Maya Delilah is a 24 year old R&B singer/songwriter from London, England, United Kingdom who introduced herself in the summer of 2020 with her debut EP Oh Boy & later It’s Not Me, It’s You the next fall. Both of which were welcomed to mixed reception, signing a joint deal with Blue Note Records & Capitol Records roughly 12 months later. 2 & a half years have passed since & she’s ready to take herself to new heights on her debut album.
“Begin Again” minimally begins her Blue Note debut hoping nothing changes whenever she rewinds to a certain point in her life whereas “Look At the State of Me Now” hooks up some mellow ass guitar work singing about everyone taking a look at how she’s doing currently. “Man of the House” experiments with country-pop reveling in the domestic potential of new love prior to “Maya, Maya, Maya” delving further down the introspection topically.
Meanwhile on “Jeffrey”, we have Maya taking a backseat vocally making way for an acoustic guitar & some organs to prominently take over the spotlight just before “Squeeze” brings a funkier vibe to the table telling her lover to never let her go. “Actress” samples the late Curtis Mayfield singing that she’s on the verge of losing control & getting lost, but then “Did I Dream It At All?” hops over these pianos to address the theme of despair.
“I’ll Be There in the Morning” starts the final leg of The Long Way Round by taking inspiration from an unpleasant experience she once had while the acoustic “My Balloon” apologizes to this individual for keep pulling them back to her. The western-tinged “Necklace” sings about feeling as if 2 worlds are intersecting & being a realist while “Never with You” ends by admitting her fear of growing old.
The Long Way Round compared to her early EPs feels like combination of so many parts of her since she’s so influenced by different genres, people, places & experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took her a long time to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences. It brings her intimacy, ability, inspiration depth & lightness into 1 striking debut.
This is the 5th full-length album from Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Breaking out in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s very own Republic Records imprint X♥O Records & his verse/production on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, I think that it’s been made pretty clear that I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point. Primarily because of his robotic delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices (especially on Reckless & Bad Habits). However I did find the Wheezy-produced Emergency Tsunami to be ΠΔV’s best work to date, albeit not by much. Demons Protected by Angels wasn’t really much better & the singles building up On My Way 2 Rexdale made me want to give it a chance.
“Sinking” finds him opening up about his loneliness & inner emotions over a drumless guitar instrumental that he make himself whereas “You” feels more of a Don Toliver cut since ΠΔV has little to no presence on it whatsoever. “Stay Up” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic talks about being awake when no one else is while “Burbs” reunites with Wheezy behind the boards talking about making it out the hood.
Playboi Carti joins ΠΔV on “Unlimited” so both of them can rock out together for 3 & a half minutes just before “Back 2 Business” talks about having a lot of problems he deals with as it is getting back in his bag after 2 & a half years. “U.N.I.” goes for a sample-heavy trap direction showing a romantic side to him leading into “1 of None” asking a shawty if she’d be willing to hide out with him.
“Nxxd You” admits to his love that he gets excited around her for no reason comparing her presence to taking ecstasy while “Real Me” takes a cloudier route thanks to Metro Boomin’ showing his romantic interest his genuine self. “Red” brings a moody trap beat to the table drowning in his double cup only seeing the aptly mentioned color, but then “Keep Going” gives a finger to the money & fame continuing his music career in spite of doubters.
The song “Get 2 U” has interestingly chilled out trap flare instrumentally that really caught my attention right out the gate talking about the drugs runnin’ through his body & the closer “Pain Away” asks for his partner to relieve him of all pain he’s been feeling. “Get U Back” starts the deluxe run with a moody 2-parter wanting this woman back in his life while “1 Fan” talks about a hoe who says she dated ΠΔV & he begs to differ since he ain’t ever claimed her to begin with.
“Globe” switches it up by showing a plugg influence talking about being known all around the world while the woozy “Potholes” finds him actively dodging thots in the streets. “Lift Service” tells a chick to back it up & drop it low for him telling her he loves it when she shakes 1 leg while the extended version of the single “Rexdale” sincerely talks about staying strong & powering through during difficult times.
Was surprised regarding the original version of “Rari” called “Now It’s Over” seeing the light of day officially looking back on when he was broke & those days being done with while “Bag” from the Brown Boy 2 mixtape reappears for whatever reason. Lil Uzi Vert pops up for the remix of “Habits” off ΠΔV’s sophomore effort Bad Habits that I enjoy more than the original while the “Go to Hell” intro off his debut EP Brown Boy sampling “Enormous” by Gucci Mane gives his homie some Bathing Ape to celebrate his prison release.
