Shenseea – “Catalyst” review

Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaican singer/songwriter & deejay Shenseea back for a brand new extended play of material. Putting out a handful of singles since 2015 like the Vybz Kartel-assisted “Loodi” or “Run Run”, she then signed to Interscope Records prior to the pandemic & got her biggest push yet after appearing on the “Ok Ok” remix off Ye formerly known as Kanye West’s final Def Jam album DONDA. Her own debut Alpha under Interscope Records further solidified Shenyeng as dancehall’s most exciting new artist & looks to make up for the sophomore effort Never Gets Late Here’s lukewarm reception to drop Catalyst in celebration of her new contract with Columbia Records.

The 2nd & final single “Vulnerability” kicks things off with this dancehall intro seeking susceptibility whereas “Playtime” featuring Asake instrumentally embraces a more atmospheric vibe so they can sing about a situationship. “Danger” moves on from there telling this guy to push up on her enough to bring the wildness out of her prior to “Garden” singing about turning off the lights before she & her lover get down to business despite the usage of AI ruining it.

“Body Language” produced by London on da Track might be my favorite here from the beat to the lyrics cautioning things are on the verge of getting freakier while “Private” featuring Loe Shimmy sings & raps about staying up conversing online & layin’ up with each other in person. “2 Face Gyal” airs out a woman who she feels is envious towards her & the lead single “Talk to Me Nuh” featuring Vybz Kartel wraps up Catalyst reuniting with the icon who believed in her from the start.

The divisive reception Never Get Late Here got makes more sense to me now that it’s been confirmed that it was Shenseea’s last offering under Interscope, but Catalyst celebrates this new era of her career by reminding the world of her place amongst dancehall’s most dominant forces in recent memory & expanding her sound with secondary influences of R&B & Afrobeats now that her new label has granted her more freedom on the creative aspect of things.

Score: 3.5/5

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Dominic Fike – “How to Quit Smoking” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Naples, Florida musician, singer/songwriter & rapper Dominic Fike. Signing to Columbia Records in 2018 off his debut EP Don’t Forget About Me & later What Could Possibly Go Wrong? during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would later join the cast of the Skydance Corporation division Warner Bros.-owned HBO series Euphoria during it’s 2nd season & the sophomore effort Sunburn wound up being more well received than it’s predecessor. 14 Minutes preluded his debut mixtape Rocket to mixed feedback & looks to teach the world How to Quit Smoking.

“Wallflower” was a decent indie pop opener singing about the type of person who’s shy yet introverted whereas “Small Town” works in some bedroom pop influences so he can reminisce over a woman he once knew, hoping to rekindle their relationship even though she’s not who she once was. “Pangea” combines bedroom pop, neo-soul & pop rap to discuss a relationship that has some serious potential while “Casting Call” sings about feeling like he’s up against robots due to the rise of AI.

reggie joins Dominic for “Doomsday” to directly addressing the theme of them going cold turkey on smoking & letting their partners know they love them more than they did the day prior leading into “Honeylove” featuring Grace Ives singing about wanting to consume each other’s DNA. “White Keys” blends alt-pop & bedroom pop for an observation of the space around them changing negatively affecting his relationship just before “Squeeze” sings about wanting to feel his lover’s touch.

“Reno” featuring Hether continues the 2nd half of the album throwing it all the way back to the What Could Possibly Go Wrong? era stylistically while “Lily Was a Cavalier” sings about the titular character fucking him much better than any of his exes have. “Cabby” featuring Emma Ogier finds the pair admitting they’re at their worst when they forget the humanity of their love while “City of Steel” featuring Jorjiana originating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania talks about heartbreak.

Danny Brown’s appearance during “Not the Spirit” ranks amongst my personal favorites contemplating whether or not they’d break even if they had a dime for every time they went broke while “War Machine” sings about his regrets ranging from drug abuse to infidelity, including an interpolation of “Got Ya Money” by the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard when the hook comes around. “Spotlight / Innerchild” finishes How to Quit Smoking in the form of a 2-parter promising to do his best despite not knowing what’s next.

