for the love of music
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by Luke Modugno
Duality is a quality that seems to plague the entirety of humanity. In a reality constructed on subjective truths, an immeasurable amount of perspectives and an incalculable abundance of contexts, perceiving with consistency has been an ageless challenge to our species. That challenge is clearly amplified for people like Steve Lacy.
The Compton native has returned from a two-year hiatus, bringing with him his second studio album Gemini Rights. Lacy isn’t embracing the role of an activist for a specific astrological sign on this record, as the title may suggest. In fact, he’s precisely and loudly presenting the stereotypical, infamous vice of a Gemini: indecision.
We’ve seen rap megastars (and fellow Gemini) Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar illustrate their own internal strife as it relates to social issues, their world views and ego’s. However, Lacy’s chronic issue with irresolution has put him in an unfavorable spot on Gemini Rights.
From track-to-track, Lacy is decidedly over his ex-lover. Then, in a whiplash of an instant, he’s head-over-heels for them. Because of Lacy’s flawless and skilled songwriting, Gemini Rights conveys a flurry of romantic feelings. With regret, sorrow, passion, lust and anger snapping into focus across the record, Lacy gives listener’s emotional motion sickness in a way only a bonafide poet could. While Lacy has never struggled to touch on romantic subjects throughout his discography, Gemini Rights approaches the subject with unprecedented nuance and thoroughness.
“Static,” the opening track, sets the table for Gemini Rights, as Lacy serenades his ex with such elegance that it’s almost as if he isn’t vilifying them and their transgressions against their shared love. “If you ever had to stunt your shining for your lover, dump that fucker” is sung with a particularly intense vitriol that makes it seem that Lacy is finally over them.
The funky distraction from post breakup depression that is “Helmet” sews the seeds of doubt in the listeners head that Lacy may be an unreliable narrator. Although trying his best to seem unphased and unbothered by their split, when Lacy feels down, his instinctual reaction is still to lean on this person. The cheery guitar plucks paired with cleverly foreboding writing makes “Helmet” a clear standout of the tracklist of Gemini Rights.
Both “Mercury” and “Bad Habit” stand to support the thesis of Lacy’s lingering love for his ex. As he stares blankly at his ceiling while “writing an ‘i’m sorry’ text” and asks his ex-lover “you think i’m two-faced? I can name 23,” Gemini Rights exudes the crushing anxiety that comes with feeling stuck, inactionable and alone.
The record culminates with its penultimate track “Sunshine,” featuring the silky-smooth Foushee who plays the part of Steve’s ex in a conversation between the two. Steve let’s us know that it’s been a couple months since their split. Hastily engaging a defense mechanism, Lacy becomes combative, adding “safe to say after me you peaked.” Foushee enters on a high-horse, telling Lacy that she’s taken the highroad despite his criticisms, imploring him to stop attempting to fabricate the intensity of their love with other people. Mutually agreeing to drop the hostility, Foushee asks “why can’t we just get along? Or at least get it on?”
Ending with the two harmonizing in unity “I still love you,” “Sunshine” is just one of many backtracks, reconsiderations and flip-flops on Gemini Rights. Although presenting the complication with this breakup through the lens of the ever-conflicted Gemini mind, Lacy knows his listeners are empathetic to the struggle.
If you were to reorder the tracklist of Gemini Rights, you would likely be able to formulate what a traditional grieving process of a romantic split is supposed to look like. But what Gemini Rights presents is a more authentic illustration of the unpredictability of human emotion, especially an emotion as potent as love. Feelings aren’t linear and they’re fickle. While Steve may not think so, the Gemini’s uncertainty isn’t to blame here.
Sonically, Gemini Rights is a soulful blend of the experimentation of Lacy’s 2020 effort The Lo-Fis, the groovy chord progressions of Apollo XXI and the early knack for engaging songwriting displayed on Steve Lacy’s Demo. In other words, Lacy brings together the whole of his assets as an artist to deliver his highest quality production on Gemini Rights. Additionally, Lacy’s pen is on an entirely different level here. Crafting hooks, progressions and vocal harmonies that stick in your brain like plaster (“Bad Habit,” “Mercury,” “Helmet”), Gemini Rights is the best R&B record to release this year.
In a year filled with smash records like Dawn FM and WASTELAND by The Weeknd and Brent Faiyaz respectively, Gemini Rights simply outclasses it’s R&B contemporaries. Despite the conflicted nature of man, the superbness of Gemini Rights will ensure discussion of this record and its deserved inclusion in the album of the year conversation.
Helmet
Bad Habit
Sunshine (feat. Foushee)
Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.
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By Kaila Cherry
TiaCorine’s path to where she is now was slow, steady, and calculated. Although Corine had been making music since she was in the third grade, it was not until 2018 that the 27 year old rapper would release her breakout single. Her infectiously catchy track “Lotto” took over Tik Tok and Instagram throughout 2019 and garnered praise from big names like SZA, A$AP Rocky, and Drake. However, TiaCorine was not ready to release a full project at the height of her virality. This is an unprecedented and bold move for her. In our current zeitgeist, immediacy has become the norm for everything from album drops to Amazon package deliveries. Yet TiaCorine decided not to ride on the hype and to instead build a solid fan base before putting out her first project. The wait was worth it. At the start of September, TiaCorine released her debut EP 34Corine. Punchy, bubbly, and fun, TiaCorine undoubtly leans into the niche she has created for herself (which she calls “Anime Rap”) and makes it clear to anyone listening that she is worthy of our respect.
34Corine derives it’s name from the rapper’s hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Referred to as the tre-fo by locals, TiaCorine’s proximity to the Dirty South, Trap, and East coast hip hop/R&B scenes meld together on the production of her debut project. TiaCorine plays with flow, pitch, and inflecction all throughout the EP. On tracks such as “IYKYK” and “In My Room” she utilizes autotune as a character to accent her “girliness” while subverting what exactly that “girliness” is supposed to encompass. In her sweet pitched up voice, Corine makes it clear that men shouldn’t touch her if they can’t afford her, that she is not here for the “stupid fuck niggas” because she is too “awesome.” Along with being girly and bragadocious, TiaCorine can also be sensual and alluring. The track “34 Faucet” is enchanting with it’s 2000s-esque R&B sound, sweet melodies, and sexually charged lyrics are sure to attract any man she sets her sights on.
Where TiaCorine shines the brightest, however, is on the tracks where she shows us she can truly rap her ass off. On “30” and “Mine,” Corine flexs her ability to rap fast, coherently, and with vibrant rhymes and clever wordplay. Her humor comes out on lines like “Damn, I just popped a bean/Damn, what’s a bean?” and “Booty too bad, Nickelodeon slime/Got spare change but still look like I’m a dime.” These tracks are the most high energy of the bunch and with them they bring so much carefree fun to the project. “30” and “Mine” are the ideal songs for recording yourself throwing it back in your bedroom, which is perfect for these quarantine times. (PSA from Kaila: Wear you masks and keep 6 feet from others! Damn!)
34Corine is one of the most refreshing, lighthearted, and addicting EPs to come from an up and coming artists this year. TiaCorine’s name is getting murmurs when it needs to be getting shouts. Don’t be that person who, in a year or two one she blows up, will be thinking “Wasn’t that the girl who made that Tik Tok song?” Instead, be the one who has been there from the start, has followed her growth, and can say “I’m proud to see that TiaCorine is finally getting the recognition she deserves.” That all starts with giving her latest EP a listen. You won’t regret it.
Mine
30
34 Faucet
Rating: 7
Listen to 34Corine here:
Listen to 34Corine on Spotify. TiaCorine · Album · 2020 · 8 songs.
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By Luke Modugno
President of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) Terrance Henderson Jr., aka Punch, took to Twitter last month to make a very blunt, yet sobering statement on the music industry today. “Music is very disposable right now,” his tweet read. As ambiguous and vague as the statement may appear, the tweet went semi-viral, sparking debates and vitriolic arguments in the comment section. Punch’s take on the music industry poses the age-old question for label executives like himself to determine how their brand does business: with quality, or quantity?
Since the music world has slowly migrated to and has become fully dependent on the internet, the industry moves at a bullet train pace. Albums release quicker and in larger quantities, artists go viral, make it big and fall off in the matter of months, and the average listeners attention span is dwindling year by year.
Just like any other business, at the end of the day, the music industry is designed to siphon as much revenue from its customers. And with listeners getting increasingly conservative with their time, the industry has adapted to survive. Albums that have a runtime greater than one hour are virtually extinct, when that was widely considered the norm to be considered a LP years ago. For example, to be considered for album of the year, the Grammy’s only require a project to be 15 minutes long. Record labels are more aggressive in recruiting talent that will satisfy a niche need for the time being rather than a generational talent that might require years of attention and work to produce a singular album. These two noticeable changes in the industry seem to be direct consequences of the dwindling of our collective attention spans, leading to the growing disposability of music.
But the conversation couldn’t have been started by a more perfect foil to the aforementioned trend. As the president of TDE, Punch directly influences the infamously sparse release schedule of the label. Although TDE is home to multiple once-in-a-generation artists, they rarely release music at the rapidity of their contemporaries. Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Isaiah Rashad all have not released new projects in nearly 4 years. A grand total of zero TDE artists have released an album this year. Additionally, the label is notorious for a lack of communication with its fans, another foil to the transparency required to keep up with the hurried nature of the industry. Despite their refusal to comply with the new norms of music, TDE is widely considered the best rap label in the world. And with founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith having a net worth of approximately $100 million, TDE is having absolutely no trouble financially.
So, is music becoming increasingly disposable, or are we simply unwilling to lend a genuinely attentive listen to new music anymore? Is the art of music slowly being replaced by a more disposable product that is made to sell, not inspire? When your parents throw on one of their old classic records, and claim “music died long ago, this is real music,” they might actually not be entirely incorrect, and science may also agree with them. In 2012, the Spanish National Research Council conducted a study analyzing 500,000 songs ranging from the years 1955-2010. Using a complex algorithm, the council measured the harmonic complexity, timbral diversity and the loudness of each of the songs. Unsurprisingly, through the advancements in technology and the rise of genres such as house music and dubstep, timbral diversity steadily decreased in the selected timeframe. Additionally, via technological advancements in music recording, loudness has increased. However, the most interesting statistic of the three was harmonic complexity, which constantly decreased, showing the songs have increasingly less diversity. This trend perfectly fits the narrative that music is being more of a product, one made to sell rather than to be original pieces of art.
