Here is my review of the newly released “Luv Is Rage 2” by Lil Uzi Vert. As I’ve said before, Uzi is one of the few “mumble rappers” I enjoy, so let’s see if his first studio album is enjoyable. Let’s start by reviewing each individual song, and then giving the album a rating of either “excellent,” “good,” “okay,” “bad,” or “awful.” Let’s go:
Two®: Immediately, I feel like this song is like a sequel to “7AM.” Instrumentally, I like the way it feels like a “lead-in” for the album. There’s a lot of interesting things going on in this song, and I like how Uzi is talking about how he has money and power and how others are copying his style. This one is gonna probably get a few repeat listens out of me.
444+222: I like the references to Jay-Z’s newest album, combined with his own "666" devilish stuff, but I’m not too fond of the hook or the overall sound on this one. Really repetitive and honestly kind of boring. Definitely not my favorite song on this album.
Sauce It Up: Good turn-up song with a catchy hook and some pretty interesting lyrics. I actually really like this song, though I might be biased because there are video game references on this one.
No Sleep Leak: Unfortunately, Uzi follows up a pretty solid song with a kind-of disappointing one. I like the subject matter (losing sleep to be as successful as he is now), but the hook isn’t very catchy and overall, I just don’t find this one very exciting.
The Way Life Goes (ft. Oh Wonder): I really like the sound of this one, from the instrumental to Uzi’s vocals, and I find the song surprisingly relatable: Uzi is saying that it sucks when someone you love is happier when they walk away from you, but that you’ll get over it in the end. Another very solid song.
For Real: Definitely starts off really slowly. I like how he’s talking about staying real, but I again find this song pretty unexciting and lyrically not as strong as some of the better songs on the album.
Feelings Mutual: I like the way this one starts off and I really like the instrumentals on it a lot. The verses are really solid, and while I initially wasn’t entirely crazy about the hook, I find it extremely catchy now. Lyrically, this song does feel a bit “all over the place,” but it’s still really enjoyable overall.
Neon Guts (ft. Pharrell Williams): I’m not as crazy about Pharrell’s first verse, but the hook is pretty solid and Uzi’s first verse is pretty good. Might need to grow on me a little bit, though, because I’m still torn on whether or not I like it.
Early 20 Rager: Though it’s very high-energy and upbeat, I find this one to be a bit boring. Uzi’s performance on this is not as strong as other songs (his flow isn't as strong), and it feels pretty repetitive. The hook is also one of the weakest on the album for me. The fact that it repeats itself so much also makes it feel pretty long. Not one of my favorites on the album
UnFazed (ft. The Weeknd): This was the song I was admittedly the most excited for, largely because The Weeknd is on it. And as expected, his performance is rock solid. Both his and Uzi’s verses are good on this one. While the hook can be a bit repetitive, The Weeknd’s great vocals keep it consistently interesting. Definitely grew on me quite a bit, I actually really like this track.
Pretty Mami: Again, a high energy song that I find pretty forgettable overall. Just Uzi flexing a little more, complete with some unexciting verses and a hook that just feels like it has too much going on.
How To Talk: I like the way this one sounds, and I like Uzi’s vocals. Lyrically, it’s not his strongest song, but it’s not the weakest on the album either.
X: This one might end up growing on me at some point. It doesn’t have the catchiest hook on the album, but there are definitely some interesting things going on in the verses. Not a bad song, though I am confused as to why he references Leonardo DiCaprio numerous times.
Malfunction: I like the hook on this one, and I also like the way it sounds overall. The verses are also pretty good as well. I really like this song a lot, and I feel like I’ll be replaying it quite a bit.
Dark Queen: I’m a sucker for personal songs, and I love this dedication to Uzi’s mom. Instrumentals, great. Uzi’s performance, rock solid. Lyrics, quite good. One of my personal favorites on this album, I’ll be repeating this one a lot.
XO Tour Llif3: Ends off the album on a strong note. This one has been out for some time now, but it’s still catchy head-nodding stuff. Good rhythm and nice instrumental sound on this track, catchy hook, and good verses overall.
Overall, I’m kind of torn on this album. It hit some really great highs and, walking away from it, there were some pretty memorable tracks, but there were also some pretty forgettable ones. It was pretty inconsistent overall. That said, at the time of this writing, the album has only been out for a few hours, so of course, there are quite a few tracks that I think still need to grow on me, but for my first listen, it wasn’t great. Lil Uzi Vert definitely understands his sound, and I appreciate that he can do such a good job of hiding darker lyrics behind upbeat instrumentals, but some tracks just happen to work better than others.
