In light of Tory Lanez dropping Alone at Prom (Deluxe) from behind bars, I think it’s time I review the original Alone at Prom. As you continue reading this, I think it is great to bear in mind that I am one of the biggest Alone at Prom fans of all time. Sidenote: by no means do I condone Tory Lanez shooting Megan Thee Stallion (the reason that he is serving time right now). But man does he know how to produce a masterpiece. Additionally, I will not be touching on the deluxe songs in this review, since I have not let all of them sufficiently saturate yet.
Now, let’s talk about December 10, 2021. Let’s talk about Alone at Prom. When you search up “Alone at Prom” on the internet, the first google-prompted question is “Why is Alone at Prom so good?” Rightfully so. To be honest, I think it is Lanez’s way of bringing a jazzy, R&B, and 80’s type of rhythm to describe today’s version of heartbreak. In his Instagram posts leading up to the release of his album, he dubbed it “80s album.”
Lanez samples songs by Madonna, Phil Collins and more, stating that some of his key inspirations were Hall & Oates, Toto, and Michael Jackson. Anyone incorporating Daryl Hall and John Oates, writers of top hits like “Kiss on My List” and “Out of Touch,” into their songwriting process is set up for success. If you listen to “Enchanted Waterfalls” closely, you can hear that the saxophone melodies in the background are sampled from “Careless Whisper.” The playful tune behind Pluto’s Last Comet is sampled directly from Madonna’s “Into the Groove.” If you think that it can’t get better, then you’d be wrong. He samples the well-known introduction from Philip Bailey and Phil Collins’ “Easy Lover” in the beginning of “Last Kiss of Nebulon.” To incorporate Earth, Wind, and Fire, Genesis, Madonna, and more into this album is an amazing feat. We grew up as a generation of children whose parents were obsessed with these 80s classics, and Lanez has brought us full circle.
Now back to the songs themselves… Alone at Prom is filled with love, lust, and loss. Through songs like “Ballad of a Badman” and “Lavender Sunflower,” Lanez makes apparent his lust for a girl. I’ll spare you some descriptive and inappropriate lyrics that demonstrate these feelings with this somewhat innocent snitbit from “Ballad of a Badman”:
You might just dance with them other guys
But I don’t mind, I know you’re mine
Even as he yearns for this girl, we begin to see how toxic the relationship really is. Lanez may feel like she is his, but I don’t think she reciprocates that. Unsurprisingly, Lanez continues with tracks like “Kiss from Nebulon” and “Hurt from Mercury,” where he illustrates her trifling and deceptive behaviors.
But in between all of this sexual desire and grief, there is one song that stands above the rest. The song that has changed the trajectory of my life is “The Color Violet.” It surely brought the majority of Alone at Prom fans to the album itself. From the opening chords, you are left levitating. He tells of heartbreak, manipulation, and Careless Whisper type sadness.
This beat in my dance, is not for romance
I wanna dance, but playboys, we don’t dance, dance, dance
From talks of never dancing again to the snazzy, sassy, and sexy saxophone, he tells a story of a modern-day George Michael. There is not one moment where your ears are left unsatisfied. The only question you are left with is “Why the Color Violet?” Based on my reading of Wikipedia, violet is heavily associated with royalty. I think Tory is trying to tell us of the royal-spanking that he got from the way this woman treated him.
Nevertheless, every time it rains and I hit 90 mph, there’s nothing else I can think of than masterful Tory and his amazingly sorrowful song.
I need to also give credit to some of my other favorites on the album, including Lady of Namek and Midnight’s Interlude. But don’t let this deter you from listening to the rest of the songs because this is a truly a no skips album; it’s right up there with Astroworld and Savage Mode II.
To finish this stellar review off I’d also like to say, if there’s just one song you’ve listened to and really liked from Alone at Prom, then this entire album is for you. I have gone through separate obsessional periods with each and every one of the songs. Each one deserves a listen and quite frankly an award. As Lebron James said, Alone at Prom is “cold as hell.”
Iz FM 
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