So, music as a whole may be losing creativity and in turn quality, but what about the music that still excites and innovates?
In a subsequent post, Punch asked his fans to give him specific sets of time that fans would sit with an album based on its quality. One of the top replies read “Meh - 3 days, Mediocre - 1 week, Good - 1 month, Excellent - 3 months, Classic - 1 year.” Clearly, the term “timeless classic” doesn’t hold nearly as much weight as it did in the past. Although classics are fewer and far between nowadays, we still may not have the ability to give them the attentive ear they deserve. According to a study conducted by Microsoft in 2018, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds. This is a sharp decrease from the average attention span of 12 seconds in the year 2000.
Unsurprisingly, the main culprit of the decline is the emergence of streaming platforms. With an artist's entire catalog of music available at the touch of a button, the phenomenon of a new single or album releasing is undeniably diminished. As much as new music from one of our favorite artists may excite us, the temptation to find the next new thing is just too strong due to the accessibility of streaming. For that same reason, pop star Adele is notably against the disposability of the music medium, discouraging her fans from streaming her music and encouraging them to buy physical copies.
But the real music will never fade. Sure, more artists will have meteoric rises and falls, releasing music quicker than you can keep up with. But the Frank Ocean’s of the world, the Kendrick Lamar’s of the world, their music will still be analyzed, appreciated and consumed no matter how short our attention spans may be.
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R&B’s favorite crooner is finally back. Fresh off of a 2-year hiatus (as far as projects are concerned), 6lack has delivered his new “6pc Hot EP” fresh at our doorsteps. The Atlanta native has returned with his smooth, reverb-ridden vocals, with a side of bars. A set of songs that’s perfect for those late, summer night drives, with the windows down… I know you know exactly what I mean.
“ATL Freestyle” was the EP’s only single, it sort of got lost in the whirlwind of events that were happening on, and prior to the songs release date: May 28th, 2020. Along with the song, 6lack gave us yet another reason to stan, providing fans with a message that clearly stated his stance on what his people, Black people face day in and day out.
6lack wrote: “A few words… With the amount of pain & anger, I feel in my heart, releasing a new song at this very moment doesn’t feel like a great priority.Nothing ever prepares you for how to feel when you’re constantly faced with the last dying breaths of Black people, my people, on your television or phone screens every day.”
See the rest of 6lack’s message to the people here. “ATL Freestyle” is one of my favorite songs of the year, it’s a mirror of exactly what I think perfect music is; slow, a mixture of singing and rapping, sad and brash lyrics. It is a “B-side” track, like most of 6lack’s music. The song could fit on Tha Carter II, an album full of B-sides… it’s also one of the few perfect albums if you weren’t aware.
“Long Nights” is the EP’s second track, and it’s a perfect description for all those sneaky link ups you freaks were doing during quarantine. At its core, “Long Nights” is about a relationship that could last one night, or many. Ari Lennox’s background vocals take the track to a whole new level.
Track 3, “Float” may just be one of the best songs that sum up 2020 so far. Generally, everyone is trying to “stay afloat” but 2020 has been one of the more ruthless years in the 21st century. 6lack speaks on all of the adversity he’s faced in his life up to now. “I gotta put my shit back on track / Been down bad too many times / Know that it’s bad, but it’ll be fine”. He even mentions the racial tensions in America, “It's a big war goin' on outside / Grab your lover, time to slide”. In the midst of COVID-19, civil unrest, and his own personal struggles; all 6lack asks of his presumed partner on this song is for her to love him through it all “Make sure you love me ‘fore the world go out in flames”.
“Know My Rights” ft. Lil Baby is one of those songs that makes you recall the days when 6lack was a battle rapper. The two Atlanta natives rap about the extraordinary amount of fame, and riches they’ve managed to get. They make sure to remind us that they’re self-made men as well, so they tend to shy away from the opinions of others. It’s not often you hear 6lack flex on his songs, so this type of track fit perfect with a Lil Baby feature.
In “Elephant In The Room”, 6lack is having an argument with a significant other who’s questioning his motives within their relationship, and they’re not sure the rapper’s priorities are in check. Rather than get nowhere with small talk, 6lack lays it all on the line, “You ask me if I'm choosin' my dreams over you, I said, ‘Hell, yeah’ / “I got so much love I can show, but I got so much shit left to do” / “Say what's on my mind don't make me choose, I might piss you off”. The “Elephant” is the issue the two of them have clearly been avoiding for some time now, and it seems to be 6lack’s music career, something he’d never give up on since he’s been chasing it all his life.
I never thought there would be a way to make the end of quarantine (COVID-19) sound romantic, but sure enough here 6lack is with a post-virus ballad. 6lacks sings about going outside to play again in almost every other bar on track 6, ”Outside”. He reminisces the days where he was able to be with his lover physically, with no fear of getting each other sick.
So, was a 6pc enough? I’d say so, the project is short but the quality of the tracks makes up for the lack of tracks. 6pc Hot EP may be the only project out right now that sums up almost everyone’s lives at the moment. Quarantine has many of us fairly lonely, not seeing our friends and significant other as much as we want (“Outside”), the civil unrest in America has kept anyone with a single shred of compassion spending days thinking about how fucked up this country is, and in turn trying to find a way to find some peace within all of the chaos (“Float”), and by spending most of our days at home, coupled with everything going on with the world there have been ample opportunities for the door to be opened to some tough conversations (“Elephant In The Room”).
Float
Long Nights
Know My Rights (Feat. Lil Baby)
Rating: 8
Listen to 6pc Hot EP here:
Listen to 6pc Hot EP on Spotify. 6LACK · Single · 2020 · 6 songs.
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UMI by Alondra Buccio and Jocelyn Woods
UMI is a bright and exciting up and coming talent. Specializing in the modernization of R&B, UMI has released two EPs so far, Interlude (2018) and Love Language (2019). The Seattle born-California based artist keeps up her momentum with plans to release her third EP Introspection on June 21st of this year. She dropped the first song, the title track, in early May. A few weeks later, UMI dropped the second track entitled “Open Up.” Accompanied by an angelic yet sullen visualizer, UMI artfully expresses the genuine pain and strife that comes with self growth on her new song. In particular, UMI laments on having to let go of a partner she cared deeply about because she saw the importance of working on herself in order to fully love others.
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“Open Up” begins with a simple rhythmic acoustic guitar melody. The bass drum comes in followed by UMI’s voice. She establishes her vulnerability early into the track by singing the first few lyrics modestly on her own. It is not until the verse moves in the direction of the pre chorus that UMI employs vocal flourishes, harmonies, and ad libs. As the vocal production builds on itself, so does the instrumental. In the same progression, what started as guitar and bass drum becomes layered with hi hats, electronic piano, and synthesizers. On “Open Up,” UMI utilizes the layering of her soundscape wisely. Effects move in and out, more pronounced in the chorus and bridges than in the verses and pre chorus. In this way, UMI uses the production of the song itself to emphasize the trouble she has with “opening up” to others.
On the meaning of the track, UMI said in an interview with Rated R&B that “Open Up” is about “‘...that feeling before a breakup when you’re torn between the guilt of hurting someone else and doing what’s best for you. Capturing my inner dialogue, this song is a moment of introspection.” The intensity of this inner dialogue is expressed in the lyrical content of the track. In the first verse, UMI admits to feeling as if she is not being her true self with her lover. She is afraid of the person she actually is. UMI comes to the realization that she can never be there for her partner if she is not there for herself. In the chorus, UMI expresses the desire to feel and give love but knows that her negative feelings about herself have made her unable to do so. However, UMI takes this loss in stride. In the outro, the singer repeats the lyric “I really wanna open up for you.” She does not intend to be closed off forever. UMI aspires to work on herself in order to better love those around her. “Open Up” is a beautiful reminder to acknowledge your mistakes, recommit to intentions of bettering yourself, and to work on being there for the ones we love.
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Drake, photo courtesy of Republic Records
Rap’s biggest commercial superstar, Drizzy Drake, has been making lots of noise in 2020 as he prepares for the release of his 6th commercial album this summer. While hip-hop fans alike were aware of Drake’s recent spike in activity due to the viral hit “Toosie Slide” as well as recent SoundCloud freebies like “Chicago Freestyle” and “War,” no one was quite expecting Champagne Papi to announce the release of a surprise mixtape of leaks and throw-aways that would be available on all streaming platforms less than 24 hours after the announcement post.
Drake released Dark Lane Demo Tapes on May 1st, 2020 through OVO Records. The mixtape contains 14 songs with features from Playboi Carti, Young Thug, Future, Chris Brown and others.
Before diving into the music, it’s important to note where each track came from so we can conclude what this tape tells us about Drake’s sixth album. Four of the 14 tracks (“When To Say When”, “Chicago Freestyle”, “Desire”, & “War”) were released on SoundCloud over the past six months well one track was officially released by Drake on Spotify (“Toosie Slide”). Tracks “Deep Pockets” and “From Florida with Love” were initially recorded for Drake’s 2018 album Scorpion but didn’t make the final album and were eventually leaked in April 2020. Besides the two aforementioned tracks, we have every reason to believe that the rest of the music on Dark Lane Demo Tapes was recording for lucky album number six giving us a glimpse into what to expect this summer.
The first major takeaway from Dark Lane Demo Tapes is that Drake sounds hungrier than he has in recent memory. Something about Drake’s delivery sounds more urgent than it has in years - a welcomed deviation from the slew of complacent mid that he packed on 2018’s Scorpion. He displays this new drive on tracks like “When To Say When”, “Landed”, & “Losses” while also reminding us why we use to refer to Drake as a great rapper and not just a popstar. It seems like Drake is bringing back his long-winded, freestyle-esque tracks where verses are separated by brief pauses in the reflective bars if they’re separated at all. These instances where Drake accepts the challenge of bodying an entire song with no hook truly showcase Drizzy at his best as we remember that most of Drake’s most impressive tracks over the course of his career normally throw conventional song structure to the wind.