Originally announced a couple months ago right when the Comedy Tragedy Parody Tour was getting ready to commence, Dominic Fike finally drops How to Quit Smoking following 2 or 3 weeks of delays putting himself in a position where he had no other choice but to step his game up regardless of me still having Rocket as his finest statement yet. Primarily because the indie pop, pop rap, indie rock & bedroom pop production can feel repetitive after a bit although appreciate the themes of growing up are undeniably sincere.

Score: 3/5

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Dax – “Anger Management” review

St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada rapper Dax has returned for his 3rd studio LP. Working as a janitor before blowing up after dropping the single “YourWorthIt.org” with Hopsin in the summer of 2018, this was followed up with his debut EP It’s Different Now shortly after & the I’ll Say It For You EP under the Strange Music subsidiary It Goes Up Entertainment. Pain Paints Pictures was one of the worst debuts of this decade & the Columbia Records debut From a Man’s Perspective proved to be worse, unsure of what to get out of Anger Management.

“Big Boys Don’t Cry” tritely opens with this rap rock intro talking about men hiding vulnerability from the world whereas “Trauma” goes for a generic trap vibe, confessing to the feeling of in escaping the past. “Diary of an Alcoholic (10 Shots)” comes through with a fake deep perspective regarding alcoholism over a country rap instrumental leading into “God, Can You Hear Me?” melodramatically begs for the Man upstairs to listen to his pleas.

Continuing with “Man I Used to Be”, we have Dax talking about becoming half the person he was when Jamiroquai already tackled this subject with one of my favorite singles of theirs prior to the country-inspired “Temptation” reaching the halfway point speaking of desire knocking at his door. “The American Dream” forces himself to get in his patriotism bag when he’s not even American while over acoustics until “Caught You in the Bed” gets preachy regarding infidelity.

“Your Feelings” winds down the last leg of Anger Management mutating country rap & trap talking about the place Satan attacks at every chance while “Happy Wife, Happy Life” comes through with a corny pop rap track with a country twist to it. “Gave You the World” makes a turn towards cloudier territory talking about an ex-girlfriend he couldn’t save & “Comfortable Being Alone” hooks up a generic beat to send it all off finding solace in loneliness.

From a Man’s Perspective saw Dax coming into his own stylistically considering he’s pretty much embraced a more prominent country rap sound than anything he’s been doing for the past decade since & attached a sloppy point of view regarding men’s mental health when you got people like King Iso doing those topics justice, but Anger Management gratingly expands the musical ideas of it’s predecessor nearly 2 years ago to insincerely convey the reality of being honest with our struggles.

Score: 0/5

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slayr – “Avant Nova” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper/producer slayr preluding Fabula Nova & 7th Heaven with his 12th extended play after signing to Columbia Records. Recording music since he was only 11, he’s already dropped his last 11 EPs along with a full-length studio debut & a couple mixtapes. The most notable being Half Blood, which I’d rank amongst the greatest tapes of this decade due to it’s boundary pushing take on rage as well as digicore & pop rap. Earning a spot on the 2026 XXL Freshman Class however, he’s striking while the iron’s hot by dropping Avant Nova.

The self-produced “promise” samples “The Peace” by underscores shouting her out for clearing it & asking if his lover wants his heart whereas “switch my swag” featuring prettifun finds the pair talking about not switching their swag for shit. “nova” reaches the halfway point fucking up his brain & after “i got taste” rehashes his XXL freestyle, “having anxiety is annoying” delves into the relatable feeling of anxiousness. “raise my voice” ends the EP with a 2-parter.

It’s already been made clear of how proud I was of slayr for being a part of this year’s XXL Freshman Class alongside Chris Patrick & La Reezy, the latter of whom dropped his debut album Skiddle Bandana earlier this week. But even it doesn’t surprise me that Avant Nova only maintains the pop rap & rage components of his style since he’s now on a major label, I’m still adamant of Fabula Nova being another riveting entry in his discography.

