!

Trippie Redd’s sophomore album begins with what sounds like a female robot repeating the words “exclamation mark” five times, followed by Trippie singing over a punchy synth line about protecting his peace (“I can’t keep focusing on anybody, I have to focus on myself”). ! doesn’t sound like any of Trippie’s most popular singles, but if his A Love Letter to You mixtape trilogy and debut album Life’s a Trip have taught us anything, it’s that the Ohio MC is at his most comfortable when exploring new sounds. Within !, Trippie’s production veers into washed-out jazz fusion for “Be Yourself,” country rap on “They Afraid of You,” and then trunk-rattling drip music for “Mac 10.” Which is not to say that Trippie isn’t the same emo kid that won the hearts of fans both in and out of the SoundCloud rap universe with “Love Scars.” Songs like “I Try,” “Throw It Away,” and “Signing Off” have him wailing like the Trippie Redd of old.