444+222: I like the references to Jay-Z’s newest album, combined with his own "666" devilish stuff, but I’m not too fond of the hook or the overall sound on this one. Really repetitive and honestly kind of boring. Definitely not my favorite song on this album.
Sauce It Up: Good turn-up song with a catchy hook and some pretty interesting lyrics. I actually really like this song, though I might be biased because there are video game references on this one.
No Sleep Leak: Unfortunately, Uzi follows up a pretty solid song with a kind-of disappointing one. I like the subject matter (losing sleep to be as successful as he is now), but the hook isn’t very catchy and overall, I just don’t find this one very exciting.
The Way Life Goes (ft. Oh Wonder): I really like the sound of this one, from the instrumental to Uzi’s vocals, and I find the song surprisingly relatable: Uzi is saying that it sucks when someone you love is happier when they walk away from you, but that you’ll get over it in the end. Another very solid song.
For Real: Definitely starts off really slowly. I like how he’s talking about staying real, but I again find this song pretty unexciting and lyrically not as strong as some of the better songs on the album.
Feelings Mutual: I like the way this one starts off and I really like the instrumentals on it a lot. The verses are really solid, and while I initially wasn’t entirely crazy about the hook, I find it extremely catchy now. Lyrically, this song does feel a bit “all over the place,” but it’s still really enjoyable overall.
Neon Guts (ft. Pharrell Williams): I’m not as crazy about Pharrell’s first verse, but the hook is pretty solid and Uzi’s first verse is pretty good. Might need to grow on me a little bit, though, because I’m still torn on whether or not I like it.
Early 20 Rager: Though it’s very high-energy and upbeat, I find this one to be a bit boring. Uzi’s performance on this is not as strong as other songs (his flow isn't as strong), and it feels pretty repetitive. The hook is also one of the weakest on the album for me. The fact that it repeats itself so much also makes it feel pretty long. Not one of my favorites on the album
UnFazed (ft. The Weeknd): This was the song I was admittedly the most excited for, largely because The Weeknd is on it. And as expected, his performance is rock solid. Both his and Uzi’s verses are good on this one. While the hook can be a bit repetitive, The Weeknd’s great vocals keep it consistently interesting. Definitely grew on me quite a bit, I actually really like this track.
Pretty Mami: Again, a high energy song that I find pretty forgettable overall. Just Uzi flexing a little more, complete with some unexciting verses and a hook that just feels like it has too much going on.
How To Talk: I like the way this one sounds, and I like Uzi’s vocals. Lyrically, it’s not his strongest song, but it’s not the weakest on the album either.
X: This one might end up growing on me at some point. It doesn’t have the catchiest hook on the album, but there are definitely some interesting things going on in the verses. Not a bad song, though I am confused as to why he references Leonardo DiCaprio numerous times.
Malfunction: I like the hook on this one, and I also like the way it sounds overall. The verses are also pretty good as well. I really like this song a lot, and I feel like I’ll be replaying it quite a bit.
Dark Queen: I’m a sucker for personal songs, and I love this dedication to Uzi’s mom. Instrumentals, great. Uzi’s performance, rock solid. Lyrics, quite good. One of my personal favorites on this album, I’ll be repeating this one a lot.
XO Tour Llif3: Ends off the album on a strong note. This one has been out for some time now, but it’s still catchy head-nodding stuff. Good rhythm and nice instrumental sound on this track, catchy hook, and good verses overall.
Overall, I’m kind of torn on this album. It hit some really great highs and, walking away from it, there were some pretty memorable tracks, but there were also some pretty forgettable ones. It was pretty inconsistent overall. That said, at the time of this writing, the album has only been out for a few hours, so of course, there are quite a few tracks that I think still need to grow on me, but for my first listen, it wasn’t great. Lil Uzi Vert definitely understands his sound, and I appreciate that he can do such a good job of hiding darker lyrics behind upbeat instrumentals, but some tracks just happen to work better than others.
Favorite tracks: Two®, Sauce It Up, The Way Life Goes, Feelings Mutual, UnFazed*, Malfunction*, Dark Queen, XO Tour Llif3*
Least favorite tracks: 444+222, For Real, Early 20 Rager, Pretty Mami
Rating: Okay
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