Y2K

There’s a wickedly infectious energy, wit and filth to her confrontational braggadocio.

RiotUSA is behind the boards on every track, and Y2K! is a testament to the strength of their long-running creative partnership. Its weakest moments are those featuring outsiders—Gunna and Travis Scott just get absolutely rinsed here. What makes Y2K! so instantly memorable is Ice Spice’s refusal to be pigeonholed.

While an absurdly short album length plays on Ice Spice’s reputation as inarticulate and spoofs the way TikTok incentivizes creators to write short songs, the album teeters on the edge of falling victim to this trend rather than remaining aloof enough to parody it. However, Ice Spice makes her newfound fame sound intriguing on Like…? and Y2K!.

Does “Y2K!” ultimately feel a bit slight for how long it’s taken to materialize? Sure. Yet the album’s throwaway quality is actually pretty refreshing in a year long on elaborately conceived pop extravaganzas such as Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” and Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Even with its compact 10 tracks, however, not everything here connects. ‘Think U The Shit (Fart)’ is juvenile in a manner she feels beneath her; the way ‘Gimmie A Light’ crunches that Sean Paul sample feels a little naff – at least until the production cranks it up a notch. There’s enough here, however, to display why so much attention is place on her name.

In a tight 10-song run that uses her limited range and our shrinking attention spans to its advantage, Ice is more animated and wordy than ever. .... Y2K is Ice Spice putting the work in to build something bigger without losing herself, and in important ways, it pays off; it matters.

Spice doesn’t fully stick the landing on “Y2K!,” instead opting to crawl deeper into the safest, darkest corners of drill.

The standout songs are great: the relentless bounce of "Did It First" with Central Cee is infectious in its fluidity, the sophomoric and slippery "Think U the Shit (Fart)" matches ridiculous lyrical brags with an undeniably funky instrumental, and "Gimme a Light" amps up a classic Sean Paul sample with a buzzing drill beat and Ice Spice's furious flow. The less substantial tracks blur together, even with help from other rap stars.

The record is at its best when we’re having fun with Ice, which seemed to be her initial ethos. But much of the record is unfortunately underbaked.

Y2K! certainly isn't a disaster, but it's decidedly inessential, providing some new material for fans of her early singles without revealing any new tricks.

It’s an amusing debut albeit she will have to develop skills, depth and substance if she hopes to be more than a flash in the pan. Just like in the kitchen, a little spice goes a long way.

Wilfully trashy, brief and throwaway, Y2K! is unlikely to enter the pantheon of great rap albums. .... But the album succeeds on its own terms: it’s fun while it lasts. Whether that also proves to be a summation of Ice Spice’s career is a question left hanging.

The star’s debut album shows plenty of promise but some filler, too. It’s not a masterpiece that will silence the haters, but it’s not likely to slam the brakes on her rapid rise either.

Ice Spice provides very little in the way of significant or substantial thematics on this album and that lacking is certainly felt as her technical ability takes a dive and her beat selection goes down with it. With little to look to on this album, it falls flat on the floor.

There’s something to be said for burning bright and fast, but with the limp arrival of Y2K! it seems this room went dark long before we were able to leave the party.