Album Review: Juice WRLD Runs in Circles on 'Death Race for Love'

The prince of emo rap can’t seem to catch a break.

Written by Thomas Galindo

Photo courtesy of XXL Mag

2018 was a huge year for emo rap. Emo rap is a subgenre of rap that fuses emotionally disturbed motifs and lyricism with rap beats and trap instrumental tendencies. Juice WRLD, after a successful 2018, has become the poster child of this genre. His 2018 album, Goodbye & Good Riddance, was a staple in the world of emo rap. The main hit “Lucid Dreams” was a single released three weeks before the album dropped, and made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 a week before the album was set to release. Halfway through June, “Lucid Dreams” reached the top 10 of the Hot 100, and the album would reach number six on the Billboard 200 list.

The mid-October drop of his collab album with Future helped boost Juice WRLD’s status as a drug-induced, emo rap leader. WRLD on Drugs not only established Juice as a fixture in today’s rap landscape but validated his talent as he matched and even surpassed Future’s performance on most of the record. With two successful albums under his belt, a spotlight shone on the crowned prince of emo rap as fans and critics alike awaited his next steps. When it came time for him to drop another record, he took the opportunity to chronicle the dark saga of his failed relationships.

Death Race for Love came out on March 8, 2019. With a runtime of 72 minutes, the album is a harrowing journey through Juice WRLD’s shortcomings and asks a lot of its listener. The album’s story is split right down the middle. The first 11 songs tell a story of Juice’s constant drug use to cope with the toxicity of his prior relationship with his ex. He curses her name but knows that he is still attached to her to the point that he needs something — i.e., drugs — to fill her absence.  

In the next 11 songs, Juice finally tries to get back on his feet and recover from the unhealthy relationship he managed to get out of. He realizes his worth and looks to a new lover for a much more fruitful relationship. He falls in love and soon cannot imagine life without his newfound partner. By the end of the saga, however, his paranoia gets the best of him. He self-sabotages the relationship, and the cycle of drug use continues for Juice WRLD — or as he calls himself, “Perc-ules” — on the final song of the record.

Photo courtesy of Interscope Records

Juice WRLD’s “death race” is his drug use which he uses to cope with heartbreak. The race specifically “for love” is his need of that affection in his life to keep him from his inevitable end. He cannot seem to get out of his own way, and his efforts always end in sadness.

While this may seem like a long, treacherous journey into Juice’s soul, the anecdotes and poetry in this album show his undeniable talent. This album doesn’t have too many hits, even with gems like “Who Shot Cupid?,” “Hear Me Calling,” and “Make Believe.” But the story of Juice’s trial and error with love and his fight against drug use is a worthwhile tale if you dedicate the time to listen to it.