Photo: Splash News
Although Drake reminds us why he’s a great rapper through this tape of demos, he makes sure not to neglect his R&B fans on Dark Lane Demo Tapes. “Not You Too” features Chris Brown and showcases the two A-list artists trading sensual melodies over smooth ambient instrumental that are aided by a breath-taking synth slide halfway through the track. The song is classic singing Drake and is going to be played in idle cars with foggy windows for years to come. Drake doesn’t only make R&B for the bedroom though as the 7th track “Time Flies” sounds primed to be his next melodic hit and has the same addictive qualities as his 2018 viral smash “In My Feelings” without being half as obnoxious (please don’t turn this song into a viral trend).
Besides a very underwhelming Playboi Carti appearance, features pull their weight on Dark Lane Demo Tapes and even out perform Drizzy on certain songs, the first of which is the haunting “Chicago Freestyle”. On the track Drake calls on R&B’s next superstar Giveon who delivers a chilling hook that steals the spotlight and sets the tone for the track. Drake doesn’t go down without a fight though as the track showcases some of his most captivating writing and fascinating melodies. Every time I press play on “D4L” my day is made by Future’s “money counter” sound effects. “D4L” sounds like it was so much fun to record and the energy shines through making it one of the most infectious tracks on the tape. Fivo Foreign and Sosa Geek pop in for awesome guest verses on “Demons” adding something to the track that Drake simply couldn’t: Grit.
One of the most promising signs from Dark Lane Demo Tapes are the producers Drizzy chose to work with on the project. One of my biggest issues with Scorpion was boring production from Drake’s favorite in-house producer Noah “40” Shebib. Gone was the magic that the two shared during the Take Care days and all that was left was bland instrumentals that Drake tried to make work. It seems like Drake is taking a different approach to album number six as Dark Lane Demo Tapes has production credits from some of the most innovative producers in the game including Pi’erre Bourne, Southside, Cardogotwings, and OZ. The variation of production styles really seems to bring Drake’s music back to life in ways that I haven’t heard before. Hopefully Drake also embraced this collaborative attitude on album six, utilizing the surplus of gifted producers he has in his network to help lift him out of critical mediocrity and elevate back to the level he was on during the first half of his career.
It would be impossible to talk about producers on Dark Lane Demo Tapes without shining a light on veteran producer OZ who is having a moment in 2020. The beat maker already has three number one songs this year (“Life Is Good”, “Toosie Slide”, & “The Scotts”) and produced some of the best tracks on this new mixtape (“Time Flies” & “Losses”). OZ’s signature is a dreamy instrumental anchored by extensive hi-hat use, a style that gives Drake ample room to explore ear-worm melodies (“Time Flies”) or rattle off an emotional verse dripping in disdain (“Losses”). Oz’s outro on “Time Flies” is transcendent and gives the song a beautiful cherry on top that solidifies it as one of the best tracks on the mixtape.
The last two tracks on the mixtape house Drake flexing his versatility as he kills 6-minutes of UK inspired hip-hop that he’s dabbled with in the past but never fully dove into. As Drake successfully interpolates a European accent on “War” it’s hard not to see the potential for UK-Drake to become the multi-dimensional artist's third persona.
For being a mixtape full of loose freebies, Dark Lane Demo Tapes flows extremely well. Drake opens with three songs that flex his pen game and aim to intrigue fans of Drake the rapper before going into a four-song R&B run. Using “Time Flies” to fade back into rap, Drake then hits us with classic Drake bangers for the next five tracks before concluding the tape with his take on UK rap. Everything about the sequencing is perfect leading to Dark Lane Demo Tapes being more cohesive than the average mixtape.
Overall, Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a win for Drake fans everywhere. Not only did the six god gift us with a bunch of great new music to hold us over until his new album comes out, but even our favorite song on the project was consciously left off the album communicating that we should see an uptick in quality from this mixtape to the upcoming album. It’s hard for me to picture an album where songs like “D4L”, “Time Flies”, and “Demons”, are tossed to the side in favor of other tracks but believe me, that’s an album I’m VERY excited for.
Chicago Freestyle (Feat. Giveon)
Time Flies
D4L (Feat. Future & Young Thug)
Rating: 8
Stream Dark Lane Demo Tapes here:
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Kali Uchis by Felipe K Noguiera
Kali Uchis is undoubtedly one of the most influential alternative pop girls of the last decade. Although she released her first EP Drunken Babble in 2012, it was not until 2015 that Uchis would start to gain traction. That year, Kali Uchis dropped her seminal project Por Vida. This second EP launched the Colombian-American artist into stardom as she captivated young audiences with her dreamy vocals, romantic lyrics, and nostalgic instrumentals. Much like Lana Del Ray, Kali Uchis was able to cultivate her image through the modernization of the vintage aesthetic. Her conceptualization of the “contemporary 70s babe” made Uchis a popular figure on the once popular blogging website Tumblr. An avid user of the platform in late middle and early high school, I can credit Tumblr to putting me on to Kali Uchis right as her career was truly getting started. Since Por Vida, Kali Uchis has gone on to collaborate with heavy hitters in the rap, R&B, funk, and electronic scenes such as Tyler the Creator, Daniel Casear, Steve Lacy, Vince Staples, Gorillaz, and Bootsy Collins. In 2018 Kali Uchis released her first studio album Isolation to critical acclaim.
Two years later, Kali Uchis posted on her Instagram that she planned to release a new album this year but is waiting until a later date to drop it. In the meantime she wanted to “give her babies Something.” That something was To Feel Alive, a four song EP Uchis says was recorded in her room alone a week prior to its release. In the same post she writes, “nobody needs to listen to it, & i dont want ANYONE to buy it.” Nearly a week later, Kali Uchis officially released To Feel Alive on multiple streaming platforms. The cover art, painted by Instagram user oh_de_laval, features two versions of Uchis eating each other out. On the left is the blonde “Por Vida era” singer on her back with her legs spread. On the right is the black haired “Isolation era” Kali Uchis laying on her stomach eating the pussy of her gal pal. As provocative as this image is, it is actually an accurate representation of the sound the project encompasses. The first two tracks, “honey baby (SPOILED!)” and “angel” are reworks of unreleased songs by Uchis from 2013. The last two tracks, “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)” and “TO FEEL ALIVE” are new and take on a more rhythmic and self reflective vibe, something Uchis embraced on Isolation. Sweet, sticky, and endearing, To Feel Alive is a collection of tracks truly meant to satisfy the dedicated Kali Uchis fan. If you are able to immerse yourself within Uchis’ alluring and fantastical world despite a few over exaggerated vocals here and cliche lyrics there, To Feel Alive is the project for you. In this regard, I can say that To Feel Alive is the project for me.
Artwork by oh_de_laval
To Feel Alive opens with the track “honey baby (SPOILED!).” Originally released in 2013 under the title “honey baby,” Uchis adapted the song to be more soft, endearing, and lovely than before. She subs out the booming bass in the first version for bright and airy chimes coupled with chirping birds. Uchis subbed out her rap verses for vocal riffs and ad libs to add a pillowy layer to the song. She changed the concept of “honey baby” entirely, flipping the song from a smooth domineering bad bitch anthem to a dewy love ballad. The instrumental and lyrics are as sappy as can be in the cutest way possible. If there is something Kali Uchis knows how to do well, it is to musically synthesize the essence of romance and give her listeners the warm feeling that comes with being deeply attracted to someone. At certain points on “honey baby (SPOILED)” however, Uchis’ vocal performance falls flat as she moves through keys awkwardly in the first third of the song. She does eventually find her footing, and when she does I am able to give myself more to the music and begin the journey Uchis wants to take me on.
After “honey baby (SPOILED)” is another track adapted from several years prior. Uchis takes the song “Pablo Escobar” and rerecords it with altered vocals and lyrics. Now under the name “angel,” the track maintains its original instrumental, unlike “honey baby (SPOILED).” The psychedelic feel of the original “angel” is a perfect addition to To Feel Alive, further propelling the project into the realm of mysticism and allure. On the new version, Uchis drops the pitch of her voice to be more natural and relaxed. This a welcomed alternation as Uchis’ vocals were high pitched and nasally in the original. She also replaces the second verse in “Pablo Escobar” with an intoxicating bridge in “angel.” The repetition of “How do I feel for you? High, High High High/ How does it feel for you? High, High, High High” is trance inducing. With Kali Uchis working from an already great track, there was little she had to do to make it much better. Yet she was able to elevate the song beyond what I could have imagined when first heard it as a young teenager. Just like me, “angel” has grown up and it is a more developed and mature version of its prior self.
Kali Uchis in the official lyric video for “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)”
Next, Uchis features a new track entitled “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE).” Slower in rhythm and somber in tone, the song sees Uchis in a more grounded place as she grapples with a dysfunctional relationship. He takes and she gives; and she is fed up with it. “I want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)” builds on itself sonically. The song opens simply with piano and Uchis’ voice. Halfway through the verse, the drum machine kicks in and her harmonies begin to play a more prominent part in the soundscape of the track. The narrative of the track transforms from forlorn to “fuck you” as Uchis is able to both lament the loss of what could have been a strong relationship and celebrate the personal growth that came from the experience. Not only did she ultimately find peace, she found a man who not “treats her better than he did,” he also “gets her pussy wetter.” What more can anyone ask for?
To Feel Alive closes with the title track. Just barely skirting the edges of acapella, “TO FEEL ALIVE” is faintly reminiscent of the opening track to Por Vida, “Sycamore Tree.” However, these tracks could not be more different. Accompanied only by an upright bass, Uchis uses the bareness of the instrumental as the canvas to display her emotional turmoil. The song has a stream of consciousness type of flow with Uchis exploring failed relationships, her view of herself as an “outsider,” and her tendency to love despite all odds, perhaps even to her own detriment. Overall, “TO FEEL ALIVE” is soothing and reflective despite it dragging itself out a bit in the last third of the track. With the addition of this song, Kali Uchis ends her EP on an unresolved but not unsatisfactory note. What will it take for Uchis to feel alive? How does she feel about herself now? Has she been able to resolve these issues she feels within herself? Perhaps these questions will be answered with the release of her full length album.
