Partynextdoor is an all-rounder artist who writes, produces, sings and raps and is from Canada under Drake’s label, OVO (October’s Very Own). Post kicking off 2013 with Drake’s cosign, he released 3 albums and a couple of EPs ever since. He has also been the mastermind behind a couple of monster hits, including Work by Rihanna and Recognise featuring Drake. He has imprinted his mark in hip hop history by working with the top shelf artists of today and definitely has left a lasting impression in Hip Hop/R&B culture.

WELCOME TO THE PARTY

The first song of his first great first album, P1. The instrumental and general feel of the song is overwhelming. Simply because of the slow and mysterious start, at first you feel like it may be a slow paced wonder but then all of a sudden you get hit with the upbeat production which only grows bigger and bigger all the way till the end of the song. The way this hooks you onto the album, I personally feel that it has never been done before, at least like the way Party did it. The first five seconds feels like a hook just went through one’s cheek. The next 15 seconds feels like the same hook is really violently reeling you into the song. Then theres a small dip of relaxation and his verse comes out of nowhere and soothes. Soon after the first verse is wrapped up, you realise that theres still a lot left to climb before the climax of the song.

WELCOME TO THE PARTY (part2)

The speed of the entire rest of the song is more than enough to give you the idea that Party is about to take one on an unexpected ride and it could very well be for a long time! Everything from his lyrics, sounds, tones, moods, feels, and rhythms capitalises on off beat features and explicitness. At the end of it all, you feel nothing but wanting to give his music major repeat value, which works out for everybody! I haven’t ever come across an artist whose music makes me come back for more as much as Party’s music has. All I could do in return is speak my mind passionately about it so buckle in, its just the beginning.

MUSE

As outlandish as it sounds, the lyrics to this song is actually the best part of the production. The beat is just a bonus. The song begins with quite a sound and an echoed voice over that funnels into the first verse quite perfectly. The best part of the beginning is the fact that every time you play it over, you will never get sick of it. If you are one of those souls, like me, who loves repeating a new song you just found till you get sick of it (or the people around you get sick of before you do) the first 6 seconds will never turn you off, instead it’ll give you a chill down your spine, every single time. Just another result of good music. Another bonus is the line he sings out with utter beauty that goes ‘I was getting by till I saw you’. The notes that he hits with his voice is unbelievably catchy, so much so that it will probably make you want to sing your heart out every time that part comes on.

MUSE (part2)

Usually when hip hop artists speak of women, they are quite derogatory and straight to the point. No man makes the effort to draw a vivid enough picture of what he seeks in a woman. No male artist also cares enough to describe in details what he would want to do with a woman he so longingly seeks. That is why Party is different and simply incomparable. He does not hesitate to open up and make his vulnerability sharable. At the end of it all, his honest thoughts and creativity comes together to make his talent commendable. Men, at their most primal also tend to label themselves as the best and above all else when it comes to getting women and draw the line there, whereas Party sincerely asks for a shot to justify himself which is humbling and effectively, much more sincere.

FREAK IN YOU

One of those collaborations where you could not have gone wrong. Young Thug jumped on this track to accommodate the singer on a one of a kind beat. The sentimental tone of the track slows down the seemingly fast paced world around you and if you laid your eyes on your significant other in the first 5 seconds of the song, best believe it could get very steamy from that point onwards. Freak in you has the most blessed lyrics throughout all his work. Theres a couple of verses that really pleases me, one of which is the main chorus singing, ‘Room full of women and they notice me. Now all they wanna listen to is Jodeci’

FREAK IN YOU (part2)

There is a portion in this song where he trickles down the octave and the lyrics go, ‘I need to know if you’re down now. Cause if not, I know there’s more around’. Again, staying true to whats on his mind but at the same time, putting it very gently. Instead of declaring himself out of their league and rushing them to make a decision, he directs the question towards them and simply put, asks. Genius and brilliant all at the same time. Another favourite verse playing with the listeners and flows together brilliantly goes like ‘I, I don’t like the shy games. I, I don’t like no mind games. ‘Cause by the time you make your mind up, time’s up’.

HER WAY

This track was most definitely made for all his female fans to sing at the top of their voices. The instrumental of this saxophone-centric, drum, percussion, and hip hop bass has a very romantic feel to it. it definitely is a mood setting tune complimented with a delightfully emotion-tingling vocal power behind it. Partynextdoor starts off the track by saying “Yea I see her”, which goes without saying that this is not going to be one of those cliche and derogatory rap tracks, instead, its going to be one of those heart to hearts between Partynextdoor and the girl thats on his mind, which never ever disappoints. In fact, his best works are when he focuses on that one particular girl instead of singing about his thirst of women and options he would like to explore. A track called Right Now is another example of what I mean. The tip of the song Her Way is right when the instrumental stirs up the saxophone and the 808’s powerful sounds combined and drops a stunning saxophone-based mellow-down of the beat, of which the end result is like no other. I love the sax in my music and wish to have it more common in hiphop and for your pleasure, listen to this track, Her Way, especially around 2.53.

