Savage Mode II
Standard cover art for the album, chopped and screwed version features the same cover with a purple overlay
Studio album by
21 Savage and Metro Boomin
ReleasedOctober 2, 2020
Recorded2019–2020
Studio
  • Astro (Atlanta)
  • Circle House (Miami)
  • Conway
  • Paramount (Los Angeles)
  • Sugar Hill
  • Wire Road (Houston)
Genre
Length44:01
Label
Producer
21 Savage chronology
I Am > I Was
(2018)		 Savage Mode II
(2020)		 Spiral: From the Book of Saw Soundtrack
(2021)
Metro Boomin chronology
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
(2018)		 Savage Mode II
(2020)		 Heroes & Villains
(2022)
Limited edition vinyl cover
Two daggers interlaced with blood spewing throughout
Singles from Savage Mode II
  1. "Runnin"
    Released: October 13, 2020
  2. "Mr. Right Now"
    Released: October 13, 2020

Savage Mode II (stylized in all caps) is a collaborative studio album by Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage and American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released on October 2, 2020, and was previewed through a trailer with narration by Morgan Freeman. The album serves as a sequel to the duo's extended play Savage Mode (2016). It features guest appearances by Drake, Young Thug, and Savage's cousin Young Nudy. On October 19, 2020, a chopped and screwed version of the album was released by OG Ron C and Slim K.

Savage Mode II received widespread acclaim and debuted atop the US Billboard 200, becoming 21 Savage and Metro Boomin's second US number-one album. It was supported by two singles: "Runnin" and "Mr. Right Now".

Background

Metro Boomin first announced the project in July 2019, after 21 Savage brought him out on stage during a concert. Speaking to the crowd, Metro simply stated that Savage Mode II was on the way.[2] On February 18, 2020, the producer tweeted a photo of himself and Savage in the studio. The caption for the picture read "MODE".[3] On March 3, 21 Savage reposted a fan's Instagram story that the project would be released on March 13.[4] In May, Savage stated that they were making sure the album is "perfect" before being released.[5] The project's release was officially announced on September 28, with the duo confirmed the release date and previewing the album with a horror-themed,[6] "macabre" trailer directed by Gibson Hazard, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman; he recorded his contributions onto his iPhone at his home.[7] The visual contains in-studio scenes of the pair, as Freeman informs viewers of the meaning of "savage mode": "'Savage' is defined as 'fierce, beastly and untamed'. 'Mode' is defined as 'a way of operating or using the system'. So to be in 'savage mode' is to go hard, not allowing anything to stop or deter you from your mission. Basically, this means when someone is in 'savage mode', they're not to be fucked with". The announcement came a week after fans launched a petition urging Savage and Metro to release the album.[8] It garnered over 28,000 signatures.[9]

Cover art

Metro Boomin unveiled the album cover on September 29 on his social media, with the caption: "Boominati Slaughter Gang taking over for the 2020 and the 21," recalling Juvenile's line "Cash Money Records taking over the 99 and the 2000" from his single "Back That Azz Up". The cover was created by Pen & Pixel, who came out of retirement for the design.[10] It is a "nostalgic" and vintage artwork, "heavily" inspired by those of Cash Money and No Limit Records and is a nod to the "bling rap" album covers of the 1990s.[6][10][11]

Promotion

A promotional website for the album was created, featuring a live countdown to the project's release and a phone number that listeners could call to hear snippets of the tracks.[12]

The music video for the song, "Runnin", was released on October 2, 2020.[13] It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on October 13, 2020, as the album's dual lead single,[14] along with "Mr. Right Now", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, which was serviced to urban contemporary radio.[15] The music video for "My Dawg", was released on October 7, 2020.[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[17]
Metacritic81/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[19]
ConsequenceB+[20]
Exclaim!6/10[21]
HipHopDX4.0/5[22]
NME[23]
Paste8.8/10[24]
Pitchfork6.6/10[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Slant Magazine[27]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[28]

Savage Mode II was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 10 reviews.[18] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[17]

