Juice WRLD is back into today’s music scene with the release of “The Party Never Ends” which occurred Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. This marks his fifth studio album and his third posthumous album. After this three-year hiatus, Juice WRLD’s fans are ecstatic to hear more of his music and see if it’s a party that everyone can enjoy.
“The Party Never Ends” consists of 18 songs and has a listening time of 54 minutes. This album included a lot of impressive music artists featured in various songs, such as Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Offset, The Kid LAROI, Benny Blanco, and even Fall Out Boy making appearances. This album is also monumental for fans as it will be Juice WRLD’s last official album.
While the title of this album alludes to partying, the material in “The Party Never Ends” is mainly based on the same sad emotions surrounding drugs, love, and personal struggles. Juice WRLD’s reputation in previous albums sets a high bar for him to hit, and this album doesn’t meet that expectation.
The biggest issue throughout “The Party Never Ends” is the inconsistency of the songs in the album. There are a few gems where the listener can sense Juice WRLD’s star power, but those songs are far and few between. The album tends to have the same sound and tempo, making it easy to gloss over each song and seem forgettable. Those who are casual listeners of Juice WRLD more than likely won’t enjoy this album.
Where the album shines is within the lyrics of each song. There are some songs that are extremely repetitive, but the music tells how Juice WRLD lived his life and how we can relate to those emotions. The music goes through his struggles with fame and fortune and highlights his tragic story.
For example, “Lace It” talks about his struggles with drugs and not being able to turn away from them. It mentions the devasting effects drugs have had on other music artists like Prince, Pimp C, and Gangsta Boo. Eminem, featured in the song, even warns Juice WRLD about using drugs:
Juice we will forever miss you
To the younger generation (nah)
I ain’t lecturing you, but man, just be careful when you
This song is one of the bright spots in “The Party Never Ends” with “Misfit”, “Condone it”, “Adore You”, and “Barbarian” providing entertaining content as well. “Misfit” speaks on Juice WRLD’s lifestyle of getting rich, popping pills, and getting with girls. “Condone It” also follows a similar pattern as “Misfit” by talking about Juice WRLD and how he lived. “Adore You” goes more in-depth with his struggles and passion for finding the love of his life. “Barbarian” also features Juice WRLD’s drug issues and lifestyle.
The lows of this album fall close to rock bottom for Juice WRLD, with “AGATS2 (Insecure)” and “Party by Myself” competing for worst on the album. “AGATS2 (Insecure)” starts extremely slow and is completely different from what made “All Girls Are the Same” a staple to its audience. Nicki Minaj is also featured in this song and doesn’t do a bad job with her feature, but “AGATS2 (Insecure)” missed the mark of what its predecessor truly meant to its audience.
“Party By Myself” was a missed opportunity as Juice WRLD mumbles throughout the first half of the song and repeats the same lyrics often. This song had potential, as it had a good flow and beat, but the execution was lackluster.
For Juice WRLD’s last album, “The Party Never Ends” is not an example of his best work and could be seen as disappointing. This album wasn’t a complete flop, but it also wasn’t anywhere near the quality of his other albums. Most listeners will only put a fraction of the songs in the album into their playlists. Fans of Juice WRLD should still give this album a chance but don’t expect to be as elated as with his previous work when hearing it.
Final Rating: 5/10
Gary Jackson is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
