East Atlanta Love Letter
Studio album by
6lack
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2018
Studio
  • The Post Office, Toronto, Ontario
  • No Excuses, Santa Monica, California
  • Butter Music + Sound, Venice, California
  • The Village, Los Angeles, California
  • Fireside Sound, Los Angeles, California
  • Perfect Sound, Los Angeles, California
  • LVRN, Atlanta, Georgia
  • OTR, Montreal, Quebec
Genre
Length47:53
Label
Producer
  • Yakob
  • Bizness Boi
  • Stwo
  • Bobby Johnson Cardiak
  • Daniel Cartisano
  • Dave Bayley
  • DJDS
  • Ekzakt
  • Fwdslxsh
  • Gravez
  • Harry Edwards
  • Joel Little
  • Lucian Blomkamp
  • Onlyxne
  • Pink Skies
  • Prep Bijan
  • T-Minus
6lack chronology
Free 6lack
(2016)		 East Atlanta Love Letter
(2018)		 6pc Hot EP
(2020)
Singles from East Atlanta Love Letter
  1. "Switch"
    Released: June 22, 2018
  2. "Nonchalant"
    Released: August 17, 2018

East Atlanta Love Letter is the second studio album by American singer 6lack. It was released on September 14, 2018 by LVRN and Interscope Records. This is the follow-up to his 2016 release, Free 6lack. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including T-Minus, Cardiak, Joel Little and Bizness Boi among others. The album also features guest appearances from Future, J. Cole, Offset and Khalid.

East Atlanta Love Letter was supported by two singles: "Switch" and "Nonchalant".[2] The album received positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 77,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[3] The album was also certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2020.[4]

Background and release

In June 2018, 6lack posted a picture on his social media saying "I think my album is done".[5] While talking about the album in interview with Highsnobiety, 6lack said;

"Free 6lack was about everything I'd been through up to that point; the follow-up is an update on what's going on in my life right now. In two years, things have gone from one side of the spectrum to another. Anything I've had to go through, or learn, has been crammed into them: from being a dad, to [ending and starting] new relationships, to becoming famous and figuring out my responsibilities."[6]

On August 13, 2018, he announced that it will be titled East Atlanta Love Letter".[7] On August 29, he announced the album's release date and posted the artwork, which features him in a makeshift studio with his daughter, Syx Rose Valentine.[8] On September 11, he shared the official track listing and released the album on September 14.[9]

Promotion

The first single from the album, "Switch", was released on June 22, 2018.[10] The music video for "Switch" was released on July 16, 2018.[11] "Nonchalant" was released as the album's second single on August 17, 2018, with its accompanying music video.[12][13]

For further promotion of the album, 6lack started a tour in October 2018. He is joined by THEY., Boogie, Tierra Whack, Summer Walker, Deante' Hitchcock, and Ari Lennox.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim!7/10[16]
HipHopDX4.5/5[17]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[18]
Pitchfork6.1/10[19]
Vice (Expert Witness)A−[20]

East Atlanta Love Letter received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74 based on 4 reviews.[21] In a positive review, Kitty Richardson of The Line of Best Fit concluded 6lack "trumped his opponents and influences with a fragile grace and solid talent for songwriting, echoing that of our most decorated balladeers. It's a hope that the album's use of an undeniably fashionable sound doesn't hinder its potential for timelessness; there is so much here to fall for."[18] Luke Fox of Exclaim! described East Atlanta Love Letter as "impeccably cohesive", praising the minimalist production and adding the album is "a record that captures the trap-soul zeitgeist that will best catch you in your feelings."[16] Online hip hop publication HipHopDX praised the album, stating: "In an era where artists hype up projects that turn out to be nothing but half-baked playlists, 6LACK’s thoughtful embrace of the album format is refreshing. East Atlanta Love Letter is a moody masterpiece that may very well take the artist’s career to new heights."[17]

In a mixed review, Dean Van Nguyen of Pitchfork criticised the album's lyrical content, commenting that 6lack "traps listeners within the four walls of his drab hotel room, exposing us to his joyless, low-energy meditations that don’t capture relationships or the human experience in any kind of meaningful way."[19]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 10 Best R&B Albums of 2018 6 [22]
Capital XTRA 20 Best Albums of 2018 9 [23]
Clash The Best Albums of 2018 3 [24]
Complex The Best Albums of 2018 25 [25]
HipHopDX R&B Albums of the Year 2 [26]
PopSugar 27 Best Albums of 2018 9 [27]
Vibe 30 Best Albums of 2018 No order [28]

Commercial performance

East Atlanta Love Letter debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 77,000 album-equivalent units (including 20,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.[3] This became 6lack's first US top-ten debut and his highest-charting release in the US to date.[3] In its second week, the album dropped to number 12 on the chart, earning an additional 32,000 units.[29] On December 10, 2020, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.[4]

