Tag: Lil Uzi Vert

Categories
Music

On Repeat: contributor’s edition

Our contributors share what they have been listening to lately

Anthony Issa

“Totally Fine” – PUP

Toronto group PUP dropped a banger song that pop-punk fans can enjoy in time for their next mental breakdown. With chunky guitar riffs and self-destructive lyrics filled with dark humour, “Totally Fine” is a great taste of what to expect on their upcoming album. The track is accompanied by a hilarious music video about the band selling out, leaving the indie scene, and becoming billionaires by building an evil real estate empire. Following the popular trend that all billionaire philanthropists seem to be into these days, they travel to space and rock out in astronaut gear. 

Jacob Wade-Vallance

“Anything But Me” – MUNA

MUNA has nailed it once again. With their follow up to the viral queer love song “Silk Chiffon,” “Anything But Me” is a breakup bop and a wave goodbye to a toxic relationship, with killer lyrics.

Nadia Trudel

“Feel My Rhythm” – Red Velvet

“Feel My Rhythm” might not cure your seasonal depression, but it might help. The song has this delusional optimism that’s almost creepy: classic Red Velvet. Sonically it’s pretty, elegant, and dreamy, a true successor to their previous hit “Psycho.” It samples Bach, so mix classical strings with some modern pop, a trap beat, soaring chorus, fun rap verses, and signature Red Velvet vocals and you have a springtime anthem and homage to the beauty of art. 

Aaron Bauman

“Troubles” – Denzel Curry feat. T-Pain

Denzel Curry’s gritty flow blended with T-Pain’s angelic vocals on this bouncy track creates a perfect song for a window-down cruise just in time for the sun’s return. This track comes as the final single of Denzel’s upcoming album’s rollout.

Curtis Savage

“i’m not gonna kill you” – Nemahsis

Nemahsis’ track from her breakout EP eleven achers is a soul-wrenching demand to not be treated like a threat. She somberly reflects in this R&B ballad over the pressure she feels to repress her Muslim identity in her western surroundings. Her voice gently carries through the song as she laments on her frustration to be accepted. 

Oliver Eng

“Heavy” – Nigo feat. Lil Uzi Vert

“Heavy” is what you get when you put Lil Uzi Vert on a drill beat and let talent do its thing. It’s catchy and a perfect representation of who NIGO and Uzi are as people. The song is loud, heavy and it shakes your body. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Owen Cole

“Vocoder” – Floating Points

Returning to his dancefloor roots, Floating Points has crafted one of the biggest club tunes of recent months. After playing a string of after-hours gigs with Four Tet and even Skrillex throughout the U.S., Floating Points seems hungry to get the dancefloor pumping once again after the more subdued Crush from 2019, and the new age/ambient jazz Pharoah Sanders collaborative Promises from 2021. 

Sydney Gastaldo

“What Happened To The Class of ’65?” – Damien Jurado 

I was first introduced to Jurado’s music through the show Shameless. Something about the song stuck out to me immediately and after the episode, I looked up the track that was played, “Beacon Hill,” and ended up listening to almost all of the singer/songwriter’s discography.  Jurado has been one of my favorite artists ever since and his newest single “What Happened To The Class of ‘65?” — a song which encapsulates what he does best: storytelling. Overall, it’s a captivating track with intimate and vulnerable lyrics and beautiful instrumentalism. 

Jake Beacock

“Drink The New Wine” – Bauhaus

Recorded during lockdown last year, “Drink The New Wine” has come as a pleasant surprise for post-punk lovers. Bauhaus manages to maintain their unique essence: a spectral, gothic sound that makes you feel beautifully delirious. Go on, take a sip!

 

Graphic by Lily Cowper

 

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7EeF1T1uM5c0nBuKWTBSFz?si=e7b942e4eb224fdf”]
Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Lil Uzi Vert – Eternal Atake

Eternal Atake was worth all the delays

Lil Uzi Vert defied expectations. After numerous album delays, very few singles, and a quiet label feud, it seemed that Eternal Atake was destined to die from the start. Expectations were high, but people were wary. Could the rapper responsible for one of 2017’s biggest hits drop a complete album?

In short, yes. Very much so, actually. There are a lot of things on Lil Uzi Vert’s album that shouldn’t work: a sequel to “XO Tour Llif3,” a Backstreet Boys-sampled track, and a lengthy runtime that is likely to test the listener’s patience. Yet, all these elements work in the album’s favour.

Lil Uzi Vert is at his best on songs like “POP” where his energy is unparalleled and his rapping is immaculate. The hook is catchy and a part of the third verse sees Uzi yelling “Balenci!” multiple times and the results are simply exuberating.

The writing is also one of Eternal Atake’s strengths as shown on songs like “I’m Sorry” and “Bigger Than Life” which showcases Lil Uzi Vert at his most engaging and most thoughtful self.

Eternal Atake is a wonderful album that, despite having been done for a while now, barely shows its age and sounds like it came from the future. Lil Uzi Vert has always been ahead of the curve—we just finally caught up to him.

Rating: 9/10

Trial Track: “POP”

 

Categories
Music Quickspins

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2 (Atlantic Records, 2017)

Lil Uzi Vert’s latest album, Luv is Rage 2, sees the Philly trap rapper expand on his signature eclectic sound with some of his best songs to date, but also some of his most mundane. The album starts with the song “Two,” a boring run-of-the-mill Uzi song complete with nasally vocals and a complete lack of lyrical substance. Songs like “444+222” and “The Way Life Goes” make up for the lows on the album, but aren’t enough to take away from the fact that Uzi sounds completely uninspired. The album finishes with Uzi’s biggest hit, “XO Tour Life,” which recently won “Song of the Summer” at the MTV Video Music Awards. Uzi’s personal lyrics and flow placed over record producer TM88’s beat makes the song one of the best in his catalogue. But at song 16, “XO Tour Life” is too little too late.

Trial Track: “The Way Life Goes”

Score: 4/10

Categories
Music Quickspins

Playboi Carti Ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Woke Up Like This”

Playboi Carti Ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Woke Up Like This”

Playboi Carti collaborated with Lil Uzi Vert in his new single, “Woke Up Like This.” Carti, the young Atlanta rapper, has managed to stay under the radar for the past couple of months, but he has finally bestowed a club banger upon us.The song has nearly three million plays on Soundcloud and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Not only does this track bring together two of today’s most talked-about underground rappers, but it also hints towards rumours of the much-anticipated release of Carti’s debut album. The track emphasizes the usual ad-libs and repetitive lyrics one would expect from these two artists. However, it seems to blend seamlessly into a piece of trap magic. Lil Uzi Vert complements Carti’s rhythmic flows perfectly. The content of the track is nothing special, but allows the listener to “catch a feel” of living in the drug-induced culture influencing a majority of today’s most popular rap artists.

Track Rating: 8/10

Exit mobile version