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
Pop Reviews
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
Katy Perry – Smile
10 years removed from her record-setting album Teenage Dream, the kind of musical world – and the world at large – that allowed such an extravagant and carefree pop album to dominate as much as it did has shifted. After trying somewhat awkwardly to make the transition on her previous project, Witness, which she deemed … Continue reading Katy Perry – Smile
Burna Boy – Twice As Tall
On the eve of K-pop sensation BTS dropping their first sure-to-be-massive English single, here we have yet another example of the internet making popular music an increasingly global affair. Nigerian artist Burna Boy is one of the most popular musicians in Africa, and has since become known across the world for his blend of Afrobeats … Continue reading Burna Boy – Twice As Tall
Glass Animals – Dreamland
UK psychedelic pop-rock band Glass Animals have been steadily growing their profile with each subsequent release, even after needing to shrink back from the public eye for a while after a devastating car crash involving their drummer. It seems as though the band have reached the point in their careers where they offer a bit … Continue reading Glass Animals – Dreamland
Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong
After sparking a huge amount of buzz with his 2018 EP, Don’t Forget About Me Demos, genre-hopping upstart Dominic Fike has finally released his debut album, continuing to blend the worlds of rock, pop and hip-hop on a project that … essentially still sounds like demos. Fike’s frenetic sound is certainly something admirable in theory, … Continue reading Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong
Taylor Swift – folklore
Who knew that when the music industry’s biggest mastermind at the game of marketing dropped the months-long promotion cycle and released something spontaneous that it would result in her masterpiece? It seems as though the real marketing strategy is great music, as Taylor Swift’s surprise “indie” album folklore is now the 2nd biggest streaming debut … Continue reading Taylor Swift – folklore
Ellie Goulding – Brightest Blue
Keeping with the spirit of the chaos of 2020, here we have yet another excellent pop album from a somewhat unexpected source. Ellie Goulding has been absent from the music scene since 2015’s Delirium, and has since returned with a variety of interviews where she discussed the stresses of fame and feeling like a manufactured … Continue reading Ellie Goulding – Brightest Blue
Quinn XCII – A Letter To My Younger Self
“What a great album, 10/10,” a voice, presumably one of Quinn XCII’s friends, proclaims as his latest album fades out. Not quite, but it’s pretty good. The Detroit pop singer-songwriter’s third studio album sees him continuing to blur genre lines with a generally upbeat and soulful vocal delivery, firing off a number of catchy tunes … Continue reading Quinn XCII – A Letter To My Younger Self
HONNE – no song without you
UK electropop duo HONNE’s third studio album – well, technically, according to them, their first “mixtape” – has arrived, and it’s full of sentimental love songs and the duo’s typical cheery and minimal songwriting style. Recorded partially with the duo stuck apart and with less tools than usual at their hands while in quarantine, the … Continue reading HONNE – no song without you
