This is not a drill, y’all. I repeat this is not a drill. After about two and a half years of waiting, Lil Uzi Vert has finally released his album Eternal Atake. There seem to be many reasons why it took so long for this album to come out. For one, it is pretty well known within the Hip Hop community that because he signed a record deal at a very young age and did not know what he was really agreeing to, he has wanted to either change or get out of his current deal for a while now, and his label, Generation Now, has refused to release him from the contract. Because of these arguments with his label, he has not been able to release any of his own music(labels will hold onto artists’ music until they fulfill certain things in the contract such as amount of touring). Also, it has seemed like Lil Uzi Vert was not in the best mindset for a while after the release of his last album(based on social media posts, interviews, etc), and this mindset has seemed to make him unmotivated to release new music. That is enough of me assuming stuff, though; let’s just talk about this awesome album instead! For those of y’all are who are huge fans of his albums The Perfect LUV Tape or LUV Is Rage 2, which are more known for their psychedelic and super large/grand production styles, I do not know if this will be your favorite album of Uzi’s. There are still songs on this record that somewhat register with the style of those albums, but for the most part, this album is full of rock-influenced super hard trap beats with heavy bass and the type of energy that is perfect for mosh pits. I can not wait to see Lil Uzi Vert perform this album live; the energy that these songs give out is so nuts. Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake is totally worth the wait, and I am very glad that rap music’s newest Alien has finally returned to earth to deliver this wonderful record.

Eternal Atake gets off to a super hard and intense start with the song ‘Baby Pluto.’ Baby Pluto is the new nickname that Lil Uzi Vert has assumed for himself during the brief roll out of this record; it seems to be the name that was given to him by the aliens that kidnapped him and brought him back to earth(the idea of Uzi getting abducted by aliens is a theme that is presented throughout the album with skits at the end of some of the songs. I actually really love this recurring theme, because it gives the album an added element besides the fact that is a brash and in-your-face trap record). Lil Uzi Vert starts off ‘Baby Pluto’s’ absolutely sprinting with his rapping style. His flows on this song are so rapid and extreme, and it does a really great job of getting the listener very engaged and excited to hear what comes next. What comes next is the song ‘Lo Mein,’ which in my opinion is one of the most underwhelming songs on the record. It is definitely a good track in the scheme of trap music, but it just does not feel like the style of it fits into Eternal Atake very well. On an album where most of the focus seems to be on low key but super heavy instrumentals and furious rapping, it sort of feels like aesthetic for this song were more important than how it fits into the record. That being said, the trippy synths that drive the melody of the record are super cool and very alien-sounding, so at least it fits into the record well in that way. Speaking of a super intense rapping style, the next song, ‘Silly Watch,’ has quickly become a fan favorite. The most pits that this song creates for live concerts are going to be so intense; I can just imagine some high school kid who is at his first-ever concert getting punched in the face or pushed to the ground when this song comes on because of the intensity of the song. I freaking love the piano-driven melody that this song has because it truly adds to the intensity of the track. It sounds like the type of song they play in an anime when there is about to be a huge battle, which I am sure is what was intended since Uzi is known to love anime so much. ‘Pop’ has a super heavy and bass-heavy melody that to me sounds like what I would imagine being abducted by aliens sounds like. This song is also so hard and intense; I really love how Lil Uzi Vert is constantly switching flows and rapping styles on this track. This is another song that I know is going to create some super crazy mosh pits, and I can not wait to experience it live.

You better move. Louis, my shoes. Pull out my whip on twenty twos. I saw your girl, I had to scoop. Just like a bird, she gonna swoop. Neck is achoo, might catch the flu. Banana clip straight from the zoo…

‘You Better Move’ is the third song in a row off of this record that is going to create some crazy and awesome moments when performed live because of how intense it is. The “melody” of this song is driven by the Space Cadet Pinball 3D game; another rapper that has been known to use this particular sound is the underground legend Spaceghostpurpp, so I wonder if this song is sort of an ode to him. ‘You Better Move’ is the kind of song where the feeling and vibe that it creates is more important than the content; you will find yourself in a daydream while listening to this track, head-banging so hard that you end up with a headache(I mean this in the best way). On ‘Homecoming,’ Lil Uzi Vert gets his Dababy on right from the start, jumping onto the instrumental literally as soon as it starts. I am really into the melody of this song because it sort of has an old school New York vibe to it. This melody style actually sounds really cool with the trap beat that it goes over on this song, and it provides one of the cooler and most unique sounds on this album. ‘I’m Sorry’ is the first moment on the record where the vibe becomes way softer and the instrumental is way more driven by the melody than it is by the beat. People who are fans of LUV Is Rage 2 have got to be huge fans of this track. I just love how colorful the melody of this song is; it creates a pretty cool contrast with overall message of the song. On ‘I’m Sorry,’ Uzi is admitting that he regrets not being better to the girl he was talking to at the time, asserting this with lines like I’m sorry if you were misled. I’m sorry I messed with your head. You think that you’re better off dead. ‘Celebration Station’ has a pretty similar sound and vibe to it as ‘I’m Sorry,’ with a totally different message to the song. It seems like Uzi got over the guilt he felt on the last song pretty quickly, because ‘Celebration Station’ has a lot more of a positive and happy feeling to it. I think that it is pretty cool that these two songs sound almost the same as far as the melodies and beats are concerned, and a totally different feeling as far as the messages are concerned.

