In 2014, Oakland rapper
G-Eazy released
These Things Happen following two mixtapes to serve as an official studio album debut. The set brought effortless flows and complex lyricism to the attention of the world, charting in the Top Ten and eventually achieving platinum status. Seven years later,
These Things Happen Too offers an older, wiser sequel to the excited beginnings of
These Things Happen, revisiting some of the themes and ideas from
G-Eazy's debut with an updated perspective. "Running Wild (Tumblr Girls 2)" circles back to the debaucherous scenes and depictions of toxic relationships of 2014's "Tumblr Girls," sounding a little more worn out from the extra years of hard partying and chasing chaos. While
These Things Happen found
G-Eazy grappling with how the realities of fame didn't quite match his expectations, multiple songs on
These Things Happen Too address how his relationship with fame has progressed. "Wanna Be Myself" is among the more detailed and mature of these, speaking to the perpetual state of performance demanded of celebrities, and how easy it is to completely lose track of your true self when the spotlight is always on you. "Breakdown" is similarly introspective, but deals more with addiction and mental exhaustion, and it tempers dark subject matter with a blindingly bright pop hook sung by
Demi Lovato. Throughout
These Things Happen Too,
G-Eazy balances intensity and fun. For every song about doomed relationships, emotional exhaustion, or loss of identity,
G-Eazy offers up moments of triumph and bravado, joined by top-shelf guests like
Lil Wayne,
Ty Dolla $ign,
YG, and many others. ~ Fred Thomas