Was it just down to the strengths of the different artists, or something OVO / XO did in managing or promoting the artists?

Granted, the era Party was coming up in, was pretty different from now, and his sound was certainly more overtly experimental than Nav's.

But, the comparison isn't too far-fetched, I think. Both are from the less glamorous parts of the GTA, both clearly introvert types who blew up by being able to make a popular sound interesting and artful. Party's persona, like Drake, is steeped in a mix of 1990's lover-man R&B cliches and a literary knack, whereas Nav, like Weeknd, seems more like he would be the funny weird guy in class, but is popular among the weirdos and eventually earns recognition by the normies to some degree.

However, Nav has now gone #1 twice, selling 80k records (streaming numbers, but still) in his first week, whereas Party has not yet cracked 50k in a debut week nor a debut higher than #3 on the charts, despite having seemingly more accolades and strengths in some regards, such as the immense ambition of his early sound, and his connections to Drake (still a bigger artist, at least by fame and money metrics, than Weeknd) and Rihanna.

To me, I think there were a couple factors at play:

-Party's first two records were classic, but he was still getting started. When PND2 dropped, Party had still never been an officially featured artist on a Drake project. By the time PND3 dropped in late 2016 he had three features on Drake projects, plus a co-write on the #1 smash "Work" by Rihanna and Drake. That would have really been the time to capitalize on the renown by trying to make a project that was a little more mainstream... but, besides "Not Nice" (another generic dancehall chune for the salty mandem and womandem), nothing really tried to capture the common ear. Now, with "Partymobile," he disappeared for forever and came back with some songs that are adequate but nothing great.

-Contrast with Nav. Nav threw himself into the mix of the modern streaming economy and built clear alliances, not only with Weeknd/XO, but Gunna, Travis Scott, Young Thug, the other artists on XO, and more. He made a lot more straightforward songs that, although certainly less interesting than Party's, were more serviceable for a function. He also presented a standard Canadian bro persona that was probably more palatable to a 20-year-old college kid trying to play beer pong and mac on girls, than Party's music. Of course, Nav's "brown boy" status (Southeast Asian) made him more likeable to all the Indian bros out there who love rap and Drake and so on but had yet to find a true avatar of their own.

I guess, as I write this, it seems more so the case that Nav's charisma and social viability was a factor in him winning the day, as opposed to Partynextdoor, whose music is primarily high-context (and in some ways sounds more like some kind of sonic representation of Drake's own mind, drunk AF in an Uber from a Miami club to the hotel, playing a playlist of Jodeci, Brian Eno, Autechre, Mike Will Made It and early Weeknd, than it does any kind of traditionally palatable commercial music).

But were the label strategies relevant? Did Drake take too much of Party's good content, by Party's contractual obligation or otherwise? Was the 2016-2018 era just better suited for Nav, than the 2013-14 era was for PND?

One thought I had is that they maybe steered Party too much down this dark and experimental lane, trying to make him more like The Weeknd in terms of his mysteriousness and hype. Maybe Party shot himself in the foot with whatever was going on behind the scenes that made him disappear for so long, or maybe he was the victim of some other circumstance.

Thoughts?

I think Nav managed to take advantage of the weeknd’s co-sign and start venturing out and collaborating a lot and networking more whereas party seems like he wasn’t really trying to grow he was just tryna make music and have a good time

Not to mention party basically let 6lack and Bryson run with his wave whereas Nav wasn’t anything innovative it was generic auto tune rap

Party isn’t out for the fame, hes special and he knows it. He could be NAV level of popularity easy if he wanted to.

Party has more platinum plaques and memories created in the culture.

Bundles don’t mean s*** anymore
38 tracks then fell into nothingness

Let’s see what that next none bundles do
While party will still be writing for every r&b artist and getting plaques like he did for Ella and Summer recently.

plus party don’t care bout being seen or famous he literally plays video games all day.

Party has written and sold 10’s of millions in hit songs and y’all talking bout NAV

Both are goat

1. Party debuted in 2013 before streaming was a thing. Party's numbers would be a lot different if his debut was in 2016 and he had the benefit of streaming. Some of his best songs (West District, Kehlani's Freestyle, Persian Rugs, and all of the Colours EP) are still soundcloud exclusives. A lot of kids in their teens-early 20's haven't even heard PND1 or 2.

2. He doesn't collaborate enough with other artists. He should have been gotten a placement on a Travis Scott album, a Migos album, a Future album ,etc. Dude really only works with Drake and Rihanna.

3. He doesn't release often and he doesn't promote himself.

Plus Party is a legend, Nav is not. PND1 & 2 alone cemented Party’s status, both are classics. Party created a sound that kids still do these days as artists. 🐐

Nav is more talented

Party makes much much better music.

party has more monthly listeners on spotify than nav does, plus he has co-written two huge hit singles, and has had minor chart successes as a solo artist with Not Nice & Run Up; all things that NAV doesn't have iirc

PARTYNEXTDOOR
13,870,410 monthly listeners

NAV
9,968,845 monthly listeners

I'm not that big on either but it's pretty evident who the bigger artist is

Nav has almost the entire brown community on his side. Nice to see a brown dude from rexdale blow up. Happy for him.

i think nav is down to actually get in the studio and put out a large catalog of music, do interviews, meet fans for promo, etc.

PND has a more mysterious persona and i don't get that vibe that he's willing to do all the extra s*** aside from music

Party wrote some hit songs for artists and made a good living doing it. He probably saw what drake goes through and decided some money left on the table is fine for peace of mind

Both started huge waves early on. Now they’re kinda irrelevant tbh. All in all party>

Party is a singer and has done incredibly well in the rnb lane

Has platinum/ good songs and albums . Has toured the world multiple times and has CLASSIC albums. His catalogue also independent now OVO got the rights back from Warner. Eating forever

Nav ?? Loool.

Viewing from the outside, it just doesn't look like Party tries as hard as Nav to be on top all the time. Gonna guess he's just not that interested in being huge. Miami/Toronto/LA ktt'ers, you ever see Party out and about? I'm gonna guess he's just living life a lot more.

Idk how you guys put this on a label.. you literally couldn’t have more looks than party.. he clearly just doesn’t want to play that game. And who cares, he’s wildly successful.. honestly a more enviable position than being next level famous

Not everybody has to be big like that

But honestly I hope Party is eating from Work / Wild Thoughts royalties

Can't believe Party released PND 1 as a 19 year old man wtf

not that crazy, people forget a lot of musicians used to be out of the game by 30s in the past and a lot of great debuts are around this age. Weeknd did trilogy at 20.

no he was 35

Party is not accessible enough
NAV would never release a song like Brown Skin

Nav is a good rapper, party is nit a great singer.