Raz Fresco – “Y = Self” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee/producer Raz Fresco self-producing his 18th studio LP. I’ve been familiar with the guy since my high school years at this point whether it be some of his features or his own extensive discography including the Magneto Was Right mixtape series, the Futurewave-produced Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen album, the Nicholas Craven produced Boulangerie album, the Cake beat tapes, the Gia…À La Carte collab EP with Estee Nack or more recently the Cookin’ Soul produced Bakin’ Soul, the Daniel Son collab effort Northside & the DJ Muggs-produced The Eternal Now. Coming off Stadium Lo Champions however, he’s back 15 months later for Y = Self.

“It Don’t Stop” begins with a mellow yet rugged intro promising to do his thing as long as the sun’s shining whereas “Borders” goes for more of a drumless vibe to talk about generational madness. “The Living Light” instrumentally embraces a warm boom bap direction boasting his capability of turning muhfuckas’ worlds off balance leading into “Can’t Let Go” soulfully talking about people making themselves prisoners of the street life.

Continuing from there, “The Blind” returns to the boom bap telling the detractors that they can pretend he isn’t successful as much they as want just before “What’s Really Real?” begins to question the idea of authenticity in hip hop itself from his perspective. “The Deaf” ends the 1st half on a rugged note talking about trying to break the cycle of generational pain while “Mayday” kicks off the 2nd half cautioning that one can’t refund the game.

We have The 6th Letter making Y = Self’s only guest appearance during “Memoires” talking about having recollection of your life when it’s all said & done while “Specialize” soulfully details him becoming an expert at getting what’s his. “The Dumb” concludes the trilogy of songs in which “The Blind” began & “The Deaf” bridged while “L.I.F.E. (Learning by Intelligent Forms of Energy)” symphonically talks about him trying not to preach on the microphone since that’s what churches are for.

“Censorship” gets the album’s final act going with a darker atmosphere talking about there being levels of certified gangsta shit occurring at all times while “PlzTllMe” demonstrates Raz’ ear for samples once more, flipping a soul track & making knowledge born on the microphone at the exact same time. The closer “Euphoria’s Formula” sends of the Toronto veteran’s first full-length in over a year with a soulful outro speaking directly from the heart.

The last time Raz Fresco produced an entire body of work for himself was Pocket Operations III: Breakfast in Berlin back in 2023 so considering the solo run he’s been on these past couple years, I was excited for Y = Self considering how much I loved Bakin’ Soul or The Eternal Now & I can say he gave an introspective opus that further cements his place as one of the underground’s most respected voices over 15 years since I initially heard his verse on Ace Hashimoto’s “Super Smash Bros.” as a teenager.

Score: 4/5

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Buckshot – “The Package” review

Here is the 3rd solo LP from Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer Buckshot. Emerging as the frontman of the trio Black Moon & the Boot Camp Clik’s de facto leader along with founding one of the most beloved record labels in all of hip hop Duck Down Music with the assistance of his business partner Dru Ha, his debut The B.D.I. Thug as well as Backpack Travels become the only 2 albums he’s put out & he’s coming off the I’m the Boss EP a few years earlier to drop off The Package.

The self-produced “We Have Arrived” begins with a jazzy 3 & a half minute intro to get things going whereas “Good Day” continues the jazz rap vibes explaining about how rather pleasantly this day has been panning out in his hood. “What I Bring to the Table” shifts towards a hardcore boom bap direction talking about getting his & breakin’ ‘em all off leading into “Sounds of the Subway” brings the horns back for another jazz rap cut getting on his New York shit.

“Just Stop” moves on from there with a more mellow boom bap atmosphere providing some advice for the kinda people who don’t know when to shut the fuck up until “Make Moves” reaches the halfway point of the full-length responding to those saying he ain’t the hardest. “High Tech Low Life” kicks off the 2nd leg of The Package ruggedly talking about going nowhere as long as he has is notepad & pen in his backpack while “All Fans” expresses his increasing appetite over some strings.

To get the 4th quarter started, “Beware Now” jazzily advises to realize where one stands & spraying up blocks while “Band on Break” brings some pianos into the fold responding to the people wondering where he’s been for so long. “Night Stress” featuring Steele talks about everyone having their own right to rebel & scoffing at these muhfuckas playing crash dummies while the title track spends the LP’s final minutes embracing a celebratory atmosphere confident of taking it to the top with him.

