Lorde "Melodrama" Album Review

Alright, everyone, final album review of 2017! It’s been quite a journey doing these album reviews, but I figured I’d end the year on an album a lot of people were singing very high praises for. That’s right, I’m talking about Lorde’s “Melodrama.” I’m not super familiar with a lot of her songs, outside of (of course) her major hit “Royals.” However, this was an album I heard a lot of good things about, and I wanted to take a look to see if I could get in on the hype. So, let’s take a look at it, shall we?

Green Light: The first song on the album talks about heartbreak, and it manages to succeed as both an infectious and fun pop song, but also one with a lot of emotion, thanks largely to Lorde’s very passionate vocals. I always say that I love when a song can hide some sad themes or imagery behind punchy, fun production, and this song is the perfect example of that. Definitely gonna be coming back to this one in the future!

Sober: Another very punchy, dance-y song about being the “king and queen of the weekend,” I once again love Lorde’s very passionate vocals on this track, and the beat on this one is a lot of fun. It’s another great example of a song that’s extremely emotional, but easy to just get up and dance to. This will definitely become another replay-button breaker for me!

Homemade Dynamite: I feel like I’m repeating myself, but I have to once again applaud Lorde for having an ear for punchy and fun instrumentals. This one talks about meeting someone at a party and letting the night just go wild. It really adds to the “house party” feel that Lorde is going for on this album, and her vocals are really great on this one. I feel like I’ll be coming back to this one a lot, as well!

The Louvre: Continuing the story from the last track, this one sees Lorde talking about being content with her relationship, over a really fun, beautiful sounding instrumental melody and bassline. I also love Lorde’s vocals on this one, and while the song is much lighter than the others on this album, it’s no less gorgeous and infectious. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I have a good feeling I’ll be breaking the replay button with it.

Liability: A more piano-driven ballad, this one feels much different from the other songs on the album, but it’s no less emotional than those other songs. Lorde’s lyrics are heartbreaking on this one, as she talks about her own feeling of being a “liability” to others, and her beautiful vocals only add to the heartbreak of the track. It’s a really personal one, and it’s also extremely beautiful in every way.

Hard Feelings/Loveless: A two-part song, the first part of the song “Hard Feelings” potentially talks about a breakup, and beyond the really beautiful production, Lorde’s vocals really add to the emotion of the track. The second part, “Loveless,” feels even punchier and more dance-y than the slower “Hard Feelings,” and it deals with Lorde deconstructing the idea of this generation “ruining love.” Both parts of the song are fantastic, in that they combine two completely different musical feels and make them sound wonderful!

Sober II (Melodrama): Another much lighter song, the sequel to “Sober” deals with the idea of the feeling that comes after the party, when the lights are on and the heartbreak ensues. It’s a beautifully-crafted, and once again pretty heartbreaking song, that once again features some beautiful vocals from Lorde. The song does get a bit punchier at the end, but it doesn’t feel out-of-place, and all in all, the song is absolutely gorgeous.

Writer in the Dark: Another more stripped-down, piano-driven ballad, this one talks about Lorde wanting to move on from her ex, even though she still loves him. With Lorde’s beautiful vocals and the very minimalist instrumentals, it’s a really heartbreaking song that really hits hard. Even as someone that’s never gone through a breakup, this song has me fighting back tears, it’s that beautiful.

Supercut: Moving back to something more uptempo, this song still doesn’t lack in emotion, in that Lorde fantasizes about the positive parts of her relationship, but realizes that she can’t have a relationship like that. Her performance on this track is once again very emotional, and it really adds to the beauty of the track. Lorde once again crafts something really special on this track.

Liability (Reprise): Continuing on from before, this one features Lorde talking to herself and realizing that she’s not really the “liability” that she made herself out to be. It’s light but beautiful, as always, and Lorde brings yet another emotional performance to this track. It’s really an incredible song.

Perfect Places: Taking things back to something much more punchy, Lorde ends the album on an appropriate message with this one, realizing that the parties, the drugs, and the sex are not going to be the “perfect places” we’re all looking for, and that these parties are just momentary pleasure. She realizes that no place is truly perfect. and she sings about that on this really fun, catchy song that ends off the album appropriately.

Homemade Dynamite (Remix) (ft. Khalid, Post Malone and SZA): Figured I’d just give some quick thoughts on this one since it was included on Spotify, which is where I listened to the album. It’s obviously the same as the original version, but it features verses from Khalid, SZA, and Post Malone, who discuss what it likes to meet people at a party when you are drunk. All three artists provide some emotional and passionate vocals on this track, and they add some extra fun to an already amazing song.

Lorde…thank you. Thank you, and your team, for creating such an incredible album. This is really something special. Concept? Fantastic on paper and wonderfully executed. Vocals? Passionate, emotional, and fantastic. Production? Absolutely gorgeous! Consistency? You’ve got it! This album really is something special. It’s emotional, it’s gorgeous, it’s a wonder to behold. Lorde proves here that she can handle a variety of different feelings, from upbeat and poppy, to stripped-down and light. It’s truly an amazing album, and this is one that’s gonna stick with me for a really long time. If you haven’t gotten a chance to listen to this fantastic album, do yourself a favor!

