Lil Uzi Vert Goes Two For Two with LUV vs. The World 2
By Owen Tait
Just over a couple weeks ago, trap phenomenon Lil Uzi Vert released his highly anticipated album Eternal Atake, with the phrase “highly anticipated” being a complete and utter understatement. Fans waited nearly two years from the project’s announcement to hear the final version, and by then, the hype surrounding it was as astronomical as the project’s narrative. For the most part, Uzi delivered, as the album was filled with melodic bangers such as “Baby Pluto,” “Celebration Station,” “Prices,” “Venetia,” and a sadder rendition of his biggest hit ever with “P2.” However, Eternal Atake did come with some glaring flaws: it was bloated, featured little variety in the instrumentals and lyrical content, and contained some verses from Uzi that didn’t even follow the beat.
But overall, the album was still a massive hit, and Uzi almost instantly announced that the deluxe version wouldn’t just be a throwaway set of bonus tracks. He was going to release a whole second album, a sequel to his 2016 mixtape LUV vs. The World. Fans were ecstatic— myself included—but I also went into the project wondering if the same issues with Eternal Atake would persist on the deluxe cut.
LUV vs. The World 2, which is packed in with Eternal Atake and consists of 14 tracks, kicks off on a high note with “Myron,” a song that plays out very similarly to “Baby Pluto,” the opening track from the project’s initial release. It’s a melodic cut that sees Uzi experimenting with his delivery and song structure, culminating in a glorious refrain where he triumphantly boasts about “running up all his bands.” In this short but amplified section of the track, he hits a vocal inflection that truly sticks, and I found myself replaying this passage of the song in my head long after I had finished listening.
The next track, “Lotus,” is somewhat of a roadblock in the album’s momentum, as the beat is one of the less inspired instrumentals on the project, and the hook is one of the rare cases where Uzi’s higher register doesn’t really work. However, the project’s speed quickly starts back up with the next two tracks, both expertly produced by trap extraordinaire Pierre Bourne. “Bean (Kobe)” features some of Lil Uzi Vert’s more memorable melodies on the album—not to mention one of his most quotable refrains—and even though Chief Keef isn’t necessarily at peak performance on his feature, his verse still contributes to the care-free tone of the track
The equally bouncy “Yessirskiii” contains a massive feature from Atlanta rapper 21 Savage—in fact, he practically dominates the track, as Uzi only appears on approximately one minute of the song’s three and a half minute runtime. Regardless, the track is a hit with tons of replay value, and it’s one of the songs I’ve come back to the most. Meanwhile, the melodic trap banger “Wassup” features a monstrous two-part hook from Uzi that I can’t help but smile along with whenever it plays. In addition, Future’s feature sees the Atlanta pioneer maneuvering around the beat as effortlessly as ever.
Following these cuts, the album hits the listener with a trilogy of trunk-knockers fit for any live venue. “Strawberry Peels” features pounding, fuzzy 808s that back a couple of high- octane verses from Young Thug and Gunna; my only complaint with this track is that the duo easily outshines Uzi, who contributes a lower-energy verse on the back half of the track. Luckily, he makes up for it on the anthemic “Moon Relate,” which arguably features his best performance on the entire project. Uzi’s delivery here mostly floats within his higher register, but during certain sections of the track, his voice takes on a growly, guttural quality that elevates the song’s energy to the next level. It’s truly a testament to how much life Uzi can bring to a track, and the off-kilter drum patterns ensure that this track is a memorable thrill.
Personally, I found the second half of the project to slow down a bit, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without its highlights. “Come This Way” and “Trap This Way (This Way)” carry some of the grooviest hooks on the album, and “Come This Way” in particular demonstrates Uzi’s versatility as a singer. He croons on both ends of his range, and he exercises a high variety of flows as well, making the track breeze by and giving it high replay value. “Got The Guap” also features a really subtle, sticky pluck melody that gives the track a unique sound, and a second Young Thug feature is always a welcome sight.
Clearly, there are quite a lot of highlights on the project, and I believe that generally, LUV vs. The World 2 has a tighter, more memorable tracklist than that of Eternal Atake, but there are still a couple of issues that the album faces. For starters, the mixing issues that were apparent on Eternal Atake are still present here, even if they aren’t as extreme. Earlier, I expressed a particular distaste for “Lotus,” the second track on the project. While I think Uzi’s inflections here could have been improved upon, I also think that better mixing would have added a pop to the instrumental that just isn’t there as the track stands. Furthermore, aside from being poorly mixed, I think some of the percussion on this album is lazily done. Most of the hats and snares utilized sound incredibly cheap, and in cases such as “I Can Show You,” the assembly of said percussion makes the beat sound as if Uzi’s team found it on an amateur’s YouTube channel for $50.
On the bright side, I don’t have any other major complaints with the project. Uzi occasionally slips off beat to the point where it’s distracting, and his subject matter is nothing new—take a shot every time Uzi alludes to diamonds or sex with your girlfriend—but I found his charisma and energetic vocal inflections to make up for most of the damage done there. If you like enjoyed Eternal Take, I would highly recommend this project, and I can officially report that the two-year wait was worth it.
Favorite Tracks:
Yessirskiii (feat. 21 Savage)
Moon Relate
Come This Way
Rating: 8
Listen to LUV vs. the World 2 here:
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