The B.D.I. Thug has been widely considered to be one of the most disappointing debut albums in hip hop & Backpack Travels was alright for what it was but if it takes another decade or so for Buckshot to go solo again, then I wouldn’t complain because I truly believe The Package is musically superior than both it’s predecessors. I think it’s a great for those who’ve been wanting him to produce an entire body of work for himself & the Duck Down co-founder lyrically sounds as sharp as he did on Rise of da Moon back in 2019.

Score: 4/5

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Future – “The Real Me” review

Here we have the 12th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). With that said: A great deal of his material for the past decade has primarily been hit or miss. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable. High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. Metro reunited with Future for We Don’t Trust You & We Still Don’t Trust You, refining Pluto’s previous double album FUTURE HNDRXX & becoming his best since D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). Coming off Mixtape Pluto however, we’re getting a glimpse of The Real Me.

“Fukk a Interview” hooks up a synthesizer-based trap beat produced by ATL Jacob, FNZ & Wheezy talking his shit for his whole entire family for the intro whereas “1 2” gets his gangsta rap shit for a couple minutes over a Smatt Sertified instrumental. “No Misery” puts some odd effects on his vocals talking about trying to tie a bitch like an ace until “California Girls” takes a stripped-back trap approach talking about having bitches around the world.

Meanwhile on “Tank Top Pluto”, we have Future flexing his lifestyle over a boisterous beat from DY prior to the latter’s fellow 808 Mafia brethren TM88 getting behind the boards for “Weight Up” so he can talk about getting his cake up combing an opulent backdrop with some hi-hats. “Konnichiwa” instrumentally makes me feel like I’ve been teleported a couple centuries forward boasting his exotic hoes while “Trench Coat” continues the gangsta themes talking about his grandmother’s house being a drug store.

“Snowing in Skyami” to dig up an outtake from the Mixtape Pluto sessions that Taurus cooked up including a hilarious line regarding him having more women than Nick Cannon while “Build a Bitch” goes for a drumless direction although the repetitive lyricism can get tiring after a bit. The only single “Radio” explores the tension between humility & success over a Dez Wright beat eschewing any mainstream appeal in the process while “2018” brings back the raspy voice he infamously used for the “King’s Dead” single the same year over a DJ Spinz instrumental.

Continuing the 2nd half of The Real Me, “Money Over Everything” has somewhat of a distorted trap quality to it talking about the revenue being his to priority while “Off the Hinge” suggests to let him have his way since he has 5 vibes in his bedroom over a Southside beat. “If I Could” talks about how it wouldn’t be a sin for him to eventually rule the whole world & the difficulty of telling his loved ones how he feels while the bouncy “Big Moment” confronts his girl regarding her to take the stress outta her.

“Cast a Spell” once again delves deeper into the themes of romance raspily assuring this woman that he does shit better than her exes & after “Kick” combines electronics with trap to talk about him beginning to feel the effects of some drugs he took, “Hollywood” acknowledges him being crazy enough to know he’s groovy comparing himself to a pop star AND a rock star simultaneously containing what might be the most upbeat drums on the entire full-length.

The song “Feeling I Give” prepares to send off The Real Me willing to bet $1M on his doubts of any other artist being more toxic than him while “Alice” easily sticks amongst my top 3 cuts, referencing the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland over a playful instrumental that the Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell made. “Eye to Eye” spends the final minutes talking about being on another level with his money.

Mixtape Pluto still gets a divisive reputation over 9 months since it came out & although I couldn’t tell you why he lied about having hidden features twice when he’s handling all the performances himself, I wouldn’t really consider The Real Me to be on par with the double LP he & Metro put out a couple years ago. It’s more in the same category as The WIZRD in that there are some tracks I can see myself revisiting, but it doesn’t necessarily evolve the sound he became synonymous with during my adolescence.

Score: 2.5/5

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Jack White – “Frozen Charlotte” review

Jack White is a 51 year old musician, singer/songwriter, producer, businessman & actor from Detroit, Michigan known for being the frontman of the seminal garage rock revival duo The White Stripes. He would later drop his solo debut Blunderbuss under his own label 3rd Man Records in tandem with XL Recordings & Columbia Records in 2012, which was followed up with Lazaretto & Boarding House Reach prior to him declaring his independence in 2022 with Fear of the Dawn & Entering Heaven Alive respectively. His previous full-length No Name has quickly become his most beloved statement since The White Stripes’ disbandment & his 7th studio LP looks to dethrone it.

