Juice WRLD, Smile | Track Review 🎵

The late Juice WRLD, assisted by The Weeknd, shines once more on “Smile,” a single likely to grace the deluxe edition of Legends Never Die. 

In the past, after releasing a widely successful album, you wouldn’t expect singles ‘unattached’ to the album to be released.  In 2020 particularly, singles released post-album tend to appear on expanded, deluxe versions of the album.  Juice WRLD had massive success with his posthumous album, Legends Never Die.  Furthermore, it’s a well-rounded album critically speaking. Listening to the post-Legends Never Die single “Smile” featuring The Weeknd, one wonders why wasn’t this featured on Legends Never Die.  The answer? A deluxe version is in the works.

“Smile” is another prime posthumous example where Juice WRLD is in top-notch form.  If you are going to open the vault following a high-profile musician’s death, you want the material to be quality.  “Smile” is high quality by all means. Juice drops a fantastic chorus at the top, very much representative of his emo-trap, melodic-driven style.  The first time you hear the chorus, you know it’s a B-O-P.  Beyond that, Juice delivers a familiar but highly effective verse which references his demons and his love for his girlfriend. “I’m sad that I can’t satisfy,” he raps on the first verse, continuing, “Yeah, I pray that I get it right this time / Maybe we’ll be alright.”

Hard to find a more suitable collaborator for Juice WRLD than The Weeknd; this is a perfect match.  As always, Abel Tesfaye brings emotion, sex, and those silky-smooth tenor vocals.  “When our skin is touching, I need drugs to love you,” he sings, continuing, “You want so much more from me, but I can only fuck you.” Yep, that’s The Weeknd.  Both musicians get quite a boost from sleek production work courtesy of Cxdy, Nick Mira, and Taz Taylor.

Final Thoughts 

The more posthumous Juice WRLD we get, the more I’m saddened that he’s no longer with us.  “Smile,” once more, represents a great moment from the rapper, period.  Furthermore, as aforementioned, pairing him with The Weeknd is nothing short of genius.  If the quality of tracks on the eventual deluxe edition of Legends Never Die are a strong as “Smile,” man that’ll be an absolutely awesome experience.

Juice WRLD • “Smile” (Ft. The Weeknd) • Interscope • Release: 8.7.20

Photo Credit: Interscope