In a project infused with copious amounts of gospel music, Chance The Rapper put together an overall-underwhelming mixtape with his latest effort titled “Coloring Book.”

When I say copious… I mean it. Throughout the listening experience, the moments that weren’t filled with joyous choirs were few and far between. And, when the word “rapper” is literally in your name, that can be an issue for all consumers of the music.

Though many listeners were complaining due to their stance on the overly religious cuts that most of “Coloring Book” had, the issue at hand transcends that. When the mixtape is promoted as a project by Chance The Rapper and nobody else, there shouldn’t be so many songs where he is not the focal point. It distracts from the fact that it’s billed as his own work.

On the topic of work that isn’t his own, I was less than pleased when I got my first glance at the list of features on “Coloring Book.” Instead of up-and-coming or notoriously talented artists, he opted to select a more washed-up and mismatched group. Almost none of the rappers or singers he picked meshed well with his style, resulting in either him changing the upbeat and peppy tone he is known for or an awkward collision of vocals.

Still, it would just be ignorant to pretend that this thing is plagued only with negative after negative. There were some shining moments on the project which brought us the Chance The Rapper we’ve grown to love. Tracks like “Same Drugs,” “Angels,” and “All We Got” highlighted his growth as an artist in a way that the rest of the album couldn’t.

One thing that didn’t translate over from the Chicago rapper’s usual release process was the free-of-charge aspect. He rapped in Kanye West’s song titled “Ultralight Beams,” which he featured in, “Let’s make it so free and the bars so hard / That there ain’t one gosh darn part you can’t tweet”… If he refers to an Apple Music exclusive as free, then I wonder what his definition of expensive is.

All in all, the release fell short of the potential it had displayed in the months that led up to it. Quite simply, that equates to a disappointed, frustrated, and distraught fanbase. Though I know a lot of people disagree with everything I have to say about “Coloring Book,” I truly stand beside the fact that it could have been done better. Chance has proven time and time again that he has the potential to create magic with every song he drops, but that wasn’t the case here.