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
Few artists in memory (recent or otherwise) have quite had a year like the one Ariana Grande has had. Full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and all played out in the public eye, she absolutely punctuated her wild journey off with her biggest album yet, no less than 6 months after what, at the time, was considered her biggest album yet. She was always poised for super stardom but the way in which she was able to channel her struggle and strife into a project full of raw emotion and monster hits has catapulted her into another stratosphere. Few artists have dominated the conversation like she has and for that reason thank u, next will go down as a career defining moment for her and the best album of the month.
Runner-ups
Video of the Month
The return of the Jonas Brothers was an unexpected surprise and the manner in which they announced their return was even more of a surprise. We are by no means fans of the brothers and have never really been, thanks in large part to their Disney boy band image, but there’s no denying that “Sucker” is an absolute jam, and the video, which is shockingly sexual (by their standards), was a perfect way to reinvent their more grown up appeal without completely straying away from the goofier, endearing aspects of themselves. Fantastic song with some fantastic visuals has us ready to reconsider our position on the band.
Runner-ups
Trailer of the Month
Very rarely are there trailers that immediately grab you in the way that the trailer for Netflix’s upcoming animated anthology, Love Death + Robots, grabbed us. In just its short 1-minute run time we were left with wayyy more questions than answers but also with an almost insatiable urge to find out just what it’s all about. A deluge of clips come at you at a breakneck, almost seizure inducing speed, backed by a manic, skittering soundtrack; and that unique pairing of sci-fi, metal, and anime taps directly into the nerves of our childhood Toonami loving selves. Good or bad, it looks likes a visual feast and the trailer has us sold 1000 times over.
Runner-ups