Written by Payton Lehman and Spenser Leise
Spenser:
Danny Brown evolves again with his latest project, “Stardust.” Released on November 7th, this project makes a benchmark in Danny Brown’s catalog, as it’s his first project fully sober. This album blends the experimental hip-hop that his fans know and love with a fusion of a genre he has recently explored: hyperpop.
Danny Brown’s relation to experimental hip-hop is no secret, with his collab project with JPEGMAFIA being a great exploration of experimental beats and complex flows, but his shift into the hyperpop scene can be pinned down (I believe) to his appearance on Quadeca’s i didn’t mean to haunt you on “house settling,” an ethereal track where Danny Brown raps from the perspective of carbon monoxide (this is real btw).
This is a quote from Danny Brown’s Instagram about Quadeca and his appearance on his projects. Is Quadeca inherently “hyperpop”? No, but the label he was a part of at the time (Deadair Records) and the artists around him most definitely are.
What followed was a slew of features on songs of prominent glitchcore and hyperpop artists. First on “Shake It Like” by the Frost Children, then “M3 N MIN3” by Femtanyl, and of course, “Psychoboost” by Jane Remover.
The influences of the aforementioned artists are evident, as all of them are featured vocally and in production on this project. With all of that backstory stated, I wanted to give a breakdown of the highlights of this emotional, transformative, and downright energetic tracklist.
Starting with “Book of Danial,” which features Quadeca, this track talks about some of the dark times Danny has had in his over 10-year career, supported by swelling production and vocal performance. This track is an explosive moment that makes evident how important Stardust is to him and his growth.
Smoothly going into the lead single of the project, “Stardust,” Danny delivers a top-notch performance of his lyricism and flows. A bar that sticks out to me here is: “Big, big guy, dropping them small fries / Like a lunch rush came in and everybody called in.” Like, the bars are so fun and memorable on this thing, so many quotables here.
Then, there was “Copycats” with Underscores. What was in the water when they were making this song? Infinite replay value, a catchy hook, and a hit-motivating production from underscores. I’ve just been obsessed.
This track is followed by “Lift You Up,” which is effectively a dance track. It just makes you wanna move. This is one I constantly feel myself coming back to. This is a good opportunity to mention the poetry featured on this tracklist, courtesy of Angel Prost of the Frost Children. It pops up at the end of a couple of different tracks and outlines overarching themes of the album. It perfectly accents what is an inspirational tracklist.
“I noticed the dust that settled between follicles
I swept it down all night, and I held it down all night, and in the morning
And I woke up with a hand-holding glow about me.” — Lift You Up, 3:22
Skipping past “Greenlight” with the Frost Children, “What You See” with Quadeca, and “Baby” with Underscores, which deliver pleasant tracks that keep the tracklist moving. Then, it’s “Whatever the Case”… On a beat that sounds like a cartoon slip sound effect, Danny delivers a wildly catchy performance, with the feature ISSBROKIE dropping one of my favorite features of the album. Like, “I put a stake through they neck, now I’m lookin’ like Buffy.” Are you kidding? So, so fun.
The tracklist ends with “The End,” which is an eight-minute masterclass from Danny Brown that really deserves an article of its own. After, we get the epilogue track “All for You” with Jane Remover, which reminds us that Danny Brown makes things like Stardust for the art and the fans.
All in all, Stardust is a departure from the noise that Danny Brown fans can come to expect, but it shows a transformation of his health, art, and spirits. This tracklist has some insane highlights (cough cough, “Copycats”) and deserves your ears if you have not heard it yet. I hope you check it out.
