I’m a huge fan of “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse” and the soundtrack that accompanied the movie. This soundtrack featured a song by the artist Juice WRLD that I like very much.
Despite this, I never really knew who Juice Wrld was until after he passed away late last year.
I have to admit, I wasn’t really impacted by the young rapper’s death until relatively recently when I had the absolute pleasure of listening to his album “Legends Never Die.”
This album was released in July, months after Juice Wrld had passed away.
Not only did this album put Juice Wrld on my radar, but its 22 tracks were enough to make me recognize how devastating it is that this is the last music he will ever put into this world.
This album told me a sad story about mental health, fame and drug abuse. Among the songs, there are also spoken word pieces. Some are from friends of Juice Wrld, who praise his abilities an mourn his loss, and some are recordings of Juice Wrld himself, talking about how much he loves his fans and telling them that they can be anything that they want to be.
These spoken-word pieces are integrated fantastically into the album.
They don’t take away from the experience of listening to the album and they transition songs into one another exceptionally well.
The addition of these spoken tracks is also a really thoughtful tribute to the late Juice Wrld, and they give the audience insight into the kind of person he was.
“Legends Never Die” is one great song after another. When I listened to it for the first time, I found myself genuinely enjoying almost every song. Listening to it now, there are very few songs that I’m willing to skip. All of the songs are raw and emotional. They’re real, and they talk about the real issues of a man who is no longer here with us.
When I listen to this album, I hear a final love letter to Juice Wrld’s fans. It warns its audience of the real problems that they are going to encounter in this world, and it reminds them that they will be able to get through the hardships.
This album begs its listener to remember Juice Wrld’s story. It begs the listener to make the right choices and make it through the hard times.
Juice Wrld passed away before this album was completely finished. This album exists because of the artists who came together to finish the work the late rapper had started. The track list features a lot of collaborations from artists like the Weeknd, Halsey and Marshmello, and the spoken-word pieces feature commentary from artists like Lil Dicky. This album is not simply a “final album,” it’s a tribute to the life of Juice Wrld.
While I find the collaboration involved in the album inspiring and thoughtful, I don’t find that I love all of the musical collaborations on the album.
These songs aren’t bad by any means, but I definitely notice the difference between those songs and Juice Wrld’s solo songs. The collaborations stand out on the album, but not in a way that makes them shine. I think where this album really succeeds is with the solo songs and the spoken-word pieces.
This album is fantastic. The music is amazing in a way that makes me want to get up and dance, but in contrast, the heavy themes in the songs make it difficult not to be reminded of the circumstances of Juice Wrld’s death. I think that this album is an important reminder of the value of life. Juice Wrld may not be here anymore, but he reminds his fans to keep fighting in “Legends Never Die.”

ALEXIS AFTON
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