Migos. For most, the sheer name of the Atlanta rap trio brings a multitude of different emotions and opinions. One area that everyone can agree on, however, is their ability to stay relevant since their meteoric rise in 2017. Their fan base’s meme-fueled growth beginning with the release of single “Bad and Boujee” grew exponentially with Culture II’s predecessor: Culture.

Culture was special for a number of reasons: well-produced beats, catchy hooks, singalong flow, etc. Seven songs shorter than the previous two albums, Culture concentrated Migos’ abilities into each song and made for a more consistently enjoyable album.

Our eyes popped out of their sockets when we saw a tracklist of 24 songs and a total length of nearly two hours on Culture II. Still, the singles for the album were mostly great, and with features like Travis Scott, Post Malone and Cardi B, the album looked promising. So… why wasn’t it?

Culture II’s run time is a bit scary, but there is still much to gain out of it. Funky, original beats on songs like “Stir Fry”, “Narcos” and “Auto Pilot” are a fresh change from the usual Migos flavor, and one may find themselves pleasantly surprised to hear the group hop onto tracks like these. And trap bangers like “White Sand” and “Motorsport” remind us why we listen to Migos in the first place.

And let us not forget sentimental tracks like “Made Men” and “Work Hard”. Unlike what we’ve seen from Migos in the past, these tracks serve to essentially thank their audience for their rise to fame. Although the rapping may not be as typical as Migos’ bars often are, it’s nice to see a confident group like Migos showcasing humility for their songs.

If Migos had cut down the tracklist to 11 or 13 songs, the album likely would’ve been much more accessible and the great songs not so diluted. This was not the decision, however, and the path to some of the best songs is often difficult to endure. The opening tracks “Higher We Go” and “Supastars” are lackluster at best, and songs like “Gang Gang”, where the amount of times “gang” is said likely reaches the triple digits, and “Flooded” just feel like filler tracks because, for some reason, Migos felt like a 2 hour album was necessary.

On the follow up to their break-out album, Migos showed the world that they are filled with potential, but perhaps they just don’t really know how to use it yet.