Megan Thee Stallion’s third album, Suga, dropped March 6 amid the world anxiously anticipating her next hit following the 2019 summer-defining single “Hot Girl Summer.” It follows in the footsteps of her debut album, ***Tina Snow, in 2018 and her follow-up album, Fever, in 2019.
Unfortunately, the first impression of Suga is a resounding “meh.” At no point does Megan deliver mind-blowing rhymes or her usual consistent and clever wordplay, both seen in her previous albums and her verses in “Diamonds” from the ***Birds of Prey soundtrack. Megan has explained that her albums thus far have represented alter egos. Tina Snow is her dripping-with-sexual-energy side whereas Hot Girl Meg is a fun-loving party girl.
While her other two personas are reasonably well-developed and fully formed, Suga doesn’t receive the same treatment. Megan describes Suga as letting “girls know that it’s okay to be a mess.” This isn’t abundantly clear throughout the album, nor is any particular theme or character. Although there’s potential, many of the tracks are unmemorable, and the few that are would’ve been better if they were released as stand-alone singles or an EP.
“Hit My Phone,” featuring Kehlani, is one of the strongest tracks of the album. The backtrack is incredibly infectious — a mix of vaporwave with a strong reverb bassline. Kehlani’s vocals are the perfect high-pitched match to Megan’s deep-voiced rhymes, but unfortunately the vocals dominate the song, giving the impression that Megan plays a minor role in her own track.
To give credit where it’s due: there’s a degree of experimentation throughout the album that works surprisingly well. “Captain Hook” has interesting sword sound effects to accompany the otherwise straightforward beat and features a different rap voice from the usual. Megan adopts an airy, valley-girl accent as she spits: “I’m so indecisive, you can’t cuff me, but I’m wifey / I just want a n***a who gon’ slurp me like an Icee.” Although a rapper through and through, her singing is also more heavily developed in songs like “What I Need,” and it’s a pleasant change.
One aspect remains consistent though: Megan’s music and interviews make it clear she knows she’s attractive, and she uses this to redefine femininity by her own rules. Although she’ll pose for Instagram photos in string bikinis and exude confidence while delivering sex-imbued lyrics, Megan defies stereotypes by showing off her duality; she wields and embraces her sexuality while also exemplifying her other qualities as a woman.
In 2019 her single “Hot Girl Summer” was a state of mind that preached sexual freedom for females, and at the same time Megan used its publicity to arrange a Hottie Beach Clean Up at the Santa Monica Pier. Furthermore, she’s an educated woman. Megan is currently enrolled in Texas Southern University to study health administration with the goal of opening assisted-living facilities when she graduates. This established rapper balances her career in music with the struggles of being a student, and for that she deserves an extra layer of respect.
On the topic of the biggest misconception about her, Megan confesses she loves anime, giving us the iconic quote from an XXL interview: “Just ‘cause I got a fat ass don’t mean I can’t watch anime … Bad bitches can like anime too.”
Although Suga might not be innovative or groundbreaking given Megan’s other impressive discography, she still remains a force to be reckoned with. Since her debut in 2018, Megan Thee Stallion has been dominating charts and consistently putting out female-empowering anthems. The only question is what will be conquered next by this rap queen.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
