SAME DIFFERENCE

This was long overdue… like really long overdue. Can we even call this his debut album? Or do we count Swaecation, even though that dropped as part of the three-part SR3MM project? I’d say this is his real debut, just because Swaecation was still part of a Rae Sremmurd release. But still… eight years between that and SAME DIFFERENCE is kind of crazy. That’s a long time to build up anticipation, and also a pretty risky move.

We’ve seen how that can go. Sremm 4 Life dropped five years after SR3MM and it didn’t really move the needle at all. It barely made noise, and it kind of felt like people had moved on from that Rae Sremmurd wave. Which is weird to say, because between 2014 and 2018 they were everywhere. One of the defining acts in trap music at the time. Tracks like Black Beatles, No Type, Powerglide, This Could Be Us, Come Get Her, Look Alive… just hit after hit after hit.

Their albums were always solid too, but with Sremm 4 Life it felt like they didn’t really evolve. It was just more of the same sound they were already doing back in 2015, but with less energy. And going into this Swae Lee album, I kind of had that same concern.
Since SR3MM, Swae has been teasing a solo album for years. Dropping singles here and there, and every time it felt like “okay, now it’s coming”… but it never actually did. Until now. Eight years later, it’s finally here. And I’ve got to be honest, I went in a bit cautious. Because even though Swae is still a really strong feature artist, I had a feeling this might end up sounding a bit stuck in time. And I hate to say it but... it kind of does.

The overall sound of the album really sits in that 2015–2020 era. And look, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s still a sound that works. But it also doesn’t show much growth or evolution. It just feels like more of the same we’ve already heard from Rae Sremmurd and similar artists for years now. I was kind of hoping he would take a step forward, maybe explore some new directions. Especially because on Swaecation he actually leaned more into that R&B/pop bag, and even though that wasn’t a great album per se, it was super vibey and smooth.

On SAME DIFFERENCE, he goes back more to those familiar sounds. A mix of trap and some pop elements, which definitely suit him. And yeah, it’s vibey throughout, I can’t deny that. Most of the album is at least enjoyable to listen to. But it rarely feels fresh or exciting.

There are definitely some standouts though. TOMATO/TOMÁTO, MURAL, FLAMMABLE, WORKING REMOTE, VIOLET and TAKE MY HEART were the tracks that stood out the most to me. They had good energy, or at least something slightly different going on in the production. Especially WORKING REMOTE really grabbed my attention. That’s honestly the one track that truly stood out for me. The production on that one is just way more interesting, a bit more layered, and Swae really floats over it nicely. And having Slim Jxmmi come in with a solid verse just makes it even better. That track actually felt like something new for them, which I really liked.

The rest of the album is mostly just… meh. Like, it’s not always that bad. It’s pretty easy to listen to, definitely has a vibe at times, but it’s also not memorable at all and can be quite a snooze at times. For what is offers, this album is a bit too long regarding its runtime. A lot of tracks just kind of come and go without really sticking.

Production-wise, it’s also a bit of a mixed bag. Most of it is pretty straightforward trap production. Nothing bad, but also not much that really stands out. Every now and then you get some more interesting, pop-leaning production like on MURAL, SUITCASE, VIOLET, WORKING REMOTE, and those moments definitely work better for me. I’ve always felt like Swae Lee shines more on those kinds of beats anyway. His voice just fits that smoother, more melodic production so well. On trap beats he still sounds good, don’t get me wrong, but on those pop-influenced tracks he really stands out more.

Because at the end of the day, Swae’s biggest strength is still his voice. It’s unique, instantly recognisable, and just very pleasant to listen to. Even if the lyrics aren’t saying much, the way he delivers them still makes the songs almost always work. That’s always been his thing.

But as a full album… it just doesn’t really come together that well. He touches on different sounds here and there, with trap, pop, some afrobeat and Caribbean influences, but it feels a bit all over the place. There’s not a strong sense of cohesion. It plays more like a playlist than a fully thought-out album. You don’t really feel like you have to listen to it front-to-back in order.

Overall, SAME DIFFERENCE is quite a flawed album that had the potential to be more than it ended up to be. It’s enjoyable for parts, nothing really outright bad, and Swae sounds fine like he always does. But at the same time, it doesn’t really justify that eight-year wait. It doesn’t feel like a big statement or a real step forward. It’s just… mediocre at most. A vibey listen at first, but nothing groundbreaking or moving at all. I’ll probably come back to a few tracks here and there, but as a full album, I don’t see myself revisiting it again.