''Destined 2 Win'' is the second studio album by American rapper

Lil Tjay Tione Jayden Merritt (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay ( ), is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2017 single "Resume", and signed with Columbi ...

. It was released on April 2, 2021, through

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. This serves as the follow-up to his 2019 debut album "

True 2 Myself ''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 an ...

". The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including

Smash David Samuel David Jimenez, professionally known as Smash David, is an American record producer and songwriter. He produced Big Sean's " Bounce Back" and "Pills & Automobiles" by Chris Brown from the ''Heartbreak on a Full Moon'' album. Early life ...

CashMoneyAP Alex Christian Jean Petit (born May 19, 1995), known professionally as CashMoneyAP, is a French record producer and record executive. He is best known for having produced the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-top ten single " For the Night" (2020) by Pop Smo ...

808Melo Andre Michael Loblack (born 6 April 1997), known professionally as 808Melo or 808MeloBeats, is an English record producer and songwriter. 808Melo is credited as a pioneer of UK drill and Brooklyn drill and is known for his bass heavy percussio ...

Cubeatz Cubeatz (sometimes stylized as CuBeatz) are a German hip hop production and songwriting duo from Hildrizhausen, consisting of twin brothers Kevin and Tim Gomringer. Originally embarking on their careers within German hip hop in 2008, they have si ...

and

OG Parker Joshua Isaih "'OG" Parker (born October 27, 1993), is an American hip hop record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2015, he worked as an in-house producer for the record label Quality Control Music. His stage moniker is adapted from his early a ...

among others. The album also features guest appearances from

6lack Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American R&B singer and songwriter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained recognitio ...

Polo G Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles " Finer Things" and " Pop Out" (featuring Lil Tjay). His debut album '' Die a Legend'' (2019) peaked a ...

Fivio Foreign Maxie Lee Ryles III (born March 29, 1990), known by his stage name Fivio Foreign (), is an American rapper from New York. He first saw mainstream recognition for his 2019 single " Big Drip", which received platinum certification by the Recording ...

Saweetie Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper (born July 2, 1993), known professionally as Saweetie (; also pronounced as simply "sweetie"), is an American rapper and singer. Her 2017 debut single, "Icy Grl", received RIAA certification, double platinum cer ...

Tyga Micheal Ray StevensonMicheal Ray Stevenson

Toosii Nau'Jour Lazier Grainger (born January 9, 2000), better known by his stage name Toosii, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Beginning his career in 2017, he rose to mainstream prominence following the release of his 2023 single " Favor ...

Offset Offset or Off-Set may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Off-Set", a song by T.I. and Young Thug from the '' Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' * ''Offset'' (EP), a 2018 EP by singer Kim Chung-ha * ''Offset'' (film), a 200 ...

, and

Moneybagg Yo DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper known for his melodic trap and Southern hip hop music style. White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, ...

. ''Destined 2 Win'' was supported by six singles: "

Losses Loss may refer to: *Economic loss *Grief, an emotional response to loss **Animal loss, grief over the loss of an animal Mathematics, science, and technology * Angular misalignment loss, power loss caused by the deviation from optimum angular al ...

", " Move On", "

None of Your Love "None of Your Love" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was first released on July 29, 2018 before being released to streaming services on December 4, 2020 as the third single and a bonus track from his second studio album ''Destined 2 Win'' ...

", "

Calling My Phone "Calling My Phone" is a song by American rapper and singer Lil Tjay featuring fellow American singer 6lack. It was released on February 10, 2021, through Columbia and Sony as the fourth single the former's second studio ''Destined 2 Win'' (2021). ...

", "

Headshot A head shot or headshot is a photographic portrait in which the focus is on the subject's face. The term is usually applied to professional profile images on social media, images used on online dating profiles, and promotional images of actors, ...

" and "Born 2 Be Great". 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 62,000

album-equivalent unit The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, often shortened to just unit, is a sales metric in the music industry that defines the number of streaming media, songs streamed and music download, songs downloaded equal to one Record sales, tradi ...

s, in its first week. On January 12, 2023, the album was certified platinum.

Background

Merritt began teasing his second studio album in 2020. The album's title describes the reflections on his highlights and accomplishments.

Recording and Composition

Merritt began recording the album in May 2020 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The album was eventually wrapped up in early 2021. ''Destined 2 Win'' is a

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

album, incorporating elements of R&B, trap,

emo rap Emo rap is a subgenre of Hip hop music, hip hop with influence from emo. Originating in the SoundCloud rap scene in the mid-2010s, the genre fuses characteristics of hip hop music, such as trap-style beats with vocals that are usually sung. Some ...

and

drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...

Promotion

Album documentary

Prior to the album's release, Merritt premiered the first part of the album's documentary that was directed by Sam Balaban on his YouTube channel. The documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at the album's creation.

