After two suspenseful years of waiting for the next Uzi album, on March 6, 2020, Eternal Etake finally dropped. Since his last album – Luv Is Rage 2 released in 2017 – fans have been anticipating Uzi’s next production.
TM88, a co-producer on Eternal Atake, spoke about the challenges of creating new music in an article from the Rolling Stone. “If a fan leaks one or two songs, that’s pushing his album back another eight months,” he said. The leaks of several songs contributed to the several year setback for Eternal Atake.
Junior Sean Hadjuk shares his experience with the drop of Eternal Atake. “When the album first came out, I was excited because I waited two years for it, but it wasn’t as great as it should’ve been,” he said.
The differentiating factor between Lil Uzi and other rappers is his sound. His songs feature classic rap beats, but he also incorporates futuristic effects, such as laser or spaceship sounds.
Sophomore Jett Herrera has listened to Lil Uzi’s music since he began his career as a rapper. “I like his music because he relates to his album,” he said. “This specific album had a very detailed backstory, and the songs went in a specific order, which most artists don’t do.”
The Rolling Stone article continues about the album, discussing the production and nature of Eternal Atake. “For this album, he wanted his voice and his lyrics to shine more than the actual beats,” said co-producer Supah Mario.
While the overall album was meant to have an extraterrestrial vibe, especially shown by the album cover, each song has a different meaning and flow.
The song ‘P2’ from Eternal Atake is a sequel to ‘XO TOUR Llif3’, but with new lyrics. The song went from “All my friends are dead, push me to the edge” to “Everything I said, messin’ with your head,” symbolizing the shift in Uzi’s career and the impact it has had on him.
‘I’m Sorry’ has a completely different vibe from ‘P2’, as it is a reflection and apology about a past relationship with a fan. In the song, Uzi sings, “I’m sorry for everything I ever said, I’m sorry if you were misled.” Each song is a little different, but regardless, all of Uzi’s lyrics come from the heart.
Although Lil Uzi worked for years to perfect Eternal Atake, fans were still disappointed. Senior Jackson Moats was an avid Uzi supporter, but since the long awaited album, he has lost some of his passion for the artist. “The album as a whole wasn’t worth the wait; it was disappointing. The only songs I enjoyed were ‘P2’ and ‘Baby Pluto’. Everything else was mediocre or just bad,” he said.
Senior Dayton Cooney has listened to Lil Uzi for years, but was underwhelmed about Eternal Atake. “It took so long to drop, and when it did, it was very over hyped. It sounds just like all of his other albums,” he stated.Eternal Atake has reached an astronomical level of success, as the album is on track for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and holding the highest first-week sales of Uzi’s career. While many fans may criticize the extended wait and repeated sounds, they are still listening, and Eternal Atake remains on top.