Showbiz!

Showbiz!
Studio album by
Mike
ReleasedJanuary 31, 2025
Recorded2024–2025[1]
StudioMike's home[1]
GenreHip-hop[2]
Length47:42
Label10k
Producer
Mike chronology
Pinball
(2024) 		Showbiz!
(2025) 		Pinball II
(2025)
Singles from Showbiz!
  1. "Pieces of a Dream"
    Released: October 18, 2024
  2. "You're the Only One Watching"
    Released: November 29, 2024
  3. "Bear Trap"
    Released: January 17, 2025

Showbiz! is the seventh studio album by American rapper Mike, released on January 31, 2025 via 10k. It features guest appearances from Venna, 454, duendita, and Surf Gang. Mike primarily handled production under his DJ Blackpower alias, with additional contributions from Thelonious Martin, RedLee, and Louis Shungu, among others. The album was released to positive critical reception.

Release

On October 18, 2024, Mike released the album's first single, "Pieces of a Dream", alongside a music video.[3][4][5] He also announced the #AOTC Tour, to begin on February 27, 2025 in Dublin and conclude on May 31, 2025 in New York City.[6][7] On November 29, 2024, Mike announced the announced the album's release alongside its second single and music video, "You're the Only One Watching".[8][9] The album's third single, "Bear Trap", was released on January 17, 2025 with a music video.[10][11][12] On January 30, 2025 Mike released a double music video for "Man In The Mirror" and "Artist Of The Century."[13] A deluxe edition of the album, featuring live recordings from his Tiny Desk performance, was released on December 11, 2025.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[1]
Paste8.3/10[15]
Pitchfork8.3/10[2]
Slant Magazine[16]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Showbiz! received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 8 critic scores.[17]

Dash Lewis of Pitchfork described the album as Mike's "most spiritual-sounding album, full of '80s boogie bands pitch-shifted to resemble gospel choirs, reverberant saxophones reaching up to the heavens, and keyboards that shine like parting clouds at dawn."[2] The Guardian's Will Pritchard praised the album's lyrics, writing: "his lyrics, often written freely in streams of consciousness, sit in cosy corners of cut-and-stitched samples, comparable with the drifting verses of his friend and mentor Earl Sweatshirt or the smoother edges of Buffalo's Westside Gunn."[1] Writing for Slant Magazine, Paul Attard wrote that the album "with its rough-edged aesthetic and fragmented presentation" felt like "the culmination of years spent turning ongoing pain into poetry."[16] J. Krueger of Consequence wrote that the album "boasts 24 tracks of woozy, left-field beats; contemplative bars delivered from deep in the pocket; and a relaxed but attention-demanding tone."[18] Arusa Qureshi's review for The Quietus concludes that the album "is significant not only for underlining Mike's continued evolution as a rapper and composer, but also as a producer and beat-maker."[19] Writing for Hypebeast, Elaina Bernstein describes Mike as "introspective as ever before" on the album, with him posing "hard questions about himself and the world around him."[20] Raphael Helfand of The Fader writes that Mike "brings a raw creative process and an openness with which he addresses the most painful, intimate details of his personal life, his mic a conduit through which complex emotions and awe-striking insights flow."[21] Grant Sharples of Paste glazed the album's production, describing it as "a tapestry of woozy samples, shimmering keyboards, and shapeshifting drums" that "orbits his unmistakable voice, built on a compelling hybrid of somnambulant delivery and dextrous wordplay."[15]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref
Consequence The 50 Best Albums of 2025 22 [22]
The 25 Best Rap Albums of 2025 7 [23]
The Fader The 50 best albums of 2025 32 [24]
Gorilla vs. Bear Albums of 2025 34 [25]
HotNewHipHop The 40 Best Rap Albums of 2025 17 [26]
Paste The 50 best albums of 2025 31 [27]
The 25 best rap albums of 2025 13 [28]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2025 45 [29]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2025 54 [30]
The 25 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2025 6 [31]
The Quietus Albums of the Year 2025 81 [32]
Time Out The 25 best albums of 2025 12 [33]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Bonema and produced by DJ Blackpower, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bear Trap"
  • Bonema
  • Darryl Johnson
  • DJ Blackpower
  • Johnson
2:50
2."Clown of the Class (Work Harder)"
  • Bonema
  • Jacob Rochester
Rochester1:16
3."Then We Could Be Free.."  1:28
4."Watered Down"  1:52
5."Man in the Mirror"  1:51
6."Artist of the Century" (featuring Venna)
  • Bonema
  • Malik Venner
 2:53
7."What U Bouta Do?/A Star was Born" (featuring 454)
  • DJ Blackpower
  • Anysia Kym
2:30
8."Belly 1" (featuring Surf Gang)
  • Bonema
  • Harrison Sutherland
Harrison1:37
9."Da Roc"  1:20
10."The Weight (2k20)"  1:16
11."Lost Scribe"
  • Bonema
  • Louis Shungu
  • DJ Blackpower
  • Shungu
1:36
12."You're the Only One Watching"  2:05
13."Lucky"  2:15
14."#82"
  • Bonema
  • Shungu
  • DJ Blackpower
  • Shungu
1:56
15."Too Hot (interlude)"  0:53
16."Pieces of a Dream"  2:38
17."Strange Feeling"  2:01
18."Zombie pt.2"
  • Bonema
  • Lindsay Rose Olsen
Salami Rose Joe Louis1:37
19."Burning House"
3:00
20."Showbiz! (Intro)"
  • Bonema
  • Laron Wages
Laron2:02
21."Spun Out"  2:32
22."Miss U" (featuring duendita)
  • DJ Blackpower
  • RedLee
2:32
23."When it Rains"
  • Bonema
  • Wages
Laron1:58
24."Diamond Dancing (Broke)"
  • Bonema
  • Venner
 2:35
Total length:47:42