Score: 4/5

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Chlöe – “Resurrection” review

Atlanta, Georgia singer/songwriter, producer & actress Chlöe enlisting Norfolk, Virginia producer Timbaland to handle all of her debut solo mixtape’s production. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Chlöe x Halle with Halle Bailey, they introduced themselves in 2018 when Beyoncé signed them to Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records for their decent full-length debut The Kids Are Alright. The sophomore effort Ungodly Hour in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns would prove to be their most acclaimed body of work yet but coming off In Pieces & Trouble in Paradise, I went into Resurrection hoping Timbo wouldn’t be using any AI on it.

“Talking Dirty” begins with a sultry R&B intro singing about her lustful intentions whereas “Hold It” gives off a catchier vibe altogether from the instrumental to the lyrics of being drawn into someone. “Priorities” shifts towards an alternative R&B direction stylistically airing out the people who think she’s breakable for misunderstanding her leading into “World on Fire” singing about feeling safe with her partner even if the globe’s in turmoil.

Meanwhile on “Caught”, we have Chlöe over a seductive R&B beat realizing that maybe you lose ’em how you get ’em just before “Sensitive” lusciously addresses an ex-boyfriend telling him to move on already. “Better Than She Can” leans towards a dance-pop direction trying to convince a guy to leave his current girlfriend for her to reach the halfway point while “On Your Own” slows down the pace singing about her keeping a close eye out for a specific individual.

“Believer” feels like a throwback to Timbo’s early 2000s output admitting that she didn’t mean to come off too strong while “Main Attraction” sings about wanting to get sexually active. “Mama’s Boy” sends shots a cornball whining to his mother of her being the problem in their relationship & after “Belong to You” confronts her soulmate telling him that they were meant for each other, “Jittery” ends Resurrection taking accountability for the way things panned out.

Considering that Timbaland’s recent production placements on Conway the Machine’s 5th album You Can’t Kill God with Bullets & more recently Juvenile’s 12th album Boiling Point didn’t really warrant a lot of criticism out of me, I’m happy to say that he keeps that same energy throughout the greatest achievement in Chlöe’s solo career providing her a consistently tasteful batch of R&B production & holding off on having any guest appearances compared to both of her previous LPs.

Score: 4/5

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TopOppGen – “Peace Doesn’t Reside on My End” review

TopOppGen is a 20 year old rapper from Charlotte, North Carolina who dropped his debut mixtape Mind of a Menace in the summer of 2021. He would go on to follow this up with 3 extended plays & 6 mixtapes including TopOppBusiness, All I Know is 6, ?, 6orry for the Wait, House Arrest Tingz, The Last 6ixer…, love, topopp & imperfections until signing to Columbia Records. The full-length debut fake pills & real scars along with the sophomore effort kalon have both been making waves & the singles building up towards his 3rd album made it seem like it could be his most defining statement thus far only hours after Cedric Alexander ended Leon Slater’s reign as TNA X Division Champion.

“purple fluid” opens things up talking about falling in love with drugs after having his heart broken whereas “don’t cry” fuses rap rock, trap & emo rap assuring his partner that she doesn’t have to do him wrong if he does it initially. “chemistry” talks about love not meaning anything to him until “scrimmage” for some reason admits to stalking this woman’s page when he knows he has better stuff to do.

The 2nd & final single “love war” suggests maybe he’s better off in his deathbed when most would consider it to be the worst case scenario while “don’t wanna do that” talks about being on drugs that his homies have never heard of previously. “emo girl” wraps up the 1st leg of the LP proclaiming the chick he’s been with to be dumber than Patrick Star leading into “everything” talks about remembering all he & an ex have done together.