“G.O.D. & the Broken Ribs” accompanied by the b-side “Derecho Demonico” each get the ball rolling with a fusion of blues rock, alternative rock, punk blues, hard rock, garage rock revival & rap rock retelling the story of Adam & Eve in addition to breaking down is only rule of not starting what he can’t finish. “There’s Nobody Here” gives me some punk blues/garage punk vibes singing about sending smoke signals in the air with no one around while “Raising the Grain” commandingly heads for the catacombs where the river flows.

Meanwhile on “You’ll Never Fix Me”, we have Jack embracing a noisier sound encouraging to turn the lights off since he’s seen & heard enough just before “Nobody Knows” finds himself confused by all these questions until he suggests that it could be the human ego speaking to him. The final single “Dollar Bill” combines blues rock & garage rock revival with acid rock to sing about money & power while “I Can’t Believe What I’m Hearing” gives the impression that it was most likely conceived following his impending divorce from his 3rd wife Olivia Jean.

“Thick as Thieves” turns the blues punk influences back up singing about a loyal relationship where they fulfill each other’s needs while the bluesy “All Alone Again” explains that there isn’t an obstacle stronger than greed. “She’s in a Frenzy” continues from there exploring themes of envy & after “Making Contact” criticizes big tech for misinformation dominating social media these days, “Neighbors Blues” spends the last 5 minutes radiating some heavy Led Zeppelin vibes to vent that the people living next to him never have anything kind to say.

Carrying over the raucously frenetic energy of No Name a couple years ago, Jack White dethrones Frozen Charlotte’s predecessor to become his most intimate solo album & my favorite of his since leaving Columbia. The hard & blues rock styles are being prioritized more than his previous outing although we still get hints of punk blues, garage punk, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, garage rock revival, rap rock & acid rock packing a punch that longtime fans will quickly recognize that additionally leaves an open door to anyone who’s been recently introduced to Jack through this.

Score: 4.5/5

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Kelela – “New Avatar” review

Kelela is a 43 year old singer/songwriter & producer from Washington, D.C. who signed to Warp Records following her debut extended play Cut 4 Me in the fall of 2013 She would go on to follow it up with the Hallucinogen mixtape 24 months afterwards as well as the critically revered full-length debut Take Me Apart almost a decade ago & returning for the sophomore effort Raven. For the past few months already, she’s been teasing her 3rd studio LP by dropping a handful of singles & the main course is here in time for summer.

“Idea 1” blends neo-psychedelia, ethereal wave, shoegaze, dream pop & post-rock singing about existing in this current political climate whereas “Point Blank” combines alternative R&B, UK bass, east coast club, atmospheric drum & bass, Baltimore club and post-dubstep confessing that she’s too spent to weep. “Goin Down” has a bit of an alternative rock flare to it singing about the feeling of there being no way out just before “Outta Time” fuses alternative R&B, neo-soul, neo-psychedelia, UK bass & psychedelic soul observing that time’s running out.

As for “Against Me”, we have Kelela focusing more on the alternative R&B side of things acknowledging the demise of a relationship unfolding in front of her while “Crystalize” concludes the 1st half of New Avatar asking this person why they can’t get things right when she loved them the most. “Retaliation Lullaby” delicately sings about avoiding the loss of sight while “Linknb” mixes neo-psychedelia, indie rock, trip hop, dream pop, baggy, Jersey club, bounce & alternative R&B embracing a new identity.

“Don’t Piss Me Off” brings the drum & bass elements back in the picture issuing a warning to anyone looking rain on her parade while “New Life Forms” featuring Fousheé finds the pair joining forces for a hypnotic alternative R&B duet. “The Bridge” featuring PinkPantheress links up for the ultimate alternative r&b, future garage, 2-step, post-dubstep & dark garage single while “If We Met Again” sings about giving up on this person lying to her.

