Album Review: Amerika’s Next Top Party! by PARTYOF2

For this to be their debut effort, Amerika’s Next Top Party! is an assured and multifaceted statement from two artists who have been preparing for this moment since childhood.

Courtesy of Def Jam Recordings.

PARTYOF2 arrives as a product of Los Angeles’ vibrant hip-hop landscape and the duo’s own unconventional expedition. Composed of rapper-producers SWIM (Tyson Coy Stewart) and Jadagrace (Jadagrace Michiko Gordy-Nash), the pair cut their teeth in L.A.’s genre-blurring scene, fusing classic rap ethos with forward-looking sonics. This eclectic streak is rooted in their history as members of the rap collective grouptherapy., which they co-founded in 2019. First a trio and later a duo, grouptherapy. earned buzz for its boundary-pushing projects before a lineup fallout left SWIM and Jadagrace to forge a new path as PARTYOF2. Both artists are former child performers—they originally met due to their shared background as child entertainers, and that lifetime of showbiz experience fuels the polish and confidence heard throughout this Def Jam debut.

Given their lineage, it’s fitting that Amerika’s Next Top Party! carries an air of both showmanship and raw self-expression. SWIM and Jadagrace’s chemistry has been honed over years of friendship and creative collaboration, and the album channels that rapport into sharp lyrical sparring and storytelling. They cite inspiration from hip-hop’s great raconteurs—“from Slick Rick to Biggie—storytelling is essential to hip-hop, and we want to keep that torch alive.” Nowhere is that lineage more evident than on “Friendly Fire,” a centerpiece track that plays out like a theatrical rap battle between two confidants.

Jadagrace and SWIM co-wrote the song and SWIM co-produced it alongside Danes Blood, Dave Marcus, and Oliver Cooper, but its true genesis lies in a bold writing exercise: “We sat down together and wrote down all of our insecurities, then we traded papers and wrote disses, poking fun at our most vulnerable and weak spots.” It’s a blistering back-and-forth full of inside jokes and cutting punchlines. “Boy, you Kelly, you Michelley, I’m the Beyoncé,” Jadagrace taunts with a wink, casting herself as the star player, while SWIM jabs back about ghostwriting and unmet potential. Each barb is delivered with an exuberance that makes it clear this is an exercise in mutual trust rather than genuine malice. Even the hook—a crew of voices chanting, “Don’t do ‘em like that…Do ‘em like that”—feels like a rowdy playground cheer egging them on. It’s a showcase for the duo’s chemistry and comic timing, as well as their willingness to turn insecurities into art. Fittingly, the song’s lo-fi music video was self-directed by PARTYOF2, underscoring the duo’s DIY spirit and commitment to doing things on their own terms.

This kind of creative daring consistently energizes the album’s 11 tracks. SWIM handles a significant share of the production—he actually has a lot of production on this album, Jadagrace notes, praising his adventurous taste—and his beats pull from a broad palette. That inventiveness is more apparent than on “Just Dance 2,” an earlier single that fuses ‘80s dance music influences with a booming hip-hop framework. Co-produced by SWIM with Danes Blood and Dave Marcus, the track pays homage to the deep roots of Black artistry in dance culture, blending funk-infused bass and retro synths with thunderous drums. The record feels like a throwback and lightyears ahead at once—“a love letter to Black liberation” that finds euphoria amid chaos. In the song’s accompanying video, colorful ballroom voguing and high-fashion imagery collide with scenes of protest, underlining PARTYOF2’s knack for commentary without sacrificing fun. “In a time when everything feels heavy, we find our escape in music… using our art to make sense of a world that feels broken, while still finding moments of joy in the chaos.” That ethos runs through the album’s veins: gritty bangers and playful skits sit alongside introspective diary entries, all unified by an insistence on finding light in the dark and humor in the pain.

