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
Singer Songwriter
Lennon Stella – Three. Two. One.
Former child star on ABC’s Nashville and rising Canadian pop star Lennon Stella’s debut album is a cohesive and compact showcase of Stella’s emotive voice on some low-key and folksy pop tracks. Coming from her roots in country music, Stella takes more a singer-songwriter approach to most of these tracks, primarily focusing on delivering some … Continue reading Lennon Stella – Three. Two. One.
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
Selena Gomez – Rare
Selena Gomez has described her first album since 2015 as a “diary,” and if you wanted to know exactly what’s been going through her mind during the many struggles she’s had since then, it’s essentially all here in crystal-clear detail. After some highly-publicized health struggles – both physical and mental – and a lengthy breakup … Continue reading Selena Gomez – Rare
Rapid Fire Reviews (Anderson .Paak, Sara Bareilles, Khalid)
Anderson .Paak - Ventura Only 5 months after his rap-heavy third studio album Oxnard, which kept a high level of quality but ultimately disappointed some fans searching for the feel-good charisma that coloured his breakout project Malibu, Anderson .Paak returns with the soul-based companion piece. Thank goodness he did. The singer, rapper and BEST teeth … Continue reading Rapid Fire Reviews (Anderson .Paak, Sara Bareilles, Khalid)
Rapid Fire Reviews (Wiz Khalifa/Curren$y, Avril Lavigne, Betty Who)
Wiz Khalifa/Curren$y - 2009 Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa has been seriously prolific coming out with projects over the past couple of years, and he’s back in a team-up with veteran rapper Curren$y. The two previously joined forces for one of the best songs on Khalifa’s last album Rolling Papers 2. The dynamic between the two … Continue reading Rapid Fire Reviews (Wiz Khalifa/Curren$y, Avril Lavigne, Betty Who)
Julia Michaels – Inner Monologue Part 1 (EP)
Songwriter extraordinaire turned solo act Julia Michaels returns with another shorter set of tracks about a year and a half after the release of her previous EP, Nervous System – a project which I felt didn’t live up to the level of quality that its two excellent singles, “Issues” and “Uh Huh”, promised. Inner Monologue … Continue reading Julia Michaels – Inner Monologue Part 1 (EP)
Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life
Soulful indie-pop singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers has been selling out concert venues before she even released this debut project. After gaining wider attention through a viral video in which Pharrell Williams nearly started crying when he heard the then-unknown NYU music student’s early demo of “Alaska”, Heard It In A Past Life has been in the … Continue reading Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life
gnash – we
Officially back for the new year - this should hopefully be the first of three new posts this week. Genreless artist gnash finally puts together a debut studio album after dropping a flurry of singles over the past couple of years – some of which made it onto this project, alongside the now-ancient smash hit … Continue reading gnash – we
Tori Kelly – Hiding Place
R&B singer/songwriter and one of the most impressive technical singers in the game Tori Kelly finally releases her second studio album after 2015’s Unbreakable Smile, teaming up with multiple Grammy-Award winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin to go in a heavily Christian-influenced direction. Franklin has recently contributed to albums by Kanye West and Chance the Rapper … Continue reading Tori Kelly – Hiding Place
