''Crop Circle'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by English rapper Nines. It was released on 20 April 2018 by

XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six album ...

. It is the follow-up to Nines' debut album ''

One Foot Out ''One Foot Out'' is the debut studio album by English rapper Nines (rapper), Nines, released on 10 February 2017 by XL Recordings. It serves as Nines' debut commercial release after releasing four free mixtapes. The album features guest appearan ...

'' (2017), which peaked at number 4 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. The album features guest appearances from

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

, Ray BLK, Haile, Tiggs da Author and numerous

Ice City Boyz Ice City Boyz, often abbreviated as ICB, also known as CSB (Crime Scene Boyz) and CRS (Church Road Soldiers), is a British hip hop collective from Church End, London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United King ...

members. Production is handled by 5ive Beatz, Steel Banglez, Beatfreakz, Pinero Beats,

Show N Prove Show N Prove, born Ellis Taylor, is a Scottish music producer, DJ and musical artist from Edinburgh, Scotland. Music production career Show N Prove's career began when working with local acts in the Edinburgh hip hop scene in the early 2000 ...

and

Zeph Ellis Joseph Ellis-Stephenson (born 19 October 1988), better known by his stage name Dot Rotten or Zeph Ellis, is a British grime MC, rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Lambeth, South London. Having released a series of mixtapes inde ...

. The album was supported by lead single "I See You Shining", peaking at number 38 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Background

Nines' debut album, ''

'', was released in February 2017 and entered the

at number 4, while receiving positive reviews from critics. Nines announced the release of his second album on 17 April 2018 via social media, three days before release.

Promotion

The lead single, "I See You Shining", was released on 6 April 2018 for digital download. It peaked at number 37 on the

, becoming Nines' highest-charting single to date. A short film written and directed by Nines titled after the album was released on 17 April 2018 to promote the album.

Critical reception

Ciaran Thapar of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' summarised that ''Crop Circle'' "perhaps lacks some of the standout street anthems that have, in the past, propelled him into hood stardom. But the result is something entirely new, an impressively unconfined body of work. It doubles as a snapshot of London’s cross-pollinating music scene and a signal towards the rapper’s maturation as he continues to transition from being a homegrown talent into an increasingly reputable MC on the world-stage."

Commercial performance

Midweek forecasts by

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

slated ''Crop Circle'' to enter the

at number 5. It is set to become Nines' second top 10 album after ''One Foot Out''.

Track listing

;Notes * "Trapstar" features additional vocals by Streetz. * "Re-Up" features additional vocals by Jagraj Bains (AKA JB). * "Cash Interlude" features additional vocals by Rammy Malachi and Ca$h Mon£y (AKA Cash). ;Sample credits * "Pictures in a Frame" contains a sample of " Long Distance", performed by

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and written by

Jeff Bhasker Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...

, Philip Lawrence,

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

and

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...

. * "Rubber Bands" contains a sample of " Computer Love", performed by Zapp and written by Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman. * "Cash Interlude" contains a sample of "Jump Off 2009", performed by Ca$h Mon£y (AKA Cash), written by Cash. * "Venting" contains a sample of 'Tell Me The Truth' performed by Lapsley.

Background

Promotion

Critical reception

Commercial performance

Track listing

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References