Juice WRLD Is Next Out Of Chicago

Chicago’s newest breakout might have started on SoundCloud, but after “All Girls Are the Same,” it feels like Juice WRLD is officially on his way somewhere much bigger.

There’s something exciting about catching an artist before everybody else catches on.

That’s what it feels like watching Juice WRLD right now.

If you’ve been paying attention to SoundCloud over the past year, you’ve probably seen his name floating around. The Chicago native has been consistently dropping music, building a catalog and developing a sound that doesn't really fit neatly into one box. It’s rap, obviously but there’s something darker and more melodic happening underneath it.

I first really started paying attention when “All Girls Are the Same” hit SoundCloud late last year.

The track immediately felt different.

Over Nick Mira’s hazy production, Juice WRLD turns heartbreak, frustration and self-destruction into something weirdly addictive. Instead of trying to sound untouchable, he sounds vulnerable. He sings, he raps, and sometimes it feels like he’s just letting his thoughts spill out over the beat.

That honesty is probably what makes the song hit so hard.

And now, a few months later, “All Girls Are the Same” has gotten the full Cole Bennett treatment.

The new Lyrical Lemonade visual takes the song's strange, psychedelic energy and turns it into something you can't really look away from. For anyone who knows what Cole Bennett has been doing for emerging artists, you already know how important this kind of moment can be.

But the video isn't the reason Juice WRLD is interesting.

It just feels like the moment when everybody else is about to start noticing what some of us have already been hearing.

Juice has been building toward this. His SoundCloud catalog already shows an artist who understands melody just as much as bars. His music pulls from hip-hop, but there are obvious influences outside of it too emotional songwriting, rock-inspired melodies and that internet-born SoundCloud energy that has completely changed what a rapper can sound like.

Right now, it still feels early.

That’s the best part.

Juice WRLD isn't some finished, polished superstar being introduced through a giant marketing campaign. He feels like an artist we're watching in real time. One song catches fire, the next one gets bigger, and suddenly a kid who was uploading music to SoundCloud is connecting with listeners far outside Chicago.

“All Girls Are the Same” feels like a turning point.

Maybe it's the song that introduces Juice WRLD to everyone who hasn't been paying attention yet. Maybe it's just the beginning of a much bigger run. Either way, after seeing the Cole Bennett video and watching the reaction build around the record, it's hard not to feel like something is happening.

The rest of the world might be late.

But if you've been listening, you already know. Juice WRLD is next.