Juice WRLD shows he’s worth the buzz at Riverside

Juice WRLD went viral in June when he freestyled on British radio host Tim Westwood’s show for over an hour.

At the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee Tuesday, the fast-rising star performed for only about 50 minutes. But what a strong 50 minutes it was.

As easy as it is to make fun of the new wave of so-called SoundCloud rappers — Lil Pump and Trippie Redd, rich and famous despite lackluster skills, are easy targets — the scene has a true talent and bona-fide star in Juice WRLD.

Like highly promising SoundCloud rapper Lil Peep — who died of a drug overdose last November — 19-year-old Juice WRLD laces SoundCloud rap’s signature, lo-fi trap beats with the anguished feeling, and melodic vocals, of early aughts emo.

Despite the versatility of that freestyle, all the tracks on Juice WRLD’s lone studio album, “Goodbye & Good Riddance” (released by Interscope in May as part of a reported $3 million deal) are rigidly bound by that one formula. He’ll have to evolve to endure, but for now, based on the deep passion of the packed Riverside crowd, it felt pretty revolutionary.

“I know I have a purpose, but I don’t see the purpose,” Juice WRLD crooned, a palpable roughness to his voice, on “Rich and Blind” off June EP “Too Soon … ,” where he calls himself a “lost soul.”

The vulnerability of Juice WRLD’s words is powerful; his recognition of his drug-fueled self-destruction and self-loathing, and his inability to overcome it, are tragic. It’s the soundtrack for when the high has waned and the regrets are inescapable, when you’re on the edge staring down into an emotional abyss.

It was clear Juice WRLD’s fellow teens at the Riverside have felt these lyrics, lived these lyrics. Many are probably still living them.

While Juice WRLD’s music is suited for a somber 4 a.m. on a Sunday, his show Tuesday had the vibe of the raging party just a few hours prior. He peppered his set with bass-drop countdowns and energetic jumping. Again and again Tuesday, there were so many people jumping in the Riverside you could feel the balcony bouncing beneath your feet.

But unlike Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples early in their careers, who reduced the emotional potency of their music at their energetic sets, the subject matter was always the central component of Juice WRLD’s show. At no time was that clearer than in the finale “Lucid Dreams,” the Sting-sampling, dark horse song of summer contender, recently peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with nearly 300 million streams on Spotify alone.

For much of the song, Juice WRLD didn’t need a beat from his DJ to create the most energetic moment of the night. He had masses of people belting out the lyrics a cappella with him.

“I still see your shadows in my room/Can’t take back the love that I gave you,” they all sang together. “You found another one, but I am the better one.”

“I won’t let you forget me.” Based on his impressive Milwaukee show, there’s a great chance Juice WRLD will live up to those words.