Wow, what a way to end off 2017!

Favorite tracks: EVERY SINGLE DAMN TRACK!!!

Least favorite tracks: HA, YEAH RIGHT!

Rating: Excellent

Drake "More Life" Playlist Review

Alright, now that we are closing in on the end of the year, I have two more projects I’ll be reviewing that I happened to miss this year. First off, I have Drake’s latest “playlist,” “More Life.” I don’t think I need to introduce Drake at this point, as pretty much everyone knows of the famed rapper, singer, producer, and so on. He’s released his fair share of albums over the past few years, but here he is with a new…playlist. Yeah, an 81-minute “playlist.” Strange, but since a lot of people were talking about it, I wanted to take a look at it and see if it was any good. So, let’s go!

Free Smoke: A song that starts with a piano melody and some really strong, soulful vocals from Nai Palm, this song sees Drake basically address his haters, and challenge anyone to try to take his crown as a top rapper. While I think his flow is fine and his performance is not bad, either, the song just kinds of bores me. Maybe it’s the hook? It might be, I think “free shmoke, free shmoke, ayy” is just pretty boring, and while I don’t think it’s a terrible song (in fact, I think it’s an appropriate opening to the project), I feel like it’s just nothing I want to go back to after this review. Also, while Drake is no stranger to using patois in his music, Baka’s outro just feels like an attempt at forcing it into the track.

No Long Talk (ft. Giggs): I’m sorry, but Drake’s patois on this song just feels really silly to me. I don’t know what it is. Still, I like his flow on his verse, and the beat really adds to the fun factor. However, I think it’s the verse from Giggs where the song really comes alive, because his flow is extremely fun and catchy and, while I’m not sure if I’ll be going back to this in the future, Giggs really made the song a whole lot better for me. This one might grow on me in the future, though, we’ll see.

Passionfruit: A song that fits perfectly in Drake’s wheelhouse, in that it’s about the idea of trusting your significant other in a long-distance relationship, I really love the catchy and bright instrumental on this one, and I feel like it really plays to Drake’s musical strengths (his singing voice) and it sounds great overall. I also really like the hook on this one, and I like the way it stays bright and catchy, even though it’s got some kind of sad lyrics. I like this one a lot!

Jorja Interlude: A short interlude featuring a singer named Jorja Smith, this track doesn’t really leave a lasting impression on me, because Jorja’s very filtered, hardly-there vocals don’t really amount to much, and Drake’s verse is just kind of boring to me. It serves its purpose as an interlude and not much else.

Get It Together (ft. Black Coffee and Jorja Smith): A very funky and uptempo track, this one also features Jorja Smith very prominently, which makes it feel a lot more like her track than Drake’s. And honestly, it just plays as a pretty cheesy ballad to me. Despite the uptempo beat on this one, Jorja’s performance is kind of boring (again, the filters really take away from her admittedly strong vocals) and, what little Drake we do get on this track is nothing close to his best, in that he just sounds kind of bored to me. Definitely one of the weaker tracks on this record.

Madiba Riddim: This one leaves me kind of conflicted. I like the bouncy production and Drake’s vocals, and the lyrical dissection of his own fame is pretty interesting to me, but I can’t help but feel like this just sounds like a B-side from his last album “Views.” In fact, the instrumental just felt a bit like a copycat version of “One Dance,” and while it’s nice on the ears, I don’t feel like I’ll be going back to it all that much.

Blem: I love the instrumental on this one, and again, Drake’s vocals are quite good on this more Caribbean-inspired song. It’s definitely quite nice on the ears, and while it also sounds kind of like a B-side, I definitely had some fun with it. Drake’s flow is a little boring on it, but all in all, it’s a pretty decent track that might grow on me in the future, though Lil Wayne’s random outro just kind of confused me.

4422 (ft. Sampha): Instrumentally, this piano-driven song does feel a bit sad and nice on the ears, and while I do like Sampha’s vocals on the track, I can’t help but feel like it really doesn’t fit on this project, seeing as how Drake is nowhere on it. While I do think it's a pretty-sounding track, I feel like there might just be something I’m not getting with it. Maybe I just need to listen to it a few more times to really get it?

Gyalchester: I like the way the last track leads into this one so perfectly. Even so, I just honestly feel so indifferent about this song as a whole. Nothing about the song really leaves a lasting impression on me. The hook is genuinely forgettable, Drake’s flow is nothing special or exciting, and while I liked the instrumental at the beginning, I don’t find it really all that fun after the whole “feel change.” I don’t know, it just bores me!

Skepta Interlude: Another song that has absolutely no Drake, instead featuring UK rapper Skepta, and I have to say I really like his flow on this one! His lyrics are really braggadocio, but his performance is passionate and exciting! And while I found it hilarious that he kind of “sampled” the Victory Road theme from "Pokémon Gold" on this song, I think that really helps make the instrumental even more memorable for me. There’s not much of a hