"They gave Utopia a 5.7"— Fans react as Pitchfork gives Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' their lowest score of 6.6
Kendrick Lamar's new studio album, GNX, was unexpectedly released on November 22, 2024. Since then, several media have reviewed the singer's sixth album, including Pitchfork, which rated it 6.6 out of 10.
In their detailed review of the album, Pitchfork wrote on their website:
“This is no longer just Kendrick the rapper, but Kendrick the businessman. After Mr. Morale, he left TDE to go all-in on pgLang, the “multi-lingual, at service company” he launched in 2020… Running a company doesn’t inherently hollow out his lyrics, but it does give all of GNX’s motivational phrases..”
It continued:
“He was always extremely famous, but suddenly he has that mega-celebrity sheen.Thankfully, that doesn’t completely kill the vibe of GNX... Kendrick’s rapping—competitive and acrobatic—splits the difference between funny and vengeful…. The guests are memorable, too, though Kendrick doesn’t cede enough ground to them…”
After the review went public, netizens seemed to disagree with it. One user compared the rating to that of Travis Scott's album, pointing out that Pitchfork gave Utopia a score of 5.7, which was reportedly the all-time lowest score. An X user wrote:
“They gave Utopia a 5.7.”
Other netizens preached to the choir. One said that these review mediums have “lost value,” while another one said that “Pitchfork” is humorous.
“I swear reviews for all mediums have lost value these days… Everyone’s so quick to rush a review... Are you taking notes as you listen to the album? These ain’t reviews, they’re reactions with final scores. What nonsense,” wrote another one.
“This dumba*s review didn’t even give accolades to Reincarnated! Most of it was just... giving background info to everything.. Where the f*ck was the music actually reviewed?,” wrote the same user.
“Pitchfork is funny ngl,” said another one.
Additionally, one netizen claimed that “Drake” allegedly paid them to publish the review, while another one said that “none of these writers know” about music.
“They gonna say Drake paid them to say this,” commented another one.
“We don’t care about pitchfork score lmao Kendrick scored 100 out of 10 with the world,” another one commented.
“None of these writers know about music anyway smh,” said another one.
More about Kendrick Lamar's surprise hit GNX
GNX was unexpected because no announcements were made prior to its release. It launched after Kendrick Lamar was announced as the performer for the February 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.
The 12-track album runs for 44 minutes and 20 seconds, making it Kendrick Lamar’s shortest studio album to date. It featured artists like Roddy Ricch, SZA, Wallie The Sensei, Deyra Barrera, Young Threat, Siete7x, Left Gunplay, Hitta J3, AzChike, Peysoh, and Dody 6.
The songs included in the album are Wacced Out Murals, Luther, Squabble Up, Hey Now, Man at the Garden, TV Off, Peekaboo, Dodger Blue, Reincarnated, Heart PT 6, and GNX. Additionally, numerous avant-garde producers, including Mustard, Jack Antonoff, and Soundwave, contributed to the album.
Kendrick Lamar also introduced Deyra Barrera, a Mexican Mariachi singer who worked with him on Wacced Out Murals. She made the announcement public on November 23 by posting a picture of herself with Kendrick Lamar on Instagram.
She included a caption in Spanish that translates to:
“The universe works in mysterious ways and I'm so grateful for the way my life has been unfolding these past few months. From honoring my dear friend and Legend Fernando Valenzuela at the World Series to now collaborating with one of the greatest artists of our generation, @kendricklamar.”
However, none of the songs recorded by Kendrick Lamar during his feud with Drake in early 2024 are featured on this most recent album. Since the release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022, this is the singer's first album.