Kali Uchis set out to “give her babies Something” and she delivered. To Feel Alive embraces where Uchis has been and where she is going. She rewards dedicated fans with official releases of the tracks they have loved on Soundcloud and Youtube for years while also providing new songs for them to enjoy until her big release is ready. Until then, I, like many others, will be waiting eagerly to see what Kali Uchis has up her pink glittery satin sleeve next.
Listen to To Feel Alive here:
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By Carter Fife
It has been almost three years since dvsn released their sophomore studio record Morning After. After their world tour in 2018, the OVO Sound duo comprised of vocalist Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 were immediately back in the studio, hard at work preparing their newest record. After releasing a few singles over the past few months and keeping details to a minimum, A Muse In Her Feelings finally released earlier this month. Unfortunately, many fans realized that this album may not have been worth the long wait they endured.
A Muse In Her Feelings sees the Canadian duo churning out sensual and glamorously-produced R&B anthems over the course of just under an hour. The record provides distinct moments that harken back to their previous projects, with many of the tracks (like the powerful opener ‘No Good’ which finds our heroes more dejected than usual) sounding like they could have been left over from early recording sessions for their 2016 debut SEPT 5th. Other tracks that carry a slower and more acoustic feeling to them (like the impressively serene ‘Pray For You’) sound like they could be B-Sides from their last record. If one were to collect all the tracks that break new ground for the group, one would be staring at only 5-6 tracks. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as even though the majority of the album shares many sonic similarities with dvsn’s music that preceded it, the music is still made incredibly well with powerful vocal and production efforts from two of the industry’s best. Even if one were to be disappointed that this record does not have a complete musical shift, like the one seen between dvsn’s first two records, there is no denying the talent and allure of this album as a whole.
Where dvsn breaks new ground, they find themselves actually diverging into two totally separate realms within their perfected area of R&B. The first realm is admittedly the safer one, as heard on tracks like ‘Friends’ featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR., and “Flawless’ Do It Well, Pt. 3’ with Summer Walker. It is here that dvsn strays into the conventional and pop-oriented side of R&B, with powerful kicks and mechanical hi-hats dominating the percussion tracks of each song. While ‘Friends’ is more reserved and melancholic meditation on love, ‘Flawless’ is a powerful and outspoken anthem that could just as easily be a club hit as it could be a track one listens to on the way home. ‘For Us’ is another track like this, and with it comes perhaps my favorite mix that dvsn has created since I became a fan years ago. While the song starts out as soft and low-fidelity, it evolves into a 90’s-esque power-ballad with production that sounds like an insane mix between House of Balloons-era The Weeknd and The Backstreet Boys.
The second realm they stray into is more subversive- as they borrow from reggae and dancehall styles on tracks like ‘Dangerous City’ with the legendary Buju Banton and Ty Dolla $ign, and ‘So What’ featuring Popcaan. ‘Dangerous City’ carries a unique combination of dvsn’s intoxicating heavy R&B style with Jamaican reggae, and the instrumental sounds like something one would find on a Matisyahu album, but why Ty Dolla $ign was included on the track is a bit of a mystery. His presence doesn’t detract from the song, though the choice to pair him with Banton is certainly a strange one. ‘So What’ does what many artists have tried to do: properly harness Popcaan’s incredible talent and delivery without trying to hop on a trend or a wave. This track rhythmically aligns much more closely with dancehall music than most of the other songs Popcaan has been featured on over the past several years, and his performance with dvsn was well-done with the timbre of his deep voice contrasting well with Daley’s. It would be great if fans got more tracks like this, or like ‘Keep It Going’, a song that plays with several musical styles and has one of the most unique vocal performances on the record. It should be said, however, that it is a bit odd to have 3 partly reggae/dancehall songs on a record that is majority trap-influenced R&B.
The biggest problem with this record is that the incredible 2019 single ‘In Between’ was replaced with a remix featuring Snoh Aalegra. The original was a minimalistic, and shimmering acoustic banger that sounded like the lovechild between Jodeci and N*SYNC, so it was a shame it was it was replaced by a weird radio-friendly track featuring a poor performance by a guest vocalist. This is fairly easy to forgive as dvsn was likely trying to capitalize off of the hype from that single, and it is not hard to simply delete the newer version from one’s library.
Although A Muse In Her Feelings does not musically reinvent the wheel, it is still a solid album with close to an hour’s worth of content for every dvsn and R&B fan alike. There is a little bit of something for everyone, and though I wish the OVO duo would have doubled down on their newer dancehall-inspired music, I am still satisfied with what we were given. Was it worth the 3 year wait? Maybe not, and not to sound like an apologist, but few albums are. A Muse In Her Feelings has certainly given me plenty of songs to add to my current rotation, and I am excited to see how this record grows on me in the coming months.
No Good
Keep it Going
For Us
Rating: 7
Listen to A Muse In Her Feelings here:
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By Luke Modugno
If a human being were to be the direct personification of the word “duality,” it would most certainly be Stephen Bruner, aka Thundercat. From harmonizing over soulful instrumentation about wishing he could be a cat, to gripping with loss of a friend, to aging and socioeconomic disadvantage, Thundercat’s juxtaposition of painfully human emotions and scenarios can truly make you laugh and cry all at once. But his fourth studio album It Is What It Is is perhaps Bruner’s greatest display of his artistic versatility.
Building off of the genre-melding sounds established by his 2017 project Drunk, Thundercats signature velvety melodies and funky production allow him to really come into his own sonically on this album. While Thundercat seems to pin down his soundscape on this LP, It Is What It Is is far from predictable. Alternating between toned down, nearly lofi production (“Lost in Space / Great Scott / 22-26”) and upbeat, jazzy tracks, (“Black Qualls,” “Dragonball Durag”) the project ticks all the boxes of a typical Thundercat release without sounding musically complacent. With help from friend and co-producer Flying Lotus, Thundercat takes considerably more sonic risks on It Is What It Is, allowing the album to be far more experimental than prior projects. But each risk pay off, creating standouts like “Innerstellar Love” and “Existential Dread.” The result is a cacophonic ride through Thundercats various emotional states, pushed along with inherently intriguing instrumentation and production.
Mood and sound are ever changing on It Is What It Is, as Thundercat attempts to come to terms with the death of his close friend Mac Miller. The title itself is a reflection of the lessons learned from the Pittsburgh musicians passing, “It’s just part of it, part of the story,” said Bruner in an interview with Apple Music. “That’s why the name of the album is what it is -- [Mac’s death] made me put my life in perspective. I’m happy I’m still here.” His happiness is reflected through his utilization of humor throughout the record, as it extenuates his grieving. No matter how good, bad, happy or sad the situation, Bruner always seems to find room for comedy. His lighthearted approach to misfortune saves the project from focusing too hard on philosophical reflection of the morality and fragility of life, something Thundercat is far too hilarious for. Instead, It Is What It Is exists somewhere else; somewhere between grieving and happiness, laughter and tears, the meaningful and the meaningless, life and death. Duality takes center stage in It Is What It Is, as Bruner must begrudgingly accept the highs and the lows of life because, quite simply put, it is what it is.
In addition to humor, good company seems to uplift Thundercat during the rough patches in life, and they also happen to make this guest list on this record star-studded. Steve Lacy, Louis Cole, Pedro Martins and Flying Lotus add to the already soulful aesthetics of a Thundercat record, while Ty Dolla $ign and Childish Gambino put in valuable vocal performances on notable cuts “Black Qualls” and “Fair Chance.” The tracklist is full of melodic, atmospheric songs that inspire a wealth of emotions. From floating through space on “Lost in Space / Great Scott / 22-26” to being thrust into the saturated uptempo “Innerstellar Love,” the album is a bumpy, yet endearing musical ride. The funky guitar gracing “Black Qualls” make for a truly soulful track, with a valuable and thought-provoking emphasis on black education and confidence. “Fair Chance” is spacey, glossy, beautiful goodbye to Mac from two of his closest friends (Cat and Ty Dolla $ign). “Dragonball Durag” is hilariously catchy and provides an exuberant counterpart to Bruners introspection. But the crown jewel of the tracklist comes last, in It Is What It Is’ title track, as Thundercat succumbs to his pure devastation in the wake of the death of Mac Miller. “My best just wasn’t enough/ It couldn’t be helped, the end/ The things I would do for you/ So many things I wanna say/ This is the end,” sings Thundercat over a melancholy guitar solo. The song acts as Bruners final goodbyes to Mac, as he grips with the apex of guilt, pain and mourning he’s felt in the two years following Miller’s death. The unbridled despair in Thundercats voice is raw, endearing and heartbreaking. Combined with the intimate, somber production, “It Is What It Is” is a tear-jerking, brilliant memorial to Miller. About halfway through, the track fades and is followed by Thundercat and Pedro Martins trading bass solos. Interweaving with Martins, Thundercat spends the closing moments of It Is What It Is playing the same instrument that sparked his friendship with Miller, which clearly blossomed into something incredibly dear to Bruner.
It Is What It Isis, through and through, a fantastic record. Its irresistibly funky, genre-fusing instrumentation combined with its playful, yet devastating subject matter make for a truly intriguing project.
Lost in Space / Great Scott / 22-26
Black Qualls (feat. Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington & Childish Gambino)
It Is What It Is (feat. Pedro Martins)
Rating: 9
Listen to It Is What It Is here:
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By Amaya Lorick
Photo By Geordie Wood
After four years since PARTYNEXTDOOR’s last album, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter built serious momentum for his third studio album PARTYMOBILE. Although the Canadian artist had released two EPs (Colours 2 and Seven Days) between June and September of 2017, his fans were craving the distinct sound heard in his previous projects.
