Free TC received generally positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, selling 31,000 units in its first week. It was supported by three singles: "Only Right", "Blasé", and "Saved".
The deluxe version was released on March 25, 2016, which includes four bonus tracks, including the single "Wavy" and three new tracks.
Promotion
On October 13, 2015, while Ty is prepping for the release of Free TC, Ty released his sixth mixtape Airplane Mode. On October 15, the album's final track listing was revealed through his SoundCloud account, in which Ty told his incarcerated brother TC (to whom the album is dedicated) over the phone about each track and how they came up with it together.[3]
Singles
The album's first single, "Only Right", was released on May 15, 2015.[4] The song features guest appearances from American rappers YG, Joe Moses, and TeeCee4800, while the production was handled by Mike Free and DJ Mustard.[5]
The album's third single, "Saved", was released on October 16, 2015.[9] The song features a guest appearance from American rapper E-40, while the production was handled by DJ Mustard and Twice as Nice.[5] "Saved" was sent to radio and later charted on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] On July 28, 2016, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[10]
The album's fourth single, "Wavy", was released on January 16, 2016.[11] The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Joe Moses, while the production was handled by DJ Mustard and Twice as Nice.[5] On December 7, 2016, "Wavy" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[12]
Promotional singles
The album's first promotional single, "When I See Ya", was released on September 10, 2015.[13] The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Fetty Wap, while the production was handled by Cardo and Johnny Juliano.[5]
The album's second promotional single, "Solid", was released on October 23, 2015.[14] The song features a guest appearance from American R&B singer-songwriter Babyface, who also serves its production alongside The Rascals, D'Mile, and Ty Dolla Sign.[5]
Free TC was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 16 reviews.[16] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[15]
David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Numerous proven mixtapes help set Ty up for an easier introduction than most, but Free TC tops all expectations, as the man conquers the club, the bedroom, and the brain with this end-to-end stunner".[17] Brain Josephs of Consequence said, "For all of Free TC's turn-up nut-grabbing, it's the beating heart that ends up stealing the show".[18] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "Free TC could use some editing, but Ty has enough charm to carry bedroom jams, Cadillac bangers, and folk-funk experiments all at once".[19] In a positive review for Exclaim!, Calum Slingerland praised Ty's talent in composition and arrangement, writing "what could have easily been a 16-track collection of Griffin's ambition becoming his downfall is a worthwhile look at the multifaceted nature of his musical brain".[20] Claire Lobenfeld of Fact said, "This is not the moment where he will become a superstar, but it's a promising beginning to what should be a very long career".[26] Shirley Ju of HipHopDX said, "So, all in all, Ty delivers a light, layered debut, with more depth than we thought could be drawn out of the trap&B sound he helped usher into the mainstream".[1]
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "Free TC—often exceptional, and easily one of the best R&B albums of this year—is elaborate in conception and execution but still feels off the cuff".[2] Rebecca Haithcoat of Pitchfork said, "His confidence is why he flies when he swings for the fences on his new album, Free TC".[22] Corbin Reiff of Rolling Stone said, "Free TC, dedicated to Dolla $ign's currently incarcerated brother, marries a diverse range of earworm-level hooks and genre-bridging rhythms to uncomfortably base themes".[24] Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin said, "The album is a dense, cinematic, always surprising and often moving album that sounds like it required the full three years that the L.A. crooner and producer spent chipping away at it to get right".[25] Lanre Bakare of The Guardian said, "[The] cameo-packed tracks fail to live up to the billing, often feeling too long and lacking the punch of Dolla $ign's previous output".[21]
Free TC debuted at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, with 31,000 album-equivalent units, (including 22,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.[34] On February 7, 2018, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States.[35]
^ abHaithcoat, Rebecca (November 16, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign: Free TC". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
^Rindner, Grant (November 23, 2015). "Review: Ty Dolla Sign's Free TC". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
