Chris Brown – “Brown” review

Chris Brown is a 37 year old singer/songwriter, dancer & actor from Tappahannock, Virginia who I became a fan of as a kid through viral singles like “Kiss Kiss” & “Look At Me Now”. His full-lengths however including his eponymous debut, Exclusive, Graffiti, his final Jive Records offering F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), his RCA Records debut Fortune, X, Royalty, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Indigo, Breezy & 11:11 have all been received mixed-to-negatively & I didn’t expect anything more out of his 12th studio LP.

“Leave Me Alone” co-produced by Metro Boomin’ begins with this whiny response to people being judgmental of him when he’s continuously inflicted that upon himself whereas “Obvious” attempts at making a summertime anthem only for him to miss the landing. “Honey Pack” continues with an underwhelming lust ode prior to “It Depends”featuring Bryson Tiller sampling “Nice & Slow” by Usher thanks to Nico Baran of Internet Money Records singing about fucking their lovers right.

Leon Thomas III appears for “Fallin’” so he & Breezy can give off that old school R&B vibe professing the feelings they still have for their exes until “Hate Me” sings about always being there for a woman who resents him regardless of her spite. “Call Your Name” featuring Glorilla & Sexyy Red joins forces over a Tay Keith instrumental for a fun R&B/hip hop crossover just before “For the Moment” yearns to solely be with a private dancer after a party.

“Fuck & Party” featuring Vybz Kartel of course embraces a dancehall vibe so they can sing about doing those 2 things while “Red Rum” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again describes the downsides of fame although I’ve heard that issue being handled better previously. “It’s Not You It’s Me” sings over a Hitmaka beat to a female that he’s cutting her off because of some shit he’s dealing with personally until “Cry for Me” decently samples “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” by Rose Royce.

Lex Luger getting behind the boards for “Say Nothin’” was a bit of a shock, ending the 1st leg of Brown promising his romantic interest that he’ll keep all of her secrets while “Slow Jamz” featuring Lucky Daye makes me wanna listen to the iconic Twista/Ye single of the same name instead. “Perfect Timing” featuring Fridayy mediocrely depicts a relationship where nothing feels the same anymore while “In My Head” obsesses over a chick he’s constantly thinking of.

“What’s Love?” openly admits to him not understanding the concept of affection & CashMoneyAP instrumentally treading psychedelic waters while “Something in the Water” sings about being deeply drawn to somebody whose presence feels addictively powerful to him. “Won’t Let Me Leave” details an encounter ending in this person’s love refusing to set him free while “#BodyGoals” featuring Tank links up for a moderate strip club anthem.

Meanwhile on “Colours”, we have Chris giving this individual an ultimatum between accepting him for who he is or walking out the door while “Skin to Skin” sings about intercourse without making it feel sexy. “Theme Song” reunites with Hitmaka for a carefree, celebratory dedication for all the ladies looking to go stupid while “Your Time” sings about the way he enjoys having the love of his life to himself in addition to being blessed whenever he’s around her & urging to let go of any worries she has.

“It’s Personal” winds down the last few moments of the album throwing a tantrum over the people who’ve “turned their backs” on him when he has a history of misogyny & a repetitive discography, but then the lead single “Holy Blindfold” takes a more spiritual approach altogether courtesy of Jon Bellion. The closing track “Present” finishes Brown singing over a Metro beat 1 last time about him not having anymore checks on his checklist at this point in his life.

A great deal of Chris Brown’s albums can seem repetitively formulaic at times & for some reason since the weakest entry of his discography Heartbreak on a Full Moon, he’s been overloading every single full-length & you’re not gonna get anything different outside of that with Brown. There are moments where I occasionally enjoy a song because of the production or maybe it has a guest appearance, but it’s some of the most tepid contemporary/alternative R&B of 2026 past that point.

Score: 1.5/5

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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 9th 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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Pradabagshawty – “5 Problems” review

Brand new mixtape & the 3rd overall from Columbia, South Carolina born albeit Atlanta, Georgia rapper/producer Pradabagshawty. Introducing himself in the spring of 2023 off Bloxk Addiktion, his popularity within the plugg subgenre of trap continued to grow last year by putting out 3 more EPs in 1 Love as well as his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut 10 Freak Ho’s & of course and Forever & After. His last few projects B What You B as well as Home Invasions and Red Flags & Roses have become his most celebrated material thus far, coming off B45P to drop the main course.

