Photo Credit: Kristina Nagel Travis Scott’s new album UTOPIA is an interesting addition to his discography, but it falls short of the high expectations set by his previous work. UTOPIA features notable collaborations with artists like Beyoncé, Drake, and The Weeknd, which adds star power to the album and showcases Travis Scott’s ability to bring… Read more
Photo Credit: Live Nation Pink Tape showcases Lil Uzi Vert’s undeniable talent in crafting infectious melodies and seamlessly blending genres. While the album does explore some ventures into rock, it falls short of offering something truly groundbreaking compared to Uzi’s previous releases. Unfortunately, this lack of artistic evolution, combined with an unnecessarily long tracklist, hinders… Read more
Photo Credit: Andrew Toth Young Thug’s latest release Business Is Business disappointingly falls flat, failing to capture the anticipated bite and intrigue from an artist returning from a year-long incarceration. The album’s eclectic nature gives the impression of a farewell album, with Thug’s performance feeling strictly business and considerably diminished. The album only manages to… Read more
Photo Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews The run-up to SZA’s sophomore effort SOS has been long, unpredictable, and reliably confounding. Its lead single – and SZA’s first solo top-ten hit – “Good Days” arrived almost two years before the rest of the album and wouldn’t enjoy an official music video until March 2021, by which time… Read more
Photo Credit: OVO/Republic It’s not uncommon for an artist to lose their passion – their fire, their spark – as they move up the echelons of stardom. That doesn’t make it any less disappointing to watch it happen in real-time. Case in point: Drake. After releasing three successive career-bests in the form of Take Care,… Read more
Photo Credit: Courtesy of DJ Khaled There is something confounding about the success of DJ Khaled. Sixteen years, and thirteen albums, into his career, he has yet to release a truly singular piece of work, let alone a masterpiece. To his critics, Khaled simply does what other DJs do but louder and with a more… Read more
Photo Credit: Collages via Billboard Most people will tell you that the only success that translates financially is “success.” In music, certainly, it’s thought to be almost entirely mathematical: the more records an artist has sold, the more “successful” they are (of course, in recent decades the number of downloads and streams would also have… Read more
Photo Credit: Image via YouTube/Drake Drake’s latest release Certified Lover Boy starts with the five-and-a-half-minute “Champagne Problems”; which begins with a sample of Masego’s “Navajo” – which, itself, samples the Beatles’ “Michelle”. The LP opener sees Drake fully recharged since his last full-length record of new material – 2018’s Scorpion. Here, the Canadian rapper turns the dial all… Read more
Photo Credit: Getty Images for The Recording Academy (All Photos) The 2021 Grammy’s were one to remember. During the COVID-19 pandemic, award shows like the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes were struggling to adapt to a blend of in-person and virtual acceptances, and pulled off their respective shows with varying degrees of success. The Grammys… Read more
Photo Credit: Pamela Littky Man On The Moon III: The Chosen is the seventh studio album by Cleveland bred rapper Kid Cudi, and it feels like when your favorite rock band reunites and their stage costumes don’t quite fit well anymore. Bummer right? Their pants are either too tight or not loose enough by today’s… Read more