The rapper previews his upcoming album with a laid-back, bouncy single that prioritizes groove over aggression.

Something feels different about DaBaby’s rollout for his upcoming album BE MORE GRATEFUL. For once, it doesn’t feel rushed or scatterbrained. He actually seems patient, letting the singles breathe while teasing the bigger picture. With the album dropping in a week, his latest single, “POP DAT THANG,” arrives as a loose, confidence-heavy preview of where his head is at.

“POP DAT THANG” rides a bouncy, early-2000s-coded beat that feels cut from the same cloth as “Swing My Way,” complete with a ratchet woman in the background who sounds like an All-NBA twerker in her prime. DaBaby slides in with a surprisingly relaxed delivery, prioritizing riding the beat over his usual aggression. His bars circle around wanting to go the distance with a chick who has more moves than prime MJ in the bedroom, with a few slick shots about stealing girls that aren’t his.

Will I play this track again? Probably not, but it does tell me that DaBaby will be experimenting with this next album, which is good.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.