Lil Uzi Vert made his late-night debut on Monday, performing his emo-rap ballad “The Way Life Goes” on The Late Show.
Lil Uzi Vert is famous for his hectic, daredevil live performances. Last May, he dove into a festival crowd from an estimated height of 20 feet above the ground. But during his visit to The Late Show, admittedly a more contained environment, the rapper was solemn and borderline lethargic. He slowly patrolled the stage, singing along indifferently to “The Way Life Goes.”
This glum delivery suits the weary song about persisting in the face of hardship. “I know you’re sad and tired/ You’ve got nothing left to give,” Lil Uzi Vert sang. “You’ll find another life to live/ I know that you’ll get over it.” Jon Batiste and Stay Human chipped in on backing vocals.
“The Way Life Goes” appeared last year on Luv Is Rage 2, which debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200. Nicki Minaj liked the song so much she posted a video on Instagram of herself singing along. “Uzi better make this a single,” she wrote. “Send me the beat, and quit playin.'” Her official remix of the track came out in November and climbed to Number 24 on the Hot 100.
