On March 16, 2018, before his death, XXXTentacion released his album “?”. The album featured 18 songs with an interlude of his interpretation and explanation of the album. The interlude is “instructions, not a warning” he said, asking for listeners to have an open mind while listening. “If you don’t listen to the alternative sound, you’ve never be open to the alternative sound and been open to trying different things.” 

 Two months later, on June 18, 2019, X was shot and killed during a robbery, which left his fans with what they thought was the last album: “?”. Little did anyone know, X’s mother would share all of his unheard music to the world in a deluxe edition of “?” in September of 2019.

The album is 53 songs, and full of all X’s major hits, including the songs from “?”, as well as their instrumentals. About 17 of the songs are without words, which gives listeners the ability to sing in place of him, feeling X’s message. X left a vision for his listeners through the album, combining all his hard work, and love to move every listener with every song.

As his hit songs were in the instrumental version in the deluxe version, it gave listeners a feeling of remembrance of what X was and how he stole his listeners’ hearts through his words. The album spurred a sense of strong emotion in me; deep down I truly miss him and his music, and this album did a perfect job of keeping the memory alive.

X’s album was amazing, and very strong-hearted, making me feel every emotion, the pain he saved me from, the heartache, and I didn’t skip a single song. Listening to the instrumental versions put me in a mindset to sing along, and I felt like I was hearing his words and thoughts for him. During his songs in the album that had the lyrics, I felt a sense of heartbreak, that his music career couldn’t be carried out as he grew old. To hear every beat and the feeling in his voice conveyed the desire to save anyone from thinking they are alone. Listening to X back when he started his career compared to this album makes me so proud of what this album has become, even without him here. His mother and girlfriend have done an amazing job of putting all his words unsaid together as a message for his fans. 

The album is a 10/10 in my eyes and ears, it’s worth listening to. For any X fans in Kempsville High, I highly suggest the “?” Deluxe” album, as it is a pure work of art.