“Highway” originally recorded in late 2016-early 2017 speaks of the lavish lifestyle he’s been living for the past decade living every day as if it’s gonna be his last while “She Worth It” featuring co-production from London on da Track talks about the woman he currently has on his mind. “Paranoid” cavernously tackles the problems brought about by his new-found fame while “Fast Life” questions loyalties whilst flexing his new-found wealth & success over a vocal sample & hi-hats. The final bonus track “Take a Seat” thanks God for him being wealthy now & suggesting to hop in the foreign whip pulled up driving in.
If you told me the same guy who made some of the worst trap albums of 2010s like Reckless & Bad Habits would make his best full-length nearly 5 years after the most consistent mixtape in his discography, I don’t think I would’ve believed you. He’s always been an enjoyable producer & to hear him primarily self-producing his music again is what he needed, taking it back to his origins by returning to his Toronto home town.
Selena Gomez is a 32 year old actress, singer/songwriter, producer & businesswoman from Grand Prairie, Texas notable for emerging as Alex Russo on The Walt Disney Company owned Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place & & later the A24 Films crime satire Spring Breakers. She even put out 3 full-lengths Kiss & Tell, A Year Without Rain & When the Sun Goes Down underHollywood Records with her band The Sceneuntil fulfilling her contract in the form of her solo debut Stars Dance & signing to Interscope Records thereafter. Revival & Rare were as decent as everything else she’s done, except her 4th LP produced by her fiancé benny blanco got my best interest even if people are more upset with Selena for crying on camera because of people being deported instead of Ye formerly known as Kanye West fresh off leaking his own album BULLY openly calling himself a Nazi.
After the titular intro, the first song “Younger & Hotter Than Me” produced with FINNEAS details self-hatred for thinking an ex of her’s was different & wishing she never loved him after moving on to someone younger & prettier whereas “Call Me When You Break Up” featuring Gracie Abrams co-produced by Cashmere Cat & Dylan Brady blends pop rock, dance-pop, synthpop & indie pop offering support to a friend after a breakup. Ojos Tristes” featuring The Marías samples “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” by Jeannette for a Latin pop duet describing a boy with sad eyes finally finding a reason, but then “Don’t Wanna Cry” sings about finding another hand to hold.
“Sunset Blvd” was my favorite single fusing synthpop, bedroom pop, alt-pop, chillsynth & hypnagogic pop recalling her first date with benny just before “Cowboy” featuring Glorilla on the remix gets a little raunchier topically revolving around the themes of intercourse. “Bluest Flame” written with Charli XCX suggests a contrast or an overcoming of a set standard by evoking an intense & powerful feeling wanting to go insane all night leading into “How Does it Feel to Be Forgotten?” expresses hope that one will get to heal 1 day & asking what it’s like having her forget the individual that she has in mind.
After the “Do You Wanna Be Perfect?” interlude, “You Said You Were Sorry” opens up about a dream she had where someone finally apologized to her & them forgiving each other while “I Can’t Get Enough” dabbles with moombahton except it feels more like a J Balvin song. “Don’t Take It Personally” addresses a friend of benny’s that he used to talk to every day & things not being the same since she came around while “Scared of Loving You” is a folk pop, singer/songwriter & indie folk outro telling her fiancé that she’s afraid of losing him.
“That’s When I’ll Care” starts the deluxe run with a Rare outtake indifferently responding to those who’re so consumed about her personal life while “Talk” interpolates “Never There” by Cake yearning to have benny’s arms around her. “Stained” is another leftover from the Rare sessions singing about the damage Selena’s exes have inflicted upon her & the final bonus track “Guess You Could Say I’m in Love” featuring Greg Gonzalez puts their feet down regarding the pain that comes with love.
Growing up watching Selena Gomez on Wizards of Waverly Place during my adolescence, I could never get into really any of The Scene’s output or her last 3 solo efforts since it simply wasn’t for me personally. I Said I Love You First…& You Said It Back however went above & beyond my expectations for it beginning her impending hiatus from making music to focus more on her acting career by chronicling her & benny’s love story from around the time they first met to,l falling in love & looking to what the future holds showing influences of pop rock, dance-pop, synthpop, indie pop, bedroom pop, alt-pop, chillsynth, hypnagogic pop, moombahton, folk pop, singer/songwriter & indie folk.
