PartyNextDoor Takes Fans On A Ride In The ‘Partymobile’

Sometimes, all it takes is a co-sign from a big-name artist to put a newcomer on the map. For Canadian singer, songwriter, and rapper PartyNextDoor, this came in 2013 when fellow Torontonian Drake signed him as the first artist on his fledgling OVO Sound label. PartyNextDoor went on to release his self-titled debut mixtape later that year to surprising success, and his subsequent studio albums PartyNextDoor 2 and 3 established him as a serious solo artist offering a unique blend of R&B and ambient hip hop.

The reclusive artist’s third LP Partymobile is out today, and, like PND 2 and 3 before it, PartyNextDoor shines throughout the nearly featureless tracklist. As was the case with his previous two albums, PartyNextDoor—legal name Jahron Brathwaite—linked up with Drake for the lead single to kick off the lead-up to the album’s release. The tropical-tinged “Loyal” speaks to the singer’s pop sensibilities while still keeping the subtle R&B foundation that strings all of his releases together, only furthered by the help of Bad Bunny in the remix.

The album’s sole new collaboration comes in its back half, with Rihanna coming out of “hiding” from fans to deliver vocals on trap&B single “Believe It.” The Caribbean singers’ working relationship began after she invited him to an impromptu writers’ camp at her home, which later led to him penning her hits “Work,” “Wild Thoughts,” and “Sex With Me.”

Despite being known for more heartfelt R&B than many of his counterparts, PartyNextDoor has kept his personal vulnerability in his music to a relative minimum. Partymobile gives a refreshing look into the artist’s personal life as he openly unpacks his relationship drama and “Trauma” in a deeply personal, yet relatable way; this was evident from the beginning of the album’s release campaign with “The News,” which was released alongside “Loyal” as a signal to the emotional direction he was planning on taking.

Partymobile may be PartyNextDoor’s most well-rounded project to date, and with good reason: he’s been holed up in the studio for most of the last three years working on bringing this album to life, so his time spent recently in self-isolation allowed him to perfect every single element throughout the album’s tracklist. His ability to pull inspiration from all his previous work to craft a wide array of after-hours R&B and alternative hip hop has led to the creation of one of the best LPs of its kind in recent memory, and more importantly, excites fans and non-fans alike about what PartyNextDoor could possibly release next.