“I hate relationships” kicks off the 2nd half warns everyone who wants to kill him that he has guns of his own at the crib while “features” talks about being mesmerized by the beauty of this pretty girl with a cold heart. “rampaging” touches base regarding him being on lean for 3 straight weeks & pondering if he’s been losing his feelings while “heartfelt message” blends a guitar & hi-hats expresses hope of him never seeing a hoe’s face again because of their love dissolving.

The song “blow me away” winds down Peace Don’t Reside on My End’s final moments advising to let him be if someone finds him bleeding out all over the ground & his partner’s absence causing him to begin hallucinating while “cavity” talks about making it out the hood even if he couldn’t take the hood with him. The closing track “way past 10” spends the full-length’s last couple minutes taking inspiration from the late XXXTENTACION’s emo-folk stuff, primarily 17.

Proving himself to be one of emo rap’s most prominent forces within the past year, TopOppGen extends the back-to-back streak he’s been on since signing to a major label & making it a 3-peat considering how much Peace Doesn’t Reside on My End feels like a continuation of both it’s predecessors. The production refines his style by maintaining the secondary influences of gangsta rap, pop rap, rap rock & trap and he refrains from having any guests join him in expressing his pain.

Score: 3.5/5

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Central C – “All Roads Lead Home” review

Here we have the 6th extended play from Ladbroke Grove, London, England, United Kingdom rapper & singer/songwriter Central C. After putting out a total of 4 EPs & a couple mixtapes in addition to his Split Decision collab EP he & Dave did, the 2023 XXL Freshman Class member signed to Columbia Records & his full-length debut Can’t Rush Greatness was received mixed-to-negatively even if his popularity keeps growing. 14 months later, All Roads Lead Home has arrived following it’s delay only a few days after Alexxis Falcon ended Alex Windsor’s 2nd reign as RPW British Women’s Champion to become a 2-time champion herself.

The introductory freestyle was an mediocre choice of an intro considering he’s just going off the top promoting Drake’s upcoming 11th album Iceman whereas “Slaughter” featuring J Hus blends UK drill & 3-step, countering each other by spitting forgettable verses of their own. “Wagwan” kinda has this lo-fi drill vibe to it talking about a shorty he hasn’t seen in a minute prior to the self-produced “Feelings” acknowledges what it’s like when nobody believes in you.

“DC10” winds down the last few minutes of All Roads Lead Home talking about being inside of a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos until Einer Bankz produces what could be my favorite instrumental on the EP during “Maka” featuring A2Anti, even if the latter’s guest appearance was worse than the other one. “Y Fi Dat” finally ends All Roads Lead Home talking about having his eye for sexy women & saving a hoe like he’s Spider-Man.

You’re better off listening to the new Fliptrix album Elevation produced by Telemachus if you’re looking for some new UK hip hop this weekend because not only has Can’t Rush Greatness aged like milk, but Central C’s newest EP preparing for his sophomore effort is somehow worse. A lot of that would attribute to a great deal of the beats feeling pretty cheap for this style of drill as well as his singular flow & basic lyrics.

Score: 1.5/5

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Slayyyter – “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA” review

Slayyyter is a 29 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Kirkwood, Missouri who began to turn heads in 2019 off her eponymous debut mixtape. She would go on to follow it up with the full-length debut Troubled Paradise which was pretty average in comparison & the sophomore effort Starfucker, the latter of which was highly praised enough for Columbia Records to sign her. Coming off a handful of revered teasers, she’s ready to make her major label debut with her 3rd album.

“Dance…” opens up with this electropop, dance-pop, French electro, acid house, electroclash, synthwave, midtempo bass & electro-disco single singing about coming to party whereas “Beat Up Chanel$” blends electropop, electroclash, witch house, futurepop, slap house, pop rap & electro house to express her desire for new personnel. “Cannibalism!” fuses alternative dance, post-punk, post-punk revival, dance-punk revival, new rave, surf rock & psychobilly asking God for a sign leading into “Old Technology” explores electroclash, electropop, electro-industrial, new rave, future house & pop rap to talk about doing drugs tonight.