Atlanta, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter, model & Opium Records founder Playboi Carti at long last releasing his 3rd full-length studio LP. Putting out 3 mixtapes & an EP under the original Sir Cartier moniker, he would become an affiliate of the A$AP Mob & sign to Interscope Records for an eponymous 4th mixtape & a groundbreaking debut album Die Lit that became some of the best trap music of the previous decade. Whole Lotta Red on Christmas 2020 birthed the rage scene, signing Ken Carson alongside Destroy Lonely & the Homixide Gang to Opium since. Ahead of Rolling Loud this weekend however, I AM MUSIC is here after it was initially set to be released last year as said in the “2024” single.
“Pop Out” is this rage-inducing opener talking about pulling up to the party only to fuck you up whereas “Crush” featuring honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott fresh off giving the current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes a black eye couple weeks ago accompanying The Rock ‘n’ Soul Connection & produced by F1LTHY of Working on Dying works in some synths & hi-hats boasting that a hoe gonna let them smash. “K Pop” originally called “Ketamine” brings this suspenseful atmosphere to the table flexing he stays running checks & holding a knife since it’s a sport while “EVIL J0RDAN” discusses his lifestyle being out of control & referring to himself as an emo thug rather than a rockstar over a Cardo beat.
Moving on from there, “Mojo Jojo” takes it’s name after the primary PowerPuff Girls antagonist saying the only reason everyone’s nice to him now is because of his wealth leading into “Philly” featuring Travis Scott talking about having brand news eyes & noses. “Radar” brings a triumphant flare to the table courtesy of Metro Boomin’ discussing that he should be swaggin’ up just before “Rather Lie” featuring The Weeknd on the hook with co-production from Mike Dean talks about lying to his girl instead of losing her.
“Fine Shit” co-produced by Cash Cobain shows off how bad his bitch is to the point where she can’t even go outside anymore nor can she post online leading into Ye formerly known as Kanye West fusing trap & chipmunk soul during “BACKD00R” talking about raising some Dons with all 3 artists he currently has on the Opium roster & the title referencing his infamous Adin Ross stream. “Toxic” featuring Skepta ominously links both of them up observing the poisonous state of a mosh pit & them having too much profit these days prior to “Munyun” rightfully talking about those being unfamiliar with his voice living under a rock.
As for “Crank”, we have Carti telling a lil freak hoe to slow it up for him due to her having a free throat sampling “Fuck Taylor Gang” by SpaceGhostPurpp while “Charge Dem Hoes a Fee” featuring Future & Travis Scott teams up on top of a Wheezy, Dez Wright, Southside & Smatt Sertified instrumental so they can talk about charging these bitches some money. “Good Credit” featuring Kendrick Lamar has these prominent rage undertones cautioning of the hate only getting realer, making fun of A$AP Relli for snitching, addressing the Drake lawsuit & mentioning Los Angeles Lakers player Luka Dončić while the futuristic “I Seeeeee You Baby Boi” talks about his girl wanting to be the one to lie to him.
Travis Scott returns for the psychedelic “Wake Up F1LTHY” that BNYX helped laced with F1LTHY homaging the latter’s producer tag tryna to run some cake up with each other while the bouncy “Jumpin’” featuring Lil Uzi Vert talks about the way these drugs got them feeling. “Trim” featuring Future is a cloudy Mixtape Pluto outtake that he & Barti made with TM88 referring to themselves as the richest in their hoods until “Cocaine Nose” samples “Only U” by Ashanti to make a sick reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former SMW Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 12-time WWE tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Kane.
“We Need All Da Vibes” featuring Young Thug & Ty$ finds the trio cloudily wants everyone listening to see the way that each of them be ballin’ while the sleeper-hit “Olympian” interestingly dabbles with glitch hop & trap wanting to know why he’s being stared at & shouting out Ricky Hil. Clayco gives “OPM BABI” a bit of a bombastic edge representing the very label that Carti launched 6 years ago & the in-house producer of the same name while “Twin Trim” featuring Lil Uzi Vert feels more like a back-&-forth interlude.
