Despite bringing some darkness and energy on single “Dark Things,” Chicago rapper Vic Mensa misses the mark, amplified by an overabundance of autotune.

“Dark things in my mind again / I don’t wanna have a bad night again / I might lose my mind again / I might lose my mind again.” Clearly, rapper Vic Mensa is NOT in a good mental place, at least judging by the lyrics of his single, “Dark Things.” That said, one who is familiar with Mensa has to question what exactly he was thinking when he released this particular single… Rewinding a bit, back in 2017, Mensa dropped his debut album, The Autobiography.  For the most part, The Autobiography got positive reviews. Unfortunately for the Chicago rapper, the LP arrived with little fanfare.  If “Dark Things” is any indication of the direction Mensa might opt for in the future, that positivity from critics is sure to change…

“I’m a sicko, I’m a fucking hypochondriac / Fuck the pain away, beat it like a 808…” Cutting straight to the chase, perhaps “Dark Things” wouldn’t feel quite as bad as it does if Vic Mensa weren’t the lead artist. Take any other young rapper, particularly those associated with SoundCloud rap, and “Dark Things” might actually work.  In the hands of Mensa however, this just doesn’t do much – it sounds subpar for him. Sure, he makes his point about the ‘dark things’ taking over his mind, and has the occasional respectable moment doing so.  But, still, he doesn’t offer up anything brand-new lyrically.  Furthermore, the highly autotuned vocals are utterly annoying, particularly on the chorus – phew!

Final Thoughts 

Finding positives regarding “Dark Things” is an arduous task.  Give Mensa credit for his energy. Furthermore, the production – save for the suspect vocal production – is notable enough.  Otherwise, “Dark Things” falls short.

Vic Mensa » Dark Things [Single] » Roc Nation » Release: 11.21.18

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