Trigga (album)

Background

On February 15, 2014, Trey Songz announced that the title to his sixth studio album would be called Trigga and announced it would be released on June 30, 2014.

Singles

On January 21, 2014, Trey Songz released the album's lead single, called "Na Na". On March 12, 2014, the music video was released for "Na Na". The song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On April 1, 2014, Trey Songz released the album's second single, called "SmartPhones". On May 10, 2014, the music video was released for "SmartPhones".

On May 13, 2014, "Foreign" and "Change Your Mind" were released as the album's third and fourth singles respectively. On June 16, 2014, the music video was released for "Foreign".

"Touchin, Lovin" featuring Nicki Minaj, was sent to US urban radio as the album's fifth single on September 9, 2014. On January 5, 2015, the music video was released for "Touchin Lovin" featuring Nicki Minaj.

Critical reception

Trigga was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 69, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 9 reviews. Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "This is, no doubt, one of the most flagrantly lecherous commercial R&B albums of its time. It also has sharp hooks and slick productions to spare." Anupa Mistry of Spin stated, "Trigga ... [is] a sublime, soulful convergence of the sonic minimalism and oil-slicked synths of today's hip-hop and R&B (courtesy, mostly, of Young Thug and Migos-famous producer Dun Deal), and its sound provides a charismatic contrast to its almost anhedonic pursuit of pleasure." Paul MacInnes of The Guardian said, "It might all feel a little mechanical, but Trigga does hang together, and has a seductive power that (one presumes) is befitting of the man himself." Matt Fruchtman of Slant Magazine stated, "At times, Songz's lyrics venture into personal territory: "Y.A.S. (You Ain't Shit)" displays both genuine self-loathing and anger that's a stark contrast to the arrogant persona featured throughout the bulk of the album. This kind of vulnerability is refreshing, but Trigga is otherwise designed like a Hollywood blockbuster: squandered talent, obvious themes, and fleeting moments of creative excellence that stick among the clichés."

Martín Caballero of USA Today said, "Trey Songz's engaging sixth album, Trigga, is a statement of intent — not of a bold new direction, but rather of the singer's determination to solidify the hitmaker's pedigree he's worked hard to earn." Julia LeConte of Now stated, "Trigga is smooth and singable, with its share of gems. "Change Your Mind" is the most initially catchy (in that vanilla, Jason Derülo way) and "Foreign (Remix)" begs for repeat spins." Erin Lowers of XXL said, "Filled with lust, desire and sexual journeys, Trey Songz reaches an expected level of mainstream success with Trigga, and while safe is always encouraged during sexual acts, perhaps Trey could’ve taken a few more risks with this album."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 105,000 copies in the United States. The album spent an additional two weeks in the chart's top ten. As of October 2014, the album had sold 264,000 copies. The release of Trigga Reloaded prompted the album's return to the album chart at number 23 for the week of July 11, 2015 with 17,000 equivalent album units; it sold 8,000 copies that week, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting the album's streaming activity and track sales. The album made its chart debut in the United Kingdom where it debuted at number seventeen on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart. In July 2016, the album was certified platinum for combined sales and streaming equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.