PartyNextDoor currently occupies a weird space in R&B. An exquisite songwriter who can pen hit records with the best of them (“Work”), Party hasn’t been able to translate a seemingly cult following and internet hype into true superstardom as a solo artist. His name forever has a buzz around it but never seems to generate enough traction to produce his own massive hit singles or high selling albums. This isn’t an indictment on Party’s music though, which has been consistently great upon arriving on the scene in 2013 with his debut project PARTYNEXTDOOR. His music often evokes emotions from listeners that are deep, even making the listener reminisce on past relationships making you long for something you’ve been missing. He’s an R&B provocateur in a sense, causing his audience to constantly want a lover that may be unattainable.
The release of COLOURS 2 EP, a follow up to 2014’s criminally underrated COLOURS EP, is more of what we have come to expect from Party but it’s still refreshing. Party’s formula has been perfected over the past four years, combining nostalgic and airy production with strong songwriting to craft some of the best R&B songs of this time period. Here on COLOURS 2 Party continues to show growth as an artist, becoming a chameleon of sorts. The first track on the EP, “Peace of Mind” is an ode to his lover that is everything Party has been looking for and has put a hex on him, causing him to only want to spend his time with her and do nothing else. “Low Battery” is millennial R&B done perfectly, a song about his phone’s low battery life impeding his progress of getting answers from his lover via text message about their standing in their relationship. The standout song on the EP is “Freak In You” in which he does his best Young Thug impersonation but combines lyrics of listening to Jodeci while also paying homage to the groups classic cut “Freakin You” from their 1995 album The Show, the Afterparty, the Hotel.
COLOURS 2 is short and concise but provides four strong tracks that can occupy a space of their own in Party’s discography and actually live. These don’t come off as throw away tracks just to be thrown out to the public, these are four fleshed out songs with strong songwriting and depth. There probably isn’t a huge hit single in the bunch that is going to break Party through the current glass ceiling that seems to be impeding him but that’s fine. This EP is sure enough to satisfy his staunchest supporters and casual R&B fans alike, it’s that good. Party may be more The Dream than Ne-Yo, an artist who is capable of crafting great R&B records in his own right but will find more success as a writer and producer for other artists. But one thing is for certain, Party is one of the stronger R&B acts right now and COLOURS 2 is further proof of that notion.
Kameron Hay 