Carti gives his flowers to the New Orleans icon Lil Wayne on “Like Weezy” with a cool sample of “Bend Over” by the Rich Kidz showing up to this bitch off the rocks & fucking up his thumbs after counting so many hundreds while “Dis 1 Got It” mixes some hi-hats with a piano sample feeling like he’s invincible off the percocets. “Walk” homaging the late Bankroll Fresh wants all his Day 1s to know this’ll be a new beginning for them & the apocalypse for his opps while the Memphis-driven “H00DBYAIR” confronting hate he’s received throughout his career.
“Overly” continues to push further towards Music’s final moments with a simplistic Maaly Raw beat built around a piano likening the blue Bugatti he has to Sonic the Hedgehog stunning with the rest of the Opium squad by his side & “South Atlanta Baby” couldn’t have been a better choice of a closer whether it be DJ Swamp Izzo telling Carti that he’s in a whole new category when it comes to his artistry or the lyrics of growing up in the southern region of Atlanta.
Starting the deluxe run, “Different Day” shows ’em what the fuck he’s really been on going for a cloudy trap direction while “2024” was one of my top 10 singles of 2023 from Ye sampling “Jacob’s Ladder” by Yeo to Carti talking about putting anyone who poses as a threat to him on a mural & on the news. “BACKR00MS” featuring Travis Scott reunites the duo 1 more time to liken themselves as the quarterbacks of the rap game holdin’ bombs & throwin’ these hoes & the final bonus track “Fuck on My DJ” talks about women wanting to sleep with DJ Blak Boy.
Obviously it’s gonna be a while until we have the discussion of where this lands compared to both it’s predecessors, but I can easily tell you that Music was worth the continual delays since it feels like a mix of his old sounds & the new ones he’s been trying out since this era of his initially began. Some of the best collection of tracks in the trap & rage subgenres you’ll hear in 2025 showing influences of hardcore hip hop, cloud rap, pop rap & experimental hip hop assembling a high quality list of guests to join him.
The Consentrik Quartet are a jazz band consisting of drummer Tom Rainey, upright bassist Chris Lightcap, tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock & guitarist Nels Cline. The latter of whom has already put out his most recent solo efforts Lovers alongside Currents, Constellations & Share the Wealth through what I consider to be the greatest jazz label of all-time: Blue Note Records. Understandably, it only makes sense for the Consentrik Quartet to come over to Blue Note to put out their official debut album as a group.
“The Returning Angel” takes inspiration from Nels’ career spanning 5-decades already with a quietly reflective intro whereas “The 23” was a highly enjoyable lead single embracing a jazz-rock sound. “Surplus” prominently shows off Nels & Ingrid’s abilities playing the guitar & tenor saxophone for a little over 5 minutes keeping the jazz-rock vibes going strong until “Slipping into Something” starts with a guitar for the first half until the drums & tenor sax both make their way in the equation for the other.
Meanwhile on “Allende”, we have the Consentrik Quartet giving off a somber mood feeling like the perfect composition that would suit a rainy day just before “House of Steam” layered some guitars on it to get extra resonance on the opening theme. “Inner Wall” begins the 2nd half of the band’s debut giving off a mysterious flare for a good chunk of it waiting during the last minute & a half or so to bring the drums to the table, but then the “Satomi” turns the nihilism up going for a darker & deliberate turn through punk & post-rock.
“The Bag” was actually written as a dedication to drummer Tom Rainey including some of my favorite instrumentation on the entire LP leading into the 2nd single “Down Close” excitingly blending the cool jazz & free improvisation subgenres together. “? (The Spot)” continues the backend of these guys’ introductory debut since the tumultuous disorientation is another moment of aggression or fervor on the entire thing & “Time of No Sirens” finishes up with a gently, emotionally deep counterpart.
By turns swinging, grooving, bracing, mesmeric & quietly stunning, the Consentrik Quartet’s spotlights the ensemble’s profound chemistry as well as Cline’s versatility as both a player & a writer with 12 evocative soundscapes. It’s a love letter to the Brooklyn improvised-music scene that he became a vital player in well over a decade ago & though he no longer lives in the borough, his allegiance to the creative musicians Brooklyn nurtures remains steadfast.
