Review

The 20-year-old Queens rapper returns with his third studio effort, and whilst *Dopamine* certainly lives up to its neurochemical namesake in terms of instant gratification, the euphoria proves frustratingly fleeting. Tecca has always occupied that peculiar sweet spot between melodic rap and pop sensibility, but here his formula feels rather stale, like a packet of sweets left too long in the glove compartment. The production, helmed largely by Internet Money cohorts, maintains that familiar sparkly, video-game-inspired aesthetic that made Tecca a streaming darling. Tracks like the opener immediately establish that bouncy, almost childlike energy that has become his calling card. Yet therein lies the rub – at 20, Tecca seems reluctant to mature beyond the wide-eyed teenager who stumbled into fame with "Ransom." Lyrically, we're still firmly in the realm of designer brands, romantic fumbles, and vague flexing about wealth and status. There's a certain charm to Tecca's unvarnished honesty about his lifestyle, but the repetitive nature of his subject matter grows tiresome across the album's 18-track runtime. His melodic sensibilities remain sharp – the lad can certainly craft a hook – but the emotional depth rarely extends beyond surface-level observations. The album's brightest moments come when Tecca allows himself to be vulnerable, particularly on the more introspective cuts tucked away in the tracklist's latter half. His Auto-Tuned crooning works best when it serves genuine emotion rather than mere ornamentation. Dopamine feels like an artist treading water rather than swimming toward new shores. Whilst it will undoubtedly satisfy existing fans and rack up impressive streaming numbers, it represents a missed opportunity for Tecca to establish himself as more than just another melodic rapper with a knack for TikTok-ready snippets. The talent is clearly there; the vision, sadly, remains frustratingly elusive. For all its polish and undeniable catchiness, Dopamine ultimately feels like empty calories – immediately satisfying but lacking the nutritional value needed for sustained artistic growth.

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