Ben is the third solo studio album by American rapper Macklemore. It was released on March 3, 2023, by Bendo and Warner Music. It features guest appearances by charlieonnafriday, Collett, DJ Premier, Jackson Lee Morgan, Livingston, Morray, NLE Choppa, Sarah Barthel, Tones and I, and Vic Daggs II. It is his first album in 6 years since his 2017 album Gemini (2017). The album was recorded between 2020 and 2022.
Macklemore officially revealed the album's release date and cover art on November 7, 2022.[1] He has stated that much of the album's content was influenced by his relapse with alcohol addiction during the COVID-19 lockdowns: "I think that pain is a catalyst for great art," he said. "I don't want to inflict the pain on myself anymore to make art. It's not like I need to self-sabotage in order to create, but I think that it created some darker, more honest, and vulnerable moments on the album."[2]
On February 16, 2023, Macklemore and his seven-year-old daughter, Sloane, filmed part of their music video for "No Bad Days" at the Climate Pledge Arena during a Seattle Kraken hockey game. Sloane directed the entire music video, which was released March 3, 2023.[3]
Singles
The album was preceded by four singles. The first single, "Chant" with Tones and I, was released on July 22, 2022.[4] The second single, "Maniac" featuring Windser, was released on August 19, 2022.[5] The third single, "Faithful" featuring NLE Choppa, was released on October 28, 2022.[6] The fourth single, "Heroes" featuring DJ Premier, was released on January 20, 2023.[7] The fifth single, "No Bad Days" featuring Collett, was released to contemporary hit radio on March 14, 2023.[8]
Ben was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on four reviews.[9]
Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic wrote, "Altogether, Ben feels like the first time Macklemore has truly let listeners into his inner world, showcasing his underrated lyrical skills and enough varied production to keep the album moving forward toward a hopeful finish."[10] Clayton Purdom of Rolling Stone stated, "To be sure, Ben features plenty of catharsis and oversharing, but it also has no grand answers or conclusions, just apologies, acceptance, and ambiguity. Some of Ben's success must be attributed to the producer Budo, a longtime collaborator, here providing skillful texture to the album's broader arc, but the truth is that Macklemore, who on his last album rhymed 'porno' with 'DiGiorno,' has matured. Ben is handily his best album. It's a midcareer downshift from an artist who desperately needed it."[13]
In a mixed review, Matthew Ismael Ruiz of Pitchfork wrote, "These experiences, while certainly authentic, aren't particularly interesting. The struggle of the wealthy and talented white rapper was never especially sympathetic. And on Ben, his trials are mostly internal, the enduring struggle of man to find meaning and leave a legacy. This Macklemore is likely the most honest version we've seen to date."[12] Taylor Rubright of HipHopDX also gave a mixed review, stating "Macklemore is a dexterous rapper at his best, but the songs that showcase his talents are mostly confined to the middle of the album", additionally commenting that "despite some solid songwriting about addiction and mortality, Macklemore's comeback album still experiences the same struggles with corniness and over-sincerity that torpedoed him from a household name to an afterthought, leading to a mixed bag that's more admirable than actualized."[11]
