After reviewing three different songs each week since my debut, I’ve decided to switch it up by reviewing a full album each week from now on. Kicking off the new edition of the series is the joint album “MIH-TY” by Jeremih and Ty Dolla $ign.
“MIH-TY” is the first collaborative album from R&B singer Jeremih and rapper Ty Dolla $ign. The duo has collaborated before on multiple tracks, their biggest hit being “Impatient.” The project was delayed three times for unknown reasons, until it was finally released Friday, Oct. 26.
“Impatient” is a great song that proved the artists to be a perfect duo. How will they sound together on a full-length album? Allow me to reveal whether or not each track is a “Play” or a “Nay.”
Track 1: “The Light”
“The Light,” released June 8, 2018, was the official single to the album. Being the albums lead single, I had pretty high expectations. This was supposed to be the one song from the album that would undoubtedly get the audience’s attention and hype them up for the release. Luckily, Ty and Jeremih definitely made a good move making this the lead, as it did not disappoint. The R&B influenced track is fantastic in all aspects. The chorus and verses from Jeremih are spot on, with his higher pitched tone adding a very welcoming vibe to the song, making it sound fresh and original. Ty also dominated his parts of the song. His refrain is extremely catchy, and his lower-pitched vocals contrast perfectly with Jeremih’s higher pitch. “The Light” is a more laid back track, as the beat is subtle and calm, but it still creates an enjoyable vibe that listeners can kick back to. A great song to open the album. Play or Nay: Play
Track 2: “Goin Thru Some Thangz”
The album’s official second single, “Goin Thru Some Thangz,” is already one of the best songs on the album. The duo comes together a lot on this track, singing the second chorus together as a duet. Their opposite tones come together as one, providing a fantastic range of vocal contrast that is very pleasing to the ear. In terms of their solo parts, both artists absolutely murder their verses. Their rhymes are on point and tell a story about a woman that is “goin thru some thangz,” rather than just spitting random sloppy bars that have no meaning whatsoever. The beat is definitely faster paced than the albums opener, but it doesn’t define the song as a “banger.” Aside from that, “Goin Thru Some Thangz” is my new favorite jam and is a song that has the potential to turn into a classic. Play or Nay: Play
Track 3: “FYT” featuring French Montana
FYT, which we find out stands for “f—— you tonight,” is the first song on the album that has a featured artist on it, rapper French Montana. Keeping it real, Montana was absolute garbage on this track. Not only is he featured, but he OPENS the track! His verse is choppy, awkward, and all over the place. FYT ends up being more of a sexual track in terms of its lyrics, and Montana clearly didn’t get that memo. He goes on to talk about money and diamonds, but nothing related to the song’s overall theme. Try again next time buddy. That being said, he didn’t exactly ruin the song. Ty comes in and instantly saves it. He arrives with the chorus, followed by a solid verse that shows us the more vocally talented side of him. Ty definitely does a lot more singing than rapping on this track, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a rap verse from him would have fit the track much better, leaving the singing to Jeremih. Jeremih doesn’t arrive until the near end of the track, where he sings an extremely flirtatious verse, opening with the line “I might get a room for you tonight.” The song continues with both artists hopping on the chorus, coming together as one, making you completely forget that trash – I mean, French Montana – was ever on the track in the first place. “FYT” definitely started out rough, but ended up being a groovy bop. Play or Nay: Play
Track 4: “Perfect Timing”
“Perfect Timing” is officially the album’s first flop. It’s boring, slow, and Jeremih’s vocals are extremely whiny and annoying, almost worse than a crying baby. To be honest, I ended up skipping the track halfway through because of how slow it was. However, Ty’s first verse was pretty good, but not good enough to save the track as a whole. Maybe it’ll grow on me. Play or Nay: Nay
Track 5: “New Level”
The album’s fifth track, “New Level,” came in with yet another flop. This song seems like it was thrown together last minute. There is way too much “open space” throughout the track, where neither artist was singing, and the instrumental wasn’t good enough to save the space. This made the track sound awkward, and I was saying to myself, “okay… are they going to keep singing or not?” Not to mention, the overly repetitive chorus is repeated three times throughout the track, which isn’t even three minutes long. It almost seems like they ran out of ideas for this track and just said “screw it, it’s good enough.” Not very impressed with this one, even though the beat was decent. Play or Nay: Nay
I am officially halfway through the album, and I have very mixed feelings so far. The first three tracks were great, until I got to tracks four and five. Both songs completely killed the vibe the album had going for it. For the rest of the album, I’m hoping for more joint singing, less whining from Jeremih, and maybe just a little bit more rapping from Ty rather than singing.
