Best of the Month is decided by a number of different variables; voter counts from preceding posts, reader reaction ratings, gut feelings, and lots and lots of heated discussions.
Album of the Month
Over the past few years, English singers of R&B/neo-soul have really left a sizable mark on the scene and they have had quite the impressive streak of phenomenal debuts, from Adele, to Sam Smith, to Sampha; and Jorja Smith has kept that streak alive with her damn near flawless formal introduction to the world. Lost & Found not only displayed her lush, soulful vocals, but her incredible ear for production and her intelligent, cognizant songwriting and topicality that seems well beyond her years. Lost & Found really was an impressive blend of R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop that has us so excited for Smith’s incredibly bright future.
Runner-ups
Trailer of the Month
I think it’s safe to say that Michael B. Jordan has officially ‘arrived’ in Hollywood. He’s one of the hottest names in film right now and at such a young point in his career, he already has quite the list of impressive projects to his name. The original Creed played a large part in his ascension and it proved that he could not only carry an iconic franchise such as Rocky, but that he could make it all his own. The trailer for Creed II has us excited that it could be one of those rare sequels that ends up being better than the first. All the fan service, reverence, and everything we loved from the first, while still uniquely its own tone and the skin crawling promise of DRAGOOOOOO…what more could you want?
Runner-ups
Video of the Month
June was a BIG month for the TDE OG and the rest of 2018 is shaping up to be even bigger as people are finally starting to recognize and appreciate his ability as an artist. He released the best album of his career and arguably one of the best projects of the year and Top has been pulling out all of the stops for the roll out of this one. “The Bloodiest” was one of the hardest tracks off the album and it got an appropriately hard and surreal video that’s full of deeper meaning and visceral imagery that really bring his lyrics to life. We’re used to more straightforward fare from Rock, but this go around he’s really upped his artistry and it’s gone a long way to showing that he’s a real contender in this rap game.
Runner-ups