For almost a decade already, Kelela has consistently proven herself to be an artist pushing the alternative R&B subgenre forward with a short discography. Take Me Apart was my favorite of hers until this point & now New Avatar has taken over that spot for it’s explorations of neo-psychedelia, alternative rock, future garage, dream pop, indie rock, ethereal wave, shoegaze, post-rock, UK bass, east coast club, atmospheric drum & bass, Baltimore club, post-dubstep, neo-soul, psychedelic soul, trip hop, baggy, Jersey club, bounce, 2-step & dark garage finding solace in confrontation.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Rolling Stones – “Foreign Tongues” review

The Rolling Stones are a blues rock trio from London, England, United Kingdom comprised of rhythm guitarist Ronnie Wood, lead guitarist Keith Richards & frontman Mick Jagger. A band who dropped some of the greatest rock music recorded throughout the late 60s-early 70s like Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. & Some Girls. Their previous full-length Hackney Diamonds under Geffen Records made for a tolerable comeback after 2 decades & the Stones joining Capitol Records for their 24th studio LP had me intrigued since the material dates back to 2019.

“Rough & Twisted” begins with a blues rock single incorporating further elements of electric blues & boogie rock singing about flashing jewelry being a false pretense to them whereas “In the Stars” takes the pop rock route stylistically with some bluesy undertones admitting to feeling a heavy hand meddling with their plans. “Jealous Lover” goes completely smooth soul singing about a relationship going sour while “Mr. Charm” starkly reminding the world of life being as short as it is.

Meanwhile on “Divine Intervention”, we have the Stones singing about our existence being a gamble within it side just before “Ringing Hollow” brings a bit of a country twang into the fold observing all the political turmoil in the United States for a year & a half. “Never Wanna Lose You” reaches the halfway point of the full-length taking back to the pop rock style not wanting to lose the love of their lives whiles “Hit Me in the Head” has a more traditional rock flare acknowledging they won’t be here eternally.

“You Know I’m No Good” takes back to their blues rock origins reminding this woman who’s interested in them cautioning that they were trouble from the very beginning & after “Some of Us” brings a summery atmosphere to the table singing about all of us needing some love in troubling times like these, “Covered in You” continues to make it clear that they’re fed up with the rise of fascist autocracy. More specifically Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder, Twitter owner & Nazi Elon Musk.

The song “Side Effects” hits us with a powerful rock ballad singing about there being a price to pay for literally everything pondering whether if it’s the drugs fucking with their mood or not while the 6 minute “Back in Your Life” treads the Americana waters a bit singing about doing whatever it takes to for this individual to let them in their good graces once more. The closer “Beautiful Delilah” sends off the album with a passable cover of the late Chuck Berry’s track of the same name.

If I have to be serious with myself, Hackney Diamonds still remains a decent comeback for The Rolling Stones after nearly 2 decades exclude the Blue & Lonesome covers but I came away from Foreign Tongues confident that it could be the most gratifying entry in their extensive catalog since Tattoo You. The bluesy pop rock production refines what they tried to do 3 years earlier mixing elements of electric blues, boogie rock, smooth soul & hard rock for a politically charged hour.

Score: 4/5

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FATHERS – Self-Titled review

FATHERS is a jazz quartet from Los Angeles, California comprised of keyboardist Kiefer Shackelford, bassist Ben Carr, drummer Nate Smith & producer Kenny Beats. Almost everyone has an established background in the instrumental hip hop field except from Nate, whose output generally ranges from jazz fusion to jazz-funk & neo-soul. The greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records have decided to bring the band on board for their eponymous full-length debut & only a couple weeks away from Kenny fully producing Rico Nasty’s upcoming 3rd album RX finally seeing the light of day later this month.

“Eye Level” sets things off with a 3 minute intro working in some synthesizers, pianos, drums & bass giving off heavy instrumental hip hop vibes whereas “Patchwork” brings alto saxophonist Nicole McCabe on board for an infectiously bright jazz track that I can imagine hearing at opulent hotel from a complimentary standpoint. The only single “Pearl” experiments with Brazilian pop-jazz & I admire the way they gave it a modern luster just before “Stub” kinda has hypnotically quirkier approach compositionally.

We have FATHERS incorporating some organs for “The Leak” to kick off the 2nd half of their self-titled debut while “Tomorrow, Again” concludes the 3rd quarter bringing a more tropical flare to the table instrumentally enlisting violinist Yasmeen Al-Mazeedi to handle the strings. “Front Yard” comes through with some colorfully rich keys & drums that have a boom bap quality to them while the closer “Figure 8” brings Yasmeen back 1 last time provide a heavenly outro fusing jazz & instrumental hip hop.

