Tailor Swif by A$AP Rocky | Single Review
Rocky Continues His Roll-Out Of DON’T BE DUMB with a U-turn
LISTEN TO “Tailor Swif”: APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY
To no one’s surprise, A$AP Rocky has once again postponed his record DON’T BE DUMB, and instead has blessed the fans with a 2022 leak.
Without a specific release date, we were left in suspense and uncertainty about when the DON’T BE DUMB would drop. However, this Friday, Rocky surprises us with the track “Tailor Swif” with no prior announcements or pre-releases, which seems to contradict his previous statements.
In his latest Apple Music Interview with Zane Low, Rocky explicitly said that he will not include any tracks on the album that were leaked. However, this new single has been surfacing on the Internet since 2022 and even has a music video to it, making this decision quite unclear. Addition of this track to the album is still uncertain.
However, judging by the way things are progressing, I’m inclined to believe that it might be the second lead single for DON’T BE DUMB, even though it sounds quite different from “HIGHJACK.”
“Tailor Swif” fits in the atmosphere that Rocky promoted in “HIGHJACK”, but, instead of continuing it minimalistic, he just throws everything in you at once.
It is an extremely all-over-the-place record that hits you with the same flow you heard on “Shittin’ Me” and the 1st part of “D.M.B.” The more cloud rap mixing on the vocals creates this dominant phoned-out feel to the song that does not feel intentional and just repulses you.
Rocky’s created distortion that is mixed with raw vocals on the dynamic beat does not click for me. He seemed to have the apparent intention of creating a banger with this track, but for me, it feels like a one-time listen and then an inevitable move on.
It doesn’t have enough catchiness or Rocky’s charisma, except for the explosive start of the track that fades out as soon as we enter the chorus. Unlike the intentional and greater sound of Rocky’s “D.M.B.” or other lo-fi tracks, this one comes off as lazy and “could have been better”.
When listening to it, it is self-explanatory that this track is much older than “HIGHJACK”. As I have said before, you see more similarities here with tracks that saw the light in 2022 like “D.M.B.” or “Shittin’ me”, rather than his latest works.
This was likely Rocky’s initial direction for the record with this psychedelic cloud rap aesthetic that is filled with explosiveness, and truthfully, it might have worked back then, but not now.
This current roll-out looks like Rocky is trying to collect his previous scraps and leaks and put it all together to justify the 6-year wait doing Rocky no good. The start with “HIGHJACK” was something that brought an amazing mix of different A$AP eras that complimented each other and created a surreal experience, but with “Tailor Swif” it just looks like the same song recycled.
I believe that using your leaks to create buzz for the album can be either lazy or brilliant, but I still don’t know which one Rocky chose.
I can’t say that the track is bad, but I don’t feel any warmth or emotions towards it either. The biggest downside of the track for me is just how one-dimensional and unoriginal it sounds.
With excessive auto-tune work and a touch of an unfinished song on it, Flacko’s dynamic wears out. He sticks to what he’s been doing best for the past 5 years, and instead of something new, it just sounds dated. Rocky’s laziness with a laid-back delivery doesn’t strike a chord for me either, coming across as annoying.
By looking at this track, I realized how far Rocky has moved from that era. Although I would have enjoyed it more in 2022, the presence of “HIGHJACK” as a contrast now makes it kind of mediocre for me.
I am confused about how I feel about the track. There are some cool moments here and there, but the excessive distortion, lack of cohesiveness, and just Rocky’s approach to the track like a freestyle gives me an unpleasant aftertaste.
To sum it up, I might have to give it a few more listens, but as of right now, I am disappointed. “Taylor Swif” just sounds dated, and unoriginal to me. I can’t name it a bad track or even a mid one, so I give it a 6.1
FINAL RATING: 6.1/10 ( OK )
Scores guideline:
0–2 (dramatically bad)
2.1–4.5 (bad)
4.6–6 (mediocre/mid)
6.1–6.9 (Ok)
7–7.5 (good)
7.6–8.6 (great)
8.7–9.9 (amazing)
10 (perfect)