“RL Gang” hops over a plugg beat to get things going talking about rocking out a sold out show with all of his homies whereas “I’m Upset” boasts of him having an X on his chest & only doing what he feels is necessary. “Drop Dat Bag” gets back on a lavish plugg vibe instrumentally talking about giving someone some cash only for them to come back & blow it all prior to “Beat It” fusing cloud rap & rage for a nod to the late Michael Jackson’s iconic single of the same name.

b4l.scrap’s appearance on “Hootie Hoo” doesn’t really captivate me that much despite returning to a pluggier sound & the gangsta themes Pradabagshawty’s become known for leading into “My Ho” talking about his girl pulling up whenever she’s feeling horny. “Chopstick” incorporates more hi-hats as synthesizers explain explaining that life’s too short to be pissed off daily just before “Ain’t Wok” talks about missing his high when he’s feeling low.

“Domain Expansion” kicks off the 2nd leg of 5 Problems observing a snake who’s desperate to hang out with his crew over a self-produced beat while my favorite single “I Know” produced by Whyceg talks about treating his bitches like gold & playing it cool the second they turn their backs on him. “I’m Scared” discusses the guy having a yerc waiting for him at their designated spot while “4Ever” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon & アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン Rey Mysterio.

Rounding out 3rd, the song “What I Was Sayin’” talks about the fact he’s done a lot to get his career moving full motion while “Gun Kick” featuring yotti contains one of my favorite instrumentals throughout the tape thanks to Whyceg again doing an average job at depicting the gangsta lifestyle they’ve come to know very well. “Tin Foil” cloudily speaks of staying loyal to the streets after everything he’s done for his streets & after “Night Sight” clarifies to a woman who had her chance to be with him that she filed it up, “Lies” spends the last few minutes talking about his relationship experiences.

B45P still remains one of the weakest things Pradabagshawty has done ever since his Cegular Records deal came to fruition alongside 10 Freak Ho’s, but 5 Problems thankfully makes a couple of improvements although I wouldn’t rank it up there amongst his strongest output like Forever & After or Red Flags & Roses. The argument of him being the greatest artist on the label can still be made, although both guests leave little to be desired & the plugg production’s a tad bit superior than the prelude EP almost 2 months ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Lamb of God – “Into Oblivion” review

Lamb of God is a groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia comprised of bassist John Campbell, lead guitarist Mark Morton, rhythm guitarist Willie Adler, drummer Art Cruz & frontman Randy Blythe. Introducing themselves a quarter of a century ago off their full-length debut Burn the Priest & the sophomore effort New American Gospel, As the Palaces Burn would catch the attention of Epic Records & their major label debut Ashes of the Wake remains my personal favorite in their discography even now. Sacrament, Wrath, Resolution, VII: Sturm und Drang, self titled & Omens were all solid in their own rights although I personally prefer some more than others. They’ve been teasing a new era since this past October right around the time a video of theirs appeared on season 11 of the MTV hit-series Beavis & Butt-head marking their debut for Comedy Central & it’s finally here with their 11th album.

The title track & 3rd single incorporates some metalcore influences into their signature groove metal sound singing about being the face of tyranny in the age of conspiracy whereas the 2nd single “Parasocial Christ” sprinkles some hints of thrash metal throughout for a statement criticizing the current age of social media. The lead single “Sepsis” combines thrash & groove metal with sludge metal for a throwback to their Burn the Priest days except Randy’s noticeably angrier now that he’s older while “The Killing Floor” feels reminiscent to the As the Palace Burns era following the name change.

“El Vacío” reaches the halfway point embracing more somber guitar tones singing about a monster sleeping in their home state while “St. Catherine’s Wheel” kicking off the 2nd leg. After the 4th & final single “Blunt Force Blues” blends groove metal & metalcore for a reflection of the various skills they’ve accrued over the course of their career, “Bully” taps back into the band’s typical angst some have come to know them for while “1,000 Years” sings about unleashing the dogs of war to fill his crimson glass. “Devise / Destroy” spends the last 4 minutes riding off Into Oblivion by taking a more antagonistic approach to delivering the social commentary Randy wants to get off his chest.

