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
Alternative Pop
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
Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now
Trust one of the most consistently forward-thinking artists in the industry to release an entire album from quarantine that reflects and encompasses the insanity of the historic times that we’re currently living through. Only 8 months after she changed the pop music game with her self-titled previous album, Charli XCX has given us another collection … Continue reading Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now
Grimes – Miss_Anthrop0cene
I considered letting an AI write this one – it’s what Grimes would want – but here we go: Ms. Elon Musk herself has returned with her first full-length album since 2015, and in true Grimes fashion, it’s certainly a very strange one – although in terms of what the music actually sounds like, it … Continue reading Grimes – Miss_Anthrop0cene
Tate McRae – all the things i never said EP
Last night, Billie Eilish became only the 2nd person in history to sweep the Grammys’ “Big 4” categories and the third to even win all four of the awards over a career. Do you think it might be possible that music labels are trying desperately to find the next off-kilter teenage success story? Tate McRae … Continue reading Tate McRae – all the things i never said EP
Halsey – Manic
Alt-pop singer-songwriter Halsey’s third studio album Manic is meant to be a journey into the way her mind works – named after her bipolar disorder, formerly referred to as manic depression. Sonically, it’s certainly a fitting title as the project dips tentatively into quite a few genres, all smoothed over with the glossy psychedelic pop … Continue reading Halsey – Manic
Rapid Fire Reviews (Nav, Yelawolf, Billie Eilish)
Nav - Bad Habits A signee to The Weeknd’s XO label and one of the first Punjabi artists to make it this big with North American audiences, Nav’s Auto-crooned trap melodies have been getting more and more attention leading up to the release of his sophomore solo project, Bad Habits. Of course, there have also … Continue reading Rapid Fire Reviews (Nav, Yelawolf, Billie Eilish)
James Blake – Assume Form
Eclectic UK experimental pop/R&B singer and producer James Blake’s 4th studio album Assume Form has been anticipated for a while, as he continues to expand his discography by appearing on the projects of just about everyone who matters, whether it’s Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean or Travis Scott. I was surprised to see people in … Continue reading James Blake – Assume Form
Twenty One Pilots – Trench
Uncategorizable alternative duo Twenty One Pilots release their fifth studio album, and first after becoming household names with 2015’s uneven but hugely successful Blurryface. While I’ve often struggled with the duo’s consistency in the past, as they seemingly mashed disparate styles together for no reason other than the fact that they could, Trench sees them … Continue reading Twenty One Pilots – Trench
Blood Orange – Negro Swan
British producer and psychedelic pop/R&B artist Dev Hynes, better known by his alias Blood Orange, releases his fourth studio album which offers both his most accessible music yet and his most powerful message. Negro Swan is mostly inspired by tales of discrimination against Hynes, an LGBT black man, in his youth, as multiple spoken word … Continue reading Blood Orange – Negro Swan
