Despite being a few weeks late, Almost Healed sees The Voice speak his truth.
Pushing back the 21-track LP amid an uplifting performance on the chart-topping “All My Life,” Lil Durk’s latest album arrived clad with an all-star list of collaborators.
Featuring beats from Metro Boomin, Wheezy, Southside, ryderoncrack and guest verses from J. Cole, Juice WRLD, Future, Morgan Wallen, 21 Savage, Kodak Black and more, early highlights like “War Bout It,” “Cross The Globe,” “Moment Of Truth” and its second single “Pelle Coat” all display Durk’s fresh frame of mind.
Enacting outward changes in his life, an Alicia Keys-guided “Therapy Session” leads in his overall image shift — illustrating the better version of himself he’s become (both personally and artistically) through pain and hardship. Additionally, the album earned 124,000 first-week units, per Hits Daily Double — sweeping Apple Music’s Hip-Hop charts in its debut week.
“As The Voice, I’m speaking for us all and what we go through that everyone may not realize,” he wrote via Twitter. “Many young men like myself have faced some sort of trauma in their lives. This album is a representation of what transpires through difficult situations and the processes we go through while healing.”
“All My Life” proved to be the perfect placeholder — and lead effort — for the new record. Paired with a visual headed by Lil Bibby’s Grade A Productions, Durk’s performance sees him deter from his signature street narrative — captivating with positive candor that he attributes to therapy. Backed by an uplifting chorus that gives undertones of Michael Jackson’s “We Are The World” — clad with a youth choir — “All My Life” is a bar-heavy bout that even Durk agrees Cole washed him on. “He smoked my ass on that,” Durk told Complex. “And that barely happens.”
Cole continues an immaculate feature run stemming from tracks with BIA, Benny The Butcher, J Hope and more. His verse is packed with punchlines like “Young Jordan Peele, got to Get Out” and quips about longevity, rapper deaths and the pseudo social media culture that surrounds it. “Me, I’m running long distance / All pistons firing / I be stuck between maybe retiring and feeling like I’m just now hittin’ my prime,” the Dreamville boss raps with personality, perhaps hinting at many more years of work despite previously saying he would retire after The Fall Off. While still in the works, it’s a promise for better days from Cole.
Almost Healed comes off the heels of Durkio’s recent tiff with NBA YoungBoy, who shared his new project, RICHEST OPP, on the same day as “All My Life.” YoungBoy’s frustrations with Lil Durk and DJ Akademiks took him over the edge online earlier this month — calling out Durk, Drake, Lil Yachty and more on his third album of 2023.
YB’s cultural dominance only gets more convincing with each album, regardless of the shots he’s firing. He took to Twitter to address his qualms and antagonize Durk, but deleted his account once a response wasn’t given. Where Durk may have played into an online feud in the past, he took the high road — Almost Healed from his self-inflicted wounds… how fitting.
As Durk explained himself when he sat down with Ak on Off The Record earlier this week, it appears he’s in a great headspace — and the album certainly reflects it.
Catch Lil Durk on the “Sorry For The Drought Tour” this summer featuring guests in Kodak Black, DD Osama, NLE Choppa and more. Purchase tickets here.
Listen to ‘Almost Healed’ below!
