It's been a ride leading up to Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake, and the double disc album that would follow, including LUV Vs. The World 2. Little did we know way back when Uzi first started teasing the album that we'd be in the midst of a full-blown crisis when it would finally arrive. All that to say, the album has become even more of an a monumental release, as fans hold on to any piece of normalcy and routine in the wake of mass uncertainty. Uzi, for all intents and purposes, reflects the normalcy of the rap industry. On Eternal Atake and LUV Vs. The World 2 Uzi is just being Uzi. He's doing all the things we expect from the quirky, googly-eyed artist. He's rapping about materialism and women. He's, if just for a moment, allowing us to distance ourselves from the Coronavirus news cycle to immerse ourselves in his colourful and alien world. Now that we've had time to sit with the unexpected double disc album, we've decided to rank our top 10 favorite songs from both discs. Check out the ranking below, and sound off with what's missing, what's misplaced, and perhaps (!) what we got right.
10. Secure the Bag (Eternal Atake)
Kicking off the list at a solid #10, “Secure the Bag” helps close out the first instalment in the Eternal Atake saga. It happens to be Uzi’s second song about securing the bag (and titled as such), following one on his joint project with Gucci Mane, although the sounds of each song couldn’t be more different. Whereas the 1017 song was brash and urgent, this song is a drawn out, and a rather whiny affair. Uzi exaggerates his words on the hook, “I was on the roaaadddddd,” he croons, where elsewhere in the song he keeps his whining curt. Securing the bag is all apart of the game that is life, according to Uzi, and he definitely seems to be winning at that.
9. Wassup feat. Future (LUV Vs. The World 2)
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“Wassup” is only the second collaboration we have between Future and Lil Uzi Vert (!) both icons in their own right, as surprising as that may seem. Their first collab, “Seven Million,” is definitely a favorite from Uzi’s The Perfect LUV Tape. “Wassup” is up there too, with Pierre Bourne’s signature trap-lite production, and Uzi’s incessant chorus of “what’s up, what’s up, what’s upppppppPpp” sure to be stuck cyclically in your head. Uzi’s verse is solely dedicated to money, not having enough of it, and then subsequently, having so much of it that he can “build me a new facility.” He also reminds us that he is not from this world again, “Everybody know I am from outer space / So you know that aliens be sendin' me.”
8. Low Mein (Eternal Atake)
“Low Mein” became one of the fans’ favorite songs upon release, and their streaming of the song helped it climb up the Billboard charts, to debut at #8 on the Hot 100-- the second-highest charting record from the album, and a non-single at that. The second song on Eternal Atake, it begins mostly with Uzi’s voice and the sound of claps, before a swell of production starts, altogether, behind him. Bugz Ronin and Brandon Finessin create something that’s triumphant if not slightly muted, horns sound far-away and a frenzy of organ keys play alongside them, while Uzi’s voice is front and center. Uzi rhymes “large low mein” with “fresh romaine” and that’s about all you need to know.
7. I'm Sorry (Eternal Atake)
“I’m Sorry” is a record that makes up the “Renji” section of Uzi’s album, as Uzi disciples have astutely uncovered. “I’m Sorry” is actually the first “Renji” song, thus kicking off a series softer songs, followed by “Celebration Station” and “Urgency” with Syd. Uzi himself is soft-spoken on the record, his vocals lightly tread atop the glitchy beat. While “Urgency” is the closest thing we get to a certified r’n’b record on the double disc, this one is a close second. The record appears to be an apology to Uzi’s infamous ex, Brittany Byrd. “And I'm sorry for everything I ever said, yeah I'm sorry if you were misled / And I'm sorry if my words messed with your head,” he sing-raps. Still, even with his apology in tow, he is resolute that Brittany is “banned” for his entire existence.
6. Baby Pluto (Eternal Atake)
“Baby Pluto” is quickly becoming an alternative nickname for Uzi, as it should be. The man is nearing alien-status, with his pitched vocals and spacey production. Lest we forget, the album cover for Eternal Atake shows a UFO approaching earth, with bright purple, green, red and orange hazily drifting out from the planet, in water colour-like fashion. That summary actually makes for a pretty accurate “Baby Pluto” description, too. The whole song is dripping in colourful swag, in a drawing-outside-the-lines manner. The content is materialistic fare, which is pretty common tropes for Uzi. He delivers a punchy hook that runs through a plethora of Uzi’s fancy vehicles.
