Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the change in Sean's production and lyricism being more atmospheric and substance-filled. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 173,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. In August 2020, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album's second single, "Paradise", was released on October 7, 2014.[3] The song peaked at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
The album's third single, "Blessings" featuring Drake and Kanye West, was released on January 30, 2015.[4][5] The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
Dark Sky Paradise was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews.[9] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[8]
In a review for Exclaim!, Samantha O'Connor noted that "stormier production and moodier lyricism replace Sean's predictable sunny wordplay and pop culture puns", further concluding that "Big Sean has reached a personal high by finding his Dark Sky Paradise, and it's his honesty that takes listeners there with him".[14] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Artistically, three is the charm Big Sean as Dark Sky Paradise is much more expansive than previous efforts, sometimes grinding with executive producer Kanye West's love of the dark, and other times bouncing with the snark, swagger, and style that propelled this Detroit rapper to the top".[10] John Kennedy of Billboard said, "With sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career".[11] Justin Charity of Complex said, "Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, and impassioned when he wants to be, Sean has advanced (if not graduated) from the tepid mythmaking of Hall of Fame. Here he's dynamic, and a pretty good rapper".[12] Eric Diep of HipHopDX said, "With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean is prepared to leave his mark".[15]
Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "A spirited combination of grown-man statement-making and round-the-way bull".[13]Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "In the last year, he's made real strides toward lucidity, and on Dark Sky Paradise, his third and best album, he is more human than ever before".[20] Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork said, "Dark Sky Paradise is a big leap in the direction of the ideal Big Sean full-length".[16] Dan Rys of XXL said, "'One Man Can Change the World' in particular, which deals with the loss of his grandmother and his acceptance of her passing, really underlines what the entire work is about: dealing with the ups and downs in life and figuring out the best way to accept them and move forward. With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has finally found that balance".[19] Michael Madden of Consequence said, "Mostly, though, Dark Sky Paradise is an ambitious tasteful album from a rapper who's often viewed as neither".[21] Dan Weiss of Spin said, "More of the same, really, and what same is that anyway? His beats, hooks and musicality tread slightly above water".[18] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone stated, "His third and best record isn't that moment yet, but he's one step closer".[17]
Dark Sky Paradise debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 173,000 album-equivalent units (including 139,000 copies as pure albums sales) in its first week.[28] This became Sean's first US number one debut and his highest first week sales to date.[28] In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, earning an additional 58,000 units.[29] In its third week, the album dropped to number ten on the chart, earning 38,000 more units.[30][31] By the end of 2015, Dark Sky Paradise was ranked as the 22nd most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[32] On August 19, 2020, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of two million units in the United States.[33]
^[d] "I Don't Fuck with You" contains elements from "Say You Love Me, One More Time", written and performed by D. J. Rogers.
^[e] "Play No Games" contains a sample from "Piece of My Love", written by Timothy Gatling, Gene Griffin, Aaron Hall, and Edward T. Riley, as performed by Guy.
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