In a positive review, Dhruva Balram of NME wrote that "As a whole, the album is confirmation of two young artists at the top of their game, watching the landscape unfold from the throne they earned themselves four years ago".[23] Robin Murray of Clash praised the "crisp and future-facing" production from Metro Boomin, as well as the rap performances by 21 Savage. He concluded: "Savage Mode 2 matches ruthless entertainment to phenomenal artistry, a collaboration that works on a number of levels."[19] Charles Lyons-Burt of Slant Magazine said, "It's Metro, though, who elevates 21's stories to something approaching greatness. ... This sequel is a ratification of the "bigger and better", an example of steady improvement through impeccable craft".[27] Rashad Grove from Consequence enjoyed the album, saying, "21 Savage, accompanied by the golden touch of Metro Boomin, have given the hip-hop world their most well-rounded project to date, and they set the bar high for others to measure up to".[20] Paste critic Trey Alston said, "Savage Mode II is a worthy successor to the original, building on that initial moment that made 21 Savage a household name. Adventurous, introspective, and thoughtful, it's just what the world needs from the rapper at this moment, even if we didn't know it".[24] Mark Elibert of HipHopDX said, "The Grammy Award winner shows he continues to be ambitious as an artist while keeping up the Slaughter King mantra he ran with early in his career. For Young Metro, Savage Mode II asserts there's no rust on his boards and proves he's still one of the best architects in the game".[22]

Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Alphonse Pierre stated: "The first Savage Mode didn't become an ATL classic because of celebrity cameos or Billboard numbers; it was because Metro and 21 were at the peak of their powers, and only the producer is close here. 21 Savage is just along for the ride."[25] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews said, "The 44 minutes of this album could exist without Mr. Freeman, but they couldn't exist without Metro Boomin. ... [21 Savage's] a solid RAPPER through and through and in an era of singers I'm always going to appreciate that, but if I said I could ignore the banality of Savage Mode II lyrically I'd be lying".[29] In a lukewarm review, Exclaim!'s Jacob Carey wrote, "Whether they hit the mark with their sequel is debatable. While Savage Mode II is by no means a lacklustre album, it may not be the exact product their fans hoped for".[21]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Savage Mode II
Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2020
45
The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2020
7
Complex The Best Albums of 2020
6
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2020
37
NPR Music The 50 Best Albums of 2020
45
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2020
49
Spin The 30 Best Albums of 2020
18

Commercial performance

Savage Mode II debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 171,000 album-equivalent units (including 22,000 pure album sales).[37] This became 21 Savage and Metro Boomin's second US number-one debut.[37] The album also accumulated a total of 200.1 million on-demand streams of the album's songs during that week.[37] In its second week, the album remained in the top ten and fell to number two.[38] On February 8, 2021, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a half-million units in the United States.[39]

Track listing

Savage Mode II track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
1:10
2."Runnin"
Metro Boomin3:16
3."Glock in My Lap"
3:14
4."Mr. Right Now" (featuring Drake)
  • Metro Boomin
  • David x Eli
3:14
5."Rich Nigga Shit" (featuring Young Thug)
  • Metro Boomin
  • Peter Lee Johnson[a]
3:10
6."Slidin"
3:05
7."Many Men"
  • Metro Boomin
  • Johnson[a]
3:22
8."Snitches & Rats" (interlude)
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Wayne
 0:57
9."Snitches & Rats" (featuring Young Nudy)
  • Metro Boomin
  • Johnson[a]
3:08
10."My Dawg"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Wayne
  • Ahmar Bailey
  • Bernd Schoenhart[e]
  • Metro Boomin
  • Kid Hazel
3:02
11."Steppin on Niggas"
Metro Boomin2:21
12."Brand New Draco"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Wayne
  • Rhars
  • Metro Boomin
  • Prince 85
  • Johnson[a]
3:22
13."No Opp Left Behind"
  • Abraham-Joseph
  • Wayne
Metro Boomin3:14
14."RIP Luv"
3:34
15."Said N Done"
Metro Boomin3:52
Total length:44:01

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[40][41]

