Jorja Smith's debut shows just how wildly talented she is and why she has to potential to be a transformative force in music. A must listen.
'K.T.S.E.' was much more soulful, chilled out, and low key than I would have ever imagined, and while she showed a level of true artistry I never knew she had and Ye's production was generally strong, I went through all 8 tracks still without getting a clear picture of who she was as an artist or a person, and it just didn't make that strong of a statement - despite it being a pleasant listen.
'4275' is a nice trip down memory lane while Jacquees still brings enough new swagger to the table to make it not feel like a tribute album.
Despite some cliche and well worn elements, 6LACK still delivers an enjoyable listen that shows he's capable of carving out his own lane in the crowded space of alternative R&B.
Between Jeremih's strong vocals and Ty Dolla $ign's skills as a songwriter, the pair were able to craft one of the rare joint projects that's actually worth the effort.
Joji showed surprising amount of skill and understanding in the R&B/neo-soul realm and left his own unique stamp on the genre in unexpected ways. An overall enjoyable listen with more highs than lows.
A.CHAL showed great growth on this project as he expanded his musical reach and really tapped into the latin aspect of his music - leading to some legit dance hits. He's poised to be next up.
Jessie Reyez's short, sharp, 7-track project delivers a refreshingly blunt and honest look at the singer in a way you don't often see. It's a whole vibe and she may just be the best new thing to come out of 2018.
Talos delivers an incredibly rich and cinematic album that crafts an almost perfect blend of soulful production, synths, and impressive vocals.
For the first half of '1UP', T-Pain delivers some strong, classic material, but the problem is that warm feeling of nostalgia fades fast leaving a project that, once again, feels tired and too stuck to his ways.
Mereba's ability to blend together soul, R&B, and hip-hop, was a breath of fresh air and led to some fantastic music to vibe out to.
The standout crooner of the 1970s has provided us with—from the grave—an album that is more than great: it’s the perfect album for the times in which we live.
Sonically 'Everything Is Love' is as good as you'd expect from Beyoncé & Jay-Z but I don't think there's anything here that's mind-blowing or different than what we've heard from them before (mostly like throwaways from the 'Lemonade' and '4:44' sessions). 'Everything Is Love' doesn't push either one of them artistically but it answers a lot of questions and lives up to their high musical standards.
The Internet are a truly special group that's able to balance their warm nostalgia while still remaining refreshingly modern. 'Hive Mind' is a phenomenal project full of hypnotic grooves and hip-swaying rhythms.
H.E.R.'s 'I Used To Know Her: The Prelude' is a solid, yet short glimpse at to how far she's developed as an artist and potential future star in the making.
JMSN dives even further into his love and appreciation for traditional R&B and soul and has delivered maybe his best album yet.
Khalid's latest is more of a sidestep than a leap forward and although he shows some maturation and still can create generally enjoyable music, it all feels rather inconsequential.
While not as realized or surprising as Kendrick's 'Black Panther' album, Mike WiLL Made-It still delivers a largely enjoyable album that will surely push more collaborations between Hollywood and hip-hop.
DaniLeigh's 'The Plan' was a surprisingly versatile project that was equally strong in its singing and rapping instances and she checks all of the boxes of a prototypical star in the making.
ZAYN delivers a surprisingly subdued project that's all about the music and its biggest accomplishment is being as consistently good as it was through all 27 tracks.
Ariana Grande's follow up to her well received 'Sweetener' is a pop banger that takes a scorched earth approach that delivers a simultaneously personal, yet impersonal ride that's brimming with self-determined energy.
While Hozier's 'Wasteland, Baby!' isn't the most original music, it is carried by his incredible voice and some really strong production. All in all, an enjoyable listen from front to back.
Zacari turned me into a fan with one of the strongest debut projects to come out of the heavily stacked TDE camp. Potential star in the making.
It was passionate, powerful, soulful and vulnerable all at the same time. There were elements of funk and experimental R&B, accentuated by her extraordinary vocal range, and the message of the music was heartfelt and sincere.