“Link Me To the Future” traverses similar themes to other songs on Star Line. The track twinkles and glides along, but stays in the air for a little too long for listeners to really grasp onto Chance’s bars.

Over a slow and wavering beat that feels almost like “Acid Rain” part two, Chance sings and raps with a soulful velocity that Jay Electronica compliments perfectly. The only issue? Jay once again traverses troubling religious territory with his bars, ones that could reinvigorate claims of antisemitism against him.

After an album filled with celebratory songs about the obstacles he’s overcome, “Pretty” is just Chance celebrating his devilish good looks — because, why not? “I’m pretty, the mirror’s got a crush/And I get a rush when I see my face,” he croons.

Chance again appears to address the fallout caused by the reception to The Big Day, and admits earnestly that he’s not sure where he fits in the current cultural landscape. It’s a powerful diary entry for the rapper who earnestly examines his desire to return to his art and his fans. “I’ve been gone awhile, and I’m not so proud/If there’s still some space for me/I was hoping I could fit,” he sings.

Scattered amidst an album filled with complex lyricism, “Burn Ya Block” is the only song on Star Line that seems to be solely dedicated to just having a good time. “Don’t just walk, baby, sashay/’Cause when you sashay, girl, your ass shake,” Chance raps. Lyrics as lighthearted as these are a welcomed breather from the self-examination of the rest of the project.

When heard within the context of Star Line, “The Highs & The Lows” delivers a stronger impact than it did as a standalone single in 2022. In terms of theme, the track seamlessly aligns with Star Line‘s focus on reflection and personal growth. Joey and Chance trade verses like two close friends deeply immersed in a heartfelt conversation about life over a cup of coffee.

After the positivity of “Ride,” “No More Old Men” feels like Chance officially stepping into his new Star Line era. The bars are more introspective, the harsh realities of adulthood clouding the good vibes Chance fans know and love him for. It’s a proper evolution for the Chicago rapper, who spits soulful bars about the state of his hometown and the state of the culture. Jamila Woods swoops in for a haunting hook to pull it all together.

Chance turns a sexy drill beat on its head into a meditative reflection on his past failures and current successes on “Speed of Light.” “Made it out the dark and I ain’t never going back,” Chance cheers. BJ The Chicago Kid and Lion Babe add more joyful energy to the track, which sonically explores different territory for Chance.

“It’s time to make that noise again” Chance declares on Star Line‘s intro track. This celebratory song is a compelling appetizer for whats to come, as the Chicago rapper reminds his fans that he can still pack a lot of info into a few bars. “The three went platinum, the one went diamond/I had a F-minus, but that’s behind us/My pen on paper worth millions of dollars,” Chance spits, likely referring to the shortcomings of his debut The Big Day. Star Line‘s intro commemorates this new chapter in Chance’s life, and is a fun snapshot of the good vibes to come.

Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper have always made great music together, and that sentiment remains very true on the first listen through of “Back to the Go.” Both rappers are the kings of self-examination, and in that regard are locked in here as they trade bars about growth and human error. “I fall on my face sometimes/I look at myself, I cry sometimes/I need a lil space myself,” Chance sings.

When Chance finally lands after the seemingly endless free fall of “Link Me in the Future,” he busts through the door with “Gun In Yo Purse.” Young Thug’s verse is unexpectedly subdued, given his penchant for wild, high-octave flexing. While that energy might have complemented the track perfectly, Chance and TiaCorine pack a big punch on their own, so the song still slaps.

While at first glance “Drapetomania” feels entirely outside of Chance the Rapper’s creative orbit, he actually sounds like he’s having a blast. Rather than molding his flow and subject matter to the beat, Chance attacks the pounding chords of “Drapetomania” with his signature goofy idioms. “Everybody crazy, so I play crazy and don’t nobody wanna play no more/She said talk to me crazy/I said bluhbluhbluh and she said say no more,” he raps.

Chance doesn’t attempt to be something he’s not on “Drapetomania” — a concern his fans had when a clip of him performing the song at Lollapalooza elicited mixed reactions on social media. Instead, he plants his flag and confidently makes this unexpected landscape his home.

While Star Line‘s deep reflections imply that better times are ahead, Chance closes out his sophomore album mourning his friend Mac Miller, and recounts painful yearning for his mixtape days. “Can’t do it by myself, soldier/Is there any love left over?” he asks as if he knows the answer. The track concludes Star Line with a broader contemplation of Chance’s purpose in this lifetime. Yet, as he poignantly raps: “If you look up, that star gon’ shine/I’m always in my glow/Run the light, no telling what life will be/But start and life will go.” Life moves forward, and so will Chance — carrying with him his questions, his losses and his light.

“Letters” needs to be listened through multiple times for it to be thoroughly appreciated. Chance examines religion, the Black experience and more in a dense four-minutes that fans will likely be picking apart for months. It’s nice to hear Chance tap back into his Acid Rap complexities.

The good vibes are alive and well on “Ride,” which finds Chance in his bag as he gleefully spits some bars about simply loving life. It taps back into the energy of Chance’s old music, but the bars are tighter and the drums pack a bit more of an adult punch to them. The song’s hook, “Ride, just enjoy the ride, just enjoy thе ride,” will be stuck in your head all day as you cruise on to your next destination.

“The Negro Problem” contains some of the best songwriting of Chance’s career. The song examines Black identity and generational trauma, among other subjects, exploring how a continuously militarized police and political force strain Black children’s relationships with their culture and home. “Nowadays you thirteen you gotta think thirty,” Chance raps, sounding almost exhausted. Later, he adds, “It’s out a long way from some whippings, don’t it?/It’s all the same road with some distance on it/Now it’s train police and it’s school police/It’s gonna be police at the balloon release.” BJ The Chicago Kid’s soulful crooning makes the sentiment even more powerful. “The Negro Problem” is Chance at his tightest and most reflective in years.