by Future
Released April 29, 2022 via Freebandz / Epic Records
Reviewed May 9, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ (68%), 712PM (47%), KEEP IT BURNIN (45%)
Although it’s easy for some to think of this as just another Future album, I NEVER LIKED YOU sees him venture into different styles and solidifies a different sound from the artist he was from 2014-2018. With ATLJacob at the helm for most of this album, Future raps over production that feels dark and eerie above all. All in all, it goes down well, especially on songs like “PUFFIN ON ZOOTIEZ” and “HOLY GHOST.” At this point in his career, you can’t expect Future to experiment much more in the lyrical department. But it’s worth noting that despite this album being implied to be a more “toxic” project, the romantic songs fall behind everything else. Songs like “LOVE YOU BETTER” and “WORST DAY” fall flat and seem much less sincere than what you’d expect from the Atlanta MC. What matters at the end of the day is, Furure proved that many projects later, he still knows how to make a fucking hit. Ultimately, as a successor of sorts to High Off Life and a collection of hits that switch up his style just enough to remain fresh, I NEVER LIKED YOU does its job quite well. – Alan (9/10)
Future was unapologetically Future on I NEVER LIKED YOU, which is Future in raw form This album had fire beats, ignorant club vibes, ridiculous one-liners, and more toxicity than an interview with Kevin Samuels. Call me crazy, but this is probably his best project since EVOL. It just has THAT energy, and with 16 songs, it paced pretty well. With a title like I NEVER LIKED YOU, we already knew what to expect, and minus “Wait For U,” Future delivered on that promise. My only problem with “Wait For U” is that it isn’t toxic. It’s a very well-executed song and has the better of the two Drake features on it. In turning to the features, I must give praise when it's due. Kanye and Kodak absolutely bodied their parts on “Keep It Burnin” and “Voodoo” respectively. The vocals were on point, which is expected from Kanye. I was not expecting Kodak to go that hard; he brought power with his voice and honestly made me want to listen to his last project. Like I alluded to above, I feel like Drake phoned in that “I’m On One” feature. I probably had unrealistic expectations given the song title, but I wanted a little more. Moving on, “Chickens,” “For A Nut,” and “I’m Dat N***A” go dummy. “Holy Ghost” might be the hardest song on the tape cause Future just goes crazy with some chopped chant vocals. All in all, this project was a great Future project and, dare I say, might be a top three tape for him. Often, I feel like he gives us about four bangers per album, with the rest falling short. That was not the case here. I’ve been front-to-backing this album since its drop, and I can’t say I’m bored yet. – Daniel (8/10)
Future returns to hit-making form in his latest album, as he continues to build stock into the persona surrounding his music’s ethos. I NEVER LIKED YOU is a titular embrace of Future’s status as hip-hop’s “toxic king.” With recent releases such as High Off Life, WZRD, and SAVE ME, Future has been working in a counter-cultural fashion for years, expressing deeper, darker sides of himself. I NEVER LIKED YOU shows the switch can readily be flipped on, and Future can climb the charts with relative ease. Thankfully, this trend towards more marketable music doesn’t tax the record’s flow and creativity, allowing for one of the best Future albums since DS2 and EVOL, with traces of their DNA throughout. I NEVER LIKED YOU doesn’t go above and beyond Future’s comfort zone, but it feels like a timely return to his best bag. – DeVán (7.7/10)
Alan: 9/10 | Daniel: 8/10 | Hadley: 8/10 | DeVán: 7.7/10 | Jacques: 7/10
Pablo: 7/10 | Jared: 6.5/10 | Dominick: 6/10
Community Reviews:
I NEVER LIKED YOU might be a bit more by-the-numbers than I usually prefer for Future, but he also sounds hungrier and more aggressive than ever on the best parts of this record. – @andre_vital_pardue (8/10)
Future’s newest project kicks off with a sound that mirrors a return to his roots. This quickly fades after the first handful of tracks but doesn’t mean that the album really falls off. His strongest body of work start to finish in years. – @jasonperhach (8/10)
Bad album for Future's usual standards. – @armani.drip (5/10)
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