Lil Uzi Vert – Eternal Atake 2 ( Album Review )

After dominating in the previous decade, Lil Uzi Vert has gradually been appearing less and less. His last effort, Pink Tape, faced intense scrutiny and is widely regarded as one of his most bloated works. It has not aged most gracefully, much like his opener for the 2020s, Eternal Atake.

I’ve been a big Uzi fan since his Luv Is Rage 2, and I even consider him one of the biggest artists I was listening to while I was growing up. Although Pink Tape underwhelmed many, I saw it as showcasing Uzi’s uniqueness as an artist, emphasizing his passion.

It ranged from so many concepts, sounds, and ideas, allowing Uzi to explore his self-claimed “rockstar” persona. Whether it was the experimental rock, the mixture of rage and trap, or the influence of metal elements, it all somehow complimented his charismatic and playful persona. While not blown away by it, I could see Uzi’s vision, even if it lacked proper implementation. With this newly established route on Pink Tape, one would expect Lil Uzi to try to delve into it more and refine it further. Instead, with little to no roll-out, Uzi has announced his brand new album Eternal Atake 2, killing off every single expectation.

Right after the Pink Tape, Uzi teased 2 to 3 different mixtapes, whether it was his Barter 16 or Luv is Rage 3, though none of them have surfaced because of the leaks. But as of November 2024, with no of these “What If”, his newest release is Eternal Atake 2, serving as a sequel to Uzi’s 2nd most successful album — Eternal Atake.

So, without further ado, let’s delve into Uzi’s cosmic sequel.

From the first sight, Eternal Atake 2 doesn’t just seem like a random release but also feels this way. With a quite short track list for Uzi’s standards, you get a 40mins of commercial-free music which consists of Uzi’s most unmoving music yet.

The album feels half-made, rushed, and empty. The majority of the track list feels as if it has the production of the generic side from Pink Tape featuring a straightforward drum pattern with a quite predictable sequence. Just like on “Mr Chow” Lil Uzi simply sticks to the repetitive beat structure, and the monotonous, leaving the track feeling colorless.

Once you reach about halfway through the track list, a pattern in Uzi’s production choice on the album becomes apparent. It rarely surprises and instead comes across as a mediocre trap with a “rageful” tone. In some cases, Uzi jumps into the jersey club style, like on “Perky Sex,” which might be one of the best highs on the record thanks to its contrast with other songs.

Yet, the production is not the record’s main issue; the core problem is Uzi himself.

From the first track, he adopts the lazy mumbling style, which is the best Uzi can offer here. I have never heard him be as disinterested in his rapping as on this album. Uzi’s execution is purely narrow-minded, with a mixed vocal package that doesn’t benefit the deeper tone of his voice.

Even when compared to tracks like “Fire Alarm,” where his deeper voice shines atmospherically, his vocals on Eternal Atake 2 sound strained. On the “Paars In The Mars,” his voice feels as if he smoked 40 cigarettes in a row and has spoken since, creating a disastrous mix with deteriorating delivery.

Despite all the negativity surrounding him, it would be inaccurate to claim that Uzi has completely lost his talent. In “Light Years (Practice),” Uzi seizes the opportunity to create captivating songs and rap like the rent is due. With such passion and hunger, Lil Uzi fills you up with his contagious and charismatic energy. “Chill Bae” also stands as a more laid-back and atmospheric melodic track. It is quite weird to me that this album is capable of great production decisions and can deliver, but it rather does it in extremely minimal amounts.

I genuinely wanted to enjoy this record, hoping to see Uzi progress even more since his last full effort. Unfortunately, this album delivers to you a couple of songs that may be equal to Uzi standards that instantly lose their appeal within a largely disjointed effort.

Score/Mediocre: To summarise, Eternal Atake 2 has nothing from the original album beyond its name and falls short from the start with limited joyful moments.

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