JUICE WRLD, Fighting Demons: REVIEW

“It’s no cosmic coincidence that the subject matter here never strays far from anxiety, addiction and death.”

JUICE WRLD, Fighting Demons (Interscope)

This second posthumous collection (and fourth studio album) from the departed rapper arrives with more purpose and cohesion than its 2020 predecessor Legends Never Die. It’s no cosmic coincidence that the subject matter here never strays far from anxiety, addiction and death. That’s what gifted lyricist and prolific freestyler Juice WRLD, who died needlessly in December of 2019 of a ghastly (and very public) overdose, was really good at. There’s no joy in listening to him predict his fate, again. But as legacy releases go, Fighting Demons is produced and arranged with careful attention to honouring its author’s spirit. His integrity, character and talent are showcased to align this effort more closely with his debut and sophomore, finding a sonic consistency that Legends failed to privilege. There are more legitimately worthy moments than not to reflect on here, dark though they may be. 6.5/10 Trial Track: “Doom”

“Doom” by JUICE WRLD, from Fighting Demons

This review originally appeared in the February 2022 issue of Cult MTL. 

For more on JUICE WRLD, please visit his website.


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