Jadagrace’s performances are a revelation across these songs, showcasing a chameleonic vocal range that matches the production’s breadth. One moment she’s in full-on rap mode, unleashing tongue-in-cheek bravado and rapid-fire put-downs; the next she’s belting a soulful hook or sliding into a sugary melody. Her dynamic range elevates tracks like “Poser,” a mosh-pit ready takedown of clout-chasers that went viral for its grungy, high-octane flair. On that track, her voice drips with attitude as she sneers, “Bitch, you a poser…go get the mop for me, I’m cleaning up the poser hoes with no apology,” riding a distorted bassline with gleeful aggression. But Jadagrace can just as easily pivot to vulnerability. On “Save Yourself,” one of the album’s most poignant moments, she delivers a verse about losing her father that lands like a gut-punch—her usual swagger gives way to palpable grief as she recounts praying for days only to lose him in custody. It’s a brief but powerful turn that reveals the emotional stakes beneath the album’s playful surface. SWIM, for his part, matches her versatility with rhymes that oscillate between confident and confessional. He’s equally comfortable flexing about twenty mill views on a shoestring budget in a boast track like “Big,” and delving into familial trauma or the sting of betrayal on deeper cuts. If a few of his punchlines veer into groaner territory—a tongue-in-cheek quip about spotting “the bitch in you, Dalmatian” comes to mind—they’re largely in service of the duo’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Even the clunkier barbs feel earned within PARTYOF2’s anything-goes world, where both artists refuse to take themselves too seriously.

They strike a balance between smack-talking humor and keen self-awareness. A thematic throughline is the decision by SWIM and Jadagrace to put everything on the table—insecurities, ambitions, fears—and then fearlessly riff on it all. In many ways, they are each other’s muses and mirrors. Throughout the album, they trade perspectives in a kind of call-and-response collaboration, whether they’re lampooning each other (as on “Friendly Fire”) or bolstering each other against outside enemies. That “two against the world” camaraderie is especially evident in how their verses interlock: one will set up an idea for the other to knock down, or they’ll exchange ad-libs and asides mid-song. On “Heaven on Earth,” the closing track, SWIM reflects on the fallout with their former crewmate (“Have you ever had your brother say he loved you…then he left without a trace”) only to have Jadagrace answer with a soaring refrain that escapes the pain of reality. This fierce back-and-forth partnership gives the project a consistent point of view even as it ventures into different sounds. It’s also where the album finds its heart—beneath the battles and brags, Amerika’s Next Top Party! is fundamentally about two young artists pushing each other to grow and heal, one punchline and one chorus at a time.

That focus on internal dynamics extends to the very title of the record. Amerika’s Next Top Party! riffs on the reality show America’s Next Top Model, and SWIM has noted it’s more than a cheeky pop-culture pun. The title addresses the pressures that Black youth face in the entertainment industry—the sense that they must constantly perform, package, and persevere to stay at the top. “There are a few layers to it,” SWIM explained. “Obviously, the first is a play on America’s Next Top Model. But as you dive into the album, we really reflect on what it feels like to be a young Black American artist right now, and the trials and tribulations that come with fighting to be the best… it just felt perfect.” Much of the record grapples with image and identity. The track “Vanessa Williams” explicitly invokes the first Black Miss America (who infamously had to relinquish her crown), asking, “Will the real Ms. America stand up,” in a sly interpolation of Eminem’s famous line. It’s a heart-rending moment that cuts to the heart of the idea of surface perfection, where Jadagrace seems to be interrogating not only society’s expectations of Black women, but also her own role in a flashy “party” duo. Such cultural commentary is embedded throughout the album’s party-forward exterior. Whether they’re discussing police trauma and loss or celebrating Black resilience, PARTYOF2 inject substance into the sugar of their hooks. The album’s Los Angeles backdrop—a city of stars and masks—only underscores the theme of performing while under pressure.

For this to be their debut effort, Amerika’s Next Top Party! is an assured and multifaceted statement from two artists who have been preparing for this moment since childhood. It’s an album that respects hip-hop tradition—you can hear the echoes of storytelling legends and ‘90s rap classics resonating in its DNA—even as it confidently carves out its own identity. The decision to lay themselves bare (and occasionally roast each other) gives the record a refreshing honesty beneath the bravado. There are moments when the duo’s reach exceeds their grasp, or a hook doesn’t quite stick the landing, but those gripes are easy to forgive in light of the project’s ambition and personality. SWIM and Jadagrace have crafted a debut that plays like a highlight reel of their talents—theatrical but sincere, technically sharp yet unafraid of silliness, unified by a vision of hip-hop as both an art form and a playground. This Party isn’t about superficial revelry—it’s about two friends daring each other to shine through the noise of expectation. The torch of storytelling hip-hop is alive in their hands, and it burns with a neon L.A. glow.

Great (★★★★☆)

Favorite Track(s): “Friendly Fire,” “Vanessa Williams,” “Save Yourself”