Juice WRLD - 'Goodbye & Good Riddance' Review

In a post- Man On The Moon/ 808s & Heartbreak landscape, artists are becoming more alternative, genre-bending, and unconventional than ever before. Hip-Hop has never been more diverse than it is right now. Sure, there are artists that sound alike and are riding the same trends.

But then there are up-and-comers like Juice WRLD. The Soundcloud phenom has racked up attention from his hits “All Girls Are The Same” and “Lucid Dreams.” And in every way imaginable, he’s defying conventional rap characteristics.

His newest mixtape, Goodbye and Good Riddance, is an ode to unrequited love and drug-addiction. It’s a vulnerable, intoxicating journey that explores heartbreak as much as it revels in it. Right from the onset, Juice is a lone wolf.

The project’s intro lays the foundation, as listeners can hear a former lover insisting that Juice “isn’t shit” and to “stop calling.” In between the intro and the “Betrayal” skit, Juice is at his darkest, generalizing that “all girls are the same” and inviting whomever to lean with him.

But by “Used To,” he’s in less pain and trying to move on. As the album continues, Juice is stuck in limbo—desperate to move on, but unable to let go of the past. These songs really capture this energy in a catchy, dark, melodic way.

At times, some of his cadences remind me of Lil Uzi Vert. Other times, he wails loud and clear like a Trippie Redd; but never is there any confusion about whose voice this is. Juice really owns his style and the environment he has thrust the listener into.

Goodbye’s aesthetic consists of distorted, hard-hitting 808s and dreamy cloud instrumentation—characteristics of the Soundcloud world he emerged from. Yet rarely do these beats feel generic. The guitar riffs alter the vibe and provide this charged, eccentric element to the production.

However, while Goodbye is an intoxicating, compelling experience, it’s really disturbing at times. There’s so much self-loathing, not to mention an agonizing obsession with any drug he can get his hands on. That goes for when he’s happy, sad, waking up, going to sleep, with others, or by himself.

This mixtape treads a thin line between venting and crying out for help.

While I admire Juice’s emo energy, he parallels Lil Peep in many ways—and that’s a little unsettling.

Like Peep, Juice sung about heartbreak and the need to self-medicate with all sorts of drugs. Like Peep, he portrays himself as close to the edge; and makes numerous references—direct and indirect—to death. Just like Peep, he’s aware of the consequences; and even mentions people telling him to stop.

On “I’ll Be Fine,” even G Herbo ("Swervo") tells him to stop!

Yet like any addict, it doesn’t seem like he can. Lil Peep was right on the cusp of stardom when Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1 dropped in August of 2017... He died in November.

Essential Tracks

• “All Girls Are The Same”
• “Lucid Dreams”
• “Lean Wit Me”
• “Scared Of Love”
• “Hurt Me”
• “Black & White”
• “I’ll Be Fine”

The Verdict

Juice WRLD’s debut mixtape is a dark, emo experience. It’s a narrative without resolutions; a story without a happy ending. It’s an impressive project from an emerging artist, one who puts his heart into his craft. There are some great vibes on this mixtape, and Juice carries this body of work in its entirety by himself without guest appearances.

After wearing his heart on his sleeve, he concludes the mixtape with “I’ll Be Fine.” I can only hope he’s right, because he’s next up.

Goodbye and Good Riddance is a B+.

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