8/10
Payton:
In 2016, legendary Detroit rapper Danny Brown disturbed audiences with his critically acclaimed album ‘Atrocity Exhibition’. ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ was a haunting album that culminated genres of Hardcore and experimental hip-hop into one psychedelic masterpiece. What really made this album so chilling, besides the chaotic production, was the seething and blunt lyrics delving into the consequences of drug abuse. A key theme in Brown’s lyricism. A track like “Ain’t it Funny” perfectly encapsulated these themes of this matter; a violent and drug-ridden disaster that cannot be ignored. Despite Brown’s more violent lyrics off of this album, this would not be the first mention of his addiction through his music. Elements of his other classic 2012 album ‘XXX” would also reflect these themes. Tracks like “Die Like a Rockstar”, “Detroit187”, “Monopoly”, and more when glancing at the tracklist. What is present, though both of these albums, is Danny Brown was truly struggling as a person. At the height of Danny Brown’s creative peak, he was truly succumbing to substances and fighting with himself, which is quite tragic and horrific to think about. With all of these outcomes and heart breaks from his drug usage, there needed to be a change. It wasn’t until around the early 2020s where Danny Brown acknowledged trying to make an effort to achieve sobriety. A quick glance at his Instagram stories and podcasts would show his progress of becoming sober whether it would be through his collaborative album with JpegMafia, or creating the introspective and reflective album like “Quaranta”. “Quaranta”, Danny Brown’s previous album, was where there was more of a final straw type-of scenario going on through Danny Brown’s mind regarding drug usage. This album is a reflection of life through Danny Brown’s 30s, which showcased all of his failures while also describing some optimism. This more underrated album in his catalog would be a turning point for Danny Brown’s character, and his music. Two years after this album dropped, Danny Brown’s optimism got the best of him and he was able to achieve full sobriety as of 2025. With this new so-called ‘rebirth’ in creativity, how would Danny Brown redefine his sound?
“Stardust”, this new album from Danny Brown, completely throws all of his previous production styles out the window to favor more flavors of hyperpop, electronic, and dance. This was hinted through his collaborative efforts with other artists between his years of sobriety to the release of “Stardust”. In 2024, Danny Brown would feature on a song with Joey Valence and Brae titled “PACKAPUNCH”, a very fun hardcore rap track that includes hysterical video game bars and some phenomenal vocal delivery from both boys and Danny Brown. Although not a very genre defining feature for Danny Brown’s future musical styles, Danny Brown has made aware through his social media of how influential Joey Valence and Brae would be for incorporating sounds of dance music in their music. Danny Brown would also garner some influence for “Stardust” from hyperpop heavyweight, Jane Remover with her album “Revengeseekerz”, which came out earlier this year as of 2025. On this track titled “Psychoboost”, Danny Brown is able to rap over a hyperpop beat and provide lines that have already been labeled as a classic. An example being his opening line saying “Out of my body, out of my element”. Danny Brown would also feature on Quadeca’s album “Vanisher, Horizon Scraper”, the track “THE GREAT BAKUNAWA” in particular. This song is more eerie and almost has an “Atrocity Exhibition” flare to it regarding production. Danny Brown, nonetheless, is able to cleverly rap over this track. Quadeca would be one of the biggest influences for “Stardust”. In 2024, Danny Brown mentioned on his podcast that Quadeca is a “high-level artist” and he was flattered and surprised when Quadeca asked him to be featured on his album and “rapping about being carbon monoxide”. Furthermore, all of these artists, plus a handful of others, were able to have some influence and impact on “Stardust”.
On first initial observations of “Stardust”, not listening to the music, there is a noticeable heavy feature list, which all characterize what the sound of this album will sound like. This cannot be understanded when listening to the first track “Book of Daniel”. Quadeca’s vocals and cinematic production coincide with Danny Brown’s powerful and moving lyrics, which build this tension that fully pay-off 3 minutes into the track. An excellent album opener that displays Danny Brown’s current perspective on life, while also mentioning all of the challenges it took to achieve this state of artistic power. This track ends so satisfyingly that it questions the listener on what album they are actually listening to. This idea is immediately diminished in the most Danny Brown fashion with the next track “Starburst”.
“Starburst” is the only track on this album that contains zero features. This is a track that only someone of Danny Brown’s caliber could rap over. It’s chaotic, it’s over the top, it’s funny. At times, this track does feel nonsensical, but there is a deeper meaning lying beneath the production. Danny Brown includes the line “They woke me up inside like listening to Evanescence”, which is one of the best lines of this album. This track also includes a beat switch around the 3-minute mark that definitely cements Danny Brown’s status as a legendary rapper.
