Earl Sweatshirt released the follow-up to 2023's Voir Dire, titled Live Laugh Love, via his own independent label, Tan Cressida, on August 22, 2025.
Santa Monica-based writer/producer Earl Sweatshirt, who got his start rhyming with the likes of industry giants like Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean in the infamous rap collective Odd Future, seems to have come full circle on his fifth studio album Live Laugh Love. Far removed from the sonically heavy and lyrically depressive sounds of albums like 2013's Doris and 2015's I Don’t Like S**t, I Don’t Go Outside, Live Laugh Love sees Sweatshirt seemingly happier. Now fathering a child with longtime partner Aida Osman, the album seems to be an exercise in acceptance, fortitude, and self love as Sweatshirt makes the choice daily to combat the demons that still lurk just beneath the surface for the betterment of himself and his young family.
The opening track, “gsw vs sac,” feels murky and subdued, as if being awoken from a deep sleep in a dark room. The Theravada production, entailing muffled drums, a funky bass line, and what sounds like pitched up soul vocalizations that could almost be confused for a woman crying, provide the perfect backdrop for Sweatshirt to establish one of the album’s core themes; that being Earl’s decision to “…every day…lace [his] cleats and give ‘em praise” and “Get [his] head in the game.” The awakening seems to continue in an outro by Atlanta comedian Mandal, opening the blinds as he advises Sweatshirt to stop running from himself and waiting to be saved, encouraging the rapper to take the initiative to save himself, whether that be by finding a hobby, getting in the gym, or falling in love; anything at all to avoid the purgatory; the never-ending wait for his own salvation
The following track, “FORGE,” sees Sweatshirt more braggadocious and abrasive with his words as he makes his way through production that seems to sonically reflect the song’s title. The “Col Fiato in gola” sample by Filippo Trecca at the forefront of the beat gives the energy of a katana-wielding samurai cutting his way through all adversity, while the slightly off-kilter and lo-fi drums feel dungeon-like, a reflection of the forge that created said blade. “Took time off, I ain’t know n***as still would suck / permafrost pimpin’ protocol ice cold like Andre Benjamin,” Sweatshirt boasts with an intensity breeding confidence that borders on arrogance, all while not breaking a certain collectedness that Sweatshirt vows to maintain even at his most caustic.
“I tried to tell ya’ you never gon’ get a rise out of a real one,” he throws out casually three songs later on “WELL DONE!” a track that sees Sweatshirt more subdued and introspective as he reflects on the journey he had to go through to get to this point over a thick bass line, radio static, and muffled choir vocals. The song concludes with Sweatshirt declaring that “[he] felt stuck / steel cut, knives showin’ the shield love / spill blood,” which seems to be a callback to a line in “gsw vs sac” in which he says “the blade came with the roses / I still hold up the bouquet for the photo / I’m thankful for the blood sweat and pain we paid for ‘em.” These lines perfectly represent the dichotomy of this album. Earl, seemingly happier, seemingly having received his flowers, was only able to get there and only able to receive said flowers after immense pain and mental anguish, which he acknowledges and faces head-on. It feels almost as if one could not exist without the other, a bittersweet pill that Sweatshirt is forced to swallow.
Some of the album’s highlights come in a 3-song run that spans “Static,” “CRISCO,” and “TOURMALINE.” “Static” opens with a bombastic, horn-laden beat sampling 1972's “Thank You” by Joy Stanford, and finds Sweatshirt at his most abrasive as he likens himself lyrically to both Muhammad Ali and Vince Carter. “Overall, y’all baby s**t soft / we first team all-league marksmen,” he fires off, clearly not taking any prisoners, and solidifying his place as one of the best rappers in the game currently.
“CRISCO” once again sees Sweatshirt more personal and contemplative. The Navy Blue production samples “2000 Years” by Mildred Clark, and provides a nostalgic backdrop upon which Sweatshirt reflects upon his experience in the music industry, his childhood, and the deep depression he fell into in the 2010s that ultimately led him to where he is currently. Once again, the song portrays a certain dichotomy, ending with Sweatshirt rapping “ I'm saying sorry for the pain I caused / God know my heart and that I'm out here tryna change the course / I'm working on it / Peeling layers off, in the lab sauced, kinda.” This is the epitome of Earl acknowledging that even while he’s seemingly made it to where he needs to be, there’s a certain darkness that exists within him, compelling him to keep running from himself; a compulsion that he actively has to resist; and he does… kinda.
“TOURMALINE,” which was accompanied by a music video on the day of release, slows things down and is an ode to Sweatshirt’s partner, Aida Osman. Over lush strings and a steady, simple drum pattern produced by Theravada, Sweatshirt equates his partner to a “Pitch-Black Tourmaline tower,” a precious gemstone in his life that repels the negative energy that once completely overwhelmed his life, not just for the benefit of himself, but his child. “She found me on the streets, she vowin' to keep my feet grounded / For my sweet child,” Sweatshirt raps sleepily. However, despite the subdued, arguably mumbled performance, there’s a vulnerability in the rawness of Sweatshirt’s delivery that makes the song extremely compelling, especially when combined with the lush and beautiful production.
The album concludes with “Heavy Metal aka ejecto seato!” which sees Sweatshirt verbally releasing all of the baggage that’s kept him weighted down, and “exhaust,” which seems to be a note to self of some sort. The former opens with a powerful refrain in which Sweatshirt wearily repeats “I released it.” He says these words with a sense of fatigue, as if he’s just crawled his way out of battle and, now exhausted, has to cope with the mental and physical anguish that came with said conflict. There’s a certain elation in the string-laden production that adequately reflects this sense of having made it to the other side of something perilous.
“Exhaust” finds Sweatshirt looking back at the journey he had to take to get to where he is, laced between a soulful and nostalgic sample. It feels like a letter, especially in the closing lines where he says, “More power to you, but it's no flowers in your vase / No amount of sugar gon' help with the taste / At the end of the day, it's really just you and whatever you think / I'm airmailing you strength.” With flowers and the idea of them coming only after an embrace of immense pain being a recurring motif throughout the album, it’s hard to decipher these lines as anything but a conversation between Sweatshirt and a younger version of himself, a version of himself that’s still stuck chasing the highs of life in an attempt to escape from himself. Sweatshirt realizes that there’s nothing he can say or do to help this version of himself, opting instead to airmail him some much-needed strength.
In summation, Live Laugh Love is a beautiful and timeless exploration of growth, healing, and the price you have to pay for each. It’s a story about resilience during times of hardship, and what it takes to climb out of the deepest and darkest holes to find the light on the other side of it, and while a few tracks do seem to accomplish little as it pertains to advancing said narrative (like “INFATUATION” or “Gamma (need the <3)”), it’s not a concept album, and they are by no means dealbreakers, as they truly do very little to hold the album back in any significant way. Up until now, many of Sweatshirt’s albums have felt like cautionary tales, anecdotes from the harbinger of self-imposed demise about avoiding the pitfalls he fell into that got him in the hole he found himself in. However, this feels like a hero’s journey. Sweatshirt has made the conscious choice to pick up the pieces of his life in service of himself and those he loves. It’s only up from here.
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