Poems of the Past (stylized in all lowercase) is the sixth extended play (EP) and major label debut by Canadian rapper Powfu. It was released on May 15, 2020, through Columbia Records and Powfu Productions.

Background

The EP was announced on May 13, 2020. About the EP, Powfu said:

"The six songs on this EP are some of my favorites that I've ever recorded. I had a lot of fun experimenting with different features and sounds, and I hope everyone finds their own favorite song on it, whether they like hip-hop, punk, lo-fi or bedroom pop. Some of these songs were written about my own personal past, some are romantic stories I wanted to tell, but now they're for the fans to interpret for themselves."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said the EP is "just one drop in the glut of music he has released in the last two years, much of it excellent." Sam Higgins of NME called the songs "vulnerable and downbeat, the message relatable to the youth of today who are going through the same things."

Track listing

Poems of the Past track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)" (featuring Beabadoobee)Isaiah FaberBeatrice LausOscar LangChristian KlostermanOtterpop2:53
2."I'm Used to It"Faber8rokeboy2:55
3."I'll Come Back to You" (featuring Sarcastic Sounds and Rxseboy)FaberJeremy FedrykAnthony TubbsPowfuSarcastic Sounds2:14
4."A World of Chaos" (featuring Rxseboy, Jomie, and Ivri)FaberTubbsJoseph GarcellNicolas MarcheseSudipta DattaSolomon ThompsonIvri WrightPowfuMonty DattaSkinny Atlas2:42
5."Popular Girl, Typical Boy" (featuring Sleep.Ing)FaberJoaquim FranciscoPatience FaberPowfuJoaquim Francisco4:06
6."Death Bed (Bonus Remix)" (featuring Beabadoobee and Blink-182)FaberLausLangKlostermanOtterpop2:13
Total length:17:05

Charts

Chart performance for Poems of the Past
Chart (2020)Peak position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)53
French Albums (SNEP)57
US Billboard 200134
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)5
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)1

Certifications

Certifications for Poems of the Past
RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)Gold7,500‡
Poland (ZPAV)Gold10,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for Poems of the Past
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousMay 15, 2020Digital downloadstreamingPowfu ProductionsColumbia