The following track after “Starburst” is titled “copycats”. “Copycats” features the artists underscores, which are an electropop group that Danny Brown has raved about online for the past few years and even described their previous album “Wallsockets” as a “Perfect 10” when interviewed by Pitchfork. Danny Brown’s sentiments towards this group cannot be understated when collaborating on this feature track. Listening to how incredible these two artists create a song and present chemistry definitely gives Jpegmafia and Danny Brown’s collaborations a run for their money. The ear worm of a hook is headnodding and enchanting. Danny Brown describes a younger version of himself, and others trying to make it in the music industry, as a “Rockstar” and being this blown out of proportion power, and money hungry individual. Danny Brown mentions through his lyrics that others would rather prefer fame over actual mental health. He also notes that artists in the industry buy certain aesthetics that define their characters as artists, which becomes apparent when putting into context the name of the track. Danny Brown will also dig into more lyrical themes about others being labeled as “copycats” later on in the tracklist. Overall, all of these amazing lyrical themes, production styles, and features could arguably make this song a single of the year. This track is undeniably incredible and could even be one of the best singles of the decade, at least so far.
Danny Brown really hits a creative streak with this track listing because the next track is also fantastic. “1999”, the fourth song in this track list, is glitchy, danceable, and abrasive. Danny Brown, like always, provides hungry lyricism and humorous subject matter. What is a massive highlight on this track, however, is the feature JOHNNASCUS, an underground alternative hip-hop artist whos known for collabing with artist like Lil Darkie. Both Brown and JOHNNASCUS are like hungry wolves on this track, with JOHNNASCUS rap delivery almost sounding like this blood-thirsty demon. This is an awesome track that really shows how well Danny Brown can work with other artists from different genres of hip-hop. It’s one of the best
songs off the album and one that is definitely worthy of tinnitus from how glitchy this track is.
“Flowers” is the next track on “Stardust”. “Flowers” is a chill little breath of fresh air from the previous track. The track is composed of these bright synths, which feels somewhat dated but not much to be a complaint. These bright synths build up to Danny Brown rapping, which will always never fail to disappoint. “Flowers” also has these fun little vocals and vocal samples from the underground Canadian hyperpop artist 8485. This is a nice subtle little track, albeit not the strongest in the tracklist, it’s still a worthy little segment in the album.
The next track is a hefty one, and the most streamed. “Lift you Up” is a phenomenal dance track that is a massive highlight on the album. The bumping vocal samples and synths that swirl around this album are moving and so charming. The chorus is also so infectious. On top of that, Danny Brown raps on this track and it sounds so moving, which compliments the production nicely.
Unfortunately, the next track “Green Light” is sort of a lowlight in the tracklist. The production is skeletal and really does not help when the feature is someone as riveting as Frost Children. The lyrics are also down-right awful and unflattering. The chorus is weak, and the build up to Danny Brown’s subpar rapping is sort of a let down. The end of the track, however, does incorporate some effects, and Danny Brown does give a much stronger rapping performance. Thankfully, this is the only really notable song in the tracklist that diminishes the quality of this overall spectacular album.
Thankfully, the next track “What you see” is more introspective and executed more effectively. Danny Brown tells this compelling story about poor decisions he has made in his youth. Danny Brown discusses his past experiences with lust and abuse of power, and reflects on these thoughts in a personal way. It’s a very gripping track that also adds a lot more emotional weight through Quadeca’s soulful vocoded vocals. The instrumentation is also more stripped back with this very pretty piano arrangement and a subtle drum beat. It’s a step back from the chaotic nature of the album, but is able to fall smoothly into the tracklist.
The next track is another underscores track, which is titled “Baby”. In comparison to the previous underscores track, this track is quite a bummer on Danny Brown’s behalf. There is something so awkward about Danny Brown’s rapping. It’s almost annoying, but definitely becomes stronger as the track progresses. Underscores also provide amazing vocals on top of the instrumentation, which definitely gets more satisfying as the track progresses. Overall, this track just feels like it lives in the shadows of the more superior “copycats”. The track takes a while to pay-off, and Danny Brown also gives some substandard rapping.
