PARTYNEXTDOOR’s P4 Album Review: 4th Time’s A Charm

Any R&B fan worth their salt would tell you that there’s been a PartyNextDoor-shaped hole in the genre for the past 4 years. Whilst there were no new full length projects to delve into, he kept his fans occupied with the occasional performance and the odd single drop. But you know for most, that wasn’t enough. So it was welcome news when he put fans out of their misery earlier this year, announcing the release date for the 4th instalment of his self-titled album series; P4. 

The age-old conversations circulating social media, claiming that the R&B genre was dying a death, nothing fresh and all uninspiring, ground to a halt. This would be the revival it needed.

Would it truly be a PartyNextDoor body of work if it didn’t have you contemplating sending a “you up?” text at 1am to the person you swore you were done with? ‘Control’ makes it feel like one more time won’t hurt. Not straying from what his listeners have known and loved with his previous projects, the salacious tone is set from his uttering of the first lyric; “Take off your clothes”. We’re then taken on a journey of a sexual encounter that most would only dream of in ‘Lose my Mind’.

As the album goes on, some may say that a change of tempo was needed and ’For Certain’ ticks those boxes and then some. He expertly taps into his Caribbean heritage with a beat that transports you to an island with a cocktail in hand and a fine man or woman by your side. It has the potential to rival his label-mate Drake’s 2016 release of ‘Controlla’, with summer right around the corner.

By the end of the album, the high that the listener will have been on dissipates. The feeling of regret comes to the surface and maybe the clue is in the name, but ‘Resentment’ gives off the vibe that it’s time to take a long, hard look in the mirror and think about your actions. While directed at an unknown woman, it still hits like an unexpected personal attack. Still, it by no means takes away from the rest of the project, and a little reflection is never a bad thing, right?

The production of all 14 tracks is just as syrupy smooth as his voice, seamless transitions making it an incredibly easy listen and a warming sense of familiarity is present throughout. P4 can only be described as a fitting conclusion to the self-titled series 8 years on, proving that good things really do take time.

Listen below: 

PartyNextDoor - P4