Reason to Smile

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Reason to Smile
A Black man in a yellow suit levitating above a puddle on the gray ground.
Studio album by
Kojey Radical
Released4 March 2022
Genre
Length52:20
Label
Kojey Radical chronology
Cashmere Tears
(2019) 		Reason to Smile
(2022)
Singles from Reason to Smile
  1. "War Outside"
    Released: 23 September 2021
  2. "Gangsta"
    Released: 15 November 2021
  3. "Payback"
    Released: 15 January 2022
  4. "Silk"
    Released: 18 February 2022

Reason to Smile is the debut studio album by British rapper Kojey Radical, released 4 March 2022 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records.[2][3] It was shortlisted for the 2022 Mercury Prize and nominated for Album of the Year at the 2022 MOBO Awards.

Background[edit]

The album was preceded by four singles: "War Outside" released 23 September 2021;[4] "Gangsta" released 15 November;[5] "Payback" released 15 January 2022;[6] and "Silk" released 18 February.[7] The first three came along with music videos while "Silk" received an official visualiser. Another video for "Talkin" released 9 March, featuring animated versions of Radical and the song's guests Tiana Major9 and Kelis.[8]

Reception[edit]

Reason to Smile ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[9]
Metacritic81/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[1]
DIY[2]
Financial Times[11]
The Guardian[3]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[12]
Loud and Quiet9/10[13]
NME[14]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Reason to Smile received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[10] "Payback" was included at number 9 on BBC Music's list of the best songs of the year.[15]

Accolades[edit]

Reason to Smile awards
Year Organisation Award Status Ref.
2022 Mercury Prize — Shortlisted [16]
GRM Daily Rated Awards Album of the Year Nominated [17]
MOBO Awards Album of the Year Nominated [18][19]
Reason to Smile year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Clash 22 [20]
Double J 22 [21]
NME 35 [22]
PopMatters 33 [23]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah with others noted

Reason to Smile track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
1."Reason to Smile" (featuring Tiana Major9)
  • Cameron Palmer
  • KZ
  • Tyrell Paul 169
  • Venna
3:04
2."Together"
  • Palmer
  • KZ
3:04
3."Nappy"
  • KZ
  • Oliver Rodigan
  • Cadenza
  • KZ
  • Ric & Thadus
  • Palmer[a]
2:16
4."Silk" (featuring Masego)
  • David Mrakpor
  • Masego
  • Namali Kwaten
  • Blue Lab Beats
  • Palmer[a]
3:58
5."Pressure" (featuring Shaé Universe)
  • Palmer
  • Emil Larbi
  • O. Koleoso
  • Shaé Universe
  • Palmer
  • Larbi
3:54
6."Born" (featuring Cashh)
  • Cashh
  • KZ
  • Rayan El-Hussein Rayo Goufar
3:27
7."Pusher Man: BWI"
  • Adrian Francis
  • Curtis Antony James
  • Larbi
  • Francis
  • Fanatix
  • Larbi
  • Palmer[a]
  • KZ[a]
4:51
8."Talkin" (featuring Kelis and Tiana Major9)
  • Palmer
  • Kelis
  • KZ
  • Tiana Major9
  • Palmer
  • KZ
2:57
9."War Outside" (featuring Lex Amor)
  • Palmer
  • KZ
  • Lex Amor
  • Palmer
  • KZ
3:57
10."Payback" (featuring Knucks)
  • Palmer
  • Knucks
  • Palmer
2:45
11."Fubu"
  • Weathers
  • KZ
  • Remedee
  • Palmer[a]
3:05
12."Beautiful" (featuring Wretch 32 and Shakka)
  • Ayodele Oyadare
  • Shakka
  • Wretch 32
3:20
13."Anywhere" (featuring Ego Ella May)
  • Palmer
  • May
  • Owen Cutts
  • Palmer
  • Cutts
  • KZ[a]
3:05
14."Solo" (featuring Rexx Life Raj)
  • Jazon Kawu-Eugenio
  • Rexx Life Raj
  • Jay Prince
4:00
15."Gangsta"
  • Palmer
  • Thomas
  • Weathers
  • KZ
4:37
Total length:52:20
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Additional producer

Personnel[edit]

Musicians[edit]

