“She told me put my heart in the bag / And nobody gets hurt / Now I’m running from her love, I’m not fast / So, I’m making it worse…” Sigh, melodic, emo-tinged rapper Juice WRLD (Jarad Higgins) is experiencing the common symptoms of that devastating thing known as heartbreak on “Robbery,” a highlight from his 2019 sophomore album, Death Race for Love. More often than not, when rappers choose ‘robbery,’ or some form of the word as a song title, they’re literally discussing doing the robbing or being robbed. In this case, the robbery that occurs is Higgins’ heart. One of the most atonable topics of them all, atoning for the plight of love never grows old.
While Juice WRLD is certainly over-the-top, outlandish, and arguably, melodramatic to an extent in his delivery, that’s part of the charm of “Robbery.” His melodic delivery is imperfect in pitch, yet his performance rivals emo and punk bands who have indulged in their tortured feelings time and time again. And honestly, can’t the same can be said of their pitch in many instances, where the vibe supersedes perfect intonation? Furthermore, the production, set in a major key as opposed to a more ‘devastating’ minor key, actually makes the heartache more pleasing – some sort of schadenfreude of sorts.
Throughout “Robbery,” Juice WRLD’s depression is definitely the perfect fuel for an ultra-relatable, crowd-pleasing hit, atonement-seeking or not. He references ‘death’ on the chorus as well as on the first verse (“I woke up in a hearse…”). He also mentions how he tried to win her affection, albeit sketchy – “One thing my heart tells me is / ‘Flex on a ho every time they’re insecure’.” The takeaway? You can’t buy love. Also, he dabbles in drugs as a coping mechanism as well. The big takeaway? Love is hard, and everyone, at some point, are robbed of their heart. In Higgins’ case, think of “Robbery” as music therapy for the brokenhearted.
You can learn more about Juice WRLD here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