Lady Gaga is a 38 year old singer/songwriter, actress & Haus Labs founder from New York City breaking out into stardom in 2008 off her full-length debut The Fame after signing to Konvict Kulture & Interscope Records. Her debut EP The Fame Monster & the sophomore effort Born This Way later inspiring the name of the Born This Way Foundation marked her final offering for Konvict, remaining on Interscope for Artpop along with Joanne & Chromatica. Her previous LP Harlequin was better than Joker 2: Folie a Deux itself, coming off the disappointing film for her 7th studio album.
“Disease” draws from electropop, dance-pop, midtempo bass, French electro & futurepop singing about making sinners into believers whereas “Abracadabra” works in elements of dance-pop, electro house, electropop, acid house, hardbag & French electro facing the challenge of life, the challenge of the night & finding the magic in it all. “Garden of Eden” produced by Gesaffstein maintains the dance pop vibes mirroring Adam & Eve’s biblical paradise prior to “Perfect Celebrity” serving as the theme song of the current WWE Women’s Champion & former NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton’s upcoming WrestleMania XLI match against 14-time WWE women’s champion, 2-time NXT Women’s Champion & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair making some stunning commentary on the manufacturing of those types of celebrities.
Moving on from there, “Vanish Into You” sings about wanting to merge into a singular identity of her partner’s in order to insulate herself from the worldly emotions just before the synth-funk “Killah” pushes herself out of her comfort zone swing herself as a killer both in a literal & metaphorical state. “Zombieboy” remembers her late friend Rick Gernest who passed away in the summer of 2018 with celebration of the nights when fun leads to feeling like a zombie the next morning, but then “LoveDrug” basically comparing the feeling of love to an addictive substance.
“How Bad Do You Want Me?” questions how much her partner loves her in the midst of him dreaming about another person while “Don’t Call Tonight” goes for a warm pop rock flare suggesting not to hit her line unless the targeted individual wants to cause her harm. The irresistibly catchy “Shadow of a Man” sings about not wanting to be under the darkness tonight & to have the light shown to her while “The Beast” shows her evil alter ego telling her partner to colloquially free the beast from within him.
The track “Blade of Grass” dedicates this moment to her fiancé Michael Polansky recalling conversations of proposals in their backyard & simply wrapping a blade of grass around her finger would be her act of grace until “Die with a Smile” featuring Bruno Mars ends fusing pop soul, pop rock, soft rock, adult contemporary & piano rock really crossing over “Shallow” off the A Star is Born soundtrack & Bruno’s work with Anderson .Paak of the duo Silk Sonic wanting to be with each other during the end of the world.
“Can’t Stop the High” starts the deluxe run mixes electro & grunge music for a harder successor to “Perfect Celebrity” while “The Dead Dance” meshes nu-disco, dance-pop, synthwave, synth-funk & electropop to sing about music’s ability to save the lives of others. The final bonus track “Kill for Love” finishes with somewhat of a spiritual successor to “The Beast” in the sense of the werewolf she was speaking of is replying back to her dismissing the idea of wearing it’s disguise.
Stemming from a period of deep introspection & personal challenges, Lady Gaga celebrates her love for music by bringing together a wide variety of genres, styles & different dreams from a place of joy. The production built around dance-pop, electropop, nu-disco, pop rock, synthpop, soft rock, adult contemporary & piano rock, synth-funk, electro house, acid house, hardbag, French electro, midtempo bass & futurepop results in the most memorable songs that’s she’s written in roughly 15 years embarking on a transgressive journey through genres reflecting her diverse musical influences & life experiences.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake taking a break from his ongoing lawsuit against Republic Records’ parent company Universal Music Group for the 5-time Grammy winning Kendrick Lamar single “Not Like Us” spreading a “false & malicious narrative” when he was actually getting destroyed in a rap beef to do a collaborative LP with local singer/songwriter, rapper & producer PARTYNEXTDOOR in time for Valentine’s Day. One of whom is a pop rap star getting his start as an actor before becoming a Lil Wayne protégé signing to Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records over 15 years ago & the other was the very first artist OVO Sound ever signed. Take Care & If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late will always stand as Drake’s best full-length studio album & mixtape respectively with PND’s strongest material to me being his eponymous debut EP & the sequel debut album PARTYNEXTDOOR 2. The idea of $ome $exy $ongs 4 U doesn’t sound too far off since we’ve heard these 2 together on plenty of songs in the past like “Over Here” & “Preach”, it’s that Sony Music will notably be putting it out since I want to clarify for those confused that OVO as a label signed a new distribution deal with Sony last year & Drake has been on Republic as a solo artist since his YMCMB days seemingly trying to get out of his deal with everything going on.
“CN Tower” produced by Noel Cadastre expresses their feelings for their significant others through the colors of Toronto’s most popular tourist attraction over a moody instrumental shares concerns about their lovers’ thoughts whereas “Moth Balls” feels more like a Drake song with PND on the hook talking about being unable to get the smell outta their clothes. “$omething About You” psychedelically finds the 2 thinkin’ of lovin’ their partners all the way like nothin’ is holdin’ them back that is until the 2-parter “Crying in Chanel” stands as first of 6 Drake solo cuts feeling like an Honestly, Nevermind outtake.
PARTYNEXTDOOR links up with his mentor again on “$pider-Man $uperman” telling the women in their lives to admit that they wish both artists could save them over some guitar like while the only PND solo joint “Deeper” tells his girl to chill because he feels like he hasn’t been loving her properly rather get it right than wrong tonight. Drake pops back in for the woozy “Small Town Fame” talking about his girl having a brat summer & “Pimmie’s Dilemma” by Pim serves more as an acoustic interlude.
“Brian Steel” by Drake takes the trap route instrumentally publicly thanking YSL Records founder Young Thug’s lawyer of the same name for helping Big Slime come home last Halloween after the ridiculous R.I.C.O. case just before “Gimme a Hug” is another Drake solo cut reuniting with Gordo behind the boards responding to Ye formerly known as Kanye West saying that Kendrick eliminated in him in their beef when he really did & the questionable line “Fuck all rap beef, I’m trying to get the party lit. Trying to get the party lit for the bitches”. He even references the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer & Real American Beer founder Hulk Hogan.
The penultimate & 3rd consecutive Drake solo joint “Raining in Houston” gets on the 2-parter vibes once more a bit talking about chilling with the guys on a Friday evening & arguing on a rainy day in H-Town itself while “Lasers” marks the return of PARTYNEXTDOOR singing about staring at their lovers’ tattoos during intercourse. “Meet Your Padre” horrifically shows a bit of a Latin influence drinking like it’s Friday on a Sunday & the final Drake solo cut “Nokia” easily sticks out as the most hideous of the 6, later becoming the official theme song of the WWE’s inaugural ESPN pay-per-view Wrestlepalooza V.
Jordan Ullman of Majid Jordan saves one of the more interesting beats for “Die Trying” has even if it feels like another Drake song with PND on the hook unable to decide if he should stay or leave with the woman he has in mind specifically while “Somebody Loves Me” featuring Cash Cobain on the remix sings about turning up in Miami knowing their special someone is out there. “Celibacy” is pretty much an R&B equivalent to “Life is Good” by Future which Drake is featured on while “OMW” works in synths & hi-hats getting calls from the condo to pick their partners up.
The song “Glorious” again feels like another Drake track featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR on the hook to kick off the encore of $ome $exy $ongs 4 U telling this woman to fuck him like she really means it while “When He’s Gone” that Internet Money Records in-house producer Niketaz laced finds the 2 hitting on women who’ve recently broken up with their previous boyfriends wanting them to call them once their exes leave. “Greedy” rounds out the collab project we should’ve gotten a decade ago with them talking about being gluttonous for love.
Don’t wanna come off as biased here because I still tend to enjoy Drake’s music from 2007-2015 & even For All the Dogs although “First Person Shooter” hasn’t really aged well. Point is: “euphoria” as an attack on Drake’s authenticity & personal image even naming itself after the Warner Bros. owned HBO show that Drake is the executive producer of currently preparing for their 3rd & final season has been proven to be the case considering John River claiming that the artwork concept was stolen from him & Bootleg Kev confirming the $ome $exy $ongs 4 U title was taken from Freddie Gibbs’ final Warner Records album $oul $old $eparately not to say that’s why I’m not a fan of the music on here. Feels dated.
Skaiwater is a 24 year old rapper & producer from Nottingham, East Midlands, England, United Kingdom who began in 2019 off their debut EP After God Fear Eve. The 4ersona member would go on to put out 3 more EPs along with a mixtape & a couple of full-length studio LPs, the most notable being their sophomore effort #Gigi from last summer under GoodTalk Records & Capitol Records fully realizing on the potential that was shown on their earlier material. 7 months later, Skai’s looking to prelude their 3rd album with their 5th EP.
