Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Background/Theme

Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers is Kendrick's fifth album, and also his most recent solo project to date which came out in May 2022, making the gap between this album and his last, 5 years (1,855 days) In those five years, Kendick went more or less silent. (Apart from releasing the black panther soundtrack in 2018) On August 20, 2021, Kendrick teased his return with a new website oklama.com explaining that the upcoming project would be his last release with Top Dawg Entertainment. On May 8, 2022, Kendrick surprise-dropped “The Heart Part 5” with a music video that saw his face morphing into people like Kanye West and Will Smith. It wasn't until the 13th when he finally dropped the album with 19 songs including interludes. This album is deeply personal and can essentially be seen as a long therapy session turned into music. Throughout the album, Kendrick reflects on many of his life experiences with the main two being childhood trauma and celebrity worship. Infact the title of the album is a big theme covered. Kendrick names himself "Mr. Morale" alluding to Kendrick feeling like he is forced to be responisible for lifiting up people that are down, and being a savior. The "Big Steppers" are the people who want to be saved. But in the chorus of the final song on the album "Mirror" this dilemma he is facing is finally concluded when he states "I choose me, I'm sorry" basically apoligizig for leaving for 5 years, but it has benifited him greatly.

Commercial/Critical Success

Like all of Kendrick's albums, it was an overall success, winning multiple awards like Favorite Hip Hop Album from the American Music Awards, Album of the year from the BET Hip Hip awards, and brought home Rap album of the year at the Grammy's for the third time in his career, aswell as winning best rap song for "The Heart Part 5". Yet again failing to take home album of the year.

Overview

This album is really good. He tries to present that he is just a normal human living through normal human experiences and the expectations on him as an artist, father, son, and lover are unachievable. He cannot please everybody, the theme that keeps resurfacing throughout the album.