PARTYMOBILE may not be what exactly we wanted, but P gifts us with a quality collection of music to play in isolation. Maybe we needed this album to get us through quarantine…

After four years since PARTYNEXTDOOR’s last album, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter built serious momentum for his third studio album PARTYMOBILE. Although the Canadian artist had released two EPs (Colours 2 and Seven Days) between June and September of 2017, his fans were craving the distinct sound heard in his previous projects.

Party’s official introduction to the world, PARTYNEXTDOOR (2013), shocked listeners with the perfect mix of R&B and alternative techno beats, creating a futuristic sound we did not know we needed. His debut album, PARTYNEXTDOOR 2 (2014), was a phenomenal follow-up to his introductory EP because fans were subtly hit with more cockiness and sex-induced lyrics than before. Though PARTYNEXTDOOR 3 had some skippable tracks, it did not disappoint and we learned more about his selfish behavior and toxicity within his relationships. Although we know Party is behind the demise of most of his romantic relationships, we still love him for his ability to acknowledge his faults. In PARTYMOBILE, PARTYNEXTDOOR is the same brutally honest, manipulative cheater. The only difference is that 26-year-old finally breaks off his drawn-out romance at the end of this album.

In preparation for PARTYMOBILE, PARTYNEXTDOOR released “The News” and “Loyal” featuring Drake, on November 21, 2019. On January 4, 2020, Party tweeted that his album was coming soon but fans received the video for “Loyal” on the 21st of the month instead. A week later, Party announced that he needed until February to complete his album, and posted the PARTYMOBILE cover art. As February came to an end, fans were still confused about why the album had not arrived. On February 27, 2020, PARTYNEXTDOOR released another single titled “SPLIT DECISION,” and the singer announced PARTYMOBILE was available for presale and would finally be available on March 27th.

True to the latter promise, PARTYMOBILE was released by OVO Sound on March 27th, 2020. The 57-minute long album had features from Bad Bunny and Drake and a very surprising appearance from Rihanna.

PARTYMOBILE begins with a minute-long introduction without the singer’s voice in “NOTHING LESS.” Anticipation is built as the song opens with a gasp for air and is followed by multiple echoes of the singer’s name embedded within the track. The beat drops halfway through the intro before Party opens with “Shawty, you get the best of me. Whatever is left of me.” What person does not want to dream about a partner who puts their all into a relationship? PARTYNEXTDOOR begins with a respectful track that sets a beautiful, yet sexy tone.

Though there is not a single song to be skipped on PARTYMOBILE, the second song “TURN UP” was slightly underwhelming considering PARTYNEXTDOOR’s past projects. The track was upbeat but the lyrics allude to the repetitive nature throughout the entire album. “TURN UP” is a good song, but it may have also worked well as a shorter interlude. The same can be said about “SHOWING YOU” and “NEVER AGAIN.” At the same time, Party’s flawless transitions between each song are what allow them to grow on you.

The three singles for PARTYMOBILE are positioned back-to-back-back following “TURN UP”. Ideally, you are supposed to relisten to each song as a key part of Party’s journey. In “THE NEWS,” PARTYNEXTDOOR recognizes that he and his love interest are not on the same page in their relationship. Party hints that he does not want a relationship but also does not want his woman to move on. Then, “SPLIT DECISION” is the acknowledgment of all the ill situations he put her through. He sings about her expression of mistrust and having to decide if she should break things off with Party for good. We recognize a tone shift in “LOYAL” as Party fights for his woman. After owning up to cheating in “SPLIT DECISION,” he hopes to influence her choice in giving him another chance.

Any Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR collaboration is bound to be a banger. The two Canadian singers complement each other in a way that never fails, making “LOYAL” one of the best songs on the album. The strategic placement of “THE NEWS,” “SPLIT DECISION,” and “LOYAL” would have been genius if some sort of creative shift occurred within track six, “TOUCH ME”.

Despite “TOUCH ME” being sonically pleasing, it was disappointing because of its similarity to “TURN UP.” Though the two songs are completely different in terms of production, PARTYNEXTDOOR is back to his old ways by insinuating he doesn’t truly misses his past relationship, but just misses the sex. By the time “TOUCH ME” is over, seasoned fans were either eagerly awaiting “BELIEVE IT” since it features Rihanna, or just hoping the next songs would be more exciting.

Considering we have not been blessed with new music from Rihanna since her collaboration with N.E.R.D. on “Lemon” in 2017, it is safe to say “BELIEVE IT” belongs to her and features PARTYNEXTDOOR. The two talented singers previously worked together on Rihanna’s album Anti (2016). Party wrote her song “Sex With Me” and co-wrote the popular dance song, “Work.” There is a possibility that “BELIEVE IT” could go up against “LOYAL” as a go-to song for this summer. “BELIEVE IT” is more suited for popular radio play compared to “LOYAL” because of its more upbeat chorus, consistency with lyrics, and it's later release date.

You cannot speak of PARTYMOBILE without unpacking the already infamous song “SAVAGE ANTHEM.” The six-minute song opens with its deceiving chorus of “Don't hold your breath, Don't wait on my love.” Initially, you think that Party is going to do what he typically does and slightly disrespect the woman he spent the entire project obsessing over, but this song is packed with more shade than expected. Party is petty and goes into detail about his dysfunctional relationship with singer Kehlani. The track is believed to have been recorded sometime in 2016 which makes the wounds fresh for Party and explains the venom spewed over “SAVAGE ANTHEM.” In his first verse, PARTYNEXTDOOR references Kehlani’s at-the-time boyfriend Kyrie Irving by alluding to the NBA star’s old jersey number:

“I heard number two is your man now, don't mind me bein' number two now.”

Each time the chorus is repeated, PARTYNEXTDOOR grows more ruthless and if we didn’t already know the song was about Kehlani, he leaves no doubt on the fourth verse when he references her hometown of Oakland, California.

Besides the obvious mistake of including the Bad Bunny remix of “LOYAL” and not allowing PARTYMOBILE to end with “SAVAGE ANTHEM,” PARTYNEXTDOOR provided us with a solid album. Longtime PARTYNEXTDOOR fans wanted a new addition to the sequel but PARTYMOBILE is the start of a new chapter. Given that the album goes against the major sound portrayed in the trio of projects with his name, it should be individually judged. The song with the closest sound to Party’s previous projects is track 13, “ANOTHER DAY.” I can not be the only one happy that the song still earned placement on the album after it was leaked in August 2019. PARTYNEXTDOOR fans wanted something deemed better than all of his previous projects. Ultimately, Party stayed well within his comfort-zone and relied on his effortless talent to deliver an album he knew would not flop.

favorite tracks

NOTHING LESS

ANOTHER DAY

SAVAGE ANTHEM

Rating: 8

Listen to PARTYMOBILE here:

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to get notified when we post: