The Pain of PND's Joy
Why Joy is my Favorite Track of 2016
TL;WR
PARTYNEXTDOOR’s P3, for the most part, can be reduced to a complete biography of the modern playboy. It revels in a darkness propelled by machismo not dissimilar from his previous work. His detached intimacy pairs exceptionally with the devious sounds prevalent throughout the album. However, in the heat of the overwhelming objectification, unconquerable ego, and emotionless affection, Joy exposes the humanity and vulnerability that PND so convincingly conceals throughout his discography.
The Set Up
P3 feels like an extended cut of a life & times of a serial playboy. With the exception of Joy and You’ve Been Missed, Party swaggers through decalrations of his sexual prowess, taunts the male competition (Kyrie coolin tho), and all but reduces women to a means through which he ego trips.
| Track | The Short |
|---|---|
| Spiteful | Don’t be mad becuase I moved on. You got yourself a new dude anyways so your shit’s not adding up. |
| High Hopes | When I come back for you, u better be dtf |
| Nothing Easy to Please | Duh, you should have known you weren’t good enough for me |
| Transparency | Tell me I’m hot shit, even though I know it already |
| Problems & Selfless | 1) I hope my son has women fighting over him and 2) I’m the victim: these girls are too selfish and won’t share me. |
| Come See Me | I booty called this girl but she’s mad because I don’t ever go to her place |
How it Relates
Any person who has some type of player (especially if it’s themselves) in their love life will relate to the core of this album. You’ll think “ahh I’ve tried to pull that card too!” or “I remember when __ tried to pull this bull-“. The album’s darkest corners reach a rare duality in that they feel part braggadocio part admission. The transgressions on trust and general decency are presented so flippantly, listeners are afforded the opportunity to not only revel in their sexual prowess but reflect on thier infractions as well.
What makes P3 Party’s best work to date is undoubtedly the manner in which the words fall perfectly into the mood of the music. The sound is addictive and unified.
The Change Up
Joy sits smack dab in the meat of the album (Track 10 out of 16). It serves as an interlude to the You’ve Been Missed, which boils down to extendo-like-extension-cord Wednesday Night Interlude (with a specific FOI in mind). While they both serve as a contrast to the rest of the album, You’ve Been Missed presents simple regrets, while Joy softens the heart through a heartrenching plea for permanence and genuine happiness.
The song’s instrumental stands out as the only acoustic backing on an album chalked full of typical OVO Sound, sampling the meandering guitar from Daniel by Devendra Banhart. The song starts with a confession:
Right off the bat, Joy takes on a depth unmatched by any OVO artist. It’s a search for intrinsic happiness and enduring love, and becomes a live look into a man trying to love, tragically unable to maintain his passion as he’s “taken too much of” his girl, falling unimpressed and out of love (the unimpressed part is an assumption). Party goes on to pleadingly croon for joy through the meat of the song. The instrumental escalates into a symphony of acoustic guitar, percussion, and vocals before resolving to the simple guitar pattern and one last ask for joy.
Oddly enough, in spite of the destruction, egoism, possession, and objectification that plagues the personality he’s paraded around in all of his work, Party’s palpable pain elicits an undeniable empathy, one that reaches deep into the heartstrings and plucks at them as seemlessly as the guitar loop from the instrumental. It’s a revelation of humanity, a demonstration of helplessness – a surrender. It’s a cathartic yell into darkness, one that reveals that even though his power and contorl extends outward as far he dares to push it, he’s powerless over himself.
Conclusion
In the darkness that comprises 99% of P3, Joy shines as Party’s sole semblance of humanity, depicting Brathwaite in a helpless fight against nature in his quest for love. This is in the cotext of a man who, otherwise, has had his desires answered upon a whim. It’s depth and honesty stand out alongside its flawless execution, making it my favorite track of 2016.