Featuring Ty Dolla $ign

A Ty Dolla $ign verse or hook is like an adventurous spice—a recipe can be fine without, but the addition really elevates it. The singer and rapper has spent the past decade being that little extra something in every corner of music, from R&B and pop to electronic and hip-hop, and his third album, Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, is a celebration of that collaborative spirit. Over the course of an hour, it highlights both the contours of his silky smooth delivery and the agile manner in which he slots in alongside his peers. Whether in crooning or in rhyming, he shows up to each track prepared to inject it with whatever energy it needs.

Despite the star-studded guest list, his voice, which is far too frequently heard as complement to someone else's, takes centre stage here. On songs like “Real Life” (which features Roddy Ricch and DJ Mustard), “Lift Me Up” (which includes Young Thug and Future) and “Your Turn” (which welcomes Musiq Soulchild, Tish Hyman and 6LACK), he shines through his guests, taking the qualities they bring and transforming them into his own. On solo tracks—“Nothing Like Your Exes”, “Time Will Tell” and “Slow It Down” the standouts among them—he commands the space as if to remind us that he's still a force unto himself. This may be Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, but there's no mistaking who is, in fact, the main attraction.