The intro “pop” brings together trap, pop rap, alternative R&B, rage, pluggnb & industrial hip hop telling their bae that they’ve been hustlin’ extra hard for her as of late whereas “feral” talks about being the one to find a reason to run away. “by the moon” expresses the fear of losing the woman they’ve seeing currently just before “wolf” featuring Rada talks about a chick who hasn’t slept in 4 days falling in love with the drugs they doing not even knowing either of their names.
“You don’t feel the same.” reaffirms the love they still has for this woman & suggesting she must think they’re a clown when they’re far from it just before “maria” addresses an individual with that very name wanting to own their heart. “ur song” is a tribute to their soulmate loving her for the way she is just before “manicinamerica” ends the the EP by confessing they’re far from sober wanting to hold Mia in their bleeding arms & asking if they can be a home to their partner.
Young Skai managed to push themself artistically back in June & they prelude the next LP in their disposal with what’s definitely the most I’ve enjoyed an EP from them. The production takes the UK hip hop sound & fuses it with pop rap, plugg, jerk, electropop, trap, alternative R&B, rage, pluggnb & industrial hip hop once more leveling up their pen-game like Skai did previously.
EST G is a 30 year old rapper & songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky who put out his first 3 mixtapes independently until Interscope Records signed him for his 4th tape I Still Don’t Feel Nun & later signing with Collective Music Group the next summer to put out Bigger Than Life or Death. His debut album I Never Felt Nun finally came after Bigger Than Life or Death 2 & the Last Ones Left collab tape with 42 Dugg, following it up with Mad & El Toro 2. Couple years later, he’s returning for his official sophomore effort.
“Free Rico” is this Detroit trap intro wanting everyone that’s listening to follow his lead whereas “The Streets” was a decent 2nd single building up anticipation for I Ain’t Feeling You bringing trap & gangsta rap together. “Houstonatlantaville” featuring Lil Baby & honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott blends horns & hi-hats recommending y’all to take your time when you gettin’ it out the oven while “Right Now” brings the Detroit trap vibes back talking about someone who ain’t learn shit.
The 3rd single “R.I.P. Lu Mike” remembers a friend of his who was tragically taken from us last summer just before the lead single “Go” sticks to a general trap sound altogether talking about being too high to the point where he can barely even think. “Plug Motivation” admits it didn’t hurt when someone who lied to him regarding being turnt died since he changed on him, but then “Do My Own Stunts” likens himself to the late Evel Knievel.
TM88 saves what’s by far my favorite instrumental on the album for “Crash” turning baby-mama drama into opportunities while “Slime” talks about having too much on his mind & the time for another killin’. The final single “My Love” featuring CBFW Records labelmates Rylo Rodriguez & Veeze finds the trio wishing their love was good enough on top of Veeze having the best verse of the 3 & the outro makes a clear-eyed accounting of his imperfections or mistakes that make him even more relatable.
“Flash” featuring Bloodhound Q50 gets the deluxe run going with both of them sampling “Flashing Lights” by Ye formerly known as Kanye West promising that their chains won’t ever get snatched while “Free Z5” talks about being raised way differently than the average person in the streets. “Free Leaf” calls for the squad to point out an opp whenever they come across one trappin’ viciously & the final bonus track “It Ain’t Work Yet” talks about using percocets to unsuccessfully numb the pain.
Keeping up with the CMG camp’s rise in popularity for almost 4 years now, I’ve given praise to a handful of their artists in that span of time whether it be 42 Dugg or Mozzy & more recently Glorilla. That in mind: I Ain’t Feeling You maintains the mixed reception of his output in the last few years due to it’s relatable themes getting drowned out as a result of uninteresting production.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter The Weeknd ending a 5 year trilogy with his 6th studio LP. Rising to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes, he then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land which was a decent attempt at symbolizing tour life forming his own Republic Records imprint X❤️O Records after nearly signing to Drake’s label OVO Sound. The sophomore effort Beauty Behind the Madness proved to be even better as it started to incorporate elements of pop, although Starboy ended up being another mixed bag much like Kiss Land except he embraced a more electropop sound. Abel’s debut EP My Dear Melancholy, though was a solid return to his alternative R&B roots & let’s not forget After Hoursgoing on to becoming the best album of his career thus far in my opinion. Dawn FM picked up right where it left off & the final chapter Hurry Up Tomorrow is finally upon us.
