NAV - Good Intentions (Album Review)
NAV is back in action with his third studio album 'Good Intentions'. I've never been a fan of Nav, however after enjoying 'Turks' more than I did than most Nav tracks, I had a slight bit of hope. Unfortunately, that hope was quickly taken away from me once I clicked play. The production has few high highlights and can be very generic sometimes consisting mainly of trap elements such as: 808s, hi hats and synths. The production also has a light feel to it, with mainly soft beats. The generic beats can get slightly catchy at times and you can vibe with some of them, but for the most part they're boring. Lyrically, it's rare a project is bad rather than basic - but Nav has a lot of bad lyrics on this thing. He's never clever and literally rhymes as simple as nursery rhymes. Arguably as well he's the weakest lyricist out there – even artists like Pump & 6ix9ine say something funny or something obscure to keep you interested. Nav's flow is pretty robotic and boring for the most part, and his delivery is so monotone - almost what I imagine Siri would rap like - which makes his rapping quite boring. Despite that, at times the melodies were decent and you can say he's improved in that department. The one real positive of this album is the features Nav has selected do well. I wouldn't say they were all amazing, but there was no weak features and they were all within Nav's comfort zone. The content on this album is mainly flexing, drugs and girls. There are a few moments where he's introspective - talking on his come up and mental health for example - but he doesn't really add much substance to these and it's mainly surface level descriptions with basic lyrics.
Good Intentions (Intro)
The intro to this track is a slug-fest. Nav talks on his 'dominance' in the rap game, flexes with incredibly basic lyrics over a meh trap beat with flowery synths. The flow gets annoyingly repetitive while the verses have no distinction between the hook - a weak start to this project.
No Debate
The lyrics on this flex track are basic to the point where they're just bad, "Took a shower after I'm done getting sucked (Sucked, sucked) // Too much drip, I think we gotta fix the sink". Nav is monotone, and boring again, while the feature, Young Thug, couldn't save this despite having a decent flow and riding the beat well. The beat also is just bland hi hats and 808s.
My Business
This track is better and more introspective for Nav over another pretty tasteless beat, however the change of pace in the hook from the verses make the hook pop out more. Future had nothing interesting to say, but his flow was fire and he definitely added to the track. It was the best song so far, but it was still a mid track however.
Turks
The biggest single leading up to this is easily the first track to go hard on the album. Nav was pretty good on this, with Gunna having a fine cadence and riding the beat well partnered with Travis (the best verse lyrically, with a hard delivery and flow) talking about girls, flexing and shooting people up over this dark beat with a catchy 808 pattern. The first song with replay value on the album so far.
Brown Boy
This track isn't boring - it's just bad. I get the point of the track which is told from the perspective of haters being jealous - but it's executed poorly. What he is saying is corny, and nobody thinks the things he's saying. It also doesn't make sense - the person who's perspective he's taking on goes from hating him to saying Nav gets him through tough times? The beat again is bland and generic and it's a bad song in my opinion.
Status
This isn't a horrible song, mainly because of the feature. Nav's lines are bad, so bad "Got her suckin' my cock, cock, cock (My cock)" and the repetition of "brown boy" is corny. The beat though goes kind of hard, the hook is catchy and Lil Uzi Vert works well in the track with a great flow - and his repetition is fun, not like "cock, cock, cock".
Codeine
Gunna & Nav on a track was never going to work out. The beat again is lazy, Nav has some more basic to bad lines as he talks on the usual flexing, girls and drugs. Gunna was boring, generic and nothing like he was on the song 'Turks' and once again this is a tedious song.
Saint Laurenttt
This track is easily the best song on the album. The R&B, slower beat is a whole vibe and works well with the theme of the song where Nav focuses on a specific girl as his relationship starts to crumble. The hook is fire (especially the slurred part) and the whole song is such a vibe.
Coast To Coast
And just like that we are back to boring. He talks on being the only brown boy in the game as he flexes and take drugs. The song is generic, but the swirl feeling to the beat is alright. It comes at you fast paced but it doesn't do anything to keep you interested.
Run It Up
This track is bearable at least. Nav is basic again and flexes as usual, but Pop Smoke's melodic tone with his harsh voice worked really well over this piano-themed beat. It's not horrible (which is a compliment at this point).
Spend It
Nav, once again doesn't lose all your interest here but again he only uses the track to flex. Young Thug features on this track and with some funny lines and a decent melody - he definitely adds to the track. The vocal sample in the instrumental is good, and overall the beat has a different feel and is better than most on this album. While it is bearable again, it's still nothing more than mid though.
Recap
Don Toliver makes a bit of a disappointing feature on 'Recap', his vocals were alright but I've heard better of his vocals before. Another bland beat and basic Nav performance as he talks about catching up with an ex. Again, it's not an awful song - but there's nothing going for it that would bring me back - plus NAV's melody on the hook was offputting.
She Hurtin
Finally, a decent song. The R&B groove to the beat sounds good as the whole song is dedicated to a girl he likes. However, with a nice intention in mind, Nav's lyrics are basic and put across as if this was a nursery rhyme, "I know you got some insecurities, your last man left you scarred // I wouldn't change a thing about you, girl, I like you just the way you are". Realistically, it was carried by the beat and his melody in the chorus and post-chorus - which stops it being a GOOD song and rather a just alright song.
Overdose
Back down to reality - this is boring. The beat is alright as is the content which is about using drugs to numb depression - but the robotic flow and slow paced, pretty lengthy hook make it such a drag and another easy skip.
Did You Wrong
Firstly, the beat sounds like a rip off of any R&B track that gets played at the club. He talks on regretting mistakes he's made with this girl in yet another basic manor - but for the first time the entire album I can pick out a bar or two I thought were alright, "I got mob ties everywhere, I can't be touched // But losin' you gon' kill me". The "yeah" ad libs all trhoughout the hook get pretty annoying as well.
My Space
Same old same old here: mid beat, basic lyrics, boring track. He talks about needing his space as a relationship begins to crumble but again it's just a snooze.
No Ice
Again, the beat is mid. Nav and Lil Durk talk on their childhood and their crime life (drugs, shooting you know the usual), Durk a wasn't painful sit through but he didn't really add anything to the track - it was nice to hear a new voice though. Once again, sounding like a broken record, it was boring.
Proud Of Me?
Finally, it's the last track. The slow beat once again has nothing much to it as Nav reflects on life and his come up so far. The track had potential with a catchy hook, but the second verse was too much of a drag to find any enjoyment out of listening to this song in full.
To conclude, this album is incredibly boring. There was no need for 18 tracks and so far, this is the worst album of the year. It picked up a tiny bit in the middle but quickly dropped off again. It picked up a tiny bit in the middle but quickly dropped off again. NAV then dropped a deluxe to this with 14 new tracks - and I love to review every album - but I can't sit through another 14 tracks...
FAVOURITE TRACKS: Turks, Saint Laurenttt
LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: Brown Boy
OVERALL RATING: Solid 2.5/10