On December 2, 2022, American record producer Metro Boomin unveiled his second studio album titled “Heroes & Villains.” The album, released through Republic Records and Boominati, features an impressive lineup of guest appearances, including John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, The Weeknd, Mustafa, ASAP Rocky, the late Takeoff, and Gunna. The production credits primarily go to Metro himself, along with TM88, DJ Moon, Peter Lee Johnson, Johan Lenox, Allen Ritter, David x Eli, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Scriptplugg, Prince85, Oz, Nik D, D. Rich, DaHeala, My Best Friend Jacob, Elkan, Simon on the Moon, and Xz. The album presents a psychedelic trap sound and features ASAP Rocky and Morgan Freeman as its narrators.
Serving as the sequel to Metro’s previous album, “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” (2018), “Heroes & Villains” is the second installment of a trilogy. On December 5, 2022, an instrumental version of the album, known as the “Heroes Version,” was released. Additionally, on February 17, 2023, a remix edition titled the “Villains Version,” remixed by OG Ron C and DJ Candlestick, was made available.
“Heroes & Villains” made an impressive debut by claiming the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart. In its first week of release, the album sold 185,000 album-equivalent units, securing Metro’s third number one album.
