With the lacklustre Tremaine The Album three years ago, it was clear that a veteran like Trey Songz was rapidly becoming out of place with the direction R&B was moving. With his latest release Back Home, instead of better learning how to adapt to modern trends, Songz took things the other way entirely and leaned … Continue reading Trey Songz – Back Home
REASON – New Beginnings
While the world waits patiently for the return of its flagship artist, Top Dawg Entertainment rapper REASON is here to fill the void with his debut, New Beginnings. One of the more obviously similar artists on the label to Kendrick Lamar himself, REASON dots his album with musings on society delivered in a similarly earnest … Continue reading REASON – New Beginnings
BLACKPINK – THE ALBUM
As K-pop continues to embed itself further and further into the culture on this side of the globe, there’s a definite argument to be made that BLACKPINK is the biggest girl group in the world at the moment. Thriving mostly off of shorter projects and coasting on the strength of their singles, outside of a … Continue reading BLACKPINK – THE ALBUM
21 Savage & Metro Boomin – Savage Mode II
Back in 2016, the collaborative EP Savage Mode connected in a big way with audiences and cemented both its rapper and producer as absolutely dominant forces in the world of trap music. Not only that, it heralded many others latching onto Metro Boomin’s horror-inspired production style, augmented by the deadpan dramatics of 21 Savage. Now … Continue reading 21 Savage & Metro Boomin – Savage Mode II
Joji – Nectar
After completely shedding his former career as YouTube-based absurdist shock comedian and breaking through with the lo-fi Ballads 1 in 2018, 88Rising figurehead Joji has returned with a sophomore album that more than evades the curse. Nectar essentially takes the ideas Joji began exploring with his debut and improves just about everything about them, building … Continue reading Joji – Nectar
Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall
After fellow white rapper-turned-sadboi with a guitar G-Eazy’s album Everything’s Strange Here turned out even worse than anyone could have possibly imagined earlier this year, Machine Gun Kelly has arrived to prove that the idea doesn’t necessarily always result in complete failure. Teaming up with legendary drummer Travis Barker on every track and taking a … Continue reading Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall
Ava Max – Heaven & Hell
Well, we’ve certainly come a long way, but the debut album from ascendant global power-pop princess Ava Max is here a little over two years after the release of its closing track, worldwide smash hit “Sweet but Psycho.” Despite quite a few shaky throwaway singles that never made the cut as Max slowly discovered her … Continue reading Ava Max – Heaven & Hell
Alicia Keys – ALICIA
Legendary vocalist Alicia Keys’ seventh self-titled studio album has essentially been seeing COVID-related delays all year long, but it has finally arrived. Four years after her incredibly solid Here, which saw her using her powerhouse vocals over some more adventurous R&B-leaning instrumentals from her husband Swizz Beats, ALICIA finds her mostly looking outside of the … Continue reading Alicia Keys – ALICIA
Conway The Machine – From King to a GOD
Buffalo hip-hop collective Griselda Records have steadily been building their audience through a truly staggering number of releases and their adherence to classic hip-hop tendencies focusing on technicality and lyricism. While founder Westside Gunn has likely attracted the most mainstream attention, it is his brother Conway The Machine who has always proven himself as the … Continue reading Conway The Machine – From King to a GOD
NIKI – MOONCHILD
21-year-old Indonesian pop and R&B artist NIKI has garnered quite a bit of attention after signing to the wildly popular 88Rising label, which intends to provide a platform for Asian artists in North America. After contributing to most of the highlights on the label’s uneven collaborative effort, Head in The Clouds II, last year, my … Continue reading NIKI – MOONCHILD
