It's been a long time coming but Metro Boomin's sophomore album is officially on the way. Fans have waited for the release all year long while he's left a trail of hints of what to expect.
With the project expected to drop on December 19th, the rapper offered some insight into Heroes & Villains today. He shared the cover art on Instagram which emphasizes the potential theme of duality. On the right side is an image of Metro Boomin in a suit, shaking the hands of his reflection who is on fire. It seems like it's also an indication that it'll be a double-disc effort.
"Heroes & Villains 12.2.22 must be [two] sides," he wrote.
Metro Boomin released his debut album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes in 2018. The 13-song album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, thanks to the stacked roster of artists he worked with. Drake, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, WizKid, and more appeared in the project.
Metro Boomin confirmed a release date of Nov 4th before pushing the album back by a month. The announcement came immediately after Drake and 21 Savage confirmed Her Loss was going to drop on the same day. While fans suspected he delayed the album to avoid competition, he clarified that it was due to sample clearance issues.
"I couldn’t get all the samples on my album cleared in time for next week so I’m dropping on Dec 2nd now so I have enough time to make sure you all get this masterpiece as intended,” he wrote. “I promise it’s worth the wait!! P.S. I would NEVER move my album date because of anyone else.”
Though it's been roughly four years between albums, he linked up with 21 Savage in 2020 for Savage Mode II. Since then, he locked in records with Young Thug, Drake, Don Toliver, and even Coldplay.
Hopefully, Metro Boomin shares the official tracklist for Heroes & Villains in the near future.