The stereotype of child stars going on to have rough lives has always been prevalent in pop culture, and while it may unfortunately be true for the most part, it’s quite possible that nobody has had it worse than Demi Lovato. Accompanying a new highly intimate documentary about her struggles, Lovato’s 7th studio album is … Continue reading Demi Lovato – Dancing With The Devil…The Art Of Starting Over
Pop Soul
Nick Jonas – Spaceman
Seems like even an iconic teen heartthrob like Nick Jonas can’t get the sales numbers going in the extremely quiet musical year that has been 2021 so far. Contrary to his other famous brother, Nick has been much more prolific with his public ventures outside of the brotherly band, and is now on his fourth … Continue reading Nick Jonas – Spaceman
Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
Back for the first time since 2015’s Reality Show album, esteemed R&B vocalist Jazmine Sullivan has returned with what is essentially a concept EP. Featuring eight tracks that stir up a wide range of important discussions regarding society’s attitude towards women owning their sexuality and the emotional implications of walking that complicated tightrope between displaying … Continue reading Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
Sam Smith – Love Goes
After a long series of delays – and numerous successful singles to tide us over in the meantime, none of which made the final cut – soulful pop singer Sam Smith’s third studio album Love Goes finally sees the release it was supposed to at the beginning of this pandemic. While Smith has primarily been … Continue reading Sam Smith – Love Goes
Ariana Grande – positions
Well, that “break” that she said she needed didn’t last very long. One of pop music’s most prolific and influential figures has returned once again with her third album in just over two years, following up a pair of highly personal albums that catapulted her into an entirely new level of superstardom and critical acclaim. … Continue reading Ariana Grande – positions
Omar Apollo – Apolonio
Genre-defying singer and guitarist Omar Apollo has recently been making waves and growing his profile through collaborations with people like Kenny Beats and Joji, so now would be the perfect time to unleash his debut album. While Apollo’s artistry has never truly shone through on his collaborations, often sounding a bit like an off-brand Frank … Continue reading Omar Apollo – Apolonio
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
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
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
