By now, the name PartyNextDoor is far from new. The Canada-born, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/producer made history as the first artist ever signed to Drake’s OVO Sound imprint. For over a decade, PND has brought his undeniable talent to the forefront—as a prolific songwriter for the likes of Rihanna, Kanye West, Drake, and many others—while also crafting his own epic works. His sound has consistently met at the intersection of R&B and Hip-Hop, as he brings a sharp and intricate wordplay into his songwriting. He has songs for the party, for the woman you meet at the party, for the love that comes after, and for the inevitable heartbreak. PartyNextDoor is a star with a song for every mood, and that’s his superpower.

The gateway drug to PND’s next level fandom came from his Grammy nominated single “Come And See Me,” which to date is certified Triple Platinum. It’s been up ever since. His projects have all shown a gradual progression and evolution for PartyNextDoor, though his upcoming release PARTYNEXTDOOR FOUR (4) proves to be his most intimate project yet.

During the four years in between his two projects [2020’s Partymobile and the upcoming PARTYNEXTDOOR FOUR (4)], PND had a lot of life to live. He turned 30 during that time, which sparked a lot of self-actualizations and realizations. “There was just so much going on,” he explains. “I had to just sit back and experience all of it before I made any music about it.” There were expectations that he had by the time he reached 30, yet life took a different path. While in a relationship, he expected to become a father too, as a part of that plan he had mapped out for his life. But life doesn’t always work out that way, and it was a lesson that had to be learned. In addition, he found it harder to create while he was in love. “I was just so wrapped up in my relationship, that I didn’t even have time in mind to make music,” he explains. “And even if I did, then it would have to be about the person I was with.” Once that ended, he took stock of his life. He ultimately reached a point where he had to get back to work, for the sake of his own creativity. “Once I started to feel a disconnect from my previous work, that’s when I knew I had to get back into the studio,” he expresses. “Because I no longer felt the way I did when I recorded those older songs, and I wanted to update people on what’s going on now.” He took a trip to the Bahamas, where he made a mood board of concepts and feelings. He started writing songs again, tapping into the emotions that he was feeling, since that’s always been his safe place to express himself.

For PND, his transparency lies deep within the lyrics and the melodies, and that goes without saying once the play button is pressed. However, with PARTYNEXTDOOR FOUR (4) there’s an even deeper onus placed on the work, as he is an instrumental part of not just the songwriting, but the engineering and the production. “I was in the studio with (Noah “40” Shebib) and we were listening to some songs and something just didn’t sound right to me,” PND explains. “I kept saying that wasn’t it, until 40 let me grab the reigns, which was a big deal for me and showed how much respect 40 has for me. I appreciated that.” It was during that time, that PND had begun to realize he was in autopilot for longer than he cared to recognize before then. He was so adept at making hits, that he lost the excitement for the process. “I was feelin’ myself too much because eventually I didn’t even have to try,” he says with a laugh, though once he came back for his next project, he poured his all back into the process. “It was a tough lesson for me,” he admits. “I had to learn to put in a lot more effort than before if I wanted to write better than I ever have.” His connection to the music was amplified differently, where he realized that in order to tailor the songs to himself, he had to be the most hands on in the process. “It all comes down to quality control,” he adds. Once he felt so deeply connected to the songs, he had his own roadmap for how they sounded. “I learned to be more self-reliant,” he expresses, “so if I wanted a certain sound or a certain reverb, then I had to just do it myself. I’m thankful that I was given the opportunity to do that.” It was almost as if he returned to Step One, like a new artist with limited resources, where the only true resource was his own creativity, and he has let that be his compass as he steps into his new era.

PartyNextDoor has entered into a new level in his artistry, reflected intimately in PARTYNEXTDOOR FOUR (4). “I’m in a good place right now, creatively,” he says matter of factly. “I’m doing what I love doing, expressing myself to the fullest, and being free to the fullest.”