Cardi B's debut isn't great by any stretch of the imagination but it's not that bad either. It's a more listenable project than I expected and has more than a few noteworthy moments. I guess what really makes it a decent project is that all of her best songs sound like a more than serviceable approximation of whatever artist she's feeling in that moment. They say the best artists steal, so in that sense she's more than on her way.
Most people know Diplo for those big, dance ready anthems that shake the roofs off clubs, but on California EP he's opted for a more subdued, even emotional sound that's meant to move you in a different way than on the dance floor.
Check out some of the past weeks' most talked about and interesting music videos from Eminem, Drake, Bon Jovi, Halsey, Future, The Chainsmokers, John Legend, Chromeo, and more.
Throughout Western history, music has had a place in daily life - growing its foothold year after year. With the turn of each decade, music has turned as well. Perhaps in an effort to appeal to a developing society... Perhaps as an indicator of that same society's development...
Mike WiLL Made-It was the real draw for this album and his production was pretty much the only thing that kept me pushing on through Edgewood. That's not to say that I think Trouble is a particularly bad rapper, it's just that I don't think much of anything about Trouble in general. There's a considerable lack of charisma or even energy with everything he does that left me feeling indifferent.
Although Boarding House Reach is probably Jack White's most experimental project yet, there's heavy influences from blues, country, and most surprisingly funk, with entire songs dedicated to said genres, he still keeps that sincere approach to his music. All in all, it was an unexpectedly experimental album that's a mixed bag of good and bad, but the good largely outweighs the bad.
Like a lot of today's music, trying to put a label on or even describe their overall sound is damn near impossible. It's a little bit of pop, a little bit of punk, a little bit of electronic, a little bit of hip-hop, and a whole lot of countless other influences. It all sounds highly experimental, and a bit chaotic, but never so much that they lose their cool. Young Fathers have crafted something special here and I've found it difficult to pull myself away. This one is a must experience.
Trying to explain the genre-less nature of XXXTENTACION, David Byrne, and Jack White’s latest albums
We're back and this time we're discussing a lot of notable happenings in music like Tekashi 6ix9ine's interview where he gets the better of the usually on point Charlamagne, Drake, Snoop Dogg, and SoundCloud rap's first number ones, and Cardi B finally giving a release date for her debut album. We then question if it's still right to listen to R. Kelly's music despite the seemingly neverending string of sexual abuse allegations. And end things by giving our thoughts and reactions to the latest albums from XXXTENTACION, David Byrne, and Jack White, and struggle to explain the genre-less nature of them all.
The Neighbourhood have tried to recapture some of their initial musical potency with their third studio album, and while I felt like it was a solid effort overall, it still felt a bit contrived when compared to everything else out there and at this point I'm not sure what they could do to regain that initial spark.
One artist dared to fight the burgeoning tide of girl power and become both a queen and a king and she did it by reaching beyond her own inspirational sphere, writing songs from the minds of anyone — everyone.
Overall, Platinum Fire is just a really smooth, vibe heavy listen throughout and although it doesn't stray too far from typical R&B tropes, it's a really impressive debut that warrants people's attention and has made Arin Ray a name I'll be looking out for in the future.
If you're looking for some insane wordplay from one of the best lyricists out there and love Premier's classic scratches and essential hip-hop beat making then you're in for something special. If however, you're looking for that more contemporary style of rap that's full of breakdowns, beat switch ups, conceptual stories, and experimentation with other genres, then this is definitely not for you.
If you would've told me that Rich The Kid's "The World Is Yours" would be a better project than "Culture II", I wouldn't have believed you, but that's exactly the case here, and while there's nothing revolutionary about the music he's putting out, it more than scratches that itch for good 'trap' music.
In this modern age of overproduction, auto-tune, and digital manipulation it’s all too easy to lose the emotional power of a voice in the chaos. Sometimes it only takes the simplest of setups to filter all that “noise” out and remind you just how powerful that connection with a voice really is. 23 year old London native Freya Ridings has one such voice. Check out the full gallery of shots from the show.
March had a ton of great new albums and music videos from the likes of SZA, Young Fathers, CZARFACE & MF DOOM, and The Weeknd; and it also featured some interesting trailers for First Reformed, Avengers: Infinity War, and Sorry To Bother You. We've highlighted some of the best drops over the month and now we're ready to crown the best album, movie trailer, and music video.
Somehow The Weeknd manages to step back towards his original sounds while still implementing some of his more recent poppier inclinations, creating a whole new sound yet again. It's a great mix of listenable pop with his more sinister, cynical side and there's not a single track worth skipping.
There's really not a whole lot to say about Kolorblind, there's a handful of knocking songs that warrant a few spins and seeing Nas on here was an unexpected surprise, although it was more than a bit underwhelming, but there's nothing as big as "Too Much Sauce" and there's nothing that would make Future's greatest hits. At this point you either love/like Future or you don't.
David Byrne has always been pleasantly weird and experimental and he once again tries to push the musical envelope. What results from that sincere push is at best, a mess however. It's a mash up of different sounds and influences that, when it works, can be refreshing and exhilarating, but those moments are far too often undercut by clunky breakdowns and unnecessary introductions of new elements.
Check out some of the past weeks' most talked about and interesting music videos from Tyler, The Creator, 2 Chainz, Diplo, ODESZA, SZA, James Bay, and more.
Check out some of the past weeks' most talked about and interesting music videos from Migos, Post Malone, Kelly Clarkson, Jhené Aiko, Wale, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.
Planet's sound is more in line with the 'popular' sounds out there but he still keeps that menacing undertone and breakneck double time flow, all while laying down some incredibly personal verses that make him even more relatable than ever. 20 albums in and he still finds ways to elevate his craft; I think it's more than time Tech N9ne gets the respect he deserves as one of hip-hop's greatest to ever do it - not only the hardest working.
XXXTENTACION said his goal was to show his versatility on this project and although a lot of the stuff here is watered down representations of said genres, his talent is undeniable and his renditions turned out better than I ever would have expected. Now most of it feels like teasers/unfinished versions with only two tracks going over 3 minutes, but sonically there's more than enough here to keep me coming back. ? is as enigmatic a project as XXXTENTACION is as an artist but there's an undeniable draw to it and to him that continues to surprise.
Bobby Tarantino II feels like a 'I can do that too, but better' type of situation and while lyrically and rapping wise he may be better than a lot of the 'pop' rappers out there, the songs don't carry that same sort of swag or impact as theirs. These are more watered down versions of what's already out there and popular, and when you're whole premise of a tape is jacking styles, then this becomes a major problem.
Moments when a band is able to completely capture the energy of the crowd and harness it are rarer than one would expect, but with their performance of “Middle Fingers” MISSIO was able to do just that. As all 500 concert goers triumphantly waved both middle fingers high, the restless energy of current political and social events was given a momentary catharsis. Expect to see big things from this band and if you can, check them out live on their currently sold-out nationwide tour. Check out our collection of photos from a fantastic show at the U Street Music Hall in Washington D.C.