BEN - Macklemore - Album Review + NEW TOUR

2023 is a big year for Macklemore, Seattle, WA based singer/songwriter who just released his latest album, a self-titled one aptly named BEN. The fifteen song album is full of star-studded features adding an extra layer to the album and elevated the auditory experience Macklemore always seems to bring to his music. In discussing his approach to the album he mentioned that ’Earlier this year, in March, Macklemore released BEN, his critically acclaimed third studio album. “I’ve always wanted to make an album called Ben,” he shares. “There’s something about a self-titled record. It has an air of voyeurism. I’m letting people in, but in a way that I hadn’t felt 100% comfortable about allowing before. I am now though.” throughout 2020, he found himself with a rare pocket of time for introspection during the Global Pandemic—something not typically afforded to a father of three and touring musician…’

“I did experience a level of reflection I don’t think I’ve been able to truly tap into in the past,” he affirms. “This mandatory pause and the time created a level of intimacy that might not have been there if the world had continued to operate how it was.”’  I feel as though a lot of people, artists and fans alike, have had their lives and perspectives altered by something we all had to go through together. Emotionally processing a pandemic on a global level has impacted a lot of decisions and changed the music industry forever. 

Every song on BEN is a treasure and is so sonically different - the way in which it flows together on the self-titled record is just a seamless listening experience. When Macklemore came on the scene, his songs “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us Down” changed the way people react to his music and overall approach to life. Seattle has some of the most eclectic and innovative creatives coming out of the Pacific Northwest region. And Macklemore proves that time and time again, and regardless of what he does or who is watching. He always stays truly genuine to himself, his family, values and artistry. 

• BEN – TRACK LIST
• CHANT ft. Tones And I
• NO BAD DAYS ft. Collett
• 1984
• MANIAC ft. Windser
• DAY YOU DIE ft. Sarah Barthel (from Phantogram)
• HEROES ft. DJ Premier
• GRIME
• I NEED
• LOST / SUN COMES UP ft. Jackson Lee Morgan
• FAITHFUL ft. NLE Choppa
• TEARS
• SORRY ft. Livingston
• GOD’S WILL ft. Vic Daggs II
• I KNOW ft. charlieonnafriday
• TAIL LIGHTS ft. Morray

Once you hear BEN, you’ll never look at Macklemore the same way. “Songwriting is the glue for my entire career,” he leaves off. “If you’re not writing words that resonate, the music isn’t going to have depth, weight, or longevity. I’m not trying to follow. On this album, I’m being authentic to who I am. I’m reflecting on where I am in life. Turns out, I’ve learned a lot.”
BEN is out everywhere now

Macklemore is coming to Philadelphia, playing live at The Met Philly. You can grab tickets here.