Party’s official introduction to the world, PARTYNEXTDOOR (2013), shocked listeners with the perfect mix of R&B and alternative techno beats, creating a futuristic sound we did not know we needed. His debut album, PARTYNEXTDOOR 2 (2014), was a phenomenal follow-up to his introductory EP because fans were subtly hit with more cockiness and sex-induced lyrics than before. Though PARTYNEXTDOOR 3 had some skippable tracks, it did not disappoint and we learned more about his selfish behavior and toxicity within his relationships. Although we know Party is behind the demise of most of his romantic relationships, we still love him for his ability to acknowledge his faults. In PARTYMOBILE, PARTYNEXTDOOR is the same brutally honest, manipulative cheater. The only difference is that 26-year-old finally breaks off his drawn-out romance at the end of this album.
In preparation for PARTYMOBILE, PARTYNEXTDOOR released “The News” and “Loyal” featuring Drake, on November 21, 2019. On January 4, 2020, Party tweeted that his album was coming soon but fans received the video for “Loyal” on the 21st of the month instead. A week later, Party announced that he needed until February to complete his album, and posted the PARTYMOBILE cover art. As February came to an end, fans were still confused about why the album had not arrived. On February 27, 2020, PARTYNEXTDOOR released another single titled “SPLIT DECISION,” and the singer announced PARTYMOBILE was available for presale and would finally be available on March 27th.
True to the latter promise, PARTYMOBILE was released by OVO Sound on March 27th, 2020. The 57-minute long album had features from Bad Bunny and Drake and a very surprising appearance from Rihanna.
PARTYMOBILE begins with a minute-long introduction without the singer’s voice in “NOTHING LESS.” Anticipation is built as the song opens with a gasp for air and is followed by multiple echoes of the singer’s name embedded within the track. The beat drops halfway through the intro before Party opens with “Shawty, you get the best of me. Whatever is left of me.” What person does not want to dream about a partner who puts their all into a relationship? PARTYNEXTDOOR begins with a respectful track that sets a beautiful, yet sexy tone.
Though there is not a single song to be skipped on PARTYMOBILE, the second song “TURN UP” was slightly underwhelming considering PARTYNEXTDOOR’s past projects. The track was upbeat but the lyrics allude to the repetitive nature throughout the entire album. “TURN UP” is a good song, but it may have also worked well as a shorter interlude. The same can be said about “SHOWING YOU” and “NEVER AGAIN.” At the same time, Party’s flawless transitions between each song are what allow them to grow on you.
The three singles for PARTYMOBILE are positioned back-to-back-back following “TURN UP”. Ideally, you are supposed to relisten to each song as a key part of Party’s journey. In “THE NEWS,” PARTYNEXTDOOR recognizes that he and his love interest are not on the same page in their relationship. Party hints that he does not want a relationship but also does not want his woman to move on. Then, “SPLIT DECISION” is the acknowledgment of all the ill situations he put her through. He sings about her expression of mistrust and having to decide if she should break things off with Party for good. We recognize a tone shift in “LOYAL” as Party fights for his woman. After owning up to cheating in “SPLIT DECISION,” he hopes to influence her choice in giving him another chance.
Any Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR collaboration is bound to be a banger. The two Canadian singers complement each other in a way that never fails, making “LOYAL” one of the best songs on the album. The strategic placement of “THE NEWS,” “SPLIT DECISION,” and “LOYAL” would have been genius if some sort of creative shift occurred within track six, “TOUCH ME”.
Despite “TOUCH ME” being sonically pleasing, it was disappointing because of its similarity to “TURN UP.” Though the two songs are completely different in terms of production, PARTYNEXTDOOR is back to his old ways by insinuating he doesn’t truly misses his past relationship, but just misses the sex. By the time “TOUCH ME” is over, seasoned fans were either eagerly awaiting “BELIEVE IT” since it features Rihanna, or just hoping the next songs would be more exciting.
Considering we have not been blessed with new music from Rihanna since her collaboration with N.E.R.D. on “Lemon” in 2017, it is safe to say “BELIEVE IT” belongs to her and features PARTYNEXTDOOR. The two talented singers previously worked together on Rihanna’s album Anti (2016). Party wrote her song “Sex With Me” and co-wrote the popular dance song, “Work.” There is a possibility that “BELIEVE IT” could go up against “LOYAL” as a go-to song for this summer. “BELIEVE IT” is more suited for popular radio play compared to “LOYAL” because of its more upbeat chorus, consistency with lyrics, and it's later release date.
You cannot speak of PARTYMOBILE without unpacking the already infamous song “SAVAGE ANTHEM.” The six-minute song opens with its deceiving chorus of “Don't hold your breath, Don't wait on my love.” Initially, you think that Party is going to do what he typically does and slightly disrespect the woman he spent the entire project obsessing over, but this song is packed with more shade than expected. Party is petty and goes into detail about his dysfunctional relationship with singer Kehlani. The track is believed to have been recorded sometime in 2016 which makes the wounds fresh for Party and explains the venom spewed over “SAVAGE ANTHEM.” In his first verse, PARTYNEXTDOOR references Kehlani’s at-the-time boyfriend Kyrie Irving by alluding to the NBA star’s old jersey number:
“I heard number two is your man now, don't mind me bein' number two now.”
Each time the chorus is repeated, PARTYNEXTDOOR grows more ruthless and if we didn’t already know the song was about Kehlani, he leaves no doubt on the fourth verse when he references her hometown of Oakland, California.
Besides the obvious mistake of including the Bad Bunny remix of “LOYAL” and not allowing PARTYMOBILE to end with “SAVAGE ANTHEM,” PARTYNEXTDOOR provided us with a solid album. Longtime PARTYNEXTDOOR fans wanted a new addition to the sequel but PARTYMOBILE is the start of a new chapter. Given that the album goes against the major sound portrayed in the trio of projects with his name, it should be individually judged. The song with the closest sound to Party’s previous projects is track 13, “ANOTHER DAY.” I can not be the only one happy that the song still earned placement on the album after it was leaked in August 2019. PARTYNEXTDOOR fans wanted something deemed better than all of his previous projects. Ultimately, Party stayed well within his comfort-zone and relied on his effortless talent to deliver an album he knew would not flop.
NOTHING LESS
ANOTHER DAY
SAVAGE ANTHEM
Rating: 8
Listen to PARTYMOBILE here:
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It’s only the first week of April, and 2020 has already been an insane ride for music fans. From the release of some of the most highly anticipated projects in recent memory (Eternal Atake, A Written Testimony, etc.), to polished records from industry heavyweights (After Hours, The Slow Rush), 2020 has given us absolutely everything—well, that is almost everything. 2020 has yet to present us with an unknown voice who explodes onto the scene. A young artist who has a different way of doing things and sounds like none of their predecessors. A rare talent that has the ability to force an entire genre to pivot directions to follow this exciting new star. A future superstar who’s innate ability is indisputable and longevity undeniable. 2020 has yet to give us a true break out moment—that is until March 27th when R&B newcomer Giveon dropped his debut project, TAKE TIME.
Originally from Long Beach, Giveon fell in love with songwriting long before he ever thought about singing seriously. In an interview with DJ Booth, he explains how he used to start by writing short stories, then once complete, turn them into songs. Take one listen to the vivid imagery and introspective narrative in any Giveon song and it’s obvious that exercises like this paid off tenfold.
At the end of February, Giveon received his first major industry cosign. Making an appearance on Drake’s one-off freebie “Chicago Freestyle” was equi-part surprising and magical as the young vocalist delivered a chilling hook that brings the song together. The video alone generated 24 million views in one month—talk about a cosign.
Three weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the 25-year-old artist when he came into my office space to play the then unreleased TAKE TIME for a group of us. “I had known I could sing, I just didn’t like my voice,” he told us. “I listened to Frank Ocean and Miguel, I thought that that’s how people were supposed to sound, and if you didn’t sound like them, you probably sounded weird.” Giveon carried this misconception until he had an epiphany listening to a Frank Sinatre record. “It was the very first time I heard a baritone singer,” he told us. “That was when I realized there might be an audience for my voice.” This influence is what makes Giveon so unique. The way that he effortlessly combines classic melodies, his breath-taking baritone voice, timeless song writing, and modern R&B production allows Giveon to create an entire world in his music that somehow feels familiar while simultaneously sounding like no one you’ve ever heard before.
Prior to the meeting I had heard his angelic single “HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY” so while I was already ecstatic to meet the young creative, I was in no way prepared for what I was about to hear.
On March 27th Giveon released his debut project, TAKE TIME. The eight song EP runs for 25-minutes and contains no features.
The project starts with a recorded voicemail from the artist’s mother, “Giveon, I don’t know if it was fireworks or gunshots but the birds is in the air.” Referring to helicopters as birds, the single sentence perfectly captures the constant essence of danger that exists in his hometown and is a perfect intro for the first track “THE BEACH.” On the track, Giveon sings about how it feels to bring a girl he likes back to Long Beach for the first time (“See, your mom told you about this side/It can get ugly/I'm just a boy from the east side/Do you love me?”). While he is clearly hesitant to expose this girl to the dangers of LBC, she tells him she’s not scared and is ready for whatever may unfold. Sonically, the track is wavy, anchored by a groovy baseline and a beautiful rhythm guitar.
The second track “WORLD WE CREATED” is graceful cut that accurately depicts the bliss that comes at the beginning of a relationship when everything seems to be perfect (“I just wanna stay in the world we created/I just wanna sink in the plans that we makin'/When I leave I'm not lookin' for a replacement for what I got”). The horns section in the back of the mix really compliments Giveon’s voice and the chorus on this thing feels so damn good.
Giveon’s euphoric relationship begins to turn sour on my personal favorite, “FAVORITE MISTAKE.” Clearly not in the same headspace as he was on “WORLD WE CREATED,” Giveon is now entertaining a women on the side and loving the lustrous affair (“Is my secret safe?/Safe with just you and me/We can't leave a trace/This is my favorite mistake”). Giveon’s staccato melody on the hook is backed by heavenly background vocals and creates an addicting effect that’ll have you constantly coming back to this track.
On the fifth track “THIS AIN’T LOVE” Giveon is clearly fed up with his “favorite mistake” although he’s still indulging the affair. He spoils her to get what he wants but is more frequently realizing that she is far inferior to his girl at home (“Know you ain't the same/in that Saint Laurent/Help you take it off/can't get too involved”). “THIS AIN’T LOVE '' is also the first time we are exposed to Giveon’s beautiful falsetto which he flexes on both verses.
