Vince Staples has announced his new album, Dark Times, out this Friday, May 24th via Def Jam Recordings. In the meantime, the Long Beach rapper has revealed the first single, “Shame on the Devil,” and its accompanying music video.
Dark Times contains 13 tracks and was recorded over seven months in North Hollywood. “I’m Black, and that’s what we’re evading,” he said in a statement about the album cover, which features a faintly seen noose. “We all have our things that could kill us. We all have that imminent threat.”
See the artwork and full tracklist below. Pre-orders for the album are ongoing.
On “Shame on the Devil,” Staples expresses his gratefulness for making it out of his neighborhood (“Mission complete, outta the mud”) while still being haunted by the past (“Voices still in my head, voices still in my head”). “Shame on the Devil,” he raps on the chorus. “I’m touched by an angel/ The Lord made me special.”
In describing the song, Staples said, “It’s me mastering some things I’ve tried before that I wasn’t great at in the beginning. It’s a testament to musical growth, song structure — all the good stuff.” Watch the music video below.
Earlier this month, Staples highlighted big-picture issues in the music industry while addressing the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef — though he praised Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” shortly afterward.
Staples recently co-created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix surrealist comedy series, The Vince Staples Show. His last album, Ramona Park Broke My Heart, was released in 2022.
This summer, Staples will headline the inaugural Elsewhere Festival and play Lollapalooza. He is also slated for a brief European tour. See the schedule below, and get tickets here.
Dark Times Artwork:
Dark Times Tracklist:
01. Close Your Eyes and Swing
02. Black & Blue
03. Government Cheese
04. Children’s Song
05. Shame on the Devil
06. Étouffée
07. Liars
08. Justin
09. “Radio”
10. Nothing Matters
11. Little Homies
12. Freeman
13. Why Won’t the Sun Come Out?
Vince Staples 2024 Tour Dates:
06/04 – Köln, DE @ Live Music Hall
06/05 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys
06/07 – Aarhus, DK @ Northside Festival
06/08 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Keep Secret Festival
06/09 – Paris, FR @ Bataclan
06/11 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
06/12 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz Manchester
06/13 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute
06/15 – Barcelona, ES @ Sonar Festival
06/22 – Wichita, KS @ Elsewhere Festival
08/01 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza Chicago
08/07 – Oslo, NO @ Øyafestivalen
