Nugent, Annabel (July 8, 2021). "Vince Staples review, Vince Staples: Another superb outlier from a rapper who excels in them". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021 . Retrieved July 8, 2021. Fish Vince Staples is easily one of most underrated rappers out right now. His output since 2015 has been immensely consistent. Now that he has 5 full length albums under his belt, I think it’s fair to say that ‘Big Fish Theory’ is still his magnum opus. Darville, Jordan (July 6, 2021). "Vince Staples shares new song 'Are You With That?' ". The Fader. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021 . Retrieved July 7, 2021.

Vince Staples is no stranger to experimenting within the realm of hip hop, but the particular fusion of hip hop and EDM on this record makes for Vince’s strongest collection of songs. He brought in producers who are talented in more electronic sounding stuff like Flume, SOPHIE, and even Justin Vernon. I don’t think this album would be anywhere near as good as it is if he didn’t choose the right people. Wood, Mikael (December 15, 2021). "The 10 best albums of 2021". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021 . Retrieved December 15, 2021. Gee, Andre (December 1, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021". Complex. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021 . Retrieved December 4, 2021. Elder, Sajae. "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021 . Retrieved December 15, 2021.The driving force behind Big Fish Theory is tempo; Staples exudes manic energy, departing from the unnerving calm that marked earlier releases. In the run-up to the album, he referred to the project as futuristic, and even labeled it Afrofuturism for a while, though he later claimed he was trolling. But the record is truly progressive and unconventional—“When the Vince Staples is playing, it’s 2029, bro,” he said on Beats 1. “Vince Staples is coming once again with the brand new sound.” While the sound in question is mostly retrofitted dance music that slopes to suit rap cadences, there’s something radical in how swiftly and easily he scales these craggy bops with fractured verses. And there’s a certain boldness and adventurousness to following your weirdest project with your cheekiest one. Noor, Sun (December 1, 2021). "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2021". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021 . Retrieved December 6, 2021. Chow, Andrew R.; Lang, Cady (December 4, 2021). "The 10 Best Albums of 2021". Time. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021 . Retrieved December 6, 2021. Staples’ 2016 EP, Prima Donna, opened with a budding rap star dying by suicide before tracing the path that led him there, and Big Fish Theory further explores the theme. Amy Winehouse speaks in the opening seconds of “Alyssa Interlude” (via an excerpt from a 2006 interview), setting the tone: “I’m quite a self-destructive person, so I guess I keep giving myself material,” she concludes, a sobering look into her process. Winehouse has long been a source of inspiration for Staples (the documentary Amy was the initial spark for Prima Donna), and he has openly criticized the public’s treatment of the late singer. The symbiotic relationship and resulting tension between a tortured artist and their audience weighs heavy on Vince’s mind (See: the “Señorita” video or the Prima Donna short film). These weighty questions seep into Big Fish Theory, where he sneaks in outcries like “Propaganda, press pan the camera/Please don’t look at me in my face/Everybody might see my pain/Off the rail, might off myself.” Suicide comes up elsewhere on the record. There are references to Basquiat and he calls himself the new River Phoenix. Amid the partying and paper-chasing, there are flashes of darkness and melancholy: “How am I supposed to have a good time when death and destruction is all I see?” a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021 . Retrieved July 16, 2021.

DeVille, Chris (July 9, 2021). "Stream Vince Staples' New Self-Titled Album". Stereogum. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021 . Retrieved July 20, 2021. Lombardi, Matthew Davies (July 9, 2021). "Vince Staples – Vince Staples". DIY. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021 . Retrieved July 16, 2021.Lyons-Burt, Charles (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021 . Retrieved December 7, 2021. Panaligan, EJ (December 6, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021: Staff List". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021 . Retrieved December 7, 2021. Moore, Sam (December 10, 2021). "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021 . Retrieved December 10, 2021. os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 16, 2021. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021 . Retrieved July 16, 2021.