DAMN Album

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lamar constructed DAMN. as a full story that functions even when played in reverse tracklist order, a choice he described as "premeditated ... in the studio." He noted, "It plays as a full story and even a better rhythm," calling it one of his favorite rhythms within the album. The visual identity was shaped by designer Vlad Sepetov, who created covers for To Pimp a Butterfly and Untitled Unmastered. Sepetov called the cover "loud and abrasive" and noted that placing the Parental Advisory sticker near the center-right made it part of the design rather than an "afterthought." While he avoided the overt politics of his previous work, the album retained high energy. Lamar originally titled the project What Happens on Earth Stays on Earth but changed it because it "didn't read right," settling on DAMN. to reflect the duality of being "damned if I do, damned if I don't" and the loudness of tracks like "DNA" and "Humble."

In Their Own Story

The album's creation began with Mike Will Made It developing the beat for "Humble," initially intending it for Gucci Mane before Lamar claimed it. Although there was an agreement to place it on Mike Will's Ransom 2, others convinced Lamar to keep it for his own next album. "DNA" followed as the second song recorded; after the first verse, Lamar rapped the second verse a cappella and asked Mike Will to build the beat around the rhymes. Lamar requested the sound feel like "chaos," prompting Mike Will to construct the second half so it sounded like he was "battling the beat." Promotional efforts included releasing "The Heart Part 4" on March 23, 2017, which hinted at an April 7 release date. On December 8, 2017, Lamar released a Collectors Edition featuring a reversed track order and new artwork, allowing fans to experience the album's narrative from a different structural perspective.

Reader's Guide

Listeners can trace the singles' journey: "Humble" dropped in March 2017, becoming Lamar's first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. It reached number one in the US and number two in Canada. The second single, "Loyalty" featuring Rihanna, arrived on June 20, 2017, peaking at number 14. "Love" with Zacari followed as the third single on October 2, 2017, reaching number 11. Non-single tracks also charted; the music video for "DNA" released April 18, 2017, saw the song enter at number four on the Hot 100, while "Element," with a video released June 27, 2017, peaked at number 16. Critics praised the work heavily, with Metacritic assigning an average score of 95 based on 39 reviews. By May 2018, the RIAA certified it triple platinum. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked DAMN. 175th on its updated list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

Did You Know?

• The beat for 'Humble' was originally developed by Mike Will Made It for Gucci Mane before being given to Lamar.
• Lamar recorded the second verse of 'DNA' a cappella, asking producer Mike Will Made It to build the beat around his rhymes to sound like 'chaos'.
• The album cover's Parental Advisory sticker was intentionally placed near the center-right by designer Vlad Sepetov to make it part of the design.
• Lamar revealed in a June 29, 2017 interview that the original title was going to be 'What Happens on Earth Stays on Earth'.
• DAMN. is one of the few albums designed to play as a complete story even when the tracklist order is reversed.