Rich Delinquent's new EP, "Heartbreak Afterparty," closes a year of transformation for him. The track is a seven-song, 23 minutes and 54 seconds finale that plays less like an ending than a statement of arrival.
"Heartbreak Afterparty" is the emotional capstone to his year-long mixtape rollout. It is a reflection of how an artist has matured, as has his musical style and worldwide audience. We’ve seen a lot of artists who like to push the envelope, venturing into places with phem as well as RMR FRVRFRIDAY and Starr Adara. Each has a voice that thickens the mix of storytelling, something that cuts across genres and is built on openness and attitude. The final chapter lands like a film. The EP’s final track, featuring Tyla Yaweh, brings Rich Delinquent’s somber, drama-rich core to its most fever-pitch yet. It has melody, grit, and crossover appeal, without losing its authenticity.
“Heartbreak Afterparty” and “Adore It” are among the best on the EP, showcasing its emotional diversity. "Adore It” is, all honesty, couched in a slick, atmospheric sound that makes the pain sharper still. At the same time, “Heartbreak Afterparty” sounds like both the end and beginning of the party, shiny yet bruised, happy but haunted.
Rich Delinquent beautifully captures the tension between heartbreak and pleasure, closure and chaos in under 24 minutes. In the end, it’s a body of work that hangs together and zings people in the heart. Not only does it mark the end of the mixtape era, but it also embodies its very definition.