Chronicles of a Diamond

Chronicles of a Diamond is the second studio album by American band Black Pumas, released on October 27, 2023, through ATO Records. It was produced by group member Adrian Quesada, co-produced by fellow member Eric Burton and John Congleton, and mixed by Shawn Everett. The album was preceded by the lead single "More Than a Love Song".

Background
Eric Burton acknowledged that while the band were "under pressure" with their second album, it was still "a fun process and very cathartic as well" and "feels more like a second debut". With Chronicles of a Diamond, Burton stated that he "had a lot more to do with the creation of the music outside of lyrics and melody" than the band's debut.

Critical reception
Chronicles of a Diamond received a score of 76 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Mojo commented that "the production ideas and songs, however smart, won't change the world; they will, however, prompt large swathes to sing along". Clash's Emma Harrison called it a "cross-cultural heavenly palette of starry-eyed soul, psychedelic rock, jazz funk and symphonic pop" as well as "the most expansive expression yet of Black Pumas' frenetic creativity and limitless vision to date".

Thomas Smith of NME described it as "a more realised offering to the world and exceeds their debut album" and observed that "you can't help but hear Burton's confidence growing across the album's running time, his potential still untapped and with room to grow". Uncut felt that "while the material is frequently just serviceable, the arrangements are inspired thanks to the virtuosic interplay of JaRon Marshall's gilded piano, Brendan Bond's percolating basslines and Quesada's sizzling solos". Glide Magazine's Ryan Dillon opined that it is "bursting with colorful experimentation and pure musicianship that showcases a diversity that wasn't present on their debut".

Personnel
Black Pumas
 * Eric Burton – vocals, co-production
 * Adrian Quesada – production (all tracks), mixing (1), engineering (1, 3, 5), additional engineering (4, 6)

Additional Personnel


 * Stephen Bidwell – drums, samples
 * AJ Hall - drums, backing vocals (3, 6)
 * Adam Jackson – drums (2)
 * Brendan Bond – bass guitar
 * Josh Blue - bass, keyboards, (2)
 * Alexis Buffum – violin
 * Lauren Cervantes – backing vocals
 * JaRon Marshall - keyboards
 * Anthony Farrell- keyboards, drums (8)
 * Angela Miller – backing vocals
 * Roy Patten - backing vocals (1)
 * John Speice - congas, percussion
 * Erik Wofford- mellotron (4)

Technical
 * John Congleton – co-production, additional engineering (1, 4, 6, 9, 10)
 * Chris Allgood – mastering
 * Emily Lazar – mastering
 * Aaron Glemboski – mixing (1), engineering (1, 3, 6, 7), additional engineering (2, 4, 5, 8, 9)
 * Shawn Everett – mixing (2–10)
 * Sean Cook – engineering (1, 4, 9, 10)
 * Erik Wofford – engineering (2)
 * Omar Akrouche – engineering (4)
 * Jan Schenk – engineering (5, 9, 10)
 * Mario Ramirez – engineering (8)
 * Josh Blue – additional engineering (2, 5)
 * AJ Hall – additional engineering (3, 5)
 * Ian Gold – mixing assistance (2–10)