Self-titled & Omens were both alright to me personally, but the teasers we got in preparation for Into Oblivion gave me the impression that it would be their best since VII: Sturm und Drang after I had graduated high school over a decade ago & I can definitely say with confidence that it joins the likes of that as well as Sacrament & As the Palace Burn in comprising the other 4 albums I would have join Ashes of the Wake to comprise my top 5 favorite full-lengths throughout the Lamb of God canon. The groove metal veterans take secondary inspiration from metalcore, thrash metal & sludge metal to issue a warning regarding people accepting what would’ve horrified them 2 decades ago.

Score: 4/5

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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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Pradabagshawty – “B45P” review

Here is the 6th EP from Columbia, South Carolina born albeit Atlanta, Georgia rapper & producer Pradabagshawty. Introducing himself in the spring of 2023 off Bloxk Addiktion, his popularity within the plugg subgenre of trap continued to grow last year by putting out 3 more EPs in 1 Love as well as his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut 10 Freak Ho’s & of course and Forever & After. His most recent extended play B What You B & the Home Invasions tape have both become his most popular musical statements so far, coming off Red Flags & Roses to drop B45P.

“Bih Get Nasty” begins with a rage instrumental talking about getting nasty when he pulls up to the spot whereas “Ain’t Matter” works in a cloudy backdrop & some 808s so he can get on his gangsta rap shit lyrically. “Quick Trip” talks about doin’ them bad being the only thing he & his squad knows leading into a favorite of mine “MF” produced by Whyceg taking a couple minutes to discuss being a slimy muhfucka hence the name of this halfway point.

Ealuhri appears on “Whaddhaname” to get the 2nd leg of the EP going with a decent gangsta rap song although I do like the overall vibe of the beat while “Winter Soldier” references WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson over a plugg beat from Whyceg. The track “That Road” boisterously talks about the way he loves when the fully loaded Drac’ hits & “He Flexin’” featuring z6tony sends off the prelude to 5 Problems with both of them dropping verses without the need of a hook over 1 last Whyceg instrumental.

It was widely reported that he & Babystaydown had fallen out with each other a few months ago, but I have to assume that it’s been squashed considering the latter confessed that I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) past Christmas & now Pradabagshawty’s gearing up to drop another project after dropping an average warm up extended play to it all under the same label they’ve been since to for 2 & a half years. Both guests were alright & the production doesn’t stick out to me like Red Flags & Roses this past October.

Score: 3/5

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A$AP Rocky – “Don’t Be Dumb” review

Harlem, New York rapper, songwriter, actor, producer, model & fashion designer A$AP Rocky returning to music after 8 long years. A prominent member of the A$AP Mob, his only mixtape LIVE.LOVE.A$AP is one of the greatest tapes of the previous decade & his debut album LONG.LIVE.A$AP under RCA Records came during my sophomore year of high school to further acclaim. The sophomore effort AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP came the week of my high school graduation was highly praised too, going for an experimental direction with Testing & has finally dropped Don’t Be Dumb after starting a family with Rihanna.

“Order of Protection” begins Flacko Season with a self-produced drumless loop with some hi-hats incorporated at the halfway point talking about being back in his bag whereas the 2nd & final single “Helicopter$” goes for a Memphis vibe instrumentally homaging the Petey Pablo single “Raise Up”. After the “Interrogation” skit, “Stole Ya Flow” blends industrial hip hop & trap speculated to be a jab at Drake when he said in a recent interview that isn’t the case leading into the pop rap/R&B fusion “Stay Here 4 Life” featuring & produced by Brent Faiyaz with co-production from Hit-Boy.

Cardo & Thundercat jump behind the boards for the cloudy trap highlight “Playa” advising not to stare when the diamonds be goin’ on & teaching others how to ball just before the hypnotic “No Trespassing” that Take a Daytrip cooked up suggests he might move out to Texas & shut down anyone who enters his property without permission. “Stop Snitching” featuring Sauce Walka samples “Give This Love a Try” by Leroy Hutson talking about going through it all from the start while “STFU” featuring the Slay Squad gives off an electro vibe to the beat sending a message to those who don’t know when to shut up.

“Punk Rocky” combines post-punk revival, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop, indie surf, dream pop & rap rock alongside Ging pleading for him not to be left heartbroken while “Air Force (Black DeMarco)” talks about driving a Ferrari like it’s stolen. Can’t deny Digital Nas or Digital Nazi made one of the album’s craziest instrumentals alongside T-Minus during the jazzy “Whiskey (Release Me)” putting Digital Nazi’s ragebaiting & Twitter trolling aside trying to get high as possible while “Robbery” featuring Doechii references WWE Hall of Famer Mr. T continuing to carry over the jazz elements.

