Every now and then, I come to The Memory Tourist and realize the follies of my ways. It isn’t necessarily that I have produced work daily since March or that it takes me on average two hours to complete an article. The hard work is something I’ve come to expect from this website. The issue is more that sometimes you get to weeks where you’re cornered for what topics are truly out there, able to be discussed in any academic manner. I understand that I’m not always the most focused when it comes to analysis or have the greatest insight, but I like to think that there’s something that draws me into every project, able to produce the limits that I’ve set myself.
Which makes it difficult to say that while I enjoyed Megan Thee Stallion’s “Good News,” I am intimidated by the idea of having to write 1500-2000 words on it.
Hip-hop in general has been one of the more difficult genres for me to write about, if just because it’s not my expertise. I do not have the history to pull from or the ability to admire the orchestration of guitars and percussion. I understand that there’s craft there, but I personally don’t know how to really write longwindedly about these artists. In cases like this, “Good News” is an album of moments, where every line is more designed as a punchline and you’re more supposed to get caught up in the flow. For those 17 songs, I personally felt invested by this strange world that she created, but… do I have anything really to say about it?
I suppose that I could start by saying that this has been quite a good year for her. Starting with her song “Savage,” she inspired a popular Tik Tok dance that felt inescapable, with everyone adding their own little twist to the arm twirls. The song just inspired bad girl energy where you felt tough when putting it on, feeling like the world parted for you. Her year continued with another major hit with Cardi B called “W.A.P.” that served as much controversy as it does the awareness that yes, women can be sexual too. Society is just too scared to deal with the freak nasty nature of strong women who embrace the sex, having control over their own agency.
Considering that she’s been around for years, it’s amazing to note that last week’s “Good News” was her first official album. After controlling almost every other facet of pop culture, she finally brought forth an album that is 17 tracks of bangers. There isn’t that much depth to half of these songs. Don’t expect her to provide some heartwarming story about her youth. What there is is the sound of a woman who is horny, knowing how to express herself in ways that overt but shockingly straightforward. She knows what she wants, and if you’re opposed to celebratory choruses discussing “Do It On the Tip,” then you might as well check out now. She doesn’t want you messing with her good time.
That is the issue with writing about this album. It escapes criticism of any kind simply by being a shamelessly fun record about sex. You’re more likely to come away laughing at a line here or there, finding yourself torn from her impressive flow as she gallops through catchy beats. Several songs feature her patented “Ah!” accentuating her own bratty satisfaction, serving as the audible middle finger that good tastes have been fighting against. The lust here is palatable, serving as this compelling look into one woman’s life. As she raps late in the album, she’s not for the streets because she is the streets. She will show her butt to whomever wants to see it.
Though to be fair, the album does start with another form of tough posturing in “Shots Fired.” Along with taking the world by storm via Tik Tok and “W.A.P.,” she was also caught up in a shooting back in July. The song is a three-minute tirade where she expresses her anger, calling out parties and bringing an energy that will not cease for the remaining 49 minutes of the album. She comes out swinging, taking on her targets with such confidence that you’re amazed how she gets away with it. She knows how to pack insults, dropping them in these acrobatic rhythms that astound. Then, just because she had some extra time on the clock, she brings up the death of Breonna Taylor, suggesting that she deserves justice.
The album’s urgency is intense, but more than establishes how upfront Megan Thee Stallion will end up being. She isn’t afraid to call people out for being sketchy, putting herself in harm’s way for what she believes in. On “Shots Fired” anyway, it feels like she may have a future in autobiographical raps somewhere down the line. However, as “Circles” will quickly establish, she’s still way too caught up in being the bad bitch. She looks for trouble, craving it. Like the artwork that houses this song, she seems addicted to seeing her name in print.
Though hey, in case you were wondering when she would dive into those sexual innuendos, you didn’t have to wait much longer. “Cry Baby” features such clever lines as “NBA playoffs that ass, it’s a bubble” and “Deeper deeper, I need a reaper” the song continues to find ways to provoke, playing into her bad bitch persona. It’s a song meant to intimidate the men that don’t satisfy her, and her shouting of “Ah!” amid very intimate details is wild. What should be known is that she knows how to deliver one-liners, constantly demeaning men in ways that are incredibly transgressive, moving the women’s liberation sideways with how addictive to sex everything is. Given that “Do It On the Tip” is a PG-rated title for dick, you can see where this album is going to go.
In a lot of respects, Megan Thee Stallion is too in love with her pleasure to notice any criticism. By “Movie,” she’s once again becoming an exhibitionist as she shouts about shaking her boobies and living the good life of a stripper. Even then, she evokes a certain class with her inability to go home with a broke man. She’s only in it for the top dollar client, even as she suggests “And I don’t kiss you ‘cause I know you eating ass.” The album is endlessly entertaining in that X-Rated way, finding the sanctity of mainstream pop being rattled out of its chastity. As she would go on to rap on “Freaky Girls”: “If my pussy was a beach, he get swept up by the tide.”
That’s the thing about “Good News.” No matter what I say about it, there is nothing quite like just listening to it yourself. That’s in part because this isn’t designed as some great concept album. There is no grand narrative or moment on the album that will earn deeper thought. At most, you’re going to read these lines and find yourself less likely to be caught off guard when listening to the song.
Frankly, that would be the only major issue with this album. It exists more as a series of one-liners elevated by Megan Thee Stallion’s impressive flow, her unshakable confidence, and willingness to be bad. You are compelled because of how against the grain she is. If you thought that “W.A.P.” was too wild, then you’re likely not prepared for how many times she uses her body for sex, whether flaunting it or discussing the various forms of intercourse she partakes in. The fact that she’s so open about it is its own incredible spectacle.
However, the question by the end becomes how much you’re willing to put up with. This is an album designed for the singles market, maybe specifically for making the bad bitches out there feel less alone. These are anthems meant to prepare them for a tough night ahead, letting them know that they’re capable of being so much more. Go get that money, get that man, but make sure that you love yourself first. She even has some love for the bigger girls on songs like “Body,” where she calls out the various forms of female beauty.
But hey, one has to ask themselves how crazy 2020 is. Megan Thee Stallion not only appeared on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, but she released lines on “Don’t Stop” like:
I mean my body so out of this worldChange my at name to ASTROGIRL (ASTROGIRL)People say I'm way too full of myselfYou're right, and I ain't even made it to dessert, ahBuffy, no Angel, star, no spangleForty-inch weave by Kellon don't tangleCall my drug dealer boyfriend on TangoUse the Tajín when I'm eatin' a mango
Again, it’s difficult to really assess this album as having peaks and valleys when it’s all one long journey into the erotic mind of an artist. It’s the story of having everything in the world. She has the latest designer jewelry, the best reputation, and even the best sex. She creates a picture that a power-hungry woman might be attracted to. Even if this is a very trashy album that constantly shocks the listener, she still comes away with this charming sense of self. You may hate her or find this album repulsive, but there’s no sheepishness here. Everything is so bold that you can’t believe this is real. Everything feels infantile by comparison.
As mentioned, I do think there’s plenty to like about “Good Times.” If you listened to any of these songs individually, you could admire her talent and ability to craft a memorable song. There’s no fat on this, even if together the 17 songs run together and sound like one long horny “Ah!” Still, what makes it impressive is how fearless she is. She courts controversy and seems to have fun with it. So long as it continues to produce crazy songs like these, there should be no reason to stop. Go get it!
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