True 2 Myself
{{Infobox album
| name = True 2 Myself
| type = studio
| cover = Lil Tjay - True 2 Myself.png
| alt =
| artist = Lil Tjay
| released = {{start date|2019|10|11}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|trap|R&B}}
| length = 55:57
| label = Columbia
| producer = {{hlist|CashMoneyAP|Drü Oliver|Dystinkt Beatz|Hemmieonthebeat|JD On Tha Track|JTK|VZNARE|Nagra|Nick Cavalieri|Protegé Beatz||Relly Made|TnTXD|Zay Love|Ziggyonthekeyboard}}
| prev_title = F.N
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = State of Emergency
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{Singles
| name = True 2 Myself
| type = studio
| single1 = Brothers
| single1date = July 9, 2018
| single2 = Leaked
| single2date = September 6, 2018
| single3 = Goat
| single3date = December 21, 2018{{cite web |title=Goat by Lil Tjay on Apple Music |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/goat/1446792654?i=1446792656}}
| single4 = Ruthless
| single4date = May 3, 2019{{cite web |title=Ruthless (feat. Jay Critch) by Lil Tjay |url=https://music.apple.com/ca/album/ruthless-feat-jay-critch-single/1459886189}}
| single5 = Laneswitch
| single5date = July 26, 2019{{cite web |title=Laneswitch by Lil Tjay |url=https://music.apple.com/ca/album/laneswitch/1473980685?i=1473980691}}
| single6 = F.N
| single6date = August 22, 2019
| single7 = Hold On
| single7date = September 27, 2019
}}
}}
True 2 Myself is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on October 11, 2019, through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including CashMoneyAP, TnTXD, JD On Tha Track and Dystinkt Beatz among others. The album also features guest appearances from Rileyy Lanez, Jay Critch, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Lil Wayne.
True 2 Myself was supported by seven singles: "Brothers", "Leaked", "Goat", "Ruthless", "Laneswitch", "F.N" and "Hold On". The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart earning 45,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in February 2023.
Background
The artists announced his debut studio album on October 9, 2019, via his social media and revealed the tracklist as well as the cover art of the album.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-tjay-details-new-album-true-2-myself-which-is-out-this-week/|title=Lil Tjay Details New Album True 2 Myself, Which Is Out This Week|website=Pitchfork|last=Ruiz|first=Matthew Ismael|date=October 9, 2019|accessdate=October 18, 2019}} Being asked about the album title, he explained that he wants "to make sure that I put myself first and accomplish what I need to accomplish". To him, the album represents his "next level of success" and as a result, he needs "be true to who I am and focus on that main goal".{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/10/lil-tjay-interview|title='I'm Going to Take Over the World': An Interview With Lil Tjay|website=Complex|last=High|first=Kemet|date=October 15, 2019|accessdate=October 18, 2019}}
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Consequence of Sound
| rev1score = B+{{cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/10/album-review-lil-tjay-true-2-myself/|title=Lil Tjay Shines When Acting His Age on True 2 Myself|last=Richards|first=M. T.|website=Consequence of Sound|date=October 15, 2019|accessdate=October 18, 2019}}
| rev2 = HotNewHipHop
| rev3 = Pitchfork
| rev3Score = 6.5/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-tjay-true-2-myself/|title=Lil Tjay: True 2 Myself Album Review|last=Pierre|first=Alphonse|website=Pitchfork|date=October 14, 2019|accessdate=October 18, 2019}}
}}
Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork rated the album 6.5/10, stating that the album "is a playlist of soon-to-be singles grouped under the industry-formality heading of an "album". In a positive review, M. T. Richards at Consequence of Sound complimented the production, emphasizing how the beats are "very pretty second fiddle, never crowding Tjay out but always making their presence felt".
Commercial performance
True 2 Myself debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 45,000 album-equivalent units (including 1,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8533603/youngboy-never-broke-again-first-no-1-album-billboard-200|title=YoungBoy Never Broke Again Nabs First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart|magazine=Billboard|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|date=October 20, 2019|accessdate=October 21, 2019}} This became Lil Tjay's first US top-ten debut on the chart. In its second week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning an additional 31,000 units.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8540908/post-malone-hollywoods-bleeding-bounces-back-no-1-billboard-200|title=Post Malone's 'Hollywood's Bleeding' Bounces Back to No. 1 for Fourth Week on Billboard 200 Chart|author=Keith Caulfield|magazine=Billboard |date=October 27, 2019|accessdate=December 27, 2019}} On February 21, 2023, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over two million units in the United States.