The inevitable break-up happens somewhere between the end of track five and start of track six and “HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY” is the verbalization of the melancholy mood that plagues Giveon for months after (“Just like the day that I met you, the day I thought forever/Said that you love me, but that'll last for never/It's cold outside like when you walked out my life/Why you walk out my life?”). The slow and simple piano chords are one of few tracks in the wide open mix shining a bright spotlight on Giveon’s gorgeous vocals really showcasing his ability to carry an entire song on the strength of his voice alone.
The album’s first single, “LIKE I WANT YOU” appears next on the tracklist. Plenty of time has elapsed since the break-up and Giveon and his ex are now on speaking terms. More than anything he wants her to come back to him, but he hides these feelings because he fears she’s already moved on (“Sometimes I wish you knew/But I disguise the truth/I say I'm happy but I'm still stuck on us”). Giveon pours his soul into this slow jam and while the message is one of pain, it’s hard not to love this song.
The project concludes with “VANISH” a reflective track where Giveon relives the time leading up to the break-up. An outwardly distraught Giveon experiences first-hand that nothing stings like regret as he stews over things that were said in the final days of the relationship (“Sayin' things I don't mean/To someone that means the world to me/You see what I mean?”). The song ends with a heartbreaking voicemail from Giveon where he tells his now ex that he’s sorry, they are going to make it work, and that he loves her.
While only seven songs (eight if you count the 45 second interlude), Giveon’s debut project TAKE TIME is phenomenal and leaves you desperate for more. He seamlessly introduces himself and showcases the versatility of his voice while simultaneously taking us on a journey that was his last relationship. Giveon’s combination of genius songwriting, technical singing ability, and an eminently unique voice make him an extremely rare talent that truly is the whole package. Thank you Giveon for creating a world that listeners can escape to in a time where that’s exactly what people need.
THE BEACH
FAVORITE MISTAKE
HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY
Rating: 9
Listen to TAKE TIME here:
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By Miles Hagan
Where to begin with Donald Glover. The true definition of a renaissance man, Childish Gambino has built one of the most respectable and diverse discographies in music. Critics and fans alike were pleasantly surprised with the deviation from rap in 2016 that was Awaken My Love. Gambino had previously never released an entire R&B record, but the public reception was excellent. For most of his career he has displayed his versatility as an artist, and this record forced people to pay attention. A week before the official release of 3.15.20 Glover had a website titled “Donald Glover Presents'' where he actually released the project for a short amount of time before the commercial release. It created buzz, but was promptly removed after being up for a couple hours.
3.15.20, Gambino’s fifth project to hit streaming services, was officially released on Sunday, March 22nd. The album houses 10 tracks and runs for just under an hour. Now with the album officially being released the public can enjoy the next musical endeavor from one of the greatest minds in the music industry.
The meaning of the song titles has to be mentioned. While at first this may seem a bit confusing this just simply indicates the timestamp within the albums run time where that track starts.
Childish Gambino has given us a diverse array of sounds throughout his career and 3.15.20 is no exception. “Time” and “12.38” take care of the feature work early on with appearances from Ariana Grande and 21 Savage. “12.38” should be the radio hit of the year. It has everything someone could ask for in a song in 2020. What it adds is compelling and relevent lyricism such as, “Most these niggas wanna run around with these SZAs (Yeah) I prefer to just stroll the park with this Chaka”. Bino sounds angelic and Savage slides over the beat perfectly for his verse. The production evolves from start to finish and keeps the listener engaged, it feels like the song is growing with time (The background vocals are stunning too). His language on the entirety of this project may be the biggest takeaway. This is one of the highest profile releases of the year, yet he doesn't make the listener feel like the content is going over their heads. Instead he is speaking to them and trying to find a way to keep them engaged with the content.
The way Childish performs both vocally and as a producer is like nothing else being produced right now. The first half of 3.15.20 is a sonic rollercoaster. “Algorhythm” and “Time” both sound futuristic utilizing a lot of autotune and synths. Apple Music classifies this as a Hip-Hop/Rap album and in terms of what Gambino is doing vocally that may be justified, as there were several moments on this album where he is flowing, but sonically this sounds nothing like an average hip-hop/rap project. There are several instruments at play in every track and when the music first starts it is impossible to tell what he is going to do with it. “24.19” sounds like the modern day version of a 70s track, with autotune that would make Stevie wonder using a voice box proud. He seamlessly flows between rapping and singing not even just track to tack, but within the same song. Something that also carried over from Awaken My Love is his impressive vocal control.
3.15.20 is a densely packed album with a lot to understand conceptually. What must be applauded from Glover is the way in which he makes his statements. Time and time again he ups the ante and forces the listener to take a step back from the pleasant sounds they are hearing and actually focus on what he is saying. “35.31” is a perfect example. First of all it comes after a song in “35.22” that sounds like the most raw demo stolen from a Kanye Yezzus session before the words were written. This is an upbeat, folky, country sounding song a little past the midway point on this R&B and Hip-Hop record. In a high pitched innocent voice Gambino spends the next 4 minutes singing about serving coke to fiends and toting guns. Stereotypical Trap lyrics in a country sounding song, yet when coming from the mind of Donald Glover this works perfectly. This is the last thing I was expecting to hear and if someone described what it was going to sound like before I listened to the track I probably would have been hesitant. That is the genius of Childish Gambino, not only is he aware of this but he takes that challenge head on. Something as obvious as what he is actually saying can go right over the casual listeners head, because it sounds pleasant. The cultural awareness of 3.15.20 is strategic and subtle. In an era of genre bending where the biggest star in the world gets accused of biting almost on a daily basis ( *cough cough* Drake), is it not refreshing to have someone at the forefront of that movement morph it into something of their own?
“42.26” is actually the still so impressive and so meaningful “Feels Like Summer” from almost a year ago. While already incredible on its own, in the context of the entire project it fits perfectly.
What has been a source of discontent from some fans is the extra things that Gambino added to the project. The first three minutes of the album the same electronic voice just repeats the phrase “we are”. The ending of “19.10” sounds like the lochness monster hopped in the booth for the last 30 seconds of recording.
It may be a cop out to say art is subjective but that has to be done in certain cases. It is difficult to pinpoint what Glover was exactly attempting to say with this project, but it is clear that there is a message and a wealth of knowledge to uncover. Reading deeper into the lyrics feels like an honest experience. Childish doesn't shy away from the flaws and shortcomings of people in any of the songs on the album. “19.10” is the most outwardly happy sounding song on the entire album but also contains the lyrics, “to be happy really means that someone else ain't”. He spends the majority of the next song wondering why the woman he constantly hurts still loves him. He is critiquing society in the most digestible way possible. The stories don't continue from song to song, and there is no moment near the end that ties everything together. Donald Glover just tells us to “do what we wanna do” to close the project.
This album felt very similar to how it feels to watch Donald Glover’s show Atlanta. It is an undeniably enjoyable experience even though you know you are not catching everything the first and probably not the second time going through. The beautiful crisp production and skillful singing and rapping captivate the audience while the lyrics underneath paint a darker image. Atlanta is a comedy but then there is an episode like “Teddy Perkins” that reveals the more ominous overtones to the series. While the show is outrageous at times, the brutally honest and realistic depictions of life situations is what keeps people coming back. 3.15.20 does a great job at depicting the harsh and beautiful reality we live in.
12.38
35.31
47.48
Rating: 9
Listen to 3.15.20 here:
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By Courtney Fields
The year 2019 was slowly coming to an end and fans were beginning to realize yet another year would pass without drops from some of the industry’s biggest names, but on November 25th, Abel Tesfaye, The King of The Fall himself took to Instagram to announce a “NEW BRAIN MELTING PSYCHOTIC CHAPTER” of The Weeknd’s career that would start with the release of his new single “Heartless.”
The single is a great beginning to the new chapter of The Weeknd’s career. Part of what makes The Weeknd a great artist is his ability to story tell, which is something that has become a lost art in the two genres he has mastered: Pop and R&B.
Upon the first listen, it seems like your average boastful song, but although fame, women, money, and drugs dominate the majority of the song, “Heartless” is more of a self-awareness track than anything else. In “Heartless,” The Weeknd’s Ego and his Sacred Self are playing a game of tug and war.
“Never need a bitch I’m what a bitch need”
“Trying to find the one that can fix me”
The title of the song almost serves as a front since, in a way, all men aspire to be heartless. I, as well as many other men often fall victim to social constructs that tell us to be tough, and not show our feelings.
“Machismo culture” is no conspiracy, it has been defined as overly exaggerated masculinity and it often damages the quality of our romantic relationships. The reason we fell in love with The Weeknd’s songwriting early on was his ability to relate to the plight of everyday people, despite being a superstar. In the two verses The Weeknd has on this song, they’re both filled with how many women, clothes, money, and fast cars he has. He’s not afraid to tell you how many women he's sold dreams to, how long he’s been living like a rockstar, or how many magazine covers he's been on. The verses do a great job of distracting you from the chorus, as well as the bridge at the end of the track.
In the chorus, Abel still claims that he has no heart, but not in the way every man would like to believe that they themself are heartless. He’s heartless because after all he’s done to grow, he still finds himself falling into the hole he dug for himself when he first moved to Los Angeles. A hole that caused him to use drugs as a crutch, as well as a hole full of toxic and misogynist behavior.
In the second half of the chorus, the song highlights one of the main themes throughout the entire album: the negative side effects of fame and money. Abel figured since he’s moved away from LA, a place that caused him so much pain; he was escaping his old ways as well. Still, he feels as if he will never be able to change his ways.
Is The Weeknd no longer falling victim to lust, or is he still desperate to find the right woman? “Heartless” gives us no clear answer.
The Weeknd released two more singles, with one being nostalgic of the dance-pop sound of the ’80s. “Blinding Lights'' gets you moving with its upbeat, synthesized production while simultaneously proving why The Weeknd is such a polarizing artist. He can give fans a certain nostalgia for one of the best eras in music and deliver a deeply emotional track at the same time. The star still yearns for a partner who can show him how to love, one who will never leave his side and one he'll simply never let go.