Track 6: “Take Your Time”
After two ugly flops in a row, “Take Your Time” brings the album back to life again with a faster paced beat and some catchy, sing-along lyrics. Although Ty covers the song’s chorus in a more vocal matter, he finally provides us with more rapping than singing. Not only does Ty rap a lot more, but Jeremih joins in on the verses with him. The two of them were finally taking turns rapping lines! The chorus is very short, specifically only two lines long, but it is still very enjoyable to sing along to. This is my second favorite track on the album so far. This is a song that can be blasted in the car or sung in the shower. Play or Nay: Play
Track 7: “These Days”
“These Days” continues to help keep the album going strong! Although the beat is a bit slow, the chorus is uplifting with its lyrics, and Ty, once again, does more rapping than singing. Not to mention, the song tells somewhat of a story. Jeremih expresses that he is still the same person he’s always been, even though he has been going through some challenges. As for Ty, he admits that there are people trying to take his place, most likely in the rap game, but he is remaining focused and keeping his eyes on the prize. This is a song I can relate to and enjoy at the same time, as it is motivational and pushes you to work hard regardless of what you may be going through. If you’re looking for the “pick me up” of the album, “These Days” is it. Play or Nay: Play
Track 8: “Surrounded” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Chris Brown
Here we have it… the official banger of the album. I honestly have no words, because this song is phenomenal. Chris Brown sings the chorus on this track, and it’s incredible. His vocals sound perfect and the overall chorus is extremely catchy. It is one of the best choruses Breezy has ever done. Ty’s verse is dope, but didn’t really stand out to me compared to the other features. Oh yeah, and did I mention Jeremih raps a full verse on this track? For an R&B singer, he did a pretty good job! Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Wiz Khalifa puts the cherry on top with his outstanding verse. Wiz never fails to provide fans with a good feature, and this one proves that he can conform to any track, as it is more of an R&B based track rather than trap, which is what Khalifa typically raps over. “Surrounded” will definitely be tearing up the airwaves sooner than later, just wait for it. Play or Nay: Play
Track 9: “Lie 2 Me”
“Lie 2 Me” is a lot like “These Days,” as it is a very relatable song with a good message to it. Jeremih and Ty go back and forth expressing that they don’t expect much in a relationship, they just want their partner to keep it real and not lie to them. In addition to being honest, both artists just want their lover to have their back as much as they have theirs. On this track, I really like how they both express the importance of trust and loyalty in a relationship. This is definitely a track I will have on repeat, not just because of the message, but also because it is extremely upbeat and generally makes you feel good. Play or Nay: Play
Track 10: “Ride It”
Even though the annoyingly repetitive chorus is repeated four times, this is one of the best songs on the album. “Ride It” is that song that makes you want to dance and sing along to. The beat is perfect, the chorus is catchy, and Ty and Jeremih are both at their best in terms of Jeremih’s vocals and Ty’s rapping. However, as I was listening, I began to think: a rapper like Nicki Minaj or Cardi B would sound perfect on this track, if it were to get remixed. The track is good, don’t get me wrong, but I do feel like there’s still room for something more. Nicki or Cardi would both sound perfect on this track and would turn it into the smash it deserves to be. Feature or featureless, this track is great and fully defines what both artists are all about, strong vocals and quality flow. Play or Nay: Play
Track 11: “Imitate”
Unfortunately, the album ended on a very low note. “Imitate” is a very slow and dry song that almost put me to sleep. Although it shows a softer and more lovey dovey side to Ty and Jeremih, it was a horrible move making this the album’s closing track. The verses drag, as both artists take what seems like a whole 30 seconds just to say two words. This song definitely should have been placed in the middle of the album, not at the end. However, they were bound to have one more flop before the album was finished. Play or Nay: Nay
As a whole, “MIH-TY” is pretty dope. It steadily consists of quality verses, dominant vocals, and groovy beats. We did hit a few bumps in the road with tracks like “Perfect Timing,” “New Level,” and “Imitate,” but the rest of the album was pretty solid and fun to listen to. Do I see this album being named album of the year by critics? Definitely not. Do I see this album being a smash on urban radio? Definitely yes. Props to Ty Dolla $ign and Jeremih for successfully releasing a joint album, as I’m sure it was a lot of work for both artists to come together and agree on what sounded right, and what sounded like trash. I am looking forward to hopefully hearing more from these two in the future.
I’m Dylan Jahnke, and this is my second year with 42Fifty, which I first joined as a staff member. I am a senior at Oswego High School, and I plan to study mass communications/music management in college. I hope to one day have my own radio talk show or get into artist management. If I’m not writing or editing for 42Fifty, I’m either working at Culver’s, hanging out with friends and family, or doing homework. I am humbled to say I began my 42Fifty career my junior year as a staff writer, then Arts & Entertainment editor first semester of my senior year and now Editor-in-Chief.
