I smile - I wish I was your poison

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

06/12/24 : The Party Never Ends - Juice WRLD

Our second posthumous visit with Mr WRLD - last time I was somewhat underwhelmed and I have no reason to assume things will change here.

Oh yes, I'm even less whelmed that I was before. It’s not hateful except for some of the lyrics (there's a lot of effing them bs going on), but it’s just very, very average (as are most of the lyrics). Eminem's contribution to one of the tracks throws up an interesting comparison because although it feels very lazy for him, at least what he's saying makes some kind of sense and isn't boringly repetitive. I just don't understand why anyone would bother listening to this - it's just dull and doesn't sound like any particular skill has been involved. And I'm not a fan of the album cover either!

We're at #5 in the charts this week with a new entry and the rest of the top five are Taylor Swift (up from #16 due to the Anthology version being released on CD and vinyl), Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar and Michael Bublé (it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!). We only have one further new entry in the entire chart to consider which is Potter Payper (#30) - this is more rap which I can't say I like, but at least I can understand why people would like it because there's plenty of intelligence, experience and humour on display here, all of which were conspicuously absent on Juice's offering.

Last week I said that Kendrick would drop to #4, so I'll take #3 as a victory (it's the closest I've been in weeks) - I'm sure Juice will do better than I imagine, but I really can't let myself guess any higher than #47. And this week's Taylor stats are one in the top ten, five in the top forty and nine in the entire chart - it only takes one random version of one of her albums to be reissued and her stranglehold is restored.

Wikipedia tells us this is his "fifth and final" album (let's see, shall we?) and sixteen different producers have been involved (which probably doesn't help matters). Apparently the critics' reception was mixed but it only quotes a guy from Clash who I struggle to argue with when he says "the album's material remained unfinished for a reason". Commercially it's done OK globally - it's done best over here so far, but I suspect the US will outdo us when their chart comes out.

"Customers also listened to" Kodak Black, Juice TheKid, Ecstsy and Tendos - ah yes, that lot! I won't be searching any of them out because I'm pretty certain I won't like what I hear if it's anything like this. There's plenty of music out there I don't like, but I generally see why people would like it - but I'm at a loss as to why anyone would waste their time here.

29/11/24 - Another perplexing album
13/12/24 - Less challenging than I expected