Eternal Atake: Lil Uzi Vert Offers Second Album Release
Photo courtesy of Lil Uzi Vert’s Facebook page
Lil Uzi Vert released his second studio album Eternal Atake on March 6th and quickly followed it up with the deluxe version LUV vs. The World 2 on March 13th.
Eternal Atake is his first album since 2017’s highly acclaimed Luv Is Rage 2. Uzi had teased its release many times over the past few years, but claimed the label Generation Now was preventing him from releasing it.
His frustration with the label led him to prematurely announce the end of his music career in January of 2019, despite announcing the completion of Eternal Atake the month prior. Thankfully, Uzi escaped his contract with Generation Now and signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in March of 2019, freeing him to release new music again.
Eternal Atake’s production stands out more than anything else, presenting the theme of escaping this world to explore the universe. Cosmic synths and ethereal bells produce the image of an astronaut traversing the galaxy and colorful, high-arcing melodies complement gritty 808s.
However, it seems as though Eternal Atake’s producers created some tracks solely for their potential to go viral on social media platforms like Tik Tok. Songs like “Silly Watch,” “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” and “You Better Move” offer little substance beyond their value as dance tracks and detract from the quality of the album.
Still, trap gems containing elements of Uzi’s older hits make this album well worth a listen. The simplistic instrumental used in “Bigger Than Life” allows him to fall back into his trademark rapid-fire rapping, while more experimental production on “Bust Me,” “Venetia,” and “Myron" facilitates his frequent transitions between rapping and singing that are so sonically pleasing.
The best production on the album appears on “Prices,” where soaring synths and aggressive drums take the listener on a ride through space with Uzi. This track serves as a model for combining a light, ethereal melody with booming 808s.
Uzi also provides a follow-up to his 2017 hit single “XO TOUR LIF3” with “P2,” on which he dives deeper into his relationship with ex-girlfriend Brittany Byrd. His vulnerability and sincerity shine through on this track as he apologizes to Byrd for misleading her and manipulating her emotions. “P2” highlights Uzi’s narrative ability that unfortunately seldom appears on the rest of the album.
Though Eternal Atake contains some great songs with serious staying power, many of its 32 tracks are forgettable. Some, such as “Baby Pluto” and “Lotus,” fall flat because Uzi fails to execute vocally, despite their inventive instrumentals. Others like “Pop,” “Wassup,” and “Secure The Bag” have very repetitive lyrics and come off as thrown together at the last minute despite Uzi’s three-year window to finish the album. He has never been known for his lyrical prowess, but Uzi certainly could have improved the lyrical content of Eternal Atake with minimal effort.
The project also contains some strange creative decisions. Most notably, Uzi’s sampling of the Backstreet Boys on “That Way” fails to match the album’s theme and proves that not all popular songs can survive the transition into the trap genre.
In addition, the featured artists on Eternal Atake dominate the tracks on which they appear. Songs like “Bean (Kobe)” and “Money Spread” sound like they were made for Chief Keef and Young Nudy respectively, not Uzi. To remedy this, he must either collaborate with artists more similar to himself or alter his production to favor his rapping style even when he has another artist on the track.
Despite the album’s flaws, it will preserve Uzi’s career and cement him in the mainstream hip hop scene. Though unoriginal lyrics about his wealth and sexual exploits permeate the project, the handful of classic trap bangers he includes save it.
Eternal Atake does not come close to reaching the top-to-bottom greatness of Luv Is Rage 2, but it’s enough to keep Uzi’s fans satisfied until his next project.