F*CK LOVE

Editors’ Notes There’s no need to read between the lines when it comes to The Kid LAROI’s debut mixtape—the title says it all. Across 11 tracks and four phone-call skits, the Sydney-born hip-hop artist details the messy breakdown of a destructive relationship that, frankly, didn’t sound too great to start with. The rapper and singer has taken musical cues from artists like the late Juice WRLD (who guests on “GO”) and Post Malone, blending smoky late-night beats with husky melodies and emotionally open lyrics that touch on heartbreak, loneliness, and, ultimately, being every bit as flawed as those around him. “I’m not too good at admitting when I fuck up/But maybe it’s you who can save me/I’ve got love for you but I hate me,” the 16-year-old sings on “MAYBE.” On “SAME THING,” he’s aware that his partner lies and sneaks around behind his back, but admits: “I can’t be mad at you, ’cause I do the same things.” More than just a breakup album, though, it’s one that reveals deeply painful experiences he’s already lived through. He doesn’t hold back on “TELL ME WHY,” singing, “I can’t count all the tears I cried, so many sleepless nights/Watched all of my idols die, right in front of my eyes.”