“Wake Me Up” produced with Oneohtrix Point Never & Mike Dean is this epic 2-part intro to begin the end balancing synthwave & synth-funk started singing about his legacy being the only thing he has & it feels as if he’s dying whereas “Cry for Me” works in more synthesizers & hi-hats thanks to Metro Boomin’ interpolating “Within” by Daft Punk hoping that a woman I presume to be his ex Bella Hadid still cries for him. After the “I Can’t Fucking Sing” skit which I highly disagree with it’s title, “São Paulo” featuring Anitta was the weakest single of the 3 although I appreciate the fusion of funk mandelão, alternative R&B, synthwave, funk automotivo, mega funk & Brazilian phonk.
After the “Until We’re Skin & Bones” skit, the 3rd single “Baptized in Fear” dives into the feeling of being overwhelmed by guilt & regret going for more of a general alternative R&B vibe while “Open Hearts” explores themes of healing from heartbreak & learning to love again treats his love interest as an angel in disguise. The criminally short “Opening Night” sings over a futuristic instrumental to give him what I want & the show will start just before “Reflections Laughing” featuring a verse & drumless production from honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott fresh off appearing with former WWE Intercontinental Champion & 10-time WWE tag team champion Jey Uso at the Netflix premiere of Monday Night RAW made possible by TKO board of directors members WWE President Nick Khan alongside TKO President & COO Mark Shapiro brings the 2 together to talk about vulnerability, self-reflection & the pressures of fame.
“Enjoy the Show” featuring Future has a clever interpolation of “Can’t Feel My Face” making way for both of them coming together for a light R&B-inspired duet revolving around the concept of heartbreak leading into the 2-parter “Given Up on Me” asking God for his company preferring the final half more personally. “I Can’t Wait to Get There” brings a synth-funk flare to the table singing about the darkness keeping his romantic interest shining ahead of the official WrestleMania XLI theme song “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti with Doechii on the remix uniting over a Pharrell beat uniquely molding trap, pop rap, alternative R&B, synthwave, cloud rap, trap soul, wave music & plugg.
Meanwhile on “Niagara Falls”, we have another 2-part track portraying The Weeknd looking back on a woman he used to love & got to hold until the sun used to come up while “Take Me Back to LA” comes across as a official sequel to the After Hours highlight“Escape from LA” wanting to return to the very city that he wanted to escape from nearly 5 years ago. “Big Sleep” hooks up some prominent synths telling his lover that she knows she loves it when she’s angry while the synth-funk driven “Give Me Mercy” sings about wanting God to grant him leniency.
“Drive” starts the final leg of Hurry Up Tomorrow confessing fame being a disease & not wanting to waste others’ time while “The Abyss” describes the fleetingness of love between him & his partner in the midst of the world erupting into despair. “Red Terror” goes for an electro-pop direction showcasing a distanced relationship that never loses its primary spark while the synth-based “Without a Warning” hopes his fans will love him until his final day.
The title track officially concludes The Weeknd’s swan song hoping he finds what he’s looking for being done with the lies & the loss genuinely hopping his confession of wanting to change is enough transitioning into “High for This” while “Dancing in the Flames” starts the deluxe run with a decent teaser of what was to come synthpop, dance-pop, synthwave, freestyle & Hi-NRG encapsulating the idea of a passionate love that endures through risks & chaos. “Runaway” acoustically assures all are safe in the afterlife while “Society” is a dance-pop number wanting to show his lover how it feels. The final bonus track “Closing Night” that the Swedish House Mafia & Wheezy laced together ends with a “Opening Night” sequel that’s more fleshed out than the predecessor.
Whatever’s next for Abel this point forward, the new trilogy of albums that he’s put out during the first half of this current decade shows how much he’s grown since House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence all put him in the forefront of alternative R&B & now pop music in general. The production culminates in alternative R&B, synthpop, synthwave, trap, progressive electronic, dance-pop, synth-funk, drumless, funk mandelão, funk automotivo, mega funk, Brazilian phonk, pop rap, cloud rap, trap soul, wave, plugg, synthpop, freestyle & Hi-NRG music reaching a point in his life where he wants to to shed skin & be reborn.
Legends Will Never Die 