E3 is the debut album by Indianapolis rapper and singer Midwxst. It was released on September 1, 2023, through Geffen Records.
Background
Midwxst said that the album had "been in my head since I was 17", with him having kept "a full notepad in my phone with the script for the interludes on the project and the ideas that eventually became E3." He called the album an "emotional journey through the mistakes I've made as a person and that 'E3', the protagonist of the story, is constantly facing and having to finally come to terms with."
Release
The album's name was first announced on July 7, 2023, with the release of lead single "Pretty Girls". The single came with a music video directed by Ari Nissenbaum which features Midwxst and different women in various highly saturated scenarios. Midwxst revealed the album's release date and cover art on July 12. On August 4, Midwxst released the second single, "Warning". The album was released on September 1 by Geffen Records.
Composition
E3 consists of a "nimbly eclectic mode of pop-trap", with layers of rock and gospel, and softer melodies than his previous hyperpop and rage rap work. The album is also said to contain be "a rollercoaster that takes you through the sounds of hip-hop, pop, rock, hyperpop, and emo rap." Midwxst is said to have a "pop-punkesque vocal quality".
Reception
Clashs Robin Murray said the album gives "a feeling of tentative step forward, rather than radical leaps." Pitchforks Hattie Lindert wrote that the album "positions Midwxst not as a Playboi Carti heir, but a pop star in his own right." HotNewHipHops Zachary Horvath said that Midwxst "really tries so many different things" with the album, and that "it is one thing to try, but he succeeds here." The Faders Arielle Lana LeJarde said the album "hooks you from the beginning with gospel-infused 'Lost' and keeps you engaged with a variety of genres throughout its entirety."