The title track embraces a happier atmosphere singing that he’d do anything to stay in Rihanna’s good graces prior to “Trip Baby” shaking it up with a chipmunk soul sample courtesy of Harry Fraud warning that anyone who fucks around near him will get clicked. “The End” featuring Jessica Pratt & will.i.am flips both “The Rip” by Portishead & “Ebony Glass” by Nancy Priddy drumlessly envisioning the apocalypse while “SWAT Team” talks about the Mob being rich thieves over a horror-inspired trap beat.

“Fish n Steak (What it Is)” by WANG$AP hooks up a prominent flute from Beat Butcha so they can speak of slowing the world down from the 713 to the 718 while “Sundress” starts the deluxe run after “Flackito Jodye” combines his most 2 prominent aliases having Danger Mouse sampling “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?” by Tame Impala telling his ex she flat out fell in the wrong hands. “Babushka Boi” meshes Memphis rap & drift phonk for a song written about an experience where he had his face cut while “D.M.B. (Dat’$ Mah B!*$H)” talks about his love for drugs & women having both Skepta & Shlohmo helping him achieve a cloudy sound.

Outside the context of it opening the Need for Speed: Unbound soundtrack, “Shittin’ Me” directly asks why some would throw him under the bus when then they have no dirt on him whatsoever while the neo-psychedelically conscious “Same Problems?” remembers a number of artists who’ve passed away. Pharrell & Tyler, The Creator provide “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)” a lot of cloudy trap energy referencing the late WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion & 2-time WCW World Television Champion “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

“Highjack” featuring Jessica Pratt collides cloud rap, trap, Memphis rap, neo-psychedelia, alternative R&B & neo-soul for a jab at Drake while “Tailor Swif” contains secondary influences of plugg talking about his agility. “Ruby Rosary” featuring J. Cole meshes jazz rap, cloud rap, drumless & illbient thanks to The Alchemist discussing their current artistic positions while DJ Dahi & James Blake sample “Time” by Hans Zimmer on the final bonus track “pray4dagang”tackling introspective subjects.

Testing nearly a decade later still contains some of my favorite A$AP Rocky tracks “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” & “Gunz n Butter”, but Don’t Be Dumb marks a celebratory comeback I’d have to put above it’s 2018 predecessor. The predominantly experimental trap production occasionally sprinkles hints of cloud rap, Memphis rap, neo-psychedelia, drumless, industrial hip hop, pop rap, R&B, post-punk revival, psychedelic pop, indie surf, dream pop, rap rock & chipmunk soul throughout the hour portraying the man he’s become whilst dissecting 6 different alter egos of his.

Score: 4/5

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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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Babystaydown – “I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain)” review

Here is the 16th EP from Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown. Someone who’s had over a dozen extended plays under his belt already including PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Saint, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his full-length debut Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 8 of his EPs on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & the same can be said regarding the sophomore effort Art of War a couple months ago, telling us I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) after him & labelmate Pradabagshawty fell out with each other last month.

“Bigger” kicks it all off with a cloudy trap instrumental produced by Whyceg talking about his payroll becoming a lot larger whereas “Sedated” atmospherically speaks of a woman doing him crazy placing him on the blocklist. “Pill Type” goes for a pluggier vibe confessing to never feeling right whenever he took opioids prior to Traiqo shifting “Like I Know” towards an exuberant trap direction talking about him promising he’d give a bitch the entire world.

Starting the 2nd act, “Pain” tells us of him having some shit going on with his heart which he likes to call suffering just before “Idk You” talks about those trying to copy him not having any longevity approaching the final half of this decade. “Slime Examination” has another standout beat courtesy of Ayelavish! promising the world he won’t ever let the game change him & “Drug Addiction” sends off the EP reuniting with his mentor Whyceg for 1 last time explaining he can’t give a hoe all his love because she’ll most likely hit the clubs immediately.

Cegular Records has put a lot of great effort into proving why both Babystaydown & Pradabagshawty have become amongst the most exciting new plugg artists in 2025 from Red Flags & Roses to Art of War so it sucks a collab project probably won’t come to fruition, but it is what it is & I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) finishes the Sony Music imprint’s biggest year strongly. We get more of an introspective approach to Babystaydown’s songwriting & there’s a similar consistency between the production here & its predecessor couple months earlier.

Score: 4/5

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