I can’t deny Kenny Beats taking the risk of expanding his clientele outside of hip hop by producing Geese’s 4th album Getting Killed last fall & Weezer’s next full-length The Gold Album later this August, so it was interesting to hear him forming FATHERS with 3 other jazz-rooted instrumentalists who’ve already established themselves & I hope this is only the beginning for the band since they improvised a tastefully jazzy instrumental hip hop debut with some occasional funk influences.

Score: 4/5

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Juicy J & Project Pat – “Dem Goats” review

Memphis, Tennessee rapper, producer, songwriter, DJ & music executive Juicy J alongside his older brother & fellow rapper Project Pat linking up for a new collaborative album. Notable for being founding members of the Hypnotize Camp Posse collective, they already have a few mixtapes under their belt together from the Play Me Some Pimpin’ Mane & Cutthroat sagas to Convicted Felons along with the numbers of previously released songs they have spanning decades. For the first time in over 15 years however, Dem Goats have decided to run it back days after CM Punk ended Sami Zayn’s brief reign as WWE Champion to become a 9-world WWE world champion.

After the “On the Porch 2026” intro, “Still the Same” begins with this Memphis trap opener talking about how shit ain’t changed with either one of them whereas “Eye for an Eye” finds the siblings observing all these young artists out here killing each other. “Out of Order” talks about even the opps being solid taking it back to the Memphis vibes just before “Southern Hospitality” produced by Juicy J himself combines pianos & hi-hats saluting everyone who has bread.

“Don’t Do It” offers some advice for the youth that’ll change their lives for the better if they think of doing some bullshit while “Bank Of” featuring That Mexican O.T. brings the trio together so they can talk about their wealth. “Wasting Time” featuring Anderson .Paak soulfully encourages everyone who’s sitting on their asses to get up & make some money leading into “Blessing in Disguise” talking about some of the people he doesn’t roll with anymore.

We have the Houston brothers pretty much saying “Fuck All That” at the halfway point of Dem Goats while “Free My Dog” spends 3 minutes calling for the freedom of their homies who’re incarcerated over a dark Memphis trap sound backing them. “Never Coming Back” confesses they wish it would start to rain because they miss Juicy’s fallen Three 6 Mafia brethren Lord Infamous & Gangsta Boo while “These Streets” issuing a warning regarding moving cautiously.

“Life Be Lifing” featuring Hanumankind & produced by Metro Boomin’ talks about the whole country struggling for survival over the course of the past year & a half while “Choose Wisely” featuring Killer Mike explains the ultimatum of either kill of be killed on top of a Memphis trap beat. “Hold On” has a cloudier flare to it talk about standing by whatever they say while “Tap” featuring KARRAHBOOO lights up anyone who wants beef with them when the latter recently squashed her’s with the current WWE United States Champion Trick Williams’ manager Lil Yachty.

The song “Red Carpet Treatment” winds down the last few moments of Dem Goats talking about burying haters in the middle of the desert while “To Be Real Witcha” featuring WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg links up to come clean regarding not wanting certain individuals around them & taking a night off from going to the club. The closer “Yes Lord” featuring Lecrae if anyone couldn’t tell finishes the LP combining religious imagery with trap instrumentation.

Juicy J’s archival footage from jackass #2 was recently included in jackass: Best & Last despite jackass fore❤️er holding the rights for being the best movie in the franchise, but I’m not surprised that Dem Goats absolutely clears every single tape he & Project Pat did between 2009 & 2010 as their strongest collaborative effort. Juicy J handles a bulk of the production by himself & he brings a tight list of guests to join him & Pat for a better look at their chemistry.

Score: 3.5/5

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La Reezy – “Skiddle Bandana” review

This is the full-length studio debut from New Orleans, Louisiana based emcee/producer La Reezy. Introducing himself in 2023 off the Reebornmixtape, he would go on to follow it up with the debut EP We All Need Help as well as both Welcome to La Reezyana & Pardon Me, I’m Different preceding the self-produced Lareezyana Shakedown last September. The latter I would personally tell you is the greatest thing he’s made so far. Coming off Free99$ & the Leader of da Uthhowever, Skiddle Bandana’s finally arrived.

“Curly Headed Boy” begins with a 96 second self-produced intro talking about him going crazy whereas “Hot” takes a groovier vibe instrumentally flexing his increasing popularity within the past year. “Family Bizzy” was a profoundly touching choice of a single talking about his relatives leading into “Normal Struggles” embracing a summery atmosphere to the beat shrugging off problems that many of us are facing.