The third promotional single for After Hours was the title track. The song serves as a powerful single because it’s very reminiscent of his earlier works. Abel’s life is falling apart and despite his growth as a man, he still finds himself drifting in the pool of the aftershocks of his success. Seven years past his heavyhearted debut album Kiss Land, still risking everything for love, The Weeknd manages to relate to audiences by being the heartbroken singer we all know and love.
The Weeknd dropped After Hours on March 20th. The album contained no features.
A good beat drop excites any music fan, but in the intro song “Alone Again” the drums were almost useless. The track does a great job of building your excitement as a listener, but honestly the beat drop is very underwhelming. The powerless moment in the first track takes away from track two, “Too Late” which probably should’ve been the intro to the album. “Too Late” sets the tone for this synth-heavy album, it also introduces the first signs of pessimism and the need to move away from Los Angeles we see throughout After Hours.
In “Too Late” Abel is still putting the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“It’s way too late to save our souls
It’s way too late, we’re on our own”
Abel also shows his selfish nature throughout “After Hours.” He knows that he’s probably ran his relationship into the ground; but rather than letting his partner go on her own path, he suggests she join him in his life of lust. He then goes on to sing, “I can’t trust where I live anymore” in reference to LA. Later in the album, this mistrust leads to him escaping to The City of Sin: Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tracks two and three are probably The Weeknd’s most mature tracks within his discography. Both “Hardest To Love” and “Scared To Live” again show The Weeknd placing the blame on himself, but this time he takes all of the responsibility while allowing his partner to find true happiness. “Scared To Live” is also one of the best vocal performances on After Hours. Track two, three and four is where the listener should begin to notice the battle of ego versus sacred self that The Weeknd is struggling with.
“Snowchild” is the fifth song on the new LP. In this track, The Weeknd reflects on his past. In an attempt to support his need to leave LA, he begins to wonder if he had any ill will that motivated his rise to the top.
In track six, “Escape From LA” insinuates that Los Angeles enticed him for all of the wrong reasons. This is a point in After Hours where we see the clearest nod to “Old Abel” since this is one of the most gloomy songs on the project.
Relocating to Sin City was an interesting choice for The Weeknd, considering the fact that what he wanted to escape from in Los Angeles was its vices. After his “Escape From LA” the Weeknd backpedaled into his old habits.
“I’ve been sober for a year now, now it's time for me
To go back to my old ways, don’t you cry for me
Thought I’d be a better man, but I lied to me and to you”
Tracks nine through twelve show The Weeknd in his classic egotistical state. This particular stretch of songs are fun too, they show the most striking resemblances to 80’s dance music. There is a bit of a contradiction since you would most likely be up dancing to the most toxic tracks of 2020.
During the last two tracks of the album, The Weeknd has come to the realization that he put every ounce of literal blood, sweat, and tears into basking in the glory of his fast pace lifestyle, as well as sulking in shame.
In Track 14, “Until I Bleed Out” we see an Abel who has been relapsing since he got to Vegas. Unlike any other song on the project, Abel shows signs of wanting to pick up his sobriety and regretting what he has done to his life. Sadly, the track ends abruptly, as Abel is slowly bleeding out. It seems as if our favorite new 80’s pop star’s short-lived run has come to an end.
After Hours was initially released with 14 tracks and no features. Two days later a deluxe version was released with five more songs, all remixes of songs already on the album. The deluxe version includes a feature from Lil Uzi Vert on the “Heartless (Vapor Wave Remix)”.
Three days after the album’s release, a music video for “In Your Eyes” was released. The opening scene shows Abel as he attacks a young couple in the elevator. He kills the man but somehow the girl ends up getting away. Abel spends the entire video chasing this young woman just for her to chop his head off. The chase showcases how Abel has chased women, fame, and all the other vices a celebrity like him is exposed to.
In the promo for the second deluxe version of this album, he is shown sporting a black suit, rather than the red suit jacket he’s had on since November. The murder kicks off the journey for a new version of himself, or for a new character in After Hours.
Abel released three new tracks over a week after the album's initial release. The tracks “Nothing Compares”, “Missed You”, and “Final Lullaby” were added to the second installment of the deluxe version for After Hours. When you’ve been an XO fan for as long as many have, you eventually come to learn that The Weeknd would never release any songs for aimless reasons. He values his art, which is why these songs were released after his video for track 10 “In Your Eyes.” Sonically, these tracks deviate from the rest of After Hours and with the change of suit, it’s fair to say “Nothing Compares,” “Missed You,” and “Final Lullaby” are our first introduction to this new version of Abel.
This new project is refreshing for The Weeknd’s hardcore fanbase, as well as music fans everywhere. With his picked-out afro, thick mustache, red suit and black serial killer gloves, it’s simply fun to see an artist like the Weeknd completely indulge himself into a new identity. When all is said and done, After Hours will end up being his most complete project.
Snowchild
Escape From LA
Save Your Tears
Rating: 9
Listen to After Hours here:
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By Carter Fife
On February 28th, New Jersey singer/songwriter Ant Clemons released his debut commercial project Happy 2 Be Here, and with it came eight new tracks showcasing the R&B/hip-hop powerhouse’s talents. This record follows a successful past two years for Clemons, as he gained a significant amount of notoriety and popularity by being featured on the past 3 Kanye West records: 2018’s ye, 2019’s Jesus is King, and the now-scrapped YANDHI. With a powerful falsetto ability and songwriting expertise, he managed to leverage his talent and fame into getting artists like Timbaland, Pharrell, and Ty Dolla $ign to lend their efforts on three respective tracks. Two of those tracks, “Excited” and “4 Letter word”, were two of the four singles released prior to this project’s debut, and now that it is officially out, Ant Clemons has proved that he is here to stay.
Clemons has a very unique way of writing songs, one that does not need two dozen tracks of percussion and instruments, and this becomes apparent very quickly. Almost every track is fairly minimal, with Clemons’ vocals and writing doing most of the leg work. The project’s opening track “Mama I Made It” is a sweet song celebrating his successes that ends with him on the phone with his mom ecstatic about his presence on a Kanye West record. The track itself is co›mposed of a simple guitar track and Clemons’ voice for most of it, before the addition of a subtle string arrangement at the very tail end of the song. This theme continues into the next track with Timbaland, as the track’s composition is made of only Clemons, a guitar, and a drum loop. Tracks like these do a great job of showcasing Clemons vocal chops as well as his melody and songwriting abilities.
“Excited” is an unconventional and more blown-out track featuring Ty Dolla $ign, where Clemons raps and sings over a dreamlike 3/4 track complete with strings and high-pitched staccato piano melody. Ty Dolla $ign doesn’t surprise, for better or for worse, but he and Clemons certainly pair well together. On “Aladdin”, Clemons’ talent are put to the test when faced with an overwhelmingly electric and elaborate Pharrell-produced track. He rises to the occasion, and delivers well-written verses about his quick rise to fame, and the transformation of his hobby into hiss lifestyle.
“Beep” and “Good For You” are predictably written but well executed efforts by Clemons. The former sounds like it could have been a radio hit by Tory Lanez or Kehlani in 2016, and the latter is an acoustic performance as tender as the 5 tracks that preceded it. “Best Friend”, however, is equally melodically and vocally interesting as Clemons sings about a friendship changing due to the presence of romantic interests. He tragically sings in a beautifully composed melody “Who can I run to, when I ain't got no friends?/ Cause I just fucked that up too”. It is a short moment of narrative weakness that lends to showcase Clemons versatility and emotional range. Unfortunately, the record ends with “Pinky Promise”, a commercially saccharine track whose flaws exist in the same category as those heard in “Beep”. While songs like these would be welcome in a project from the average top 50 R&B artist’s record, I would have expected more from a Kanye-collaborator who is dripping with potential.
Happy 2 Be Here is a powerful showcasing of Clemons’ talents and potential, even though the project has its moments of weakness where Clemons perhaps plays it too safe. These moments, however, are more than made up for with the many other tracks overflowing with Clemons’ spotless harmonies and addictive vocal timbre. I look forward to hearing more of Ant Clemons music in the future, and if this record is anything to go by, I could see him become an industry heavyweight before long, whether he chooses to pursue the spotlight like a Weeknd-type figure, or in the shadows like a Matt Martians or a James Fauntleroy-type figure instead.
Mama I Made It
Excited (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
Aladdin (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
Rating: 8
Listen to Happy 2 Be Here here:
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Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Jhené Efuru Aiko Chilombo has been in the music business for quite a long time. At age 12, Jhené signed her first record deal with Epic Records; laying down vocals on several B2K tracks in the early 2000s. 12-year-old Aiko even opened for the boy band’s tour “Scream Tour 3” in 2003. When Aiko was 15, she asked to be released from Epic Records due to conflicts of interest regarding who she was as an artist. In 2008 at the age of 20, Jhené and O’ryan Browner’s (brother of former B2K singer, Omarion) daughter Namiko Love Browner was born.
Fast forward to March 16th, 2011, after an 8-year hiatus Jhené made her return to the music business. Jhené released her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s) via her website jheneaiko.com, with features from artists such as Kanye West, Drake, and Miguel. In 2012 Aiko signed a deal with legendary producer No I.D. 's record label, Artium Records, (Def Jam affiliate) to prepare for the release of her debut album. November 12th, 2013, Aiko released her debut EP Sail Out. Featured on the album were popular artists Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples, Childish Gambino, and Ab-soul. Aiko has since gone on to release TWENTY 88 which is a collaboration album with rapper and boyfriend Big Sean, her second studio album Trip, and now CHILOMBO.
In May of 2019, it seemed as if Jhené was back in album mode. Jhené released “Triggered (freestyle)” which was a breakup song aimed towards rapper Big Sean. The song itself triggered the release of four more singles over the next year: “Trigger Protection Mantra”, “None Of Your Concern” featuring Big Sean & Ty Dolla $ign, “P*$$Y Fairy”, and “Happiness Over Everything” featuring Miguel & Future.
On February 21, 2020, Aiko went to Instagram to announce that CHILOMBO would release on March 6th. Later that week Aiko described her then-upcoming third studio album as a celebration of her coming into her own personal power.
