"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: contemplative, melancholy. Visual style: contemporary editorial aesthetic. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Swimming Pools (Drank)
Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
Balanced energy, right in the middle of 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
80
BPM
Swimming Pools (Drank) by Kendrick Lamar is 80 BPM — Andante (walking pace).
Half-time 40 BPM · Double-time 160 BPM · released 2012
Fan image for "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
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Song DNA
Notes: deep bass, reflective lyrics
Recommended for: anxiety relief deep listening
Middle of the road on intensity, in the best way. This one has a big quiet-to-loud range with the occasional gentle turn — a densely layered track with strong, dynamic vocals driving it at an unhurried mid-tempo. It’s easy enough to follow without going flat. Across the library, it sits more energetic than 55% of songs, calmer than the rest.
Cultural Context
A significant work within the modern hip-hop landscape, showcasing Kendrick's storytelling.
Listening Prompt
Consider the duality of celebration and consequence.
What to Expect
Eighty beats per minute is a slow, deliberate pace, and this 2012 Kendrick Lamar track from good kid, m.A.A.d city sits right there. Dynamic range of 7 gives the recording some volume arc, and mild sudden changes mean those shifts appear without being jarring. Texture is layered, with multiple sonic elements present simultaneously. Predictability is medium: structured enough to follow, varied enough to hold attention. Vocal style is dynamic, so delivery intensity shifts across the track rather than holding level. No misophonia-specific data was collected. Rated moderate, recommended for anxiety relief and deep listening. The slower tempo is doing significant sensory work — at 80 bpm the pace doesn't push, and a mild sudden-change profile means your alertness doesn't spike repeatedly. The layered texture makes this better suited to intentional listening than passive background: if you're trying to think or sleep, the complexity may pull you in rather than past. At moderate volume, it fits focused, contemplative sessions.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: contemplative, melancholy
Volume Warning
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" climbs hard.
Dynamic range 7/10 places this in our upper band. The opening volume that feels comfortable will not be comfortable at the climax. If you are setting this up for a focused listen, anchor your volume to the quietest section, not the loudest. The arc is the point of the song; if you blunt it by riding the volume knob, you lose what makes it work. Kendrick Lamar built the dynamic shape on purpose. Plan around it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Kendrick Lamar's catalog
We have 64 songs from Kendrick Lamar in the library. Of those, 5 are rated Safe, 31 Moderate, and 28 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 7/10 sits above the artist average of 6.9, making it the #31 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from good kid, m.A.A.d city
We have 8 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe — moderate DR 7
- Money Trees — moderate DR 6
- Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst — intense DR 9
- The Art of Peer Pressure — moderate DR 7
- Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter's Daughter — moderate DR 6
- m.A.A.d city — intense DR 8
- Compton — intense DR 8
2012 context
Released in 2012. We have 262 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2010s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive li…
How fast is "Swimming Pools (Drank)"?
80 BPM — Slow (downtempo / ballad)
For running
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
For workouts
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
For daily life
Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.
Browse more songs at 80 BPM.
When "Swimming Pools (Drank)" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
✗
Focus / studying
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
✗
Running / workout
No — 80 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
✓
Emotional release / catharsis
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm
Jazz for Anxiety Relief: Which Subgenres Help and Which Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Teaching Music Listening to Kids Who Feel Music Strongly: A Gentle Approach
A gentle approach to introducing music to a child who feels it strongly — one who startles at sudden sound, or notices more than everyone el…
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
49/100 intensity
See how “Swimming Pools (Drank)” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-06-20. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 55% of songs, calmer than the other 45%. Its intensity reading of 49/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 85% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Boulevard of Broken Dreams — Green Day · 99%Same Old Same Old — The Civil Wars · 99%Delta — Mumford & Sons · 99%The Watcher — Dr. Dre · 99%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype3/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2012 in context
The 262 songs we’ve measured from 2012 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity49
Dynamics67
Tempo22
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load0
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar has a tempo of 80 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 40 BPM, and at double-time 160 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 7/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Swimming Pools (Drank)" — what is its dynamic range?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" has a dynamic range of 7/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Swimming Pools (Drank)" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Swimming Pools (Drank)" best for?
In our library "Swimming Pools (Drank)" is recommended for: anxiety relief, deep listening. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Swimming Pools (Drank)" released?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" is from 2012, on the album "good kid, m.A.A.d city". It appears in our 2010s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Swimming Pools (Drank)"?
We tag "Swimming Pools (Drank)" as contemplative, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Swimming Pools (Drank)"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Swimming Pools (Drank)" good for running?
Not really — at 80 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Swimming Pools (Drank)" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (7/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Swimming Pools (Drank)" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Swimming Pools (Drank)"?
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
What this song means to people
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.