Oh Yeah? (album)

Lacy traveled between Paris and Los Angeles during his work developing the album.^[2] Oh Yeah? was released four years after Lacy's previous album, Gemini Rights, which contained his breakout single, "Bad Habit". Lacy did not intend to replicate the single's success when working on the new album, but wished to match its unpolished neo-psychedelia and "off-kilter R&B"-styled production, describing Oh Yeah? as his "most engineered and most complete" album up to that point.^[3] He said that in adapting to his newfound fame, he tried to avoid "[losing that] cool intellectual thing" while writing music, and that "Bad Habit" proved to him that he could find mainstream success while maintaining his eccentricity.^[4][3]

Lacy wanted the album's lyrics to be more intentional than those of his previous records and began to approach lyrics with the same degree of care that he would give to instruments, citing it as a reason for why it took so long to produce, saying that it felt like "fully designing a new language" for himself.^[3][2] Several of his attempts to move the album in a desired creative direction failed, leading him to give up on determining the order of tracks beforehand, calling it "one of the hardest albums to make".^[2]

In a March 2026 interview with British magazine i-D, singer-songwriter SZA said that Lacy had been taking part in her recording sessions, and that they had "made a random little project together".^[5] She appears on "Is It Cool?", the album's second track.^[6] The fourth track, "Pure Colour",^[a] features Erykah Badu, whom Lacy listed as one of his idols in a 2016 interview with the Fader.^[9] Lacy also became obsessed with Canadian musician Cecile Believe after learning she provided vocals for the 2018 Sophie album Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides.^[3][8] He likened her to a "human synthesizer", and she is featured on the track "Lovesexdrugbomb".^[3]

The album also sees Lacy collaborate with members of the hip-hop collective Odd Future: his bandmate Matt Martians from the band the Internet,^[3] and Tyler, the Creator, who previously provided Lacy with songwriting input for "Bad Habit"^[10] and featured Lacy on his single "911 / Mr. Lonely".^[11][12] Singer-songwriter Fousheé is credited as background vocalist and songwriter on several songs.^[11][6]

The album features guest vocals by Erykah Badu (top), Cecile Believe and SZA.

Oh Yeah? is influenced by the jazz works of Brazilian composer João Gilberto and the analog synthesizer sounds of British-French band Stereolab, as well as the psychedelic soul stylings of Erykah Badu, who is featured on the album.^[4] Lacy developed an interest in a more electronic sound after listening to American musicians Flying Lotus and Thundercat, and became encouraged to incorporate the genre into his own music following an experience DJing to a small group of people after a party in Los Angeles.^[2]

In an interview with The Guardian, Lacy said that he uses comedy to disguise emotional trauma and that the album was inspired by a breakup that occurred prior to the release of his previous album, Gemini Rights, with both albums touching on the subject of a "long, on-and-off relationship".^[3][13] In a Rolling Stone interview, Lacy said that the album was initially "much sadder" as a result of the breakup, and that he was experiencing changes in his life "in real time" while writing it.^[2] Speaking with Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker, Lacy said that the album is an exploration of how his focus on becoming a musician at an early age left him "underdeveloped as a human", referring to contributing to the Internet's Grammy Award-nominated album Ego Death at the age of 17.^[13] Lacy also felt that Oh Yeah? brought him back to faith while living "in a very faithless time", considering love itself to be a question of faith.^[2]

Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone wrote that the album brings together "genre-splicing rock" and experimental R&B. According to Ihaza, the album "operates at a more subtle register" than Gemini Rights, which he considered to be an example of "pop maximalism". He wrote that Oh Yeah? turns breakbeats, guitar ballads, trip hop and crude lyrics into a "volatile pop language" specific to Lacy, finding the album's lyrics to concern Lacy's queer identity and the plausibility of love, as well as his relationship with his father and thereby his Filipino heritage.^[8]

