PARTYNEXTDOOR – PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO

2024 White Colored Vinyl Reissue!

Brathwaite has scrubbed this occasional creepiness from his sophomore effort, as PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO matches his self-assured cockiness with an increased benevolent streak. He spends the majority of the album in awe of the women he sings about: "East Liberty" teems with talk of sunset-watching and proclamations of "forever"; in less capable hands, a line like "the ocean's calling your name" would be an eye-roller, but Brathwaite's puppy-dog earnestness—not to mention the track's woozy, dense throb—prevents it from inducing gag reflexes. Brathwaite does open-minded sincerity much more convincingly than he does charming asshole: "I want you to turn up every night on me when I see you," he urges on the Drake-assisted "Recognize" while acknowledging upfront that both he and the woman he's singing to have other lovers. There's a refreshing lack of jealousy and possessiveness on PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, even as Brathwaite argues that he's in a league far above his competition on almost every song here.