The soft melodic LUV Is Rage 2 style of instrumentals that the last two tracks had continues with the song ‘Bigger Than Life. This song’s melody is not as glitzy or happy sounding as the ones in the last two songs, but I would definitely say that it relates more to them than it does to most of the other instrumentals. It is as if Uzi knew that the album had so much intensity before and after these three songs that we sort of needed a break in the middle. Of the three more chill songs in the middle, I would say this one is probably my least favorite. That being said, the guitar riff that provides the melody for this song is a dope piece of psychedelic rock, and it makes the song still very enjoyable to listen to even though it is kind of boring compared to the rest of the record. ‘Chrome Heart Tags’ has a vibe that is sort of in-between that of the first 6 songs and the last three songs. It is pretty and melodic in a way that is pretty similar to ‘Bigger Than Life,’ but it is way less pristine and has a sort of distorted and uneasy feeling to it. It sort of seems like it is supposed to transition us away from the sweet melodies and bring us back into the chaos. Even though this song seems weird and choppy in a way, it is one of my favorites on the record because it is super unique compared to the rest of the record. This is another song that I know will be super crazy and fun to see performed live. ‘Bust Me’ is another track that is more melodic than some of the earlier tracks on the record, but it also has a beat that is hard as anything on this record. I really love the way the bass bumps on this track; this is the kind of song that will definitely blow some speakers out. ‘Bust Me’ is one of the few songs where Uzi really shows off his vocal abilities and singing chops; on an album where most of the focus is on intense, rapid-fire flows and hard deliveries, Uzi’s singing on ‘Bust Me’ is very refreshing and it shows he can still auto-croon with the best of them. The next, song, ‘Prices,’ has quickly become one of the most popular songs off of this album. It is sort of like ‘Bust Me’ in the way that it combines the best elements of the more melodic moments of this album and the more heavy and hype songs on the album. Ultimately, the song is so unique and complete sounding, and it just goes so damn hard. Lil Uzi Vert’s flow on this song reminds me of a lot of the flows and vocal styles he used on his hit ‘Neon Lights’ featuring Pharrell; if you are a big fan of that song, there is no way that you would not love ‘Prices’ as well. This one is a masterpiece in every way.

Tell my red bone call my red phone, for emergency. I hit you up just with that urgency. Know I need your love like you ain’t ever heard of me. And I know I was dead wrong, yeah. I wanna turn up. Just another sad song, yeah…

‘Urgency’ is probably the first truly sad song to be on this album. the fact that we are 13 songs into a Lil Uzi record and are just hitting the first sad moment is actually pretty remarkable. This track features Syd, from the band The Internet, and I never knew how necessary a collaboration between Uzi and Syd was before this moment. This song has a very melancholy but other-worldly sounding melody and instrumental, and Syd’s strange and breathy vocals truly add so much to the aesthetic of the song. ‘Urgency’ seems to be a moment where Uzi is coming back to earth for a moment and admitting that everything is not as great as he makes it seem. ‘Venetia’ is another banger with a sweet but trippy and alienistic melody and super hard beat; this track is one of the moments on the album that really reminds me of some of Uzi’s old music, such as the music on the mixtape LUV vs. the World. I know that if you like songs the music from this era of Lil Uzi, you will totally love ‘Venetia.’ I love the way that the melody is layered, and how sometimes it sounds like a recording of a violin and sometimes is sounds like someone is playing the xylophone. ‘Venetia’ is another major highlight for me, because not only does it stand out very well and remind me of some of Uzi’s old music, but it also fits into the style and flow of the album super well. It seems like Lil Uzi had to made sure he fit one more super weird and hard banger that sounds like it was made on the mothership into Eternal Atake before it was over, because ‘Secure the Bag’ is one of the strangest and most intense songs on the record. It almost seems like it should have been put onto the album at an earlier point in the tracklist because it sounds like it would fit in better with the style of the first half of the record. Regardless, this track is super tough and it is going to be another song that creates some pretty awesome mosh pits, so that is definitely a great thing. The albums ends with the song that is easily and quickly becoming the most iconic tracks from the record(I realize that “technically” it is not actually the last song on the album because there are two bonus songs, but if you want to know how I feel about ‘Fustal Shuffle 2020’ and ‘That Way,’ search for my last couple of “Few New(ish) Songs That I Love” lists in the search bar below and read about my opinions on those tracks), ‘P2.’ I know that fans of Lil Uzi Vert did not take long to figure out why this song is so important while listening to it; it is literally a “part two” of Uzi’s most iconic hit, ‘XO Tour Llif3.’ It pretty much has the same instrumental and flow, and also sticks to a somewhat similar theme, although the roles are reversed on this one. Whereas the original song is about Uzi having his heartbroken and stating that he is not afraid to die, this song is about Uzi breaking someone’s heart and making them depressed. He knows that he has put this girl through a lot and is sorry, but he also is asserting that this is just how he is and that being with him permanently would just be a toxic thing.

After three long years of waiting for this record, I am so happy to say that Eternal Atake was completely worth the wait. Like I said before, if you are into the more glitzy and melodic pop-trap era of Uzi’s music, this one may leave something to be desired for you, because every song is just so raw and hard. If you love mosh pit style concert bangers and love when Lil Uzi Vert focuses on his rapping and gets to use a multitude of kinds of killer rapid-fire flows, then I know that you will love Eternal Atake. This album may not be as cute and as pop and some people would have liked, but it is super fun and intense and brash and it is just as great as I expected it to be. Stream Eternal Atake below and let me know which songs you love in the comments!

8.6/10