Tuesday, July 19th, 2022

Lil Nas X, YoungBoy Never Broke Again – Late to da Party

No need to rush…


[Video]
[5.17]

Alfred Soto: “Montero” it ain’t, much less “That’s What I Want,” but I didn’t expect Nas to sound more anonymous than YoungBoy.
[5]

Nortey Dowuona: This unfortunately is the best choice either of them could’ve made. And that “demons in my head, I can’t stop them all from rottin’ me” from NBA is a bar. The bouncing kick sliding above the low and thin synth nearly dwarfs the spindly snare and tinny, too-low-in-the-mix hi-hats rattling like baby rattlesnakes. Nas X sadly shares the same curse as his forefather; he has the worst flow on the whole fucking song. Still a bop nonetheless; in 20 years some dweeb will rap on it better than both of them.
[6]

Thomas Inskeep: Being pissed off at BET doesn’t make LNX a good rapper. And nothing makes YoungBoy NBA sound less shrill. 
[2]

Harlan Talib Ockey: I understand what “Late to da Party” is for, but on a musical level, it is almost certainly going to be overshadowed by “Industry Baby”. Both songs cover the same “proving the detractors wrong” ground — they even both cite Lil Nas X’s track record of top ten singles — but “Party” lacks the latter’s explosive hook. The chorus is an odd disappointment after the lyrically blistering pre-chorus. Not only does the production fail to escalate, but the titular line about not being late to the party is too confusing to work as a mic drop. YoungBoy’s verses bolt off in a completely different direction very quickly; I’ll allow it, though, because he still keeps pace with Lil Nas X in raw, audacious energy.
[5]

Ian Mathers: It’s not that Lil Nas X doesn’t have a point, but this still feels joyously tossed off in a way that makes it more compelling than a lot of people who try a lot harder or at least come off that way. I’m still going to be humming the chorus to myself long after I’ve forgotten about them.
[8]

Al Varela: This isn’t a bad song, but the more I think about it the more it pisses me off. The chorus is catchy I guess, but unlike the best songs on Montero, it’s not memorable. The melody is stale, the groove is dull, and try as he might, Lil Nas X can’t get away with making a poop bar in any way funny. Yet what annoys me most is how this song and its video ground it in the BET controversy and turn what should be a serious issue into yet another insufferably ironic meme. I can usually overlook Nas making annoying Twitter bits as promo for his music because he’s a musician I can take seriously, regardless of if he’s being funny or if he’s being earnest. When he expressed genuine concern and disappointment that he was snubbed by BET despite being hugely famous and recognized by other awards shows, I felt he had every right to feel burnt for what are likely homophobic reasons. But when he then turns around and uses that controversy for the hook of his new single, I feel like his message gets completely lost. It sours me on the song as a result. It’s not even good enough to justify such flagrant marketing bullshit for an issue I thought he was treating seriously. If it really is mostly just so he can get attention for his new song… well at least have the decency to make it better than mid.
[5]

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