Nicolas Tyrell-Scott wrote for NME that the album's lyrical content contrasts Lacy's hedonism, fearlessness and self-sabotage with existentialism, rumination and concern for societal issues, finding a thematic connection between Oh Yeah? and his previous two albums through Lacy's "radical display of honesty".^[7] Writing for Clash, Shahzaib Hussain called the album a "hypnagogic experience" with introspective lyrics balanced by "engineered nonchalance" and centered on romantic fixation.^[14] According to Petrusich, the album draws from the "offline charms" of 1990s R&B as it discusses the "utter impossibility" of modern romance and "the disaffection of a life lived through a screen".^[13]

Songs

The first track, titled "Oh Yeah?", touches on existentialism and vulnerability, featuring synthesizers and psychedelic pop/rock-inspired electric guitar riffs.^[7][14] "Is It Cool?" is an R&B and soul song with elements of funk^[15][16] that discusses developing trust in a romantic relationship,^[17] as well as infidelity,^[18] emotional immaturity^[19] and behavior that Lacy calls "self-sabotage".^[18] Lacy refers to his father as tatay in Tagalog in the opening verse, citing his death as a reason for his habit of infidelity. The improvised verse was so poignant that it even surprised Lacy himself – as well as producer Matt Martians and singer Fousheé – during a studio session.^[3] SZA's vocals answer Lacy in the song, taking the role of his partner, who chooses to look past his flaws: "Can we get naked instead of talking?”^[20][18] "The Feeling" is described by NME's Damian Jones as a "moody synth single".^[21] The track builds on a subdued bassline and "angelic" vocals aided by Alice Smith,^[8][11] with lyrics that address a troubled relationship.^[22]

The bass- and reverb-heavy "Pure Colour",^[a] featuring vocals by Erykah Badu, is described by Lacy as an escape from grieving the deaths of his relatives.^[8][4] Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone compared the track to the works of English electronic band Portishead, calling the song "trip hop territory".^[8] "Show You Me" is an acoustic guitar ballad with puerile lyrics composed of flirtatious conversation fragments that touch on the subject of "bisexual panic".^[14][23] "Doom" is a soul and alternative rock song which, according to Tyrell-Scott, addresses a "plagued late-Millennial and Gen Z dating landscape" and provides rationale for Lacy's hedonism.^[7] The acoustic guitar-driven "Nothing" is described by Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre as a break from Lacy's romantic R&B that sees him turn to lustful slang that Pierre attributes to the social network TikTok.^[11][23] "Lovesexdrugbomb" is co-written by Tyler, the Creator and features Cecile Believe delivering the song's R&B-imbued second hook, with Lacy on guitar.^[8] "Nice Shoes / In Your World" is introduced as a breakbeat track aided by synthesizers followed by an introspective slow funk second half with a spoken word outro by Lacy "thanking his past loves".^[8][14] Ihaza found the song to represent a delirious "emotional release" in the context of the album, marking a shift from Lacy's cynicism to renewed romantic possibility.^[2] The final track, "Bebe", is a psychedelic rock postscript with doubtful lyrics that leave the album's themes unresolved.^[8][7]

Lacy initially wanted to release the album on April 20, 2024, to coincide with the cannabis holiday of 4/20.^[3] Lacy revealed the title of the album, Oh Yeah?, in a Rolling Stone cover story published on August 14, 2025.^[24][25] On August 15, the lead single, "Nice Shoes", was released.^[26]

Nine months later on May 28, 2026, Lacy revealed the chord progression for "The Feeling" on Instagram.^[27] On June 3, Lacy revealed the album cover, photographed by Gus Van Sant. He also announced the release date as July 17.^[28] On June 5, the track list for the album was revealed^[29] and "The Feeling" was released as the second single, accompanied by a music video directed by Matthew Castellanos.^[22][30] A press release described the upcoming album as "a record for guitar kids who love synths [synthesizers] and synth kids who love guitars".^[21] On June 25, Lacy made a post on Instagram announcing the third single, "Is It Cool?", which was released on June 26.^[31][32]

