NF’s “FEAR” delivers another gripping emotional journey, blending heartfelt vocals with hard-hitting rap that leaves listeners feeling fully seen and satisfied.
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TOP 3 TRACKS
3. GIVE ME A REASON
Joyner Lucas, is that you?
For anyone who thought NF had fully gone pop, this track kicks open the door like a SWAT raid. “GIVE ME A REASON” is energized, loud, and brimming with fast-twitch rap muscle, the kind that makes him sound like a white version of Stromile Swift dunking all over a 10-day contract player. The production is aggressive and slightly trap-leaning, setting him up to vent about feeling distant from the days when hunger and hardship pushed him to rap like his life depended on it. This is the NF many fans have been dying to hear again.
2. Thank Me (Ft. Anderson .Paak)
Exciting whites dominate this track.
mgk goes off here—dropping what might be a quiet triple-double. “WHO I WAS” rides a stripped-down instrumental that gives both artists room to bleed openly. mgk raps about losing friends, detaching from toxicity, and picking up the pieces after the well-publicized Megan Fox breakup. It’s raw, flawed, and human. NF counters with two vocal modes: a delicate, self-aware cadence and a more jagged, frustrated delivery that reflects his inner tug-of-war. Together, the track becomes a relatable study of identity, loss, and self-correction.
1. HOME
NF is better than 97% of the singers who call themselves singers.
“HOME” might be FEAR’s emotional centerpiece. Built around frantic, lonely guitar licks that sound like they were recorded on the same deserted island Tom Hanks befriended Wilson on, the track is intimate but cinematic. NF pours himself into the vocals—melancholic and aching at first, then rising into something fiery and desperate. Lyrically, the song circles around the idea of possibly saying goodbye to someone on the verge of walking away, yet holding onto every scrap of hope he can find. It is stunning, heartfelt, and absolutely Billboard-ready.
SONG BY SONG RATING
1. FEAR (4/5)
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Check out the individual track ratings we gave—these are what we used to calculate the overall score!
RGM RATING
(85%)
NF returns with FEAR, a deeply vulnerable body of work that peels back more layers than we’ve ever seen from him. Across the album, he wades into topics like lost love, mental health, emotional isolation, and the shifting landscapes of success and identity. It’s an NF album that feels both familiar and newly daring, balancing stripped-down honesty with cinematic intensity.
From a production standpoint, FEAR leans into alternative flourishes, explosive rhythmic switches, and acoustic textures that feel hand-picked to amplify its emotional gravity. Interestingly, NF spends more time singing here than he ever has. His vocals—gentle, stirring, and open—sometimes sound like Ed Sheeran’s backup quarterback warming up on the sidelines, ready to launch something unexpectedly beautiful.
Of course, NF doesn’t leave longtime fans starving for bar-heavy energy. “GIVE ME A REASON” and “WASHED UP” find him fully activated, rapping with the urgency and aggression that marked his earlier catalog. For someone who’s a fan of his, these were the moments I enjoyed the most.
One thing about NF—you never walk away from one of his albums feeling underserved. FEAR presses every emotional button on your heart and soul, blending deeply moving vocals with gritty, hard-hitting rap in a way that feels both complete and cathartic.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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