Take a blind guess at GloRilla’s favourite Bible verse and also you may choose Galatians 6:9 (“And allow us to not develop weary of doing good, for in due season we are going to reap, if we don’t hand over”) or maybe Hebrews 10:36 (“For you’ve got want of endurance, in order that when you’ve got carried out the desire of God chances are you’ll obtain what’s promised”). Religion, which isn’t the identical as belief, calls for that we let go and let God. Or as Large Glo places it on her new album, GLORIOUS: “Rain down on me Father God, I gained’t use an umbrella.”
The common American might not have seen, however for a lot of GloRilla followers, she low-key “fell off” in 2023. Regardless of the white-hot success of “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and “Tomorrow 2,” her debut EP Anyhow, Life’s Nice was tepidly obtained, and a handful of songs on label compilation Gangsta Artwork 2 got here and went. For the fashionable hater, a full yr between Scorching 100 hits may as effectively be a decade, and so GloRilla’s 2024 has been a recalibration of kinds, together with the February single “Yeah Glo!” and tour dates with Megan Thee Stallion. To re-captivate vacillating followers, GLORIOUS finds energy in the next energy.
GloRilla’s Christian background isn’t any secret—in interviews, she’s shared childhood goals of changing into a gospel singer, and she or he steadily thanks the person upstairs on social media—nevertheless it’s hardly come to the fore in her music. GLORIOUS remains to be by and enormous a secular rap document, however the place Anyhow, Life’s Nice and April 2024 mixtape Ehhthang Ehhthang had been stylistic smorgasbords, her debut album tightens the main focus, mixing mid-tempo musings on romance and faith with the turnt-up anthems her followers love most. The 25-year-old rapper has grown as a lyricist, however what’s most enjoyable about GLORIOUS is its idiosyncrasy. Increasing past playlistable entice stipulations and the wistful soul chops that sign A Critical Rap Album, GloRilla channels the music of her youth, biking by crunk and gospel with aplomb.
Earlier than we get to Kirk Franklin, let’s circle again to the crowd-pleasers. Sexyy Crimson collab “Whatchu Kno About Me” seems like a mixtape loosie, however as enjoyable as it’s to listen to the pair commerce verses over a pattern of “Wipe Me Down,” the repurposing of Boosie Badazz’s iconic circulation veers towards karaoke. T-Ache swings by on “I Luv Her,” although the distinction between their vocal types can’t elevate Glo’s pick-me relationship bars (“I do know I be naggin’ generally/Shit, put dick in my mouth, make me shut up or somethin’”). The back-and-forth hook of “Process” lands much better, and Latto goes toe-to-toe with GloRilla’s flex speak: “They name me huge mama, bend a bitch over my knees.”