CHILOMBO was released on March 6, 2020, through Def Jam. The album boasts 20 songs and has an 01:03:34 timestamp on it. The album features some old faces we’re used to seeing on Jhené’s albums, as well as some new ones. Big Sean, H.E.R., Future, Miguel, Ab-Soul, Dr. Chill, Nas, John Legend, and Ty Dolla $ign all feature on the project.
“Triggered (freestyle)” and “None Of Your Concern” featuring Big Sean & Ty Dolla $ign are tracks two and three on CHILOMBO. With these songs being back to back, they immediately give listeners a perspective on her and Sean’s relationship. Rather than bottling up her emotions, Jhené went to the studio to express her irritation through a freestyle. Jhené doesn’t leave any room for confusion on this track. Instead of sending subtle shots, all of her bars are direct. The singer even went on the Rap Genius website to provide verified commentary on the song. On “None Of Your Concern”, Jhené and Big Sean are dealing with the aftershock of their relationship. Although the two artists do tell each other how they felt during the downfall of their relationship; much of the song focuses on how they plan to move on: with, or without one another.
“Happiness Over Everything” featuring Miguel & Future, “Tryna Smoke”, and “Party For Me” featuring Ty Dolla $ign all show a side of Jhené that fans are not used to seeing. The three songs draw many comparisons to 90s West Coast Rap. The production on the three tracks are based on funk music and have very laid-back melodies; if you couple that with the fact that the lyrics are related to partying and drugs, listeners are definitely reminded of where Jhené is from. “Party For Me” stands out the most out of the three. While listening fans took to Twitter to say they felt like she channeled her “Inner Nipsey Hussle” on the track, it turns out they were right. The track interpolated Nipsey’s flow on his song “Dedication”. “Party For Me” is seen as a tribute to the late rapper.
It wouldn’t be a true R&B project without a sensual slow bop, and Jhené delivers just that on track 6 with “P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)”. Although the song is your classic seductive R&B track, it stands out from most songs with a similar subject matter because of its storytelling. Jhené paints a vivid picture of sexual fantasizing, tension, and the actual experience. This is one of the most popular tracks on the project, with many of its lyrics flooding our timelines since its release.
As a whole, CHILOMBO is quite the experience. If Jhené’s massive dragon tattoo on her back was no indication, fans should know she’s evolved. On Jhené’s social media, you can find the singer reading books like ‘FEAR, Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm’, by Thich Nhat Hanh or ‘Becoming Supernatural’, by DR. Joe Dispenza. There’s a common theme Jhené’s new favorite reads, and her new music share: the concept of healing. In every song on CHILOMBO, the singer has the sounds of a crystal singing bowl embedded into every track. The bowls are used for healing, meditation, reducing stress, and balancing chakras. Along with singing bowls, the album is filled with uplifting and reassuring lyrics.
On CHILOMBO the four singles on the album were some of the best songs on the project. Often, by the time an artist's full project comes out, their singles are played out. Even though Jhené beautifully steps out of her comfort zone vocally on “Speak”, “Magic Hour”, and “Lightning and Thunder” featuring John Legend; her singles still stand out.
You can hit me up on twitter @004COURT and let me know what you think.
None Of Your Concern (Feat. Big Sean)
Tryna Smoke
Magic Hour
Rating: 9
Listen to CHILOMBO here:
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By Miles Hagan
Brent Faiyaz is an artist that has been generating buzz for all the right reasons his entire career. The majority of his success and fame has come from impressive features on other artists' work, and strong word of mouth by his more dedicated listeners. Many people were unaware for months that he was the one who lent his angelic vocals to Goldlink’s 2016 hit “Crew”. That chorus sounds just as good today as it did the first time I heard it, and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment. The last we heard from Brent was back in 2017 with his project Sonder Son, which really impressed listeners. As he has grown in popularity throughout the years we have patiently waited for what we would hear next from the DMV singer. When he announced that the title of his upcoming project would be F**k the World, fans were confused and intrigued as it is an interesting title for someone who is so beloved and makes such beautiful music.
Faiyaz does a great job of creating a general “vibe” with his music and F**k the World is no exception. The production across the board is very consistent on this album. He picks and chooses moments to let his voice be the main focus of the track, and at the same time is able to realize when the excellent production deserves to be the star. “Clouded” needs to be talked about and is the clear standout track from the project at least from a sonic standpoint. This is disappointing in a way because it also happens to be one of the shortest songs. The production in the background is initially minimal and very spacey. As we hear Faiyaz’s vocals become stronger and the track really starts taking shape the beats get stronger and by the end it almost sounds triumphant. This song like many others has lyrics that people may feel starkly contrasts the words he is actually saying. Brent’s mentality towards relationships has been described by many as “toxic”, and while that maybe true his undeniable talent lets him get away with some of it. As the album progresses the reasoning for the title begins to make more and more sense. Brent, whether he is dealing with women or haters in and outside of the music industry, seems to have developed a mentality that he is gonna get his by any means. Men lie, women lie, but the numbers don't and that is all he is concerned with and is not afraid to let you know it too.
“Been Away” and the title track showcase something that may be real talent for Brent if he implements out more consistently. The choruses on these two songs are absolute ear candy and will be stuck in your head all day. For my mother's sake I won’t type of what he says on “F**k the World”, but it is one of the most interesting and creative hooks i've heard all year. Overall songs like this and many of the other enjoyable tracks from the album sound like more polished versions of some of the songs on Sonder Son. The project does not overstay its welcome with an abrupt 27 minute run time, so there is also not a lot of time to waste. He gives himself 10 songs to wow us and does so plenty. The runs on “Bluffin” deserve to be talked about, and the phrase “You must be bluffin or you just don’t care” is a sentiment almost anyone can understand. This is also one of the only tracks with a very distinguishable drum pattern which is interesting for an album being released in 2020.
This is a really good album. Brent Faiyaz is one of the most interesting people in the industry and is finally beginning to get the mainstream appeal that he deserves. While in the broader landscape of music this is a very impressive album, for Brent this seems like he’s just further perfecting the sound he has been using his entire career. This is no knock on him, more so just a reason to be excited for what else is to come with the evolution of him as a person and musician. Lyrically people are beginning to take notice of what Faiyaz is saying, and while it may not always be the easiest to support, a guarantee is that it will be witty, relatable, and sound gorgeous if he's the one articulating it. He is near the top when it comes to male R&B and deservingly so. It seems as if he is only scratching the surface of just how amazing he could be and I am very excited to see what he brings us next.
Clouded
Been Away
Bluffin
Rating: 8
Listen to F**k the World here:
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By Luke Modugno
In 2018, the music world lost a monumentally talented individual. Pittsburgh rapper, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Mac Miller had just released his magnum-opus and Grammy-nominated album, Swimming, when he died of a drug overdose at the age of 26.
Like other late artists, the Miller estate was left with heaps of unreleased music from Mac and fans desperate to hear it.
Posthumous albums are a delicate and tricky concept. The family was tasked with honoring Miller’s artistic vision, which can be immensely difficult to navigate in a classy and sonically gratifying way. With that being said, Circles is one of the most complete and honoring posthumous projects to date.
Prior to his death, Miller worked closely with composer and producer Jon Brion on various songs — tracks that became the foundation of Circles. Following Miller's death, Brion was committed to finishing the project that Miller had started.
Conceptually, Circles is the completion of a paradox created by Swimming.
“My God, it go on and on / Just like a circle I go back where I’m from,” Mac rapped on the closing track of Swimming titled, “So It Goes.”
Swimming preaches growth, perseverance and being an actively positive force in your own mental health. Narratively, Circles is more of a cry for help, as Mac seems to fall into the same habits he swam away from in his previous project.
“I cannot be changed, no / trust me I’ve tried / I just end up right at the start of the line / drawing circles,” harmonizes Miller during the title intro track on “Circles.”
Musically, the album is breath-takingly gorgeous, each track evident of an elegant blend of Miller’s lofi, jazzy production and Brion’s grandiose mastery as a producer. Circles greatly benefits from Brion’s presence, as it breaks up the sonic monotony of Mac’s favoring for sleepy funk beats that oversaturated Swimming.
Since the release of GO:OD AM and his musical renaissance as an artist, Mac has been attempting to bridge the sizable gap between through-and-through hip-hop and the visceral, spacey world of jazz.
Circles sees Miller blend the two genres the most successfully. He seems to be comfortable in his own skin as a producer, as he finally did on Swimming.
Tracks “Blue World” and “Complicated” bring the jazz-inspired beats that graced and brightened the Swimming tracklist, like “Ladders,” “Small Worlds,” “What’s the Use?"
The project also infuses a hint of indie-folk, with “Hand Me Downs” and “Hands,” experimenting with Miller’s vocal range and singing voice. The lead single from the project, “Good News,” is an undisputed highlight of Circles. From the plucky guitar and slow drums, to Mac’s heartbreaking lyrics regarding how others perceived his tiring mental state, the track is a clear standout. Although meant to be a sonic and conceptual foil to Swimming, certain tracks bring the same lofi, sleepy mood that defined the latter, such as “Woods” and “Surf.”
Although Circles sounds dazzling, the project takes few risks sonically, generally following the same song structure and overall production established by Swimming, with only a few moments that truly break the mold in “Everybody,” “Hand me Downs” and “Complicated.”
The album concludes with the morbid “Once a Day”:
“It never really mattered what I had to say / I just keep waiting for another open door to come up soon / Don’t keep it all in your head / the only place you know nobody ever can see.”
It’s a truly painful end to a career that blessed the lives of millions, and an album that will surely do the same. Unfortunately, Miller won’t be able to build on the success of this album. The artistic vision and mind that provided one of the best discographies in contemporary hip-hop is gone. Fans of Mac should be beyond pleased with this, presumably, final entry to his catalog.
Yes, the album completes a cycle of depression, but Mac was still trying to find a way forward, a way out of the circle.
For that reason, Circles is a genuinely beautiful work of art. Expect it mentioned among the top albums of 2020 at the end of the year.
Circles
Blue World
Good News
Rating: 8.5
Listen to Circles here:
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