As for “Pretty Girl Bullshit”, we have La Reezy over a cloudier instrumental talking about all the issues that arise when it comes to gorgeous women just before “How Did You Love Me?” begins to question the sincerity of a female trying to hit on him. After the “Hold Yo Crown” interlude, “Melanate Me” continues the 2nd half taking pride in being African American while “God Forgive Me” recalls protecting a loved one who died from cancer during a robbery.

The title track winds down Skiddle Bandana’s last few moments admitting that he could go for a hug right about now while “Aight” soulfully yet moodily talks about doing simply fine these days. “Gold Chains” serves as a boisterous continuation of the black excellence themes that were explored a little bit ago & the outro “We Live” concludes the album pondering of every limitation reveals itself to be a blessing in disguise, encouraging all to open their eyes.

Out of everyone included in the 2026 XXL Freshman Class list a couple weeks ago, La Reezy undeniably stood out to me as the most talented artist of the bunch although Chris Patrick & slayr are both deserving of their spots too. Skiddle Bandana’s more conscious rather than trying to expand the pop rap sounds of Leader of da Uth, swapping out the chipmunk soul & bounce undertones in favor for elements of dirty south & neo-soul.

Score: 4/5

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Madonna – “Confessions on a Dance Floor II” review

Madonna is a 67 year old singer/songwriter, producer & actress from Bay City, Michigan who signed to Warner Records back in the early 80s. She would drop an eponymous debut, Like a Virgin, True Blue, Like a Prayer, Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music, American Life, Confessions on a Dance Floor & the underrated Hard Candy primarily produced by The Neptunes for the label prior to her initial departure. MDNA as well as Rebel Heart & Madame X all dropped under Interscope Records to mixed reception, but has returned to Warner for her 15th studio LP & a sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor.

“I Feel So Free” opens with a progressive house, dance-pop, space disco, spoken word, Baltimore club, hi-nrg, progressive trance & acid house single detailing the way she feels whenever she’s on the dance floor prior to “Good for the Soul” reminding the world to take a breath or let your hair down every now & then. “1 Step Away” continues from there singing about EDM not being as superficial as most people would like to think while “Bring Your Love” featuring Sabrina Carpenter blends dance-pop, diva house, garage house & Chicago house dismisses any commentary from their detractors.

We have Madonna during “Danceteria” dedicating an entire track to the New York nightclub where her career began 4 decades ago while the only song I could’ve done without “Read My Lips” featuring Feid moderately combines dance-pop, nu disco & Latin house to sing about people being broken on the inside. “Everything” makes up for it with a Ray of Light throwback confronting someone for always bringing her down just before “Love Sensation” sings about there being nothing she can’t do with her partner over a dance-pop/French house fusion.

“Love Without Words” gets the 2nd half going embracing a diva house sound taking us through a temple of sweat & surrender while “Bizarre” sings about the unique strangeness that comes with love, recalling Sean Penn’s marriage to her in the latter portion of the 80s. “School” conceptually takes the role of a teacher & a student hoping the latter tells her he loves her despite not knowing it while “Fragile” comes through with a powerful catharsis regarding her late brother Christopher Ciccone, whom she reconciled with prior to his death.

Winding down Confessions on a Dance Floor II’s last act, “My Sins Are My Savior” featuring Stromae leans towards a more tranquil side of things in terms of sound singing in French about looking for love in unfiltered places while “Betrayal” feels like a mix of Ray of Light & Erotica, telling a story that ends in Madonna being backstabbed. “The Test” featuring Lola Leon finds the mother/daughter pairing over an alt-pop/2-step beat repairing their relationship & “L.E.S. (Lower East Side) Girl” spends the album’s final minutes remembering where she came from.

Her tenure on Interscope wasn’t all that even if MDNA along with Rebel Heart & Madame X had select moments that I still go back to now, but Confessions on a Dance Floor II marks Madonna’s return to Warner by dropping her strongest LP in 2 decades. The housier production incorporates additional elements from dance-pop, progressive house, diva house, deep house, space disco, spoken word, Baltimore club, hi-nrg, progressive trance, acid house, garage house, Chicago house, French house, nu disco, Latin house, alt-pop, 2-step & progressive breaks similarly to it’s predecessor curated like a DJ mix so the Queen of Pop can escape from all the turmoil in her life.

Score: 4.5/5

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