Jahron Anthony Brathwaite, better known by the stage name PARTYNEXTDOOR, hasn’t made waves in the music scene for three years. As a champion of R&B music, PARTYNEXTDOOR released his last full length album in 2016, followed by two EPs in 2017. Fans were starting to wonder when he’d make his return.
It seems the three year break from releasing new music paid off, as PARTY truly honed his craft and created the long-awaited PARTYMOBILE, his best album to date.
The Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper and producer was the first artist to be signed to Drake’s OVO Sound record label in 2013. He released his first EP the same year, self-titled PartyNextDoor. A year later he released his first full-length album, PartyNextDoor Two, along with an EP called PNDCOLOURS. It took two years for his second full-length album, PartyNextDoor 3 and then another year for two more EPs.
Since 2017, PARTY hadn’t released any new music until PARTYMOBILE. He spent three years working on his songwriting for artists like DJ Khaled, Drake, Post Malone and Christina Aguilera, but really he was taking his time to finalize PARTYMOBILE. In November 2017, he tweeted: “I’m taking my time with this album, It’s straight party & unapologetic.”
That statement rang true. The album is a true example of that lo-fi R&B sound that creates a vibe fit for partying with friends or crying alone over heartache. Typically when tracks run together with similar sounds it can act as a disadvantage for the review of the album, but it works the opposite way for PARTY with his latest album. The tracks can blend together or run alone, with a sound that never once takes you out of the mood you’re in when listening.
PARTYMOBILE opens with “NOTHING LESS,” an immediate indicator that he isn’t messing around with his intensely vulnerable and carefully crafted project. Right away the audience can feel PARTY’s reference to the beginning of his career with the droning drum lines, lo-fi production and overall simplicity throughout.
Three tracks in, listeners hit “THE NEWS.” The track was released as a single in November 2019, along with “LOYAL,” his collaboration with Drake. “LOYAL” isn’t his only collaboration; PARTY clinched Bad Bunny for a “LOYAL” remix, as well as Rihanna on “BELIEVE IT.” Similarly to PARTY, Rihanna hasn’t released new music since 2016’s Anti, but is supposed to have a new album coming out sometime this year. Even if listeners aren’t as invested in PARTY’s new album, getting Rihanna to sing on her first feature song since N.E.R.D.’s 2017 single “Lemon” is enough to make fans eternally grateful.
Though most of the album focuses on a significant other in some capacity, track 14, “SAVAGE ANTHEM” is almost self-explanatory by the title. Party explains in great detail that he won’t change for anyone and will always remain a savage. The juxtaposition of the slow, relaxing beat with the ruthless lyrics is brilliant, as well as the perfect pairing with the album’s opener, “NOTHING LESS.”
With themes of love, infidelity, loss and more, PARTY’s velvet vocals glide through his most convoluted and vulnerable lyrics ever released. In an interview with HYPEBEAST, PARTY said, “These songs are my therapy, especially with this album. (Recording) is very emotional, very deep.”
PARTY definitely got the right point across with PARTYMOBILE, and simultaneously set a new standard for himself and R&B.
