Three years. It’s been three years since anything. It has been three years since Chicago native Chancelor Bennett aka Chance the Rapper has released a self titled album, but on May 12th, he released the ultra hyped mixtape “Coloring Book.”

The mixtape has 14 songs that last for 58 minutes which features artists Kanye West, Lil Wayne, 2 Chains, Jeremih, Future, Lil’ Yachty, Saba, Justin Bieber, Towkio and more.

His last release, “Acid Rap” debuted in April 2013 and since has had over 1,000,000 downloads. In 2015, he released an excellent collaborative effort album with Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment but that wasn’t enough to keep fans satisfied.

“Coloring Book” starts off with the song “All We Got” featuring Kanye West and the Chicago Children’s Choir. In the first 30 seconds of the album, Chance managed to kickstart a great sound incorporating the genius and quirky lyrics, “This ain’t no intro, it’s an entree, hit that intro with Kanye”. It’s not like anything the artist has released before. It feels more upbeat and flowy, while staying to his classic sound that’s quirky yet therapeutic.  The song was created with a light hearted sense of humor which really stimulates a positive reaction when listening to it, making it one of my personal favorites on the album.

On May 5th, Chance appeared on “The Tonight Show featuring Jimmy Fallon” and debuted the song “Blessings.” This song has a very classic and relaxing vibe to it. Having a slow beat and sped down verses, it makes it one of the few slower songs on the album. The chorus is repeated throughout the song making the lyrics get stuck in your head for hours on end. Overall, the song is cute, just plain cute. It’s calming and catchy which is a good contrast from some of the other songs on the album, which are just a great.

One of the last songs on the album, “Juke Jam” featuring Justin Bieber and Towkio, has the perfect combination of all the factors that make a song great. It has a steady, clean beat and a  great sound. About a year ago, Chance was featured on Towkio’s song “Heaven Only Knows” that was released on Towkio’s Soundcloud profile. The two songs have completely different sounds and styles but “Juke Jam” has a better quality. “Heaven Only Knows” is more fun and carefree while “Juke Jam” is more chilled and diverse with its lyrics. With the songs steadiness and unique style, it makes it one of the most enjoyable songs on the album.

“Coloring Book” to put it simply, is a great album that isn’t like anything that’s been released before. It has a great variety of sound and the vast amount of features makes it interesting and fun without a doubt. The album is available on Apple Music and his website chanceraps.com.

by LILY JONES