By: Matt Mackenzie

Under Pressure, The Incredible True Story, Everybody, and now YSIV. Each concept album tells a story of two individuals trying to find a new home on Paradise before the one they have runs out of resources to support humanity. Being the huge Logic fan that I am, when the date of the album was released, I marked every calendar that I could to remind myself that an important event was going to happen. The previously released singles One Day, Everybody Dies, and The Return were extremely well made and showed the extreme amount of talent that Logic has as an artist. The one worry I had about the album, was if the topic of divorcing his wife was going to be addressed. Through the months leading up to the release, fans provided their input on the headline of the two divorcing with Logic commenting that the two had a better relationship as friends rather than as a married couple.

Upon debut, the songs that stood out to me as the best in the album were 100 Miles and Running, YSIV, and Ordinary Day. The entire album has an excellent list of tracks, but these three stick out due to the far superior quality. YSIV (Young Sinatra IV) starts off and ends with a shout out to Mac Miller due to his passing in September. In it, Logic discusses how Miller was a huge part of influencing his come up in the rap game. He also says that it was because of this influence he was able to create the song Young Sinatra. Coming out and talking about seeing one of his modern-day influences pass away and the impact it has on him just made me start crying. The first song to ever make me do that. Ordinary Day features Hailee Steinfeld and does she do an amazing job. Not only does she just kill her parts in the track, but it has the catchiest chorus in the album. Her addition to the track does wonders to it. Finally, 100 Miles and Running. What I absolutely love about this track is what I call speed spitting. Nearing the end of the track Logic drops a large number of bars in a very short time span. Every time I head this, my jaw just drops to the floor because of how insanely fast the last bit is. No matter how much I want to learn these lyrics, there is no hope of that. If anyone can keep up with every word, then they are very talented.

With the conclusion of this album, I believe that the concept albums of the Paradise story are now at an end. There is no evidence confirming or denying this, but one of the two Paradise explorers say in the Thank You track that this is the last album which makes the second Paradise explorers retort, saying there are so many more albums. I can only hope for more. Such an influential and inspiring artist needs to stick around in these tough times. Peace. Love. Positivity.