Not that Perception didn’t sound good and didn’t have strong lyrical moments, but it was just stained with a whole lot of weak spots that left a bad taste in my mouth, and I know I was not alone. What drew me and so many others to NF initially was his willingness to be brutally honest while writing thoughtful, introspective lyrics that were not only relatable, but sounded great. Such a large portion of the lyrics were devoted to bragging and it got super repetitive. While Mansion and Therapy Session really made sense as a progression of his inner development and growth as a person and musician, Perception was just disappointing. Ironically, commercially, he made bank and achieved stardom. In Perception, it seemed that Nate was set on proving that he was beating his fears and pulling himself up by his bootstraps, but in The Search, he takes a step back and admits that he was wrong.Īs someone who has closely followed and written about NF since his initial EP dropped with Capitol in 2014, the Perception era was a trainwreck. Is Nate really ready to let fear go? To change? To make progress and find peace? Fear, anger, and struggle are a key selling point to the whole NF Real Music brand.
“Last year I felt suicidal/ But this year I might do somethin’ different like talkin’ to God more/ I’m lookin’ for Change.”Įarlier in the track, Nate confesses “I don’t like change but I’ll try it.” In probably the most introspective and interesting track on the previous album, Perception, “Intro 3”, Fear is personified and reminds Nate that he is what made NF a successful act. This year, Nate is newly married and has a brand new, massively long (76 minutes) album. In the last verse of the haunting third track on The Search, Nate comes out and says it: “Last year, I felt suicidal.”īut that was last year. So why did he feel so hollow? So empty? Just when he had everything he wanted, he spiraled to some of his lowest depths yet, which is saying a lot for a guy who lost his mom as a kid to a drug overdose, suffered physical abuse, developed abandonment issues, depression, and a whole truck load of dirty baggage. The no name had made good on his braggadocious claims and lofty ambitions and risen to the top in just a couple short years since his debut album with Capital, “Mansion.” It was like a dream come true. His single “Let You Down” was a smash hit, soaring to the tops of Itunes and Billboard charts. “If this is it… it’s not gonna work.” - NF confesses on the track "Interlude."Ģ017 was a huge year for NF. Review Summary: The Outcast Returns: NF's fourth LP is a satisfying return to form and an introspective meditation on the fleetingness of life, fame, and ambition.