Summer is almost over, but Megan Thee Stallion is showing up to keep the party going. The rapper announced on her socials, after only days of teasing the record, that her new LP will drop August 12 at midnight. Traumazine follows last year’s freestyle compilation Something For The Hotties. Traumazine’s 18 tracks feature the already released singles ”Sweetest Pie” with Dua Lipa, ”Pressurelicious” with Future, and “Plan B.” The album will also feature Key Glock, Rico Nasty, Latto, Pooh Shiesty, and Jhené Aiko.
Megan spoke to Rolling Stone in June about the upcoming release. In the interview, she said, “I want to take you through so many different emotions. At first you was twerking, now you might be crying. I just always want people to remember, ‘Yes, Megan Thee Stallion, she was great, she was a rapper. She was one of the best rappers, the coldest.’”
In an Instagram post about the album earlier this week, Megan shared her eagerness to showcase this latest state of her artistic and personal journey.
“It took a lot of self reflecting to get to the point in my life where I am right now,” she wrote. “I ain’t saying I finally figured everything out or that I’m finally at peace, bc I’m not… buttt im excited for the hotties to get a better understanding of what’s happening in my head.”
The title Traumazine follows the media-infused theme of her 2020 debut Good News, but hints at a darker tone than her last. Megan’s mother died in 2019 from a brain tumor, her grandmother died the same month, and in July 2020, an incident with Tory Lanez left her with bullet fragments in her feet. She tearfully opened up to Gayle King earlier this year in her first interview about the incident with Tory Lanez, and also performed on Saturday Night Live in front of a backdrop that read “Protect Black Women.” And based on this new album cover and title, she still has a lot to say.
Tory Lanez’s trial for felony assault against Meg is scheduled to begin on September 14, but in late July, his lawyers requested that a judge postpone the date because of its conflict with another case.
Traumazine also might be Megan’s last release under 1501 Entertainment. Megan wrote in a tweet about her contentious relationship with the label, “Y’all know I always have problems with dropping my music under this label, all these games and having to go to court just to put out my art has been so stressful. Thank you hotties for rocking with me through the bullshit WE ALMOST OUT LETS STAY FOCUSED AND RUN THIS LAST ONE UP.”