RIGHT NOW

Another example of knowing the song will be indifferent from all the other masterpieces is when he starts off by narrowing down who he intends to sing this to/for. That one person who he tells at the top of the track, ‘I gotta keep it super real with ya, shawty. I gotta keep it real real with ya’ is only a sign that Party is going to be pouring his heart out and is going all in. He always happens to surprise me in his lyrics when he gets very clearly impatient about the topic of women he longs for. He makes sure he demonstrates his passion respectfully and exercises his lyrical talent to come out skilful about it at the end. In one of the verses, he quotes “Tell me you love me baby, and tell me it’s mine. It’s time and it’s money, and money is time” managing to be a bit of his rapper-self. He does show a rawness in his approach, being quite upfront about what is on his mind and his hidden intentions but delivered in a sweetly shy manner. My other favourite line from this track goes like “Cause I know, I got you for sure. Yeah, couple shots of patron have us right in the zone” followed by the most beautifully blesses high notes. Exhilarating.

WEST DISTRICT

First off, theres something about this title that makes me wonder what might he be talking about in the song. It catches my attention. The vocals in this song really demonstrate the beauty of his voice and talent. The uplifting chorus shows the classic singer side of Partynextdoor. The mix of singing and rapping abilities are proven fully in this particular track. In one of his lines where he says ‘you can hold me down but Im hard to hold’ really resonates with heartbroken and distant lovers out there who stay away from commitments simply because they have seen the fall and demise of loving someone. The inevitable disappointment that lovers bring is warned with a disclaimer taglined ‘just a young and rich player, you don’t have to understand me forever’ and might I add this is done with an experienced and aloof tone and tenure. Its a hard hitting line to anybody that tunes into the deep lyrics and from these lines you might be able to understand what kind of a person Party might be. Simply, a distant one who is hard-to-please.

WEST DISTRICT (part2)

He unfolds his intentions regardless because of his nature of softening up towards someone that weakens his ability to hide his thirst. Another climax of the song is when he sings, ‘Im true to you, Im true to these words. Get it through to you, how Im getting through cause Im concerned. Is it true to you, hows it feel with me. This story that you’re going with tonight, you’re gonna tell that story for life, I don’t want it just tonight, I want forever’ right before he wraps up the track for good and forever. 

SOME OF YOUR LOVE

When this track comes on, all I can think about it being on a beautiful beach, knee deep in water with my significant other and splashing and playing around the shallow end of the ocean with this song playing in the back. This is another example of a magical and beautiful beginning to a song. The instrumental is wavy and nothing like I’ve ever heard before. It has a sense of romance to it and hip hop artists rarely think out of the box when it comes to their instrumentals. Artists tend to stay in the norm and play it safe when choosing their beats, whereas Party on the other hand experiments and does not fit into the general standard of artistry, instead he makes his own.

OPTIONS

This track is extremely focused on one woman and you know what that means. The attention and importance he gives to her is breathtaking. He quotes at the beginning, ‘twerking her ass for me. shaped like a glass for me, its like God knew what I liked’ which makes me wonder how can a talented singer be so fascinated and humbled by another girl when they do not lack options whatsoever. It just goes to say how down to earth the man is and how appreciative he is of beauty. Rappers rarely strain their intellect so much so that they pull God into their appreciation but he finesses it so smoothly that I can’t help but love it! Another line goes. ‘sex tape selfies you an actress, trynna get you wet like a baptist’ which is just pleasing. Its pleasing because when he says the selfie line, it makes me wonder how intensely he must be noticing his girl take a picture of herself and can’t help but think its so sexy that he compliments her skill with the highest degree of lust. I picture his girl taking a selfie in such a way that he can’t help but call her an dive/actress, which at the end of the day is still appreciating and admiring outstanding beauty in the smoothest way. 

BREAK FROM TORONTO

A huge example of how mannered and polished Party is. If you decide to dedicate this song to anyone the first few words would hit the ball out of the park. He opens with a ‘that smile on your face makes it easy to trust you’ symbolising yet again, he is speaking to an individual he can’t resist expressing his admiration for. Towards the end of the verse, he genuinely asks, not demands or insinuates anything, but simply asks her to tell him something he wants to hear. The verse goes ‘right quick right quick, tight jeans on so she feels my s***. Tell me something good baby, tell me something tell me something good shawty, come bring it to the hood baby, bring it back to the hood shawty’

EAST LIBERTY

East Liberty is one of those tracks that you play when you’re feeling some type of way, a low and emotionally lonely kind of way. His opening line, ‘the summers over and we’re watching the sun fi-na-lly set’ which just paints a detailed picture of the reddest and most delightful sunset being admired by Party and his girl. It paints a picture of Party and his ex holding hands and setting sail into the future. The lyrics go onto repeating ‘cause you the only one I want, you the only one I want’ delivered wrapped in the most light and soft undertone voice. Usually his notes are quite high but this mellow beat only calls for rapping the verses in the most low tone he could bring out. The chorus does go onto resuming back to his normal delivery of vocals and is beyond brilliant. This song has the typical Party touch, the mellow and slow beat accommodated with the bass that could shake a building, if loud enough. Another example of why Party stands out with his music and makes his own lane in the music world compared to other artists out there today.