Two years after rocketing to pop stardom with an unprecedented kiss-off on “Munch (Feelin' U),” Ice Spice has finally unveiled her debut album — the young Bronx rapper's long-awaited chance, we're supposed to understand, to prove she's more than just a viral hitmaker.
Hey, why bother?
That’s the carefree vibe — and not inconsiderable appeal — of “Y2K!”, in which Ice Spice spends 23 minutes describing 10 songs about sex, competition and the cold calculus of infidelity: “If he cheats on me, I’ll do something worse,” she reasons. “I don’t care because he did it first.”
Instantly joining the long list of great New York City voices, Ice Spice arrived in 2022 with a nonchalant attitude that’s perfectly suited to delivering bite-sized TikTok hits. Since then, she’s landed a top 5 hit with PinkPantheress, gone on “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj, earned four Grammy nominations, and befriended none other than Taylor Swift. (She even filmed a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck.) Yet she still sounds completely nonchalant on “Y2K!,” as if the global celebrity has turned out to be… sigh —One more irritation.
“Everybody knows my name,” he says on “BB Belt.” “I just want the money, I don’t want the fame.”
What makes this approach work is the way he plays his low, chatty flow against his producer RiotUSA's beats, which can be icy and menacing (as on “Oh Shhh…” and “BB Belt”) or upbeat and vivacious (as on “Think U the S— [Fart]” and “Did It First”). His vivid production is rooted in drill but also includes traces of trap and Jersey club; together, he and Ice Spice know how to turn an improvised phrase — “Fat butt, pull my pants up” is one — into a wickedly catchy chorus, and then how to turn that chorus into a kind of lo-fi mantra.
In addition to Central Cee, Travis Scott and Gunna make guest appearances on “Y2K!,” the title of which references Ice Spice’s birthdate of January 1, 2000. Both are fine, though each rapper’s fuzzy mumble tends to fade into the background behind Ice Spice’s crisp discontent.
Does “Y2K!” ultimately feel a little insignificant for how long it’s taken to materialize? Sure. But the album’s throwaway quality is actually quite refreshing in a year of elaborately conceived pop extravaganzas like Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” and Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department.” Unlike her friend with the long list of annoying exes, Ice Spice carries no discernible baggage on these mocking little ditties. She’s just floating in indifference.
