DOPAMINE
is the fifth full-length album from New York rapper/songwriter/vocalist
Lil Tecca
, following the release of 2024's
Plan A
. This record seeks to capture the feeling of joy associated with a dopamine rush, leading to a focus on upbeat and energetic tracks.
continues a steady run of immensely popular output from
, and finds him stepping outside of his usual comfort zone of melodic trap and R&B-underscored rap tracks. Some of the most exciting moments of growth start the album. Lead single and album opener "Dark Thoughts" is an immediate earworm that pairs
Tecca
's hooky vocal lines with a throwback production style reminiscent of the rap hits that were topping the charts at the start of the 2000s. "OWA OWA" is based around a clever flip of a sample from
the Buggles
' '80s classic "Video Killed the Radio Star," but instead of stopping there adds layers of character by way of unexpected production twists and synthesizer countermelodies. Some tracks feel redundant due to
's overuse of the same repetitive, Auto-Tuned flows, but his occasional experiments with distorted instrumentals and nods to rage rap (such as closer "Tic Tac Toe," where the album's sole guest,
Ken Carson
, stops by to amp up the energy) help keep
's rush going strong. ~ TiVo Staff