The intense track “Whatever the Case” is up next in the tracklist. Similar to “Starburst” this track has Danny Brown spitting some bars for about a minute and a half of this track. Danny Brown mentions gatekeeping his sound and design choices so other artists can’t copy him, and calling his 2010 audience old. These themes are circled back from the earlier track “copycats”. ISSBROKIE is the feature on this song, and she does a phenomenal job when collaborating on this album. She talks about how some “oldheads” have horrible opinions on the genre of hyperpop, and delivers the line “Quit hatin’, boy, come out of the closet”, which is really funny in the context of this track. This is another amazing track which aims to clap back on haters’ and critics’ opinions of this genre and the different genre blends Danny Brown chose for “Stardust”. It fits nicely in the tracklist, and it’s a fun little underrated banger.
Here it is, one of the most blood pumping tracks on this album, “1l0v3myl1f3!”. This track immediately throws listeners into sounds of experimental hip-hop, EDM, and industrial. The drums are so intense and exuberating, and these flashy synths are stellar. Words can’t describe the feeling that this track brings. Danny Brown has this flow that flawlessly works together with this insane drum beat. Femtanyl, the feature on this track, provides these insane vocals that are so distorted and really paint this industrial-like environment for this track. Besides Femtanyl’s hypnotic vocals, Danny Brown rap delivery and basically kills this entire song. It’s so aggressive and fun, and would also make for a perfect song to put on a gym playlist.
The momentum from the last track slowly withers with the next track being “Right from Wrong”. This track still has some pretty incredible performances from Danny Brown and should definitely be viewed as a deep cut in the tracklist. It’s a track that feels almost like a reprise from the opening track regarding subject matter. The line “Ain’t too concerned when bridges get burned ‘cause im on my own path and that’s a lesson you learn” reiterates this statement. It’s another reflective track that gets left out when taking out the sheer heavy weights on the tracklist for this album. NNAMDI is featured on the chorus and delivers these vocals that are okay for what the track is. The track concludes with this spoken word bit that also occurred on the previous track. This is a worthy track that fits neatly in the tracklist, which should be respected for what it sets out to accomplish.
The second to last track on “Stardust” is an 8-minute behemoth of a song titled “The End”. This is another slept on track in this album. This track builds off the previous song, “Right from Wrong”and uses the production styles from “1l0v3myl1f3!” to culminate into a satisfying track. This is the track that Danny Brown feels the most vulnerable and personal on. The track uses this gorgeous piano loop and crazy drums, while also using down to earth and impactful lyricism. This is a track that is supposed to feel raw and digestible to listeners. There could be an explanation of why each line in this track is a standout in the album. It’s probably the most personal Danny Brown has been on any of his albums. Another highlight about this track is that the second verse reflects how Danny Brown has achieved his legend status and is grateful for all of his accomplishments. From his crippling drug addiction, his thoughts of being an irrelevant rapper, and being heartbroken all contrast to what he has shaped himself in the present. Danny Brown is still a relevant rapper and has gone above and beyond for what he could do as a rapper. He has made so many classic albums, started his own podcast, and has just been an overall hilarious comedic figure. He deserves every praise he receives and that cannot be ever more present through this album release. Danny Brown can never fall out of relevancy. There will always be some musical style that will stick with generations forever. He has truly mastered his craft of being a true experimental icon.
With the track “The End” coming to a close, the final track almost feels like a victory lap. This next track is titled “All4u”, which features the hyperpop icon Jane Remover. To be the most honest, this track should have concluded at “The End”. There was a much stronger anticipation for the Jane Remover feature, but it did not fully deliver. It’s a very short track that just feels like an unnecessary part to the previous track. What is present though in this track, is Danny Brown shares this inspiring message over some gorgeous production. It’s not a horrible track, but “Stardust” should have concluded with the previous track.
Despite a few duds in the tracklist and an unneeded concluding track, this album is an amazing revival for Danny Brown’s career. The singles on this album are truly some of the best music of the year. There are so many different genre blends that are clever, chaotic, and groovy. It’s an album that I see myself personally revisiting as time progresses. “Stardust” feels like one well deserved milestone for Danny Brown music and career. Overall, I highly recommend this album for anyone unfamiliar with Danny Brown. Compared to other albums he has made in the past, “Stardust” feels more accessible, in some aspects, regarding some of the genre blends. It’s an album that fits smoothly in his catalog.
8/10
