PARTYNEXTDOOR is Canadian rising star Jahron Brathwaite, formerly a producer of soft, sunny R&B with EDM inflections. His first wide release under the new name represented a new label situation, through signing with Drake’s OVO Sound, and a fully realized change in sound and lyrical content. Taking a sexually aggressive tone, with dark, bass heavy atmospheres, PARTYNEXTDOOR combines it with the raw honesty in his indiscreet approach to R&B lyrics. PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, like the first album, fits somewhere after Drake’s daylight to evening output, and right before The Weeknd’s drug-addled sound, i.e. “…it’s three in the morning, and I probably shouldn’t be here, and I’m going to hate myself tomorrow, but I’m staying anyways. Plus, no one is going to find out what happened. I hope.”
In what is essentially a continuation from the last album, “East Liberty”, uses breathy, echoed vocals to convince a woman, to allow PARTY to “take the wheel,” suggesting he's the best available option. This is an overarching theme of the album, told in slight different contexts throughout, but with a particular kind of woman. A more straightforward R&B track, “Her Way” is the most lyrically nuanced track, managing to become a fairly succinct profile of a young woman trying hang on and stay in code--although the singer believes she may have aged out of their scene.
“Belong To The City,” provides an interesting, temporary change in thought process, with a fleeting realization that he’s looking for the wrong women. He cannot maintain this line of thinking, because he refuses to escape his unrelenting lustfulness. He wants more, but it will only occur on terms he can withstand emotionally. In a “pot calling the kettle black” scenario, he flips the proverbial tables on “Grown Woman”, suggesting the object of his desire should be able to act as an full formed adult. She ends up drinking away the indecision, chemically modifying her free will, falling in line with his plans for her.
“FWU” begins an earnest descent (or ascent, depending on personal approach) into something of a tried and true method to gaining advancement with women: the tricking and reassurance game. This method has obvious pitfalls, and PARTY isn’t exactly proving to be the most responsible party, in the course of the album. Accompanied by his label boss on his third single, “Recognize,” PARTYNEXTDOOR proceeds to convince these very particular women that being with him is the best (and only reasonable) avenue toward a well-off existence, not just a sex-filled evening. The actor in this play needs the affirmation of these women he covets. It is upper echelon game, built by and for true Betas of verified affluence. PARTYNEXTDOOR manages to nearly out-Drake Drake. "Options" has an interesting interlude, in which you're not sure if the woman is speaking in the voice of the object of his desire, or himself, in a roundabout way. The butter softness of true intention is only barely hidden, behind the rusty screen door to the hailstorm of course innuendo and expletives. He wants her affection, her body, and her complete attention. This said, this aforementioned method works to great affect, because he's being truthful.
Production is a definitive strong suit on album, and proves a very effective, sturdy foundation for other layers to build upon. TWO stays true to its identification with Toronto’s brand of atmospheric waviness. PARTYNEXTDOOR has a defined sound, just specific enough to separate him from other artists running on a contextually similar platform, like noted fan Ty Dolla $ign.
PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO is not original by any means. All of the sounds and lyrics are familiar to a number of artists, past and present. The album does suffer from a lack of topical nuance. His game is Super Saiyan strong (or so he believes), but a handful of songs would have done the trick. However, one can’t expect him to have the answer to the crisis in Syria, especially at this point. Making, more or less, the same album as the first, while not progressive, was the right move. In fact, going with what worked before was probably a step forward for his burgeoning career.
PARTYNEXTDOOR is brimming with potential, but likely due to his relative youth, he’s not yet able (or willing) to escape the turn-up life and seemingly eternal lustfulness. In other words, his album is a direct reflection of an otherwise typical 21 year old, unusually talented enough to live out his personal fantasy.