  • Kojey Radical – vocals
  • Cameron Palmer – synth bass (2, 5, 10), piano (5, 8), keyboards (10, 13), organ (8), synthesizer (8), Rhodes solo (8), guitar (10), Wurlitzer (11)
  • Kwame "KZ" Kwei-Armah Jr. – additional vocals (1, 3, 6, 10), synthesizer (2, 13), piano (1), Rhodes solo (2), piano (7), bass (8), guitar (8), synth bass (9), whistling (9)
  • Tiana Major9 – vocals (1, 8)
  • Masego – vocals (4)
  • Shaé Universe – vocals (5)
  • Cashh – vocals (6)
  • Kelis – vocals (8)
  • Lex Amor – vocals (9)
  • Knucks – vocals (10)
  • Shakka – vocals (12)
  • Wretch 32 – vocals (12), additional vocals (8)
  • Ego Ella May – vocals (13), additional vocals (9)
  • Rexx Life Raj – vocals (14)
  • Ayanna Christie Brown – additional vocals (2, 10)
  • Emmavie – additional vocals (2, 10)
  • Michael Stafford – additional vocals (2, 10)
  • Christina Matovu – additional vocals (4, 7, 12, 15)
  • Mundu – additional vocals (4, 14)
  • Bobii Lewis – additional vocals (6)
  • Benjamin Totten – guitar (1, 11)
  • David Mrakpor – guitar, keyboards, synth bass (4)
  • Rashaan Brown – guitar (6)
  • Greg Mathews – guitar (8)
  • Femi Koleoso – drums (1, 5)
  • Namali Kwaten – drums, percussion (4)
  • Dayna Fisher – bass guitar (6, 7, 11, 15), trombone (1)
  • Neil Waters – trumpet (1–4, 10, 15), flugelhorn (4, 5, 11)
  • Trevor Mires – trombone (2–4, 6–8, 10, 13, 15), sousaphone (7, 10), bass trombone (13)
  • Charlie Stock and Stella Page – viola (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
  • Ezme Gaze and Wayne Urquhart – cello (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
  • Antonia Pagulatos, Emma Blanco, Marsha Skins, and Sam Kennedy – violin (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
  • Nathan "Flutebox" Lee – flute (2)
  • Mike Keys – keyboards (9), piano, synth bass (13)
  • Ed Thomas – piano (15)

Technical[edit]

  • Cameron Palmer – engineering (1, 2, 5, 7–10, 13, 15), drum programming (2, 5, 9, 10, 13)
  • Kwame "KZ" Kwei-Armah Jr. – executive producer, engineering (1, 2, 6–9, 11–15), drum programming (6, 8, 9), vocal arrangements (13)
  • Swindle – executive producer
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering engineer (1–9, 11–14)
  • Joker – mixing engineer (1–8, 10–14)
  • Neil Waters – string arrangements (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 12, 13, 15)
  • Namali Kwaten – drum programming (4), sound design (4)
  • Blue Lab Beats – engineering (4)
  • Jay Weathers – drum programming (15)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Reason to Smile
Chart (2022) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[24] 11
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[25] 1

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Smith, Niall (4 March 2022). "Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile". Clash. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b Grice, Alisdair. "Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile review". DIY. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Morris, Kadish (13 March 2022). "Kojey Radical: Reason to Smile review – an era-defining Black British work". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ^ Smith, Niall (23 September 2021). "Kojey Radical Enlists Lex Amor for Battle-Ready Jam "War Outside"". Complex. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ^ Smith, Niall (15 November 2021). "Kojey Radical's "Gangsta" Is an Ode to the Special Women in His Life". Complex. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ^ Keith, James (15 January 2022). "Kojey Radical Calls on Knucks for New Album Primer "Payback"". Complex. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  7. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (18 February 2022). "Kojey Radical teams up with Masego on new single "Silk"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  8. ^ Cho, Regina (9 March 2022). "Kojey Radical, Kelis, and Tiana Major9 are "Talkin'" in new visual". Revolt. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Reason to Smile by Kojey Radical reviews". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Reason to Smile by Kojey Radical Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (11 March 2022). "Kojey Radical's Reason to Smile — a family affair". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. ^ Ferrier, Aimee (10 March 2022). "Kojey Radical's debut Reason to Smile drips with infectious confidence and celebration". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  13. ^ Goggins, Joe (28 February 2022). "Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  14. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (4 March 2022). "Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile review: UK rap's Renaissance man comes good". NME. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ^ Savage, Mark (30 December 2022). "From Rosalía to Beyoncé: 25 of the best songs released in 2022". BBC Music. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  16. ^ Singh, Surej (26 July 2022). "Mercury Prize 2022 shortlist revealed". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  17. ^ "GRM Daily Rated Awards 2022: Full Winners List". Capital Xtra. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  18. ^ Rackham, Annabel (11 November 2022). "MOBOs 2022: Rapper and producer Knucks leads nominations". BBC. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  19. ^ Waters, Lowenna (2 December 2022). "MOBO Awards 2022: Full winners list including Little Simz and Ezra Collective". Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  20. ^ Smith, Niall (12 December 2022). "Clash Albums of the Year 2022". Clash. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  21. ^ Condon, Dan (6 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". Double J. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  22. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (9 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". NME. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  23. ^ Morgan, Tom (6 December 2022). "The 80 Best Albums of 2022". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  25. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
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