REVIEW: “Eternal Atake” by Lil Uzi Vert lacks creativity

By Sean Gallagher,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff-

Initially announced in July of 2018, “Eternal Atake” by Lil Uzi Vert is one of the most anxiously awaited albums of the last two years. The album is a sequel to Lil Uzi Vert’s commercial break through, “Luv Is Rage 2.”

Listening to the first part of the album, I was disappointed. The trap instrumentation is similar to everything else in hip-hop right now and it forces Lil Uzi Vert to rap instead of using the melodies that the Philadelphia Mc is known for. 

Songs like “POP” and “You Better Move” are not worth your time. They are overly repetitive and lack the cinematic quality I was expecting from the album’s promotional video and hype. 

There is nothing linking these songs into a cohesive sound, and I find it unlikely I will want to listen to any of them again.

My rating of the album changes with “I’m Sorry,” due to Lil Uzi Vert being in his comfort zone with a more melodic track. This allows for him to add more cadence and personality into his delivery.

Songs like “Celebration Station,” “Bigger Than Life,” “Venetia,” and my favorite of the album, “Prices,” have great choir vocals layered in the background, giving the sound a more grandiose feel.

The concept of the album becomes clear with these later tracks; Lil Uzi Vert transports the listener into a distant place in space on the border of heaven and reality. The background vocals are of angels just a slight distance away and Lil Uzi Vert is in between both worlds experiencing feelings from each world without being completely immersed in either one. The lacking cinematic quality of “Eternal Atake” is finally met.

However I thought there was a lot of potential wasted on tracks like “Urgency” (feat. Syd), “Secure the Bag” and “Bust Me.” On “Urgency (feat. Syd),” Syd’s vocals could have been better utilized as more of a stand alone piece in the song rather then just sitting on top of the instrumentation. 

Both “Secure the Bag” and “Bust Me” get boring and don’t add any depth. Lil Uzi Vert could have used these songs to expand on the concept of “Eternal Atake” that he established on earlier tracks.

Also, after establishing the space between both worlds, Lil Uzi Vert could and should have explored this space more because he had only hit the tip of the iceberg of what he could have done creatively. It would have been interesting to hear more about the contrast in emotions between both of the worlds.

“P2,” part two of Uzi’s smash hit of 2017, “XO Tour Lif3,” wraps up the album. “P2” sounds like a cover of the original but it has a little darker instrumental and feel.

Overall, “Eternal Atake” was definitely overhyped and failed to deliver compared to the anticipation from the over-two-year wait. The first half is disappointing and has a lot of filler songs that will age fast. However, I enjoyed the later tracks and once the concept was finally explained, it left me wanting more.