Despite Colombian singer Kali Uchis still chasing the peak in quality she achieved on her debut album, 2018’s Isolation, her commercial breakthrough actually happened when she decided to fully embrace her Spanish-language roots on her sophomore effort, the dreamy track “telepatia” breaking through to the radio waves. Apparently sitting on two finished albums, one in … Continue reading Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus
Psychedelic
Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here.
Well, one thing’s for sure – Let’s Start Here. is a pretty appropriate title for this latest project from Lil Yachty. The once-groundbreaking rapper who had scores of imitators when he broke through with his warbly brand of melodic trap has been struggling artistically for years, never quite reaching the heights of projects like the … Continue reading Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here.
Kid Cudi – Entergalactic
Flirting with a musical retirement – though we know how often to trust those lately – and now on his eighth solo full-length, the endlessly influential Kid Cudi has dropped a new multimedia project in a career full of multihyphenate ventures. The soundtrack to a new Netflix animated special dedicated to his late friend, fashion … Continue reading Kid Cudi – Entergalactic
070 Shake – You Can’t Kill Me
If people thought that New Jersey experimentalist and Kanye West protégé 070 Shake’s debut project, 2020’s Modus Vivendi, was heady, disorienting and hard to follow, wait until they hear her follow-up. Returning with You Can’t Kill Me, the GOOD Music signee’s latest project dives even further into her signature sound and feels a lot more … Continue reading 070 Shake – You Can’t Kill Me
Yeat – 2 Alivë
Early last year, it seemed as if Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty had been elevated to the top of the charts out of nowhere – save for having seen buzz around his name a couple times online. Scoring a top 5 debut with what is only his second studio album, although he has been highly prolific … Continue reading Yeat – 2 Alivë
Don Toliver – Life of a DON
A signee to Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records, psychedelic melodic rapper and singer Don Toliver continues to capitalize on his momentum by releasing his sophomore project only about a year and a half removed from his inconsistent debut, Heaven or Hell. While so many are drawn to Don for his completely distinctive and downright infectious … Continue reading Don Toliver – Life of a DON
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
Three-and-a-half years removed from taking home the coveted Album of the Year gramophone for her outstanding Golden Hour, country-pop icon and massive crossover success Kacey Musgraves continues to drift further from her country roots with fourth studio album star-crossed. Coming off a near-universally beloved, critically acclaimed trio of projects, especially given the state of Musgraves’ … Continue reading Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
Lorde – Solar Power
For someone who exploded onto the pop scene with “Royals,” a cautionary tale about celebrity culture and the pitfalls of observing our entertainment heroes as flawless, godlike figures, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde has accumulated quite the dedicated cult fanbase – and the expectations of leaning into her role as the cerebral pop star doling out … Continue reading Lorde – Solar Power
Tinashe – 333
After a lengthy battle with her label and finally breaking out as an independent artist with her critically acclaimed 2019 project Songs for You, R&B star Tinashe is taking that increased creative control even further with her latest release. Tinashe has fully settled into her role as the indie darling with a cult fanbase in … Continue reading Tinashe – 333
Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound
When I had the opportunity to interview Texas soul singer Leon Bridges about this album earlier this month, he told me about how people’s expectations of him to continue emulating a fleeting moment of inspiration throughout his entire career are beginning to get him down. Bridges exploded dramatically and decisively onto the scene with vintage … Continue reading Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 