Music videos

The music video for " Run It Up" featuring

and

was released on April 3, 2021. The music video for "Oh Well" was released on April 4, 2021. The music video for "Love Hurts" featuring

was released on April 7, 2021.

Live performances

Lil Tjay and 6lack performed their song "Calling My Phone" on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

'' on April 5, 2021.

Singles

The album's lead single "Losses" was released on October 30, 2020. It was accompanied by a music video on the same day. The second single "Move On" was released on November 20, 2020. The song was announced on Tjay's

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

, 3 days prior to the single's release revealing the song's covert art, title, and release date. It was accompanied by a music video directed by David Karp and Courtney Loo, the following day. The third single "None of Your Love" was released on December 4, 2020. The song contains interpolates from

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

, and

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

' 2010 song "

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". It was previously released on Merritt's

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel but due to the sample, Bieber requested to remove the song and Merritt was unable to clear the sample. However, on December 1, 2020, Bieber eventually allowed Merritt to release the song to streaming services. The fourth single "Calling My Phone" was released on February 12, 2021, featuring American singer

and was accompanied by a music video that premiered on the same day. The song was previously teased on Merritt's social media. A teaser for the song was released on February 5 revealing its title and release date and that an unknown feature will appear on the song. Speculations on the feature for the song began to spread and was eventually confirmed on February 8 on a

post that the feature would be 6lack. The fifth single "Headshot" was released on March 19, 2021, with frequent collaborator

, and American rapper

. The song was announced via an Instagram live stream on March 15, 4 days before its initial release. It was accompanied by a music video that was released on March 23. In an interview with

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reed Lowe (born 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence through pr ...

and

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

of how the song came together, Merritt said the collaborators meshed immediately. He further elaborated saying The sixth and final single "Born 2 Be Great" was released on March 31, 2021. The song reminisces Merritt's troubled childhood in which he and his friends went through trouble to get where he is today.

Critical reception

Robin Murray of ''

Clash Music ''Clash'' is a Music magazine, music and fashion magazine and website based in the United Kingdom. It is published four times a year by Music Republic Ltd, whose predecessor Clash Music Ltd went into liquidation. The magazine won awards includin ...

'' praises Lil Tjay progression, calling the album a "A deft step outside of hood braggadocio". Murray also said the album truly thrives when Lil Tjay leaves his feelings and his creativity exposed. Overall, Murray gave the album a rating of 7 out of 10. Rose Lilah of ''HotNewHipHop'' also praised Tjay's progression with this album, stating that "While Destined 2 Win may keep certain themes intact from Tjay’s debut album, True 2 Myself, and his early success in general, the growth on this album is still evident, and it’s part of what makes Tjay such an exciting artist to follow." Lilah also said that "As a fan, we are able to clearly witness an evolution in real time." Lilah also spoke highly about the progression of Tjay's sophomore effort saying that "It also leaves the listener wanting more: whether that be through a quick replay or through the next song, it reels you in to Tjay’s personal journey, from juvenile detention to worldwide fame." Overall, Lilah believes Lil Tjay is manifesting his destiny, stating that "On Destined 2 Win, the young artist makes it known that this is a role he not only takes seriously, but one he plans to succeed in, no matter what."

Commercial performance

''Destined 2 Win'' debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, earning 62,000

s, (including 3,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week. This became Lil Tjay's second US top ten debut on the chart, matching ''

'' which also peaked at number five. The album also accumulated a total of 86.14 million on-demand streams from the album’s songs. In its second week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning an additional 38,000 units. On July 12, 2021, the album was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States. As of September 2021, the album has earned 570,000 album-equivalent units in the United States. On January 12, 2023, the album was certified platinum.

Track listing

Sample credits * "Calling My Phone" contains samples from "How I Been", performed by

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From Louisiana, United States, Gaulden released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional foll ...

* "None of Your Love" contains samples from "

", performed by

featuring

* "Born 2 Be Great" contains samples from "Work", performed by

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

featuring

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

Personnel

Credits adapted from

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. * Bordeaux –

mixing engineer A mixing engineer (or simply mix engineer) is responsible for combining ("mixing") different sonic elements of an auditory piece into a complete rendition (also known as "final mix" or "mixdown"), whether in music, film, or any other content of a ...

mastering engineer Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the Audio mixing (recorded music), final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source ...

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...

* Eric Lagg – mastering engineer * Todd Hurtt – recording engineer * Tweek Tune – recording engineer * JT Gagarin – recording engineer * Barrington Hall – recording engineer * Mitch Kenny – recording engineer * Drü Oliver – recording engineer * Randy Urbanski – recording engineer * Christian "CQ" Quinonez – recording engineer * David Cabrera – recording engineer * Jadon John – recording engineer * Brandyn Marko – recording engineer * Nick Cavalieri – recording engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Portal, Music 2021 albums Lil Tjay albums Albums produced by Cubeatz Albums produced by OG Parker Columbia Records albums