One business week stands between fans and this year’s Broccoli City Festival. The two-day festival is set to bring the biggest names in entertainment and culture to the nation’s capital, including Issa Rae, Megan Thee Stallion and the subject of this article — PARTYNEXTDOOR. Four years removed from the release of his previous album, Partymobile, the Canadian creative returned to set the world of R&B ablaze with his latest body of work, PartyNextDoor IV. Devoid of flashy features and a splashy roll out, the OVO vocalist leaned on his storytelling, addictive hooks and melodic stylings to deliver a studio album that both fans and critics alike agree is some of his best work yet. Since its release, he has toured North America, reconnecting with his fans and building new audiences. As part of this highly-anticipated tour, he will bring his vocal stylings to the stage at Audi Field. From his self-titled debut to his most recent release, he has a lot to pull from as he puts together his headlining set. With just a few days left until his performance, our culture editor, Ryan Shepard, has put together a set of 15 tracks that he is hoping to see the chart-topping singer perform.
“Break From Toronto”
Album: PARTYNEXTDOOR
Release Date: July 1, 2013
It may seem like an obvious choice, but it’s a necessary selection. There’s something about hearing the subdued sample of Miguel’s “Girl With The Tattoo” subtly make an entrance as PARTYNEXTDOOR’s signature “P-P-P-P-P-PARTY, PARTY” tag echoes. It may not be the opening track for his debut EP, but “Break From Toronto” is the introduction of PARTYNEXTDOOR. With tales of “drunk n—s trying to talk in the strip club” and silhouettes that look like dollar signs, “Break From Toronto” feels like a simple time when the heat of summer was bearable and the warm weather laid the groundwork for unforgettable midsummer nights out with friends. At the time, nothing sounded like “Break From Toronto” and eleven years later, very few songs deliver that feeling. While most people have never been to Mississauga, “Break From Toronto” makes them feel like it’s their own summer playground.
“FWU”
Album: PARTYNEXTDOOR II
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for the man from Mississauga to take three or four years off between albums, but there was a time when that wasn’t necessarily the case. Nearly a year to the day after he shook up with the world with his self-titled EP, PARTYNEXTDOOR returned with the sequel, PARTYNEXTDOOR II. From the opening notes of East Liberty to the Missy Elliott-inspired “Thirsty,” PARTYNEXTDOOR II picks right up where its predecessor left off. While tracks like “Her Way” and “Recognize” featuring Drake were positioned as single, “FWU” is the song that continued to give his fans chills time and time again. The track’s chaotic hook paired with the raw emotion emanating from his voice create a fan favorite that remains relevant within his discovery a decade later.
“Freak In You”
Album: Colours
Release Date: June 2, 2017
One year after PARTYNEXTDOOR delivered his third self-titled project, he returned for the second edition of his fan favorite EP series, Colours. Pivoting away from the feature-heavy lean of the original EP, Colours II was a solo PARTYNEXTDOOR endeavor as he delivered a track that would soon become one of his most well received tracks — “Freak In You.” Interpolating the similarly titled Jodeci track from 1995, “Freak In You” puts PARTYNEXTDOOR as he effortlessly floats over the production of TOPFLR, Ryan “G. Ry” Alexander Martinez, Noah “40” Shebib and Neenyo.
“Excitement”
Album: Pegasus
Release Date: March 15, 2020
When fans think of ideal collaborators for PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake, Rihanna and even Summer Walker come to mind. However, one of the Ontario native’s strongest features appears on Trippie Redd’s “Excitement.” The 2020 release is often forgotten because it was released in the midst of a global pandemic. Not to mention, it’s not even on the album PARTYNEXTDOOR released later that year, PARTYMOBILE. Nevertheless, the track’s spacey, dreamlike feel is the perfect background as the OVO crooner sings, “Sex ain’t the only thing that’s on my mind. But you get me so excited.” Given that it is a guest verse, it may not be on the setlist for Broccoli City Festival, but let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that it is.
“Her Old Friends”
Album: PARTYNEXTDOOR IV
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Songs like “Savage Anthem” and “Options” may showcase PARTYNEXTDOOR’s toxic, problematic side, but that doesn’t mean his music isn’t all that relatable. Serving as the lead single for his most recent album, PARTYNEXTDOOR IV, “Her Old Friends” appeals to those who, in a moment of their own toxicity, point to their significant other’s friends as a reason for their cheating ways. OG Parker’s production provides the perefect runway for PARTYNEXTDOOR to deliver classic lines like, “I hate when a cute girl sees a bad b—h and tries to get the bad b—h to do average s—t,” before hitting a crescendo with the hook many broken hearts want to sing with all of their heart, “F—k all my b—s old friends.”
For our full, 15-song Broccoli City: PARTYNEXTDOOR mixtape, click here. Def Pen will be on site as PARTYNEXTDOOR, Megan Thee Stallion and others hit the stage at Broccoli City Festival. Stay tuned for news, features and more as the week unfolds.
