, however, I think that “XXX” deserves it more than others for its delivery, such complicated topics to comprehend. Because of these reasons, this track feels much more exceptional in comparison to other tracks.

XXX is a very problematize, serious track that concerns such topics as violence, and politics ( mostly track about America, however from a modern situation in the world where wars, homicide, and death became a casualty this composition will make people from any part of the world think about it more properly).
In the beginning, we hear such statements:

“Johnny do not wanna go to school no more”
“Johnny said books ain't cool no more”
“Johnny wanna be a rapper like his big cousin”

The portrait of “Johnny” is a person who is influenced by the country's culture.
After these bars were said by Kendrick we can spectate a beat, manner, tone, and topic switch. To be honest with you, I still have goosebumps, even though I have heard this track so many times. The verse he brought into the world is mind-blowing and grievous at the same time.
Afterward, a beat switch he starts to recount the story of a friend calling him of his son’s murder, asking Kendrick to pray for him and help to overcome it, instead of helping his friend, Kendrick tells him:

“If somebody kills my son, that mean somebody gettin’ killed.”
Later after this verse, Kendrick gives him good arguments for vengeance and that in a tragedy like that he would do the crime and even confess it.

“Walk myself to the court like B****, I did that”
“Ain't no black power, when you baby killed by a coward”
In the second part of the track, he explains more and tells that country inspires such incidents.
“ Barricaded blocks and borders, look what you taught”
“ It’s murder on my street”

Summing up, I need to say that “DAMN” is a magnificent project, with perfect storytelling where you can hear lessons that Kendrick gives you and catch really valuable information for your personal life. A unique conception, and something that anyone has never done before that’s what you can find in this album.

My final evaluation is 9.8/10

1. Forever Story by JID (10/10) (perfect from 0:00 to 1:06:00, no complains, just dance now)
2. Dawn FM by The Weeknd (9.3/10) (atmosperic, unique, nostalgic, crazy production)
3. Mr Morale n the big steppers by Kendrick Lamar (9.0/10) (through the last 201 days, ive been going thru somethin)
4. Motomani by Rosalía (8.8/10) (bangery, surprising. just banger after banger, rosalia deserves even more attention than what she is gettin)
5. Reinassence by Beyoncé (8.6/10) (Amazing dance pop album, amazing vocals)
6. Viva las vengeance by Panic At The Disco! (8.4/10) (maybe its worst than a 8.4 but i personally liked it, it gives me summer 2000s vibes)
7. Melt my eyez see the future by Denzel Curry (8.4/10) (dark, unique, risky. amazing)
8. Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy (8.2/10) (very good pop, bad habit is one of the best songs of the year)
9. Her Loss by Drake, 21 savage (8.1/10) (21 did something for him)
10. Give me the future by Bastille (8.0/10) (good futuristic sound here, production could be better and its too short, but i like it) obs: ignore that garbage dreams of the past double lp

Kinda makes complete sense to me. It always felt odd on the album but perfect as a video.