All tracks are written by Michael Bonema and produced by Band of the Century.

Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleLength
1."Intro - Tiny Desk Version"0:32
2."Burning Desire - Tiny Desk Version"1:34
3."Man in the mirror - Tiny Desk Version"1:50
4."Artist of the Century - Tiny Desk Version"1:42
5."Evil Eye - Tiny Desk Version"2:02
6."World Market (Mo' Money) - Tiny Desk Version"2:01
7."Diamond Dancing (Broke) - Tiny Desk Version"2:28
8."Leaders of Tomorrow - Tiny Desk Version"1:52
9."Nite Flite - Tiny Desk Version"0:59
10."Parks - Tiny Desk Version"2:19
11."What Do I Do? - Tiny Desk Version"4:26
Total length:69:17

Notes

  • "You're the Only One Watching" features spoken word by Anuoluwapo Sandra Akinboboye.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Pritchard, Will (January 31, 2025). "Mike: Showbiz! review – a master rap craftsman building his own world". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Lewis, Dash. "MIKE: Showbiz!". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  3. ^ DeVille, Chris (October 18, 2024). "MIKE Shares New Single "Pieces of a Dream": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  4. ^ Sacher, Andrew (October 18, 2024). "MIKE releases new song "Pieces of a Dream," announces 2025 tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  5. ^ Slingerland, Calum (October 18, 2024). "MIKE Maps Out 2025 World Tour, Shares "Pieces of a Dream"". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  6. ^ Strauss, Matthew (October 18, 2024). "MIKE Announces 2025 Tour, Shares New "Pieces of a Dream" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Blake, Cole (October 19, 2024). "MIKE Shares New Single, "Pieces of a Dream," Ahead Of Massive World Tour". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Bell, Kaelen (November 29, 2024). "MIKE Announces New Album, Shares "You're the Only One Watching"". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  9. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (November 29, 2024). "MIKE Announces New Album 'Showbiz': Hear "You're The Only One Watching"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  10. ^ Williams, Aaron (January 17, 2025). "MIKE Shares His 'Showbiz!' Album Tracklist With The 'Bear Trap' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  11. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (January 17, 2025). "MIKE Reveals Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist For New Album "Showbiz!" Following "Bear Trap" Single". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  12. ^ Strauss, Matthew (January 17, 2025). "MIKE Details New Album Showbiz!, Shares "Bear Trap" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  13. ^ Williams, Aaron (January 31, 2025). "MIKE Drops 'Man In The Mirror' & 'Artist Of The Century' Double Video". Uproxx. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  14. ^ Horvath, Zachary (January 31, 2025). "Showbiz! (Deluxe) - Album by MIKE". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Sharples, Grant. "No Album Left Behind: MIKE earns his glazing on the spirited Showbiz!". Paste Magazine. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Attard, Paul (January 31, 2025). "MIKE 'Showbiz!' Review: Mo Money, Mo Problems". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Showbiz! by MIKE, Metacritic, retrieved February 11, 2025
  18. ^ "Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of January 2025". Consequence. January 31, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Barry, Robert (January 27, 2025). "MIKE – Showbiz!". The Quietus. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  20. ^ Bernstein, Elaina (February 3, 2025). "MIKE Keeps It Real on 'Showbiz!'". Hypebeast. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  21. ^ Helfand, Raphael (January 30, 2025). "Review: On Showbiz!, MIKE raps for every working artist". The Fader. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  22. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". Consequence. December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  23. ^ "The 25 Best Rap Albums of 2025". Consequence. December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  24. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2025". The Fader. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  25. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2025". Gorilla vs. Bear. December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  26. ^ "The 40 Best Rap Albums Of 2025". HotNewHipHop. March 9, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  27. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2025". Paste Magazine. December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  28. ^ "The 25 best rap albums of 2025". Paste Magazine. December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  29. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2025". Pitchfork. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  30. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  31. ^ "The 25 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2025". Rolling Stone. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  32. ^ Clarke, Patrick (December 1, 2025). "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2025 (In Association with Norman Records)". The Quietus. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  33. ^ Cunningham, Ed (November 26, 2025). "The 25 best albums of 2025". Time Out. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
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