Track listing

East Atlanta Love Letter track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Unfair"
Stwo2:16
2."Loaded Gun"
3:18
3."East Atlanta Love Letter" (featuring Future)
Yakob4:06
4."Let Her Go"
  • Valentine
  • Robertson
  • Zachary Perry
  • David Hughes
  • Bizness Boi
  • Ekzakt
  • Prep Bijan
2:57
5."Sorry"Valentine
  • Fwdslxsh
  • Yakob
  • Pink Skies[a]
3:30
6."Pretty Little Fears" (featuring J. Cole)
4:00
7."Disconnect"Valentine
  • Yakob
  • Singawd
  • Edwards
4:25
8."Switch"
Joel Little3:27
9."Thugger's Interlude"Valentine
  • Bobby Johnson
  • Singawd[a]
  • Yakob[a]
1:11
10."Balenciaga Challenge" (featuring Offset)
  • Singawd
  • Onlyxne
  • Yakob
3:07
11."Scripture"
  • Valentine
  • Bankole-Ojo
  • Christopher Justice
  • Slade
  • Edwards
  • Fwdslxsh
  • Gravez
  • Singawd
  • Edwards
  • Cartisano
3:20
12."Nonchalant"
  • Valentine
  • Vidal
  • Stwo
  • Blomkamp[a]
3:03
13."Seasons" (featuring Khalid)
4:10
14."Stan"
DJDS5:03
Total length:47:53

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • "East Atlanta Love Letter" features uncredited background vocals by Mereba
  • "Let Her Go" and "Sorry" features uncredited additional vocals by Tierra Whack
  • "Disconnect" and "Balenciaga Challenge" features uncredited additional vocals by LightSkinKeisha
  • "Switch" features background vocals by Ty Dolla Sign
  • "Stan" features background vocals by Zalma Bour

Sample credits

Personnel

  • Evan Miles – recording (track 1)
  • JT Gagarin – recording (tracks 2, 4–7, 10–14)
  • Yakob – recording (track 3)
  • 6lack – recording (tracks 8, 9)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (all tracks)
  • Chris Galland – mixing engineer (all tracks)
  • Robin Florent – mixing engineer (all tracks)
  • Scott Desmarais – mixing engineer (all tracks)
  • Emerson Mancini – mastering (all tracks)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for East Atlanta Love Letter
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[50] Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "6lack's East Atlanta Love Letter is his artistic expression written in bold characters". Pulse.ng. September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  2. ↑ Maicki, Salvatore. "Hear 6LACK's new album East Atlanta Love Letter". The FADER. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Caulfield, Keith (September 23, 2018). "Carrie Underwood Makes Country History on the Billboard 200 Chart As 'Cry Pretty' Debuts at No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "American album certifications – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. ↑ "6lack Says His Album Is Done". HotNewHipHop. June 20, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ "6LACK on His Upcoming Second Album, Working with J. Cole & Staying Humble". Highsnobiety. August 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ "6lack Announces His Next Album Will Be An 'East Atlanta Love Letter'". Uproxx. August 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  8. ↑ "6lack Shares Cover Art and Release Date for 'East Atlanta Love Letter'". Complex. August 29, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  9. ↑ "6LACK's "East Atlanta Love Letter" Tracklist Features Offset, Future, J. Cole, & More". HotNewHipHop. September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  10. ↑ Penrose, Nerisha. "6LACK Guards His Heart on New Single 'Switch': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  11. ↑ Hussein, Wandera. "6LACK crashes and burns in the "Switch" music video". The FADER. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  12. ↑ Montes, Patrick (16 August 2018). "6LACK Drops New 'East Atlanta Love Letter' Single "Nonchalant"". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Ch, Devin. "6LACK's "Nonchalant" Video Is A Peaceful Refrain". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "6lack Preps 'East Atlanta Love Letter' Album and New World Tour". XXL. August 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Reviews for East Atlanta Love Letter by 6LACK". Metacritic. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  16. 1 2 Fox, Luke (September 17, 2018). "6lack East Atlanta Love Letter". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Review: 6LACK's "East Atlanta Love Letter" Is A Moody Masterpiece". HipHopDX. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Richardson, Kitty (September 17, 2018). "6LACK's East Atlanta Love Letter makes a timeless statement". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  19. 1 2 Dean Van Nguyen (September 21, 2018). "6LACK: East Atlanta Love Letter Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (April 19, 2019). "Robert Christgau on Khalid's Textured Anxiety". Vice. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Metacritic - East Atlanta Love Letter". TIDAL. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  22. ↑ "The 10 Best R&B Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Capital XTRA's 20 Best Albums of 2018". Capital XTRA. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2018: 10 - 1". Clash. December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  25. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2018". Complex. December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  26. ↑ "The Best R&B Of 2018". HipHopDX. December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  27. ↑ "27 Albums That Got Us Through This Upside-Down Year". PopSugar. December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  28. ↑ "30 Best Albums Of 2018". Vibe. December 18, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  29. ↑ Kyle Eustice (October 1, 2018). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Brockhampton Nabs Billboard 200's Coveted Spot With "Iridescence"". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Ultratop.be – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Ultratop.be – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  34. ↑ "6lack Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  37. ↑ "6lack: East Atlanta Love Letter" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Lescharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography 6lack". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Charts.nz – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  47. ↑ "6LACK Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". Music Canada. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  51. ↑ "British album certifications – 6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
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