Real Back in Style
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Real Back in Style
| type = studio
| artist = Potter Payper
| cover = File:Potter Payper - Real Back in Style.jpg
| alt = A close-up shot of a man's face from the nose down to the chin, fixated on his smiling crooked teeth
| released = {{start date|2023|05|12|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = British hip hop
| length = 50:50
| label = 0207 Def Jam
| producer =
- 169
- Aaronorage
- Harry Beech
- Chucks
- Emil
- Kyle Evans
- EY
- Fumes Beats
- Harry Fraud
- GX
- Jason Julian
- Kieran Nash
- R14
- Quincy
- Joe Stanley
- Westy
| prev_title = Thanks for Waiting
| prev_year = 2021
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Real Back in Style
| type = studio
| single1 = Blame Brexit
| single1date = 5 January 2023
| single2 = Multifaceted
| single2date = 23 February 2023
| single3 = Corner Boy
}}
}}
Real Back in Style is the debut studio album by English rapper Potter Payper, released on 12 May 2023 by 0207 Def Jam. It follows Payper's 2021 mixtape, Thanks for Waiting, and his Training Day mixtape trilogy.
Release and promotion
The album was announced on 21 April 2023 through Payper's social media.{{cite web|url=https://grmdaily.com/potter-payper-announces-real-back-in-style-debut-album/|title= Potter Payper announces debut album 'Real Back In Style'|website=GRM Daily|date=12 May 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}} It was supported by three singles through the first quarter of 2023: "Blame Brexit", "Multifaceted" and "Corner Boy".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/potter-payper-drops-politically-charged-new-single-blame-brexit-25574/|title=Potter Payper releases politically-charged new single, 'Blame Brexit'|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Goggins|first=Joe|date=6 February 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://hypebeast.com/2023/2/potter-payper-new-single-multifaceted-music-video|title=Potter Payper Drops New Single "Multifaceted"|website=|last=Lynch|first=Jack|date=27 February 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/potter-payper-unveils-new-single-corner-boy|title=Potter Payper unveils new single "Corner Boy"|website=The Line of Best Fit|last=Kenneally|first=Cerys|date=17 March 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Clash
| rev1score = 8/10{{cite magazine|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/potter-payper-real-back-in-style/ |title=Potter Payper – Real Back In Style|magazine=Clash|last=Collier-McDermott|first=Shanté|date=28 April 2023|access-date=15 June 2023}}
| rev2 = Mic Cheque
| rev3 = Rolling Stone
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/album-reviews/potter-payper-real-back-in-style-review-an-exercise-in-authenticity-29122/|title=Potter Payper 'Real Back In Style' review: an exercise in authenticity|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Goggins|first=Joe|date=12 May 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}
| rev4 = The Telegraph
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/albums-of-the-week-alison-goldfrapp-potter-payper/|title=Alison Goldfrapp goes solo, Potter Payper finds life after prison – the week's best albums|newspaper=The Telegraph|last=Pritchard|first=Will|date=12 May 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}
| rev5 = Whynow
| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://whynow.co.uk/read/real-back-in-style-potter-payper-review|title=Potter Payper's debut delivers trademark fiery storytelling|website=Whynow|last=Garratt-Stanley|first=Fred|date=12 May 2023|access-date=14 May 2023}}
| MC = 84/100{{cite web |title=Real Back in Style by Potter Payper |website=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/real-back-in-style/potter-payper |access-date=26 June 2023 |language=en}}
}}
{{Metacritic album prose|Real Back in Style|universal acclaim|84|4}}
For The Telegraph, Will Pritchard praised the album's storytelling and realism, describing it as "disarmingly honest music that indicates a newly mature era for UK rap." In a five-star review, Fred Garratt-Stanley of Whynow commented "Real Back in Style presents Potter Payper’s trademark style of impassioned, fiery road rap storytelling in a tighter, more cohesive format than ever before. His narratives are cleverly woven, the instrumentals behind them powerful and expansive." For Rolling Stone, Joe Goggins described Real Back in Style as "an exercise in authenticity", while noting Payper's production nods to 90s hip hop.
= Year-end lists =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Select year-end rankings of Real Back in Style |
| scope="col"| Publication
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| List ! scope="col"| Rank ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Clash
|Albums Of The Year 2023 | style="text-align: center;"| 56 | style="text-align: center;"| {{Cite web |date=2023-12-13 |title=Albums Of The Year 2023 |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/general/albums-of-the-year-2023/ |access-date=May 31, 2024 |website=Clash Magazine |language=en-GB}} |
| scope="row"| Complex UK
| Complex UK's Best Albums of 2023 | style="text-align: center;"| 2 | style="text-align: center;"| {{cite magazine|url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/joseph-jp-patterson/complex-uk-best-albums-of-2023|title=Complex UK’s Best Albums Of 2023|magazine=Complex UK|last1=Patterson|first1=Joseph JP|last2=Keith|first2=James|last3=Cagna|first3=Claudia|date=December 15, 2023|access-date=May 31, 2024}} |
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Real Back in Style track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| all_writing = Jamel Bousbaa.
| title1 = Real Back in Style
| extra1 = {{hlist|Jason Julian|Kyle Evans}}
| length1 = 3:46
| title2 = Quite Befitting
| extra2 = {{hlist|Emil|Kz{{ref|c|[c]}}}}
| length2 = 4:25
| title3 = All My Life, If I Had...
| extra3 = {{hlist|Quincy|Aaronorage{{ref|c|[c]}}|Kz{{ref|c|[c]}}}}
| length3 = 3:23
| title4 = A Million £
| extra4 = {{hlist|R14|Kz{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length4 = 3:24
| title5 = Multifaceted
| extra5 = GX
| length5 = 2:57
| title6 = What They Ain't
| extra6 = 169
| length6 = 3:44
| title7 = How Can I Explain?
| extra7 = Quincy
| length7 = 3:56
| title8 = Blame Brexit
| extra8 = EY
| length8 = 3:09
| title9 = Toy Story 2
| extra9 = {{hlist|Aaronorage|Harry Beech|Kieran Nash|R14}}
| length9 = 3:16
| title10 = Scenes
| extra10 = {{hlist|GX|Joe Stanley{{ref|c|[c]}}|Zubnid{{ref|c|[c]}}|Kz{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length10 = 3:22
| title11 = Corner Boy
| extra11 = {{hlist|Chucks|Fumes Beats}}
| length11 = 2:59
| title12 = Track Flocaine
| extra12 = Harry Fraud
| length12 = 2:33
| title13 = Money or Victims? (Kayla's Story)
| extra13 = {{hlist|Chucks|Westy}}
| length13 = 3:20
| title14 = Actuality
| extra14 = {{hlist|EY|Kz{{ref|a|[a]}}}}
| length14 = 2:51
| title15 = White Ash
| extra15 = {{hlist|GX|Stanley}}
| length15 = 3:45
| total_length = 50:50
}}
Personnel
- Potter Payper – vocals
- Lewi White – mixing, mastering
- Will Lite – mixing, mastering
- Calum Landau – engineering
- Aaronorage – engineering on "Multifaceted"
- Chucks – engineering on "Multifaceted"
- Joe Brice – engineering assistance on "Real Back in Style" and "Multifaceted"
- Baely – vocals on "Real Back in Style" and "White Ash"
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Chart performance for Real Back in Style ! scope="col"| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Scotland|8|date=20230519|rowheader=true|access-date=20 May 2023}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|2|date=20230519|rowheader=true|access-date=19 May 2023}} |
| {{album chart|UKR&B|1|date=20230519|rowheader=true|access-date=20 May 2023}} |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}