Album guide ·
Mirrorland explained: EarthGang's Wiz-inspired debut
A fan guide to Mirrorland, EarthGang's 2019 Dreamville debut: the concept, the singles, the guests, and how it was received.
Mirrorland is the album most new fans start with, and for good reason. It's colorful, cinematic, and full of hooks. Here's what to know.
The basics
- Released: September 6, 2019
- Labels: Dreamville, Interscope, and Spillage Village
- Length: 14 tracks, about 55 minutes
- Executive producers: J. Cole and Ibrahim Hamad
- Chart peak: No. 40 on the Billboard 200 and No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
The concept: Atlanta as Oz
The duo has said the album was inspired by The Wiz, the 1978 musical film. They wanted to build a sonic world big enough to stand next to it, and they studied soundtracks and film scores to make the record feel like a movie. "Mirrorland" is their name for a mirror version of Atlanta: familiar streets turned strange and magical.
The idea goes back to 2016, when the duo planned a "deconstructed" album on tour. That plan became the Rags, Robots, and Royalty EPs, which led directly into this album.
Singles and guests
- "Stuck" featuring Arin Ray, released September 2018
- "Proud of U" featuring Young Thug, released February 2019
- "UP", released the week before the album
T-Pain shows up on "Tequila," and Spillage Village's Mereba adds vocals to "This Side."
How it landed
Critics liked it. Metacritic's average was 79 out of 100, and Pitchfork called it the duo's most cohesive project yet. It's the record that made a lot of casual listeners into EarthGang fans.
How to listen
Play it front to back the first time. The sequencing is part of the story, and songs bleed into each other on purpose. After that, compare it with Ghetto Gods, the more grounded follow-up.