Who could have seen this one coming? Tropes of 80s synthpop and disco-influenced sounds have been working their way back into the playbooks of the most forward-thinking pop stars in the industry for a while now, but nobody has truly modernized them in a way that’s so undeniably fun and futuristic like UK sensation Dua … Continue reading Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Month: March 2020
Childish Gambino – 3.15.20
After a somewhat confusing rollout involving a mysterious website that could only have come from the mind of the eccentric and boundlessly creative Renaissance man that is Childish Gambino, the “single-track opus” 3.15.20 has finally arrived on streaming services and it’s just as weird as you might expect – though not always in the best of ways. … Continue reading Childish Gambino – 3.15.20
The Weeknd – After Hours
After a wonderfully entertaining rollout as The Weeknd leaned heavily into his new broken-nosed 80s action movie villain look and persona, the resulting collection of songs and the story that goes along with it has finally arrived. After Hours is the fourth studio album from the dark and twisted man of mystery, and although we’ve … Continue reading The Weeknd – After Hours
Don Toliver – Heaven Or Hell
Never underestimate the power of a single hook. Don Toliver, essentially an unknown at the time, was featured on Travis Scott’s massive project ASTROWORLD on the highlight track “CAN’T SAY,” winning over an entire dedicated fanbase in the space of a couple minutes with his refreshing and instantly identifiable vocal tone and getting himself signed … Continue reading Don Toliver – Heaven Or Hell
Niall Horan – Heartbreak Weather
Could it be that contrary to everyone’s expectations, the quiet and unassuming Niall Horan just might be the most consistent former member of monolithic boyband OneDirection? His sophomore project Heartbreak Weather has arrived, taking similar aspects of what made his debut work so well and getting a little more adventurous with them to mostly successful … Continue reading Niall Horan – Heartbreak Weather
Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
Jhené Aiko’s last album, Trip, a 90-minute highly conceptual masterpiece, revolved around the process of healing in finding a special person to share life with and escape from all the other miseries surrounding her. On her latest project Chilombo, titled after her real last name, she takes much more solace in herself, building up her … Continue reading Jhené Aiko – Chilombo
Lil Uzi Vert – Eternal Atake
Leave it to someone like Lil Uzi Vert to simultaneously release their album 2 years late and 1 week early. Release date shenanigans aside, the long-anticipated Eternal Atake has finally arrived along with the promise of a project that’s a bit more conceptual from a rapper who has been rather one-note in the past, coasting … Continue reading Lil Uzi Vert – Eternal Atake
Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG
As Latin-influenced music continues to take over every facet of the worldwide music industry, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny has repeatedly proven that he’s a force to be reckoned with, as his sophomore full-length album brings in more sales for an album recorded in Spanish in over a decade. Titled YHLQMDLG, an abbreviation of a … Continue reading Bad Bunny – YHLQMDLG
Lil Baby – My Turn
Can we as a society please come together and collectively agree to stop tolerating lowest-common-denominator mid-tempo trap music that sounds like it came off an assembly line? Young Thug protégé Lil Baby has returned with his second full-length studio album My Turn, but you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish it from his first. Spanning an absolutely … Continue reading Lil Baby – My Turn
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 