Poems of the Past

Poems of the Past
EP by
Powfu
ReleasedMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
Length17:05
Labels
Producers
  • Otterpop
  • 8rokeboy
  • Powfu
  • Sarcastic Sounds
  • Monty Datta
  • Skinny Atlas
  • Joaquim Francisco
Powfu chronology
Some Boring Love Stories, Pt. 4
(2019)		 Poems of the Past
(2020)		 Some Boring Love Stories, Pt. 5
(2020)
Singles from Poems of the Past
  1. "Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head)"
    Released: February 8, 2020 (2020-02-08)
  2. "I'm Used to It"
    Released: April 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
  3. "I'll Come Back to You"
    Released: May 12, 2020 (2020-05-12)

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
NMEStarStarStar

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 Faber
  • Beatrice Laus
  • Oscar Lang
  • Christian Klosterman
Otterpop2:53
2."I'm Used to It"Faber8rokeboy2:55
3."I'll Come Back to You" (featuring Sarcastic Sounds and Rxseboy)
  • Faber
  • Jeremy Fedryk
  • Anthony Tubbs
2:14
4."A World of Chaos" (featuring Rxseboy, Jomie, and Ivri)
  • Faber
  • Tubbs
  • Joseph Garcell
  • Nicolas Marchese
  • Sudipta Datta
  • Solomon Thompson
  • Ivri Wright
  • Powfu
  • Monty Datta
  • Skinny Atlas
2:42
5."Popular Girl, Typical Boy" (featuring Sleep.Ing)
  • Faber
  • Joaquim Francisco
  • Patience Faber
  • Powfu
  • Joaquim Francisco
4:06
6."Death Bed (Bonus Remix)" (featuring Beabadoobee and Blink-182)
  • Faber
  • Laus
  • Lang
  • Klosterman
Otterpop2:13
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 200 134
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) 5

Certifications

Certifications for Poems of the Past
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 7,500‡
Poland (ZPAV) Gold 10,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for Poems of the Past
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 15, 2020

References

  1. ↑ Muir, Jamie (May 13, 2020). "Powfu has done the double – revealing a new track and announcing a new EP". Dork. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ Scott, Ruby (May 29, 2020). "Powfu Shares 'poems of the past,' a Sublime Lo-Fi Portrait of Youth". Ones to Watch. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Higgins, Sam (June 3, 2020). "Powfu – 'poems of the past' review: Gloomy lo-fi anthems from TikTok's breakout star". NME. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  4. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (August 5, 2020). "The Universal Loneliness of Powfu". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of June 27, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Powfu – Poems of the Past". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Billboard 200: Week of June 20, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Top Alternative Albums: Week of June 13, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  9. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Powfu – Poems of the Past EP". Radioscope. Retrieved July 20, 2025. Type Poems of the Past EP in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  10. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 20, 2025. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Poems of the Past in the search box.
  11. ↑ "poems of the past – EP by Powfu on Apple Music". May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2025 – via Apple Music.