In 2017, Future was having a banner year. Just a couple of years ago, he was making a comeback with masterpiece, DS2, and his collaboration album with Drake, What a Time to Be Alive.
Then on February 17, 2017, Future came out with his eponymous fifth studio album; a trap banger filled with production from Southside, Metro Boomin and Zaytoven, as well as the inescapable “Mask Off”, a song which grew to become its own thing.
Future topped the charts with 140,000 units sold in the first week, and it became Future’s fourth number one album in three years, following DS2, What a Time to Be Alive and Evol. For most artists, that would have been enough, they would have started organising a tour to wrap up a great year. Not for Future though, one of the most prolific and greatest rappers of the 2010s.
A week later, on February 24, Future dropped a surprise album, this one was called Hndrxx. Unlike Future, which was filled front-to-back with banging trap production and the rapper flexing his usual money, guns and drugs, Hndrxx leaned more towards the pop and R&B side. Featuring guest appearances from The Weeknd and Rihanna, the album explored a more introspective side of Future, and has become of his most widely acclaimed projects to date.
Commercial-wise, the album was another strong seller, moving 121,000 units in the first week and debuting at number one This achievement made Future the first artist in Billboard history to have two albums debut at number one in successive weeks.
Future: HNDRXX is super personal. This is the Honest album that I was supposed to be honest about. This is me opening up and just letting it all out so I can just move past it. Certain things don’t have to speak on it again.
Future On His HNDRXX Album: “This Is Me Opening Up And Just Letting It All Out” | Fader
