Future’s ninth studio album has been released, and it’s got quite the list of features: Kanye West, Drake, Kodak Black, Gunna, Tems, Young Thug and EST Gee all appear. I Never Liked You is the 16-track follow up to Future’s 2020 record High Off Life.
The Atlanta rapper has been building up to the album release since early this year, dropping Worst Day – his first solo single in almost two years – in February, and releasing a music video for the new album track Keep It Burnin, feating Kanye West, in April.
High Off Life reached number one spots on both the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and US Billboard 200, so there are high expectations for Future’s latest record.
Online, fans are already going wild for Future’s new tracks. “That Drake and Tems track got everyone texting their exes right now,” tweeted hip hop magazine XXL, while Complex magazine tweeted “Toxic summer loading…”
That Drake and Tems track got everyone texting their exes right now #INEVERLIKEDYOU pic.twitter.com/boDkLCkYwB
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) April 29, 2022
Toxic summer loading… ☀️ @1future #INEVERLIKEDYOU pic.twitter.com/90opxhpDCi
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) April 29, 2022
Some punchy lyrics include the lines, “Tried to bring the best out you but, guess I’m not that influential”, “You not a wifey, I can’t fall in love with no ho” and “I can hear your tears when they drop over the phone” – yikes.
And to set the mood earlier this week Future tweeted, “Tell the truth #INEVERLIKEDYOU”.
Tell the truth #INEVERLIKEDYOU
— FUTURE/FREEBANDZ (@1future) April 27, 2022
The 2020 album featured a massive roster of artists including Travis Scott, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, Lil Durk, Meek Mill, DaBaby, and Lil Baby – so in comparison, I Never Liked You has seen a big cut down on guest appearances.
Future has instead been making music with longstanding collaborators: Drake and Future released the mixtape What a Time to Be Alive in 2015 and the two rappers have since continued to work together – as recently Drake’s 2021 Certified Lover Boy.
Future was also the executive producer of Kanye West’s 2022 Stem Player-released album Donda 2. The rapper collaborated with Lil Uzi Vert on the album Pluto x Baby Pluto back in 2020 and performed as a guest with Gunna on SNL in April this year.
In a busy month for Future, GQ announced last week that he was the best rapper alive. “Few artists are as prolific. As widely imitated. As consistently excellent,” the magazine said.
