The Forever Story

The Forever StoryStudio album by JID
Released	August 26, 2022 (2022-08-26)
Recorded	2020–2022
Length	59:06 (Standard) 66:32 (Extended)
Label	Dreamville • Interscope • Spillage Village
JID chronology
‹ Previous	Spilligion (2020)
Current	The Forever Story (2022)
Next ›	God Does Like Ugly (2025)

The Forever Story is the third studio album by JID, released by Dreamville and Interscope Records on August 26, 2022. It features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Yasiin Bey, Lil Wayne, Johntá Austin, Ravyn Lenae, and Eryn Allen Kane. Production was handled by a variety of record producers, including Monte Booker, Childish Major, Christo, Cardiak, Kaytranada, DJ Scheme, Khrysis, and James Blake, among others. The album was supported by the two singles "Surround Sound" and "Dance Now," as well as the promotional single "2007".

The album serves as the sequel to The Never Story (2017), and debuted at number twelve on the Billboard 200. It became certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), his first album to do so.

Background

I feel a bit open and exposed, but not in a bad way. It was just overcoming fears to get this music, not done, but to get it out. It was hard, in this process, trying to do everything I wanted to do.

JID to Vulture

JID began working on The Forever Story in 2020, and spent two years on it. He tapped into his vulnerable side, including personal family stories, though would later lament to People that it was difficult to perform as he "was going through emotional shit" and "digging up old traumas".

He hired a vocal coach to perfect his singing. "2007" was intended to be the outro to the album, though was left off in the initial pressing due to sample clearance issues. He dropped it to his YouTube channel instead on August 19, and later included it on the extended version of the album on November 3.

On August 25, 2022, he released a vignette to his YouTube channel, directed by Allan Maldonado. It mirrors his own life, where he planned to play pro football but was kicked off of the team and turned to music. The video depicts JID in his football uniform, rushing to retrieve his helmet. A person informs him that he's captain for their game that night. Out on the field, the referee does a coin toss, then it abruptly changes to him in the studio.

Cover artwork

The cover artwork was based on his debut album artwork, which was a drawing, and he wanted to bring it to life with actual people. It features close family and friends.

Track listing

Standard edition
NO.	TITLE	LENGTH
01	"Galaxy"	0:52
02	"Raydar"	3:24
03	"Dance Now" (with Kenny Mason)	3:47
04	"Crack Sandwich"	4:57
05	"Can't Punk Me" (with EarthGang)	3:23
06	"Surround Sound" (featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate)	3:49
07	"Kody Blu 31"	3:44
08	"Bruddanem" (featuring Lil Durk)	3:55
09	"Sistanem"	6:09
10	"Can't Make U Change" (with Ari Lennox)	4:48
11	"Stars" (featuring Yasiin Bey)	4:18
12	"Just in Time" (with Kenny Mason featuring Lil Wayne)	3:27
13	"Money"	4:26
14	"Better Days" (featuring Johntá Austin)	4:14
15	"Lauder Too" (featuring Ravyn Lenae and Eryn Allen Kane)	3:53