The album was released on July 17 through RCA Records.^[32][33] "Lovesexdrugbomb" and "Pure Colour" were also released as digital singles.^[34][35] The album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200, as well as number five on the publication's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number four on their Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.^[36][37][38] It reached number 19 on Australia's ARIA Albums Chart and number two on their Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart.^[39][40] In the United Kingdom the album reached number 81 on the Official Charts' UK Albums Chart and number three on their R&B Albums chart.^[41][42] It also reached number ten on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts in New Zealand.^[43]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[44]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Clash	8/10[14]
Exclaim!	8/10[45]
NME	[7]
Our Culture Mag	[11]
Pitchfork	6.0/10[23]
Rolling Stone	[8]

Close

According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from five critic scores.^[44]

NME's Nicolas Tyrell-Scott wrote in a review of Oh Yeah? that Lacy "proves that emotions can be powerful tools", and that "his instincts allow him to adequately move forth when necessary, never lingering in an emotion to the point that it feels redundant".^[7] Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone, who had interviewed Lacy on several occasions,^[2][25] wrote in his review of the album that "Lacy makes his strongest claim yet to being one of Gen Z’s defining pop auteurs". He added that its lyrical content "makes sincerity and absurdity sound like neighboring impulses", calling the humor "jarring" at times, namely on the track "Show You Me", which he believed could become an unexpected mainstream hit.^[8]

In a review for Clash, Shahzaib Hussain wrote that Oh Yeah? is "just shy of a true classic", noting that the album "works best when Lacy leans into textural and variegated production", finding Lacy to have aspirations in the pop genre. Hussain called "Show You Me" an "excellent acoustic ballad" and singled out "Pure Colour" as an example of Lacy's "off-beat virtuosity".^[14] Dylan Barnabe of Exclaim! praised Lacy's textural, layered production and his ability to reach across genres like synth-pop and neo soul in a manner in which other artists would struggle, adding that Lacy "[turns his] wry social observations inward" with lyrics that "oscillate between revelatory and absurd". Barnabe wrote that Lacy's thoughts on mortality, love and sexuality are "grounded firmly" in experience, which keeps his lyrics relatable to audiences. He also praised the choice of guest performers, finding that it demonstrates Lacy's ability to keep up with trends.^[45]

Konstantinos Pappis of Our Culture Mag called the album "generally satisfying" while finding its existential themes to be "shoddy" and distracting at times. Pappis said that more of Lacy's writing could benefit from a conversational style, citing "Is It Cool?" as an example. He criticized Lacy's social commentary on "Doom" and found the lyrics of "Show You Me" to be "hard-pressed to grab your attention". Reviewing "Nothing", Pappis wrote that Lacy's use of acoustic guitar works best when it is "bold and surprising", and that "Bebe" might be the album's most memorable track. He also praised the comedic timing of "Lovesexdrugbomb", calling Tyler, the Creator's songwriting influence noticeable.^[11]

Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre was more critical of Oh Yeah?, writing that "nothing on [the album] seems to come naturally" and that its themes of breakups, sex and romance are "too cliché" to be relatable, yet also too vague for the listener to imagine as Lacy's own experiences, finding that "The Feeling" fails to elaborate on Lacy's feelings towards his ex-partner. He wrote that some of the jokes on the album felt forced, but argued that Lacy is naturally funny when he is less restrained in recounting his relationship stories, particularly on the track "Lovesexdrugbomb", comparing its "wickedness" to the lyrics of American rapper Future. Pierre called "Is It Cool?" a "by-the-books" collaboration, finding the guitar work to be generic and reminiscent of the band N.E.R.D., also comparing the track "Doom" to the "nerd-rock" of Weezer and criticizing its "broad and plainspoken" generalizations about the difficulty of finding love. In a summary, he felt that Lacy "seems pretty confused about how much of himself he has to let go of to be a pop star", praising "Bebe", "Pure Colour" and "Nothing", but concluding that he expects none of the songs to match the success of "Bad Habit".^[23]

Credits are adapted from Tidal.^[6]