The deluxe edition of Juice WRLD’s second posthumous release and fourth studio album, Fighting Demons, arrived on Friday, and the updated edition includes three new tracks. One of those new songs, “Sometimes,” had been on fans’ minds for a while. Juice first previewed the track on his Instagram in December 2018. Two years later, a version of the song reportedly leaked online. Naturally, after a nearly four-year wait, the song climbed into the Top 10 on Genius’ Top Songs chart when it officially dropped on Friday.
On “Sometimes,” Juice WRLD rap-sings over a cinematic beat cooked up by Danny Wolf, HAAN, and Otxhello. The lyrics, which touch on Juice WRLD’s addiction and internal mental health struggles, are particularly poignant as the Chicago-born emo-rap icon died of a drug overdose on December 8, 2019, only six days after his 21st birthday.
“Sometimes” opens with the chorus, where Juice longs to be alone and lists a few of the things he likes to do when he’s by himself. He might turn to drugs or make music—either way he always keeps a gun on him.
I wanna be by my lonely
I pop these Perc’ by my lonely
I put in work by my lonely
.40 on me, you know it’s my homie
On the first verse, Juice explains that his desire to be alone stems from a darkness inside of him.
My mind sometimes gets dark and wild
My mind sometimes
I don’t wan’ be bothered
That darkness starts to take over later on in the verse.
As of lately, my demons, they bother me
When I’m sleeping, they sitting on top of me
And wherever I go, they’ll follow me
Juice won’t let that happen without a fight though. He has enough to worry about as it is.
Just leave me alone, I could do bad on my own
I get high off my ass on my own
Paranoia is strong
What if she don’t love me no more?
Juice’s troubling thoughts become harder and harder to control on the second verse, and he begins to suspect his tragic fate.
Mind fumbling, fumbling, fumbling, fumbling
I wonder if, wonder if, wonder if, wonder if
I’m gonna live, gonna live
Later in the verse, Juice blames some of his unhappiness on his success. With money and fame comes haters and mistrust.
I don’t wanna feel rich anymore
Know that they want me dead
So I’m takin' meds until I fall on the floor
I don’t know who to call anymore
By the end of the verse, Juice is sick of feeling sad and turns to drugs to numb the pain.
Tears fall like raindrops, but nah, I don’t wanna ball anymore
Pick up the rock, score
I pill pop some more
Why? It numbs me inside
In October 2020, Juice WRLD’s mom, Carmela Wallace, established Livefree999.org, a website aimed to help young people who are struggling with addiction and mental health issues similar to those Juice faces on “Sometimes.” “We encourage all of you who struggle with addiction and mental health to never give up the fight,” Wallace said in the Fighting Demons album announcement.
You can read all the lyrics to “Sometimes” on Genius now.