5. Moon Relate (LUV Vs. The World 2)
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“Moon Relate” is a marching band anthem, Uzi style. A hollow, restrained drum roll pitter-patters in the background of the production from Danny Wolf and Kid808, while Uzi muses in emo-rap fashion about his numbness. However just as quickly as he reflects on how he’s numb from the pain, he’s right back to flexing about his Wraith. Uzi’s seems to be constantly teetering between one side of the spectrum and the other, juggling materialistic pursuits with emotional turmoil.
4. P2 (Eternal Atake)
It’s pretty much a given that “P2” would make the list. Everyone loved the original. How could we not love a sequel? “P2” retains some of the catchiest elements of “XO Tour Life,” interpolating and sampling the record-- handled by TM88 once more. The soft, lurching sound you’ll recognize from the original makes a return appearance in this beat, as do the drums, while TM88 litters in a few new melodic elements. As we wrote in our breakdown of the two records, “P2” has an overall cleaner aesthetic, while Uzi continues to grapple with his break-up with ex Brittany Byrd. He lays bare how he’s feeling, still downtrodden by the fact that his ex is basically ignoring him. There’s the recurring idea that he’s numb, and even money won’t help at this point, yet he turns to it regardless: “I got paper cuts from hundred dollar bills covered in bustdowns / Countin' with my thumb now, money make me numb now.”
3. Lotus (LUV Vs. The World 2)
The album opener, “Myron,” leads us right into “Lotus.” The two make for similar-sounding bedfellows, and it’s clear throughout this double disc that Uzi knows how to put a tracklist together. Oogie Mane returns for the production on this joint, alongside Don Cannon and Treshaun Beatz. Nintendo-esque buttons chime quickly one after another before petering off into the lonely ether, as the beat builds up with the inclusion of closed hi-hats and drums. Uzi is in his usual zone: high-end designer swag and excess spending are among the main topics, with a few not-so-menacing gun-riddled bars and self-aware lyrics sided in between: “My pants, they so tight, don't know if they for her or him.”
2. Celebration Station (Eternal Atake)
This record, mid-way through Eternal Atake, is relegated to what sleuthing fans have deemed the Renji section of Uzi’s album. The album is divided into three parts to reflect Uzi’s personality, with ‘Renji’ being his softer, sweeter side. Thus, it’s not surprising that we find both this record and a song like “I’m Sorry” within the ‘Renji’ section (tracks #7-12, as he confirmed on Twitter). Following suit of the apologetic “I’m Sorry,” “Celebration Station” is naturally, as the name would indicate, slightly more upbeat but the vibe is contained nonetheless. It’s a light, airy beat layered with wavy, distant vocal samples and fluttering keys. It's feel-good and dance-worthy, which is exactly the type of song you need in your life right now.
1. Myron (LUV Vs. The World 2)
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The deluxe edition of Eternal Atake is really a whole new album, in a not-so-surreptitious manner as it’s also blatantly titled LUV Vs. The World 2. As the title indicates, it is a sequel of sorts-- to Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World. Uzi clearly knows how sequels work too (if “P2” wasn’t already telling), giving us a sonically similar but fully-updated project that follows exactly in its predecessor footsteps. A lot of quirky, bubble-trap-pop flares define the project, including on the first single and stand-out, “Myron.” A feat, considering the production team is actually quite a bit different. Supah Mario and Oogie Mane kick off “Myron” in a wobbly, glitter haze, while Uzi uses his voice as an instrument, wavering with each bar. The song, which is apparently titled after his fans, is actually not really about the fans at all. It’s really just one flex after another, in the typical goofy Uzi manner: “Cause I could fuck your bitch and fuck your mom and auntie / Your girl's a five, but your mom is a dime piece” he rattles. “I stand on my money then my height, it turn to 9' 10"” is another highlight. Honestly, these lyrics are probably true too.