Ice Spice’s debut does everything you want it to, but too often it does plenty of things you don’t. At its most accomplished, ‘Y2K!’ oozes confidence at every intersection, silencing haters each step of the way. At its worst, the album is brash and unnecessarily boastful with lacklustre songwriting at its heart.
The Bronx rapper’s story is one of social media virality and major co-signs — one huge boost came from Drake spinning her 2022 track Munch (Feelin’ U) on his radio show — and ‘Y2K!’ is designed to take things up a notch.
One way around that is some big name collaborations, but it’s apparently not as simple as adding star wattage. Did It First, with Central Cee, is a surefire hit, combining intoxicating drill with a raw riff on infidelity and revenge, yet elsewhere results are patchy at best.
The Travis Scott-featuring Oh Shhh… is mediocre and lacking originality, while Bitch I’m Packin’, starring Gunna, is two minutes too long at 2:42.
Opener Phat Butt, though, is a short, sweet gloat track, detailing various impressive accolades from Ice Spice’s time in the industry to date, and Plenty Sun is catchy and memorable with bags of sex appeal.
The controversy-stoking BB Belt is also worth a listen, packing a punch. The main attraction is Think U The Shit (Fart), where Ice Spice spits like a pro alongside an addictive dance-rap melody, furthering her rumoured beef with Latto.
At its finest, ‘Y2K!’ exudes pure self-assurance and, even when it falters, Ice Spice is entirely compelling, commanding you to listen even when you aren’t completely sold. That’s really something.
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