Industrial hip hop, Jersey club rap, deconstructed club, hardcore hip hop, ballroom & electroclash all collide on “Crank” taking a more sexual approach to her songwriting leading into her recalling a time where a lover left her stranded at a “Gas Station” to end the 1st leg of the LP & being devastated by it because she loved this guy more than anything. “Yes Goddd” begins the 2nd half pleading to be let off with some spaces over a thunderous beat just before “Unknown Loverz” sings about a man running faster the more she chases him.

“Old Fling$” addresses an individual she saw creepin’ from the sideline trying to get to the bottom of the reason why they’re hiding from her while “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” could be my least favorite track here because I felt like there could’ve easily been another verse added to it. “$t. Loser” asks this person she’s constantly thinking of if he has her on his mind as much as she does him while “What’s it Like, To Be Liked?” makes the greatest possible use of a Starfuckerouttake turning up the sadness levels. After the “*Prayer*” interlude, the outro “Brittany Murphy.” ends with a tribute to the late King of the Hill/8 Mile star of the same name.

Self-titled & Starfucker have already become amongst the greatest electropop within the last decade, but WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA fully realizes Slayyyter’s artistic potential & simultaneously provides a more authentic version of herself. The production masterfully brings elements of electroclash, French electro, electro-industrial, new rave, dance-pop, electro house, pop rap, acid house, synthwave, midtempo bass, electro-disco, witch house, futurepop, slap house, pop rap, alternative dance, post-punk, post-punk revival, dance-punk revival, new rave, surf rock, psychobilly, new rave, future house, industrial hip hop, Jersey club rap, deconstructed club, hardcore hip hop & ballroom to her electropop sound so she can tell the world a bit more regarding her upbringings.

Score: 4.5/5

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Baby Keem – “Ca$ino” review

This is the sophomore effort from Carson, California rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Baby Keem. The younger cousin of Kendrick Lamar, he went on to drop 4 EPs & a couple of mixtapes with Die for My Bitch being the one that helped boost his popularity to the point where he rightfully earned a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman Class. His full-length debut The Melodic Blue under pgLang & Columbia Records continued to excel his artistic potential, returning after 5 years for a trip to the Ca$ino.

“No Security” produced with Danja & FNZ begins with a drumless sample talking about preferring to have his gang beside him than a bodyguard whereas the title track comes through with a 2-parter that Cardo cooked up speaking of being somewhat deranged at this point in his career. “Birds & the Bees” flips “Honey Honey” by Feist showing a more romantic side to Keem leading into “Good Flirts” by The Hillbillies poking fun at Young Thug’s leaked phone calls with Mariah the Scientist.

Things go for a chipmunk soul vibe on “House Money” sampling “You Know the Feeling” by Steven Wightman to talk about fearing no one when he steps in the party just before “I’m Not a Lyricist” channels his inner André 3000 over a piano instrumental. “$ex Appeal” featuring Too $hort of course finds the 2 taking it to the Bay stylistically for a more raunchier approach topically until “I Do Love You” by Billy Stewart gets chopped up for the “Highway 95” sequel.

“Circus Circus” splits itself in 3 halves addressing his family dynamics whilst blending some braggadocio while “Dramatic Girl” feels more like a Che Ecru & Sam Dew song since Keem only handles the hook, although he & Sounwave do a fine job of sampling “Kids” by MGMT for the upbeat R&B detour. “No Blame” samples “I Never Learnt to Share” by James Blake to finish our Ca$ino tour talking about his difficult upbringings & not blaming his mother for it.

