The Afterword: The eternal wait for ‘Eternal Atake’ was well worth it

What with 2020’s pretty, uh, tense start — you know, coronavirus, election madness and the tragic passing of NBA star Kobe Bryant — it’s been a minute since I wrote a music-centered piece.

So when Lil Uzi Vert surprised his fanbase Friday by dropping his long-awaited and maddeningly delayed second studio album “Eternal Atake” a week early, I felt like it was fitting to ride the wave of excitement and take a moment to pay tribute to the project. A few months ago, frustrated with artists like Uzi and Playboi Carti with their empty promises about releasing their music, I wrote a column about how these long waits may actually be beneficial in serving as a clever marketing tactic to build intrigue and hype. 

Though it’ll take some time before a deeper analysis of the project’s impact can be properly assessed, I think I was right: It doesn’t seem like the two-year wait for “Eternal Atake” deterred fans at all. In fact, the highly anticipated album’s opener, “Baby Pluto,” was quick to dethrone Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” from No. 1 on the Spotify U.S. Top 50 Chart after it enjoyed a lengthy 12-week reign. All 18 songs on the album, besides the previously-released single “Futsal Shuffle 2020,” debuted in the top 20.

“Eternal Atake” is, first and foremost, a testament to the Philadelphia native’s unique skill and a reminder of his versatile artistry. The way I see it, while the ambiance of each of his previous projects — think “Luv is Rage 2” and “Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World” — felt distinctly guided by a particular feeling or vibe, EA is far more conceptually heavy, a kind of cheeky “Hey, look what I can do” from the shoulder-shimmying and eye-rolling rapper. Attentive fans quickly picked up that the 18-song project is evenly divided into three parts, each representing a different persona. First comes Baby Pluto, then Renji and finally Lil Uzi Vert himself, with six songs per alter-ego, lending itself to a dark but on-brand 6-6-6 structure. 

What do we know about the personas? Well, Baby Pluto loves to rap. The first six tracks bring out his arguably neglected trap side and feel reminiscent of the more abrasive “Luv is Rage” days. Renji, on the other hand, is flirty, fun and melodic; he offers us head-bopping jams like “Celebration Station” and “Bigger Than Life.” The last six numbers give us the classic “XO Tour Llif3”-esque Uzi we were all waiting for. The album’s multi-layered structure has led to speculation surrounding its underlying meaning and message; one fan tweeted “@LILUZIVERT The aggressive first half of EA represents the take off in the rocket ship and the second half represents flying through space geeked?” to which Uzi replied, “YESSSSSS!!!!!!!” Whatever the guiding force behind the concept of the project was, it is abundantly clear that Uzi has elevated himself stylistically while still managing to remain true to what made him so authentic and likable in his early days of stardom.

The project’s engineering deserves much recognition, too. Producers Oogie Mane, Brandon Finessin and Supah Mario make many expected appearances throughout, while the Chief Keef-produced “Chrome Heart Tags” adds a touch of spice, serving as a pleasantly surprising divergence from his reliable sound-mixing entourage. And, oh, the samples! “Prices” samples Travis Scott’s “Birds in the Trap” banger, “Way Back That Way” samples the Backstreet Boys’ biggest hit; and “You Better Move” samples the “Space Cadet” 3D pinball game from Microsoft Windows. In fact, “You Better Move” also references “Blues Clues,” “Zoom” and “Yu-Gi-Oh!” all in one track: “Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh, you wanna duel? Blue-Eyes White Dragon, no, I will not lose.” We are treated to a continuation of “XO Tour Llif3” in “P2,” and what feels like a sequel to “The Way Life Goes” in “I’m Sorry.”

The album’s many references, callbacks and samples make for a very nostalgic ambiance while simultaneously underscoring a fresher, untapped vibe — a difficult balance to strike. In one record, Uzi brings us back to the good old days and encourages us to embrace the coming ones (and gives us a fire soundtrack to do it with, too). 

The kicker is this: “Eternal Atake” had so much hype that Uzi could have collaborated with any artist he wanted to. Instead, he gave us an hour of music with only one guest, as if dangling his confidence in his own artistry before our eyes. That doesn’t mean we’ll be deprived of collabs, though; Uzi teased a stacked deluxe edition boasting features with Future, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Young Thug and Lil Baby, along with some infamous leaks: “Lotus,” “Jellybean” and “Myron.” He said it’ll drop this week but, at this point, do any of us trust his alleged release dates?

There is a lot to unpack with this album, and I don’t even feel that I’ve scratched the surface . In my eyes, that overwhelming feeling is a promising indication that this is a substantive, three-dimensional project. The journey to “Eternal Atake” was riddled with delays and false starts, but it is finally here and you can feel that sense of euphoria reflected in the music. To me, Uzi’s work has always been the kind that grows on you with each listen and I expect nothing less from EA. Here’s to two years of waiting and a highly rewarding musical endeavor. 

Rachel McKenzie is a junior writing about pop culture. Her column, “The Afterword,” runs every other Tuesday.