Technical

  • Mike Bozzi – mastering (all tracks)
  • Ethan Stevens – mixing (all tracks), recording (tracks 2, 4–7, 10–14)
  • Noah Hashimoto – mixing (tracks 4, 6, and 11), mixing assistance (tracks 1, 2, 4, and 6), engineering assistance (tracks 5, 7, and 10–15)
  • Braden "Breezee" Davies – mixing (track 9), engineering assistance (track 8)
  • Austin Ficklin – mixing assistance (track 2), engineering assistance (track 15)
  • Daniel Sheeshy – mixing assistance (track 3), recording assistance (track 9)
  • IbMixing – recording (track 3), recording assistance (track 9)
  • Noel Cadastre – recording (track 4)
  • Vern – recording assistance (track 9)
  • Joshua Harbin – recording assistance (track 9)
  • Ryan Youngblood – engineering assistance (tracks 5 and 12)
  • Jacob Bryant – engineering assistance (track 7)
  • De'Ron Billups – engineering assistance (track 7)
  • Kiara Moreno – engineering assistance (track 10)
  • Josh Applebee – engineering assistance (tracks 13 and 14)
  • Melvin Villanueva – engineering assistance (tracks 13 and 14)
  • Nino Villanueva – engineering assistance (tracks 13 and 14)

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Savage Mode II
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[67] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Silver 60,000‡
United States (RIAA)[39] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Savage Mode II
Region Date Label(s) Format(s) Edition Ref.
Various October 2, 2020
Standard [69]
October 19, 2020 Remix [70]
January 15, 2021 CD Standard [71]
February 26, 2021 Vinyl [72]

References

  1. ↑ Mench, Chris (9 October 2020). "21 Savage & Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode II' Is A Masterclass in Hip-Hop Homage". Genius. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  2. ↑ Saponara, Michael (22 July 2019). "21 Savage Says 'Savage Mode 2' With Metro Boomin Is in the Works". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Moorwood, Victoria (4 March 2020). "21 Savage teases March 13 release date for 'Savage Mode 2'". Revolt. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Centeno, Tony M. (4 March 2020). "21 Savage Hints at Savage Mode 2 Dropping Next Week". XXL. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  5. ↑ Mahadevan, Tara C. (17 May 2020). "21 Savage Says 'Savage Mode 2' Is 'On the Way': 'I Gotta Perfect My Sh*t'". Complex. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. 1 2 Findlay, Mitch (29 September 2020). "Metro Boomin & 21 Savage Unveil "Savage Mode 2" Cover". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  7. ↑ Mahadevan, Tara C. (6 October 2020). "Morgan Freeman Explains Why He Narrated 21 Savage and Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode II'". Complex. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Reed, Ryan (28 September 2020). "21 Savage, Metro Boomin Announce 'Savage Mode 2' LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  9. ↑ D'Souza, Shaad (28 September 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin's Savage Mode 2 is dropping this Friday". The Fader. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  10. 1 2 Ivey, Justin (29 September 2020). "21 Savage & Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode 2' Cover Art Channels Classic Cash Money & No Limit Albums". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Harper, Rosario (29 September 2020). "21 Savage + Metro Boomin Reveal Cash Money Records-Inspired Savage Mode II Album Cover". SOHH. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (28 September 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin Unveil New Album 'Savage Mode 2' With Help From Morgan Freeman". Variety. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "21 Savage and Metro Boomin Drop 'Runnin' Video". Rap-Up. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases". Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  16. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (7 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin Share New "My Dawg" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage & Metro Boomin reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Savage Mode II by 21 Savage Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  19. 1 2 Murray, Robin (2 October 2020). "21 Savage, Metro Boomin – Savage Mode 2". Clash. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  20. 1 2 Grove, Rashad (7 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin Deliver a Grimy Sequel with the Masterful Savage Mode II". Consequence. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  21. 1 2 Carey, Jacob (5 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode II' Doesn't Live Up to the Original". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  22. 1 2 Elibert, Mark (13 October 2020). "Review: 21 Savage & Metro Boomin Villiainy Music Comes Bigger & Better With 'Savage Mode II'". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  23. 1 2 Balram, Dhruva (8 October 2020). "21 Savage & Metro Boomin – 'Savage Mode 2' album review". NME. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  24. 1 2 Alston, Trey (7 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin: Savage Mode II Review: Paste Magazine". Paste. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  25. 1 2 Pierre, Alphonse (7 October 2020). "21 Savage / Metro Boomin: Savage Mode 2 Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  26. ↑ Schwartz, Danny (7 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode II' is a Near-Perfect Sequel to a Trap Classic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  27. 1 2 Lyons-Burt, Charles (7 October 2020). "21 Savage and Metro Boomin 'Savage Mode II' Review: A Dark, Robust Sequel". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
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  39. 1 2 "American album certifications – 21 Savage & Metro Boomin – Savage Mode II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
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