I appreciate that Baby Keem got more personal with Ca$ino, but I wouldn’t put it above The Melodic Blue & firmly believe that he has the capability of making a project that’ll top both albums even if some people like to ignorantly dismiss him as a nepo baby. It’s more pop rap sounding than the predecessor although the alternative R&B & trap elements are maintained, adding some more ratchet & chipmunk soul undertones than previously & getting more conscious than hardcore.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Kid Laroi – “Before I Forget” review

Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia rapper & singer/songwriter The Kid Laroi beginning 2026 with his sophomore effort. Emerging as a protege of the late Juice WRLD, he subsequently signed to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records up until his debut mixtape Fuck Love received mixed-to-negative reviews including 3 separate reissues. His debut album The 1st Time under Columbia Records was only a slightly better product, returning 26 months later to drop Before I Forgetin the midst of him coming out of a relationship.

“Me + You” decently samples “Tell Your Friends” by The Weeknd singing about Findlay McConnell wanting to fight him when he always thought they were friends whereas “July” goes for an alternative R&B vibe recalling him & Tate McRae breaking up 6 months earlier. “Private” asks himself whether he & Tate had moved too fast or if they let everyone in on what they had leading into the trap soul-flavored “Come Down” produced by FNZ singing about wanting to be with his ex.

Lithe joins Laroi on “Rather Be” continuing to delve deeper regarding his breakup with Tate McRae while the 2nd single “A Perfect World” combines sophisti-pop, contemporary R&B, soft rock & vaporwave whining about him & Tate being together in an alternate universe where they had resolved their issues. “5:21AM” acoustically yearns to be the man she wishes he would be while the lead single “A Cold Play” responds “Tit for Tat” blending alternative R&B, alt-pop, trap soul, Memphis rap & cloud rap.

“The Moment” continues the 2nd half of Before I Forget singing about waiting for the day he & Tate’s spirits are safe from the public eye while “Never Came Back” hooks up some acoustics confessing there was a point where he couldn’t sleep because of her leaving him, taking weeks for him to be at peace with the breakup. “Thank God” leans towards an alt-pop sound dismissing the possibility of loving his next girlfriend the way he loved Tate while “I’m So in Love with You” sings about him still having feelings towards her, being the only thing that he sees since last summer.

We have The Kid Laroi taking a moment on the piano-driven “Maybe I’m Wrong” responding to “Trying on Shoes” by confessing that he lost the series of singles he & Tate had put out attacking one another while “Her” doesn’t feel like an interlude at all, pleasing for Tate to take him back because the shape of her’s still carved in his heart. The 3rd & final single “Back When You Were Mine” wraps up the LP in the form of this moderate contemporary R&B, pop & soft rock outro hoping she doesn’t take it the wrong way since it was conceived when they were still dating.

“Back 2 Love” starts the deluxe run telling Tate to swing by since he was gone for an entire summer & giving a fuck less if they argue while “Hold Still” fuses R&B & rock courtesy of Ging singing about whether she has his trust or not. “I Condemn” experiments with rage & pop rap thanks to Outtatown except I would’ve preferred if he gave the beat to someone else since Laroi’s essentially responding to “Tit for Tat” again while “Quit You” sings about Tate being the worst drug he’s ever taken.

Things take a turn for an alternative R&B direction during “Weakest Feeling” confessing he’d rather not spend his Sundays with her while “Pieces” sings about him understanding Tate’s reasons for dissing him & what hits his mind when he misses her. “Move Your Body” dabbles with a funkier sound calling for everyone to hit the dance floors & after “Echoes” vents the difficulty of moving on from his previous relationship, the final bonus track “Dying on This Hill” sends it all off wanting Tate to know he’ll always be there for her.

Does anybody remember when Robin Thicke dedicated his 6th album Paula & his last under Star Trak Entertainment to saving his initial marriage with Paula Patton only for her to divorce him a year later? That’s kinda what The Kid Laroi does with Before I Forget except he was never married to Tate McRae & it actually has some occasionally enjoyable moments than Paula. The production’s more focused around contemporary R&B than The 1st Time with lesser influences of alternative R&B as well as trap soul & alt-pop which is merely passable, I just think the themes get tiring after a certain point.

Score: 2/5

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