Big Fil’s 2022 album release “Defy the Odds” is short and sweet. The album makes its point and doesn’t overstay its welcome with only seven songs. There is a consistent theme of self-empowerment and perseverance with which Big Fil aims to inspire the audience through lyrically solid content. With that said, however, this is not my favorite of Big Fil’s discography and it became clear why very quickly.

Big Fil’s most recent single release “I Won’t Let Go” (which was included in “Defy the Odds”) was masterfully written and had explicitly Christian themes. But, this album takes a darker, humanistic approach to inspire the listener. With several instances of graphic lyrical content (some provided by song features), I was confused by Fil’s musical motivations. It was almost as if I had heard two completely different artists. 

Despite the lack of topical continuity in Big Fil’s recent releases, “Defy the Odds” is still musically strong. The subtle and often somber beats and flows match the tone of the lyrics, which helped me understand the lyrics more. The best instance of this is the song “Help Me,” which was by far my favorite on the seven-track work. The beat took a more chill approach instead of smacking you in the face, which was a nice break midway through the album. The melodic vocal lines layered over the top added a lot of emotion to the message. 

Another low point for me was the track features. The only one I enjoyed was DJTheWildFlower, who added a beautiful, catchy chorus to “Hard Pill”. Although the rest of the song is mediocre, her feature is definitely the best out of the four total. 

Although there are Christian themes sprinkled throughout the album, “Defy the Odds” doesn’t is an incoherent work that fails to send a meaningful message. Since there are only seven tracks there is little opportunity for empathy or emotional investment in the music. I’d give this album a yellow light. Pros included a more subtle tone and catchy melodies, but they are far outweighed by the inconsistent themes and messages sent throughout the album.