Track listing
Track listing and credits adapted from Apple Music and Tidal.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/de/album/true-2-myself/1482317460|title=True 2 Myself by Lil Tjay on Apple Music|website=iTunes|accessdate=October 18, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/119631394|title=True 2 Myself / Lil Tjay|website=Tidal|accessdate=October 18, 2019}}
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length = 55:57
| title1 = One Take
| writer1 = {{hlist|Tione Merritt|Alphanso Cole}}
| extra1 = Ziggyonthekeyboard
| length1 = 2:48
| title2 = Hold On
| writer2 = {{hlist|Merritt|João Duarte|Jugraj Nagra}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|JD On Tha Track|Nagra}}
| length2 = 3:09
| title3 = F.N
| writer3 = {{hlist|Merritt|Artem Romanov|Matthew Bell}}
| extra3 = VZNARE
| length3 = 3:44
| title4 = Dream That I Had
| writer4 = {{hlist|Merritt|Jordan Knight}}
| extra4 = JTK
| length4 = 2:45
| title5 = Post to Be
| note5 = featuring Rileyy Lanez
| writer5 = {{hlist|Merritt|Drü Oliver|Nick Cavalieri|Haley Smith}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Oliver|Cavalieri}}
| length5 = 3:09
| title6 = Ruthless
| note6 = featuring Jay Critch
| writer6 = {{hlist|Merritt|Jason Critchlow|Gerail Harvey}}
| extra6 = Relly Made
| length6 = 4:04
| title7 = Mixed Emotions
| writer7 = {{hlist|Merritt|Harvey|Jason Patterson}}
| extra7 = Relly Made
| length7 = 3:01
| title8 = Decline
| note8 = featuring Lil Baby
| writer8 = {{hlist|Merritt|Dominique Jones|Raheem Fennel|Thomas Horton}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Hemmieonthebeat|TnTXD}}
| length8 = 3:45
| title9 = Sex Sounds
| writer9 = {{hlist|Merritt|Xavier McKoy}}
| extra9 = Zay Love
| length9 = 2:42
| title10 = Leaked
| writer10 = {{hlist|Merritt|Tomislav Ratešić}}
| extra10 = Dystinkt Beatz
| length10 = 3:40
| title11 = Laneswitch
| writer11 = {{hlist|Merritt|Duarte|Nagra|Warren McQueen}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|JD On Tha Track|Nagra}}
| length11 = 2:30
| title12 = Brothers
| writer12 = {{hlist|Merritt|Demetrie Glover|Duarte}}
| extra12 = {{hlist|JD On Tha Track|Protegé Beatz}}
| length12 = 3:30
| title13 = Goat
| writer13 = {{hlist|Merritt|Alex Petit}}
| extra13 = CashMoneyAP
| length13 = 4:02
| title14 = Top of My Game
| writer14 = {{hlist|Merritt|Mckoy}}
| extra14 = Zay Love
| length14 = 2:27
| title15 = No Escape
| writer15 = {{hlist|Merritt|Esmerlyn Toribio|Ratešić}}
| extra15 = Dystinkt Beatz
| length15 = 3:44
| title16 = Brothers
| note16 = Remix) (featuring Lil Durk
| writer16 = {{hlist|Merritt|Durk Banks|Glover|Duarte}}
| extra16 = {{hlist|JD On Tha Track|Protegé Beatz}}
| length16 = 3:30
| title17 = Leaked
| note17 = Remix) (featuring Lil Wayne
| writer17 = {{hlist|Merritt|Dwayne Carter, Jr.|Ratešić}}
| extra17 = Dystinkt Beatz
| length17 = 3:20
| all_writing =
}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2019/10/aria-chart-watch-547/|title=ARIA Chart Watch #547|publisher=auspOp|date=October 19, 2019|accessdate=October 19, 2019|archive-date=October 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019063322/https://www.auspop.com.au/2019/10/aria-chart-watch-547/|url-status=dead}}
| 59 |
| {{album chart|Flanders|159|artist=Lil Tjay|album=True 2 Myself|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 25, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardCanada|2|M|url=https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2019/10/20/post-malone-returns-no-1-albums-chart|title=Post Malone Returns To No. 1 On Albums Chart|work=FYIMusicNews|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 22, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|40|artist=Lil Tjay|album=True 2 Myself|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 18, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland|57|M|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums|title=Irish Albums Chart: 18 October 2019|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 18, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|22|date=20191018|rowheader=true|accessdate=October 18, 2019}} |
| scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8533603/youngboy-never-broke-again-first-no-1-album-billboard-200|title=YoungBoy Never Broke Again Nabs First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|date=October 20, 2019|magazine=Billboard|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=20 October 2019}}
| 5 |
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|5|artist=Lil Tjay|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 14, 2020}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Lil Tjay|title=True 2 Myself|award=Gold|relyear=2019|certyear=2019|access-date=December 10, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=True 2 Myself|artist=Lil Tjay|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2019|certyear=2023|id=12270|access-date=March 31, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=True 2 Myself|artist=Lil Tjay|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2019|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=December 20, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Lil Tjay|title=True 2 Myself|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2019|certyear=2021|id=16662-5239-2|access-date=October 28, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Lil Tjay|title=True 2 Myself|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2019|certyear=2023|access-date=February 22, 2023|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Lil Tjay}}
{{Authority control}}