Deluxe edition
NO.	TITLE	LENGTH
16	"2007"	7:26

Personnel

• Destin "JID" Route – vocals, writing (all tracks)
• Nicolas "Dep" de Porcel – mastering (all tracks)
• Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing (all tracks)
• Cyrus "NOIS" Taghipour – mixing (track 6); mixing assistance (tracks 1–5, 7–16)
• John Kadadu – engineering (all tracks)
• Curtis "Sircut" Bye – mixing assistance (all tracks)
• Reggie Ball Sr. – additional vocals (track 1)
• Ian Benjamin Welch – writing, production (tracks 7, 14); background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 7); additional vocals (tracks 9, 11), bass guitar (track 7)
• Asiahn Bryant – background vocals (track 1)
• Eryn Allen Kane – background vocals (track 1); additional vocals, writing (track 15)
• Ahmanti "Monte" Booker – writing (tracks 1, 12, 15), production (tracks 1, 12), additional production (track 15)
• Christopher "Christo" Welch III – writing, production {{small|(tracks 2-4, 6-12, 14, 16), additional vocals (track 4), drums (track 7)
• Asheton "Pluss" Hogan – writing, production (track 2)
• Gary "Nonstop Da Hitman" Fountaine – writing, production (track 2)
• Jalal Nuriddin – writing (track 2) [Sample]
• James Icart – writing (track 2)
• Jesse Gumer – writing (track 2)
• Markus "Childish Major" Randle – writing, production (track 2)
• Quincy Riley – additional production (track 2)
• 2one2 – additional production (track 2)
• Britanny Fousheé – background vocals (track 3), additional vocals (track 9)
• Jesse Royal – spoken word (track 3)
• Aviad Poznansky – writing, production (track 3)
• Edwin Green, Jr. – writing (track 3)
• Elisha Mlotek – writing (track 3) [Sample]
• Shlomo Gaisin – writing (track 3) [Sample]
• Zachary Goldschmiedt – writing (track 3) [Sample]
• Abbas "Bas" Hamad – additional vocals (track 4)
• Carl "Cardiak" McCormick – writing, production (track 4)
• Benjamin "Groove" Tolbert – writing (tracks 4, 15-16); production (tracks 4, 16); additional production (track 15)
• Dylan "Nami" Teixeira – writing, production (track 4)
• Thomas "Tommy" Brown – writing, production (track 4)
• Margaux "Yuli" Whitney – additional vocals (track 4); writing (tracks 7-8); production (tracks 7, 9); additional production (track 8)
• EarthGang – featured artist
  • Eian Parker – writing (track 5)
  • Olu "Johnny Venus" Fann – writing (track 5); additional vocals (track 7)
• James "JD" Beck – writing, production, drums (track 5)
• Louis "Kaytranada" Celestin – writing, production (track 5)
• Charles Singleton – writing (track 6) [Sample]
• Eddie Snyder – writing (track 6) [Sample]
• Gabriel "DJ Scheme" Guerra – writing, production (track 6)
• Nuri Kamberi – writing, production (track 6)
• Shéyaa "21 Savage" Bin Abraham-Joseph – featured artist, writing (track 6)
• Tate "Baby Tate" Farris – featured artist, writing (track 6)
• Jean Rodríguez – additional vocals (tracks 7, 9, 11)
• Rasheed "Sheed" Hightower – additional vocals (tracks 7, 9–11)
• Barbara Wilson – additional vocals (track 7)
• Hero the Band – additional vocals (track 7); production (track 14)
• Vonda Fuller – additional vocals (tracks 7, 10)
• Jerramy Barnett – writing (tracks 7, 14)
• Justin Barnett – writing (tracks 7, 14)
• Nicolas "Nicki Jupiter" Barnett – writing (tracks 7, 14)
• Taji "Tane Runo" Jones – additional vocals (track 11); writing (tracks 7, 11); production (track 7)
• Durk "Lil Durk" Banks – featured artist, writing (track 8)
• Mustafa "the Poet" Ahmed – spoken word (track 8)
• Daniel Seeff – writing (track 8)
• Khalil "DJ Khalil" Abdul-Rahman – writing, production (track 8)
• Neal "TU!" Pogue II – writing, production (track 8)
• Justine Skye – additional vocals (track 9)
• Kameron "Hollywood" Cole – writing, production (track 9)
• James Blake Litherland – featured artist (track 15); writing (tracks 9, 15); production (track 15)
• Eric Roberson – writing (track 9) [Sample]
• Osunlade – writing (track 9) [Sample]
• Taalib Johnson – writing (track 9) [Sample]
• Alexander Hall – writing (track 10)
• Anthony "Elite" Parrino – writing, production (track 10)
• Courtney "Ari Lennox" Salter – writing (track 10)
• Jorge Augusto – writing (track 10)
• Bruce Fisher – writing (track 10) [Sample]
• Leon Ware – writing (track 10) [Sample]
• Quincy Jones – writing (track 10) [Sample]
• Stanley Richardson – writing (track 10) [Sample]
• Yasiin Bey – featured artist, writing (track 11)
• Badbadnotgood – production (track 11)
  • Alexander Sowinski – writing (track 11)
  • Chester Hansen – writing (track 11)
  • Matthew Tavares – writing (track 11)
• Eric Jones – writing (track 11)
• Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter, Jr. – featured artist, writing (track 12)
• Edwin "Kenny Mason" Green, Jr. – featured artist, writing (tracks 3, 12)
• Emma Hathaway Delhomme – additional vocals (track 13)
• Kaden Chea – additional vocals (track 13)
• Maddison Williams – additional vocals (track 13)
• Randall Smith – additional vocals (track 13)
• Sunshine Hathaway Delhomme – additional vocals (track 13)
• Christopher "Khrysis" Tyson – writing, production (track 13)
• Paul Coleman – writing, production {{small|(track 13)} [Sample]
• Andrew Barnes – bass guitar (track 13)
• Jonathan Curry – drums (track 13)
• Russel Favret – guitar (track 13)
• Howard "GiveEmSoul" Joyner – keyboards (track 13)
• Juran Ratchford – saxophone (track 13)
• Cameron Tripp – trumpet (track 13)
• Johntá Austin – featured artist, writing (track 14)
• Angel White – additional vocals (track 14)
• Ravyn Lenae – additional vocals, writing (track 15)
• Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner – bass guitar (track 15)
• Edmund Sylvers – writing (track 15) [Sample]
• Leon Sylvers III – writing (track 15) [Sample]
• Latrell Jaimz Boyd – writing, production (track 16)
• Dorcas Cochran – writing (track 16) [Sample]
• Eddie Jones – writing (track 16) [Sample]
• George Kerr – writing (track 16) [Sample]
• Gerald Harris – writing (track 16)
• Gerry McClelland – writing (track 16)
• Lionel Newman – writing (track 16)

Year-end lists

Year	Publication	Rank	Ref.
2022	AllMusic	*
	Atwood Magazine	*
	Complex	9
	Consequence of Sound	13
		2
	The Line of Best Fit	21
	NPR Music	46
	Okayplayer	1
	The Ringer	14
	Rolling Stone	11
		82
		3
	Slate	*
	Sputnikmusic	47
	Uproxx	*
		*
	Wired	12
	XXL	*
(*) indicates an unranked list.

Charts

Chart (2022–2024)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)	65
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	59
Irish Albums (IRMA)	50
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)	46
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	16
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	69
UK Albums (OCC)	74
UK R&B Albums (OCC)	36
US Billboard 200	12

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold	500,000*
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Gallery

• Trailer

Merchandise

The Forever Story Hat • $25.00	red • $20.00	Forever Hoodie • $60.00	The Forever Story Graphic Hoodie• $50.00	Glass Heart Tee • $35.00	Never Is Forever Tee • $35.00
Pronounced Tee • $35.00	The Forever Story Trip Tee • $35.00	Skeleton Tee • $35.00	Dance Now Tee • $35.00	4Ever Tee • $35.00	Forever Jogger Sweatpants • $45.00

References

Template:The Forever Story