On December 2, 2022, Metro Boomin released his second studio album, Heroes & Villains. The album cover of Heroes & Villains depicts Metro Boomin shaking an identical version of him engulfed in fire, a sentiment paying homage to rock group Pink Floyd. The genre of this album is Trap and Hip Hop. Features include John Legend, Morgan Freeman, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, The Weeknd, Mustafa, A$AP Rocky, Takeoff, and Gunna. Heroes & Villains includes 15 tracks which equates to 48 minutes and 7 seconds.
On Time is a great introduction to what we are diving into. John Legend hyping up Metro is nice, along with the feature of Morgan Freeman. Mixed with a sample of Homelander from The Boys. And of course the way On Time flows into Superhero is amazing.
Superhero encapsulates what a Future song is and this certain Future song is amazing, and it shows that Superhero is an extremely popular song from Heroes & Villains. Also mixed in with a Chris Brown feature weirdly fits well in a song with Future Superhero is about the struggle to stay successful in a world that can be full of envy and greed.
Too Many Nights is a favorite of mine off this album because of the feature of Don Toliver and the perfect beat production from Metro in this song. Those two positives just make a great listen for me. And with the feature of Future makes this great song greater. In this song, Don describes the fast-paced lifestyle of a successful individual who enjoys partying and spending money on women.
Raindrops is a good song, it feels like a Travis Scott song coming from Rodeo. Metro and Travis make an amazing duo in this track with Metro’s production and Travis’ lyrics. But I feel as if this great track is with amazing tracks, so it’s heavily overshadowed by the other songs.
Umbrella is another popular track of Heroes & Villains. And it is this popular because of 21 Savage popping off in this song. Mixed with the feature of Young Nudy make this great song amazing.
Trance is another great showing of the duo of Travis and Metro. And with the addition of Young Thug skyrockets this great track. The vibes of this track has the same vibes as Raindrops, mostly because of Travis. Trance is about living life to its fullest and forgetting about the struggles and divides of life.
Around Me is another great Don Toliver and Metro song in my opinion. Around me has the same vibes as Too Many Nights. Around me is about accepting the realities of life and staying prepared for any situation by surrounding oneself with people, drugs, and “plugs” that can be trusted.
Metro Spider is pretty solid with the verses coming from Young Thug and the beat production of Metro. And the way this track flows into I Can’t Save You is amazing. Metro Spider is a song that explores the lifestyles of rappers who have reached the top of the game.
I Can’t Save You is a good song, but I wish it wasn’t only a minute and a half. If it was longer, the track for me would have been way better. This track is a song that explores the idea of not being able to save someone, particularly a woman who is engaging in risky behavior.
Creepin’ is another very popular song off of Heroes & Villains, and I think it makes a lot of sense. The Weeknd and 21 Savage on the same song is something I would never think of, but it oddly works in Creepin’. But I really don’t like it as much anymore because of how much it’s overplayed. Creepin’ is about a person in a relationship being suspicious that their partner is cheating on them.
Niagara Falls is another solid song with Metro and Travis. But then you add 21 Savage, and it makes an amazing song. And I really like Morgan Freeman’s little speech in the end. In Niagara Falls, Travis Scott & 21 Savage is talking about loyalty, commitment, and carrying one another through difficult times in the face of adversity.
I think Walk Em Down does not deserve the hate the fans give. Because I think the 21 Savage on this beat is honestly great. And in the second part of the song, I think Mustafa did a great job. Walk Em Down is a song that depicts a violent lifestyle and the consequences of living in a dangerous environment.
Lock On Me is a good song with the features of Future and Travis Scott. And Like what I said with Raindrops, if this song was on any other album, it would be a great song. But the other songs just shine more than Lock On Me. In this song, Travis Scott & Future seems to be focused on the lifestyle of the music industry, particularly the pressures and temptations that come with fame.
Feel The Fiyaaaah is an amazing song with the addition of A$AP Rocky and the late Takeoff. The beat production really fits well with the 2 features. And that’s what I really like about Metro’s production. In Feel The Fiyaaaah, A$AP and Takeoff is a song that explores the theme of materialism and the desire for wealth and status.
All The Money is really nothing crazy, but it still is good. I think the other song that Gunna and Metro made together, Space Cadet, makes All The Money look bad. As the name says, All The Money explores the desire for wealth and success.
Overall, I think Heroes & Villains was a perfect way to end 2022, and a great Christmas gift for the fans of Metro Boomin and hip hop fans in general. This album really doesn’t have any misses, but maybe some skippable tracks. But just to keep it short, Heroes & Villains is an amazing hit of the newer generation.
