Russ’ third studio album SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE comes about a year and a half after his second studio album, ZOO. His success started as he got closer to the release of his first studio album, There’s Really a Wolf, from 2017. All three of his full-length projects have been released by Russ My Way, Inc. in partnership with Columbia Records. This release had stronger singles going into the release of the project than any project before. The BIA assisted “BEST ON EARTH” and “CIVIL WAR” have been making waves for months, and both were listed as bonus tracks on the album.

Who Was Involved With This Project?

Artists featured on the project are BIA, Rick Ross, Bugus, Kiana Ledé, Devin The Dude, and BENNY THE BUTCHER. Producers that worked on the project, aside from Russ himself, are Boi-1da, Seven, !llmind, Jahaan Sweet, MyBestFriendJacob, Lee Major, Sean Momberger, and Benjamin Lasnier.

What I Like

There are some really great choruses on this album. The good ones are good for different reasons too. The chorus for “BEST ON EARTH” is very catchy and sexy at the same time. The entirety of “NIGHTTIME (Interlude)” is so catchy. “NIGHTTIME (Interlude)” interpolates “Man Down” by Rihanna, earning her a writing credit on the song.

I really like that this album includes more features and more producers than before. ZOO had three features on the project and There’s Really a Wolf had none. ZOO had production from two people aside from Russ himself, Scott Storch and Avedon. There’s Really a Wolf was self-produced by Russ completely. Collaborating more is good for Russ because it doesn’t allow him to get stuck in any certain lane.

What I Don’t

There is some repetitiveness. Along with this, there is some average songwriting. I would say that this is overshadowed by the great melodies and vocal performances though. There are so many different types of songs on this album, and I think that fits Russ very well.

With that being said, this is a great album to listen to. With every album by Russ that I’ve gone into, I’ve always been skeptical. I was proven wrong on There’s Really a Wolf just like I was with this album. As I’ve already said, this album is a good step forward in pushing himself creatively. This starts with the production and features in some cases, this album being one of them. Artists like Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Big K.R.I.T. have all gone through the same changes.

What are your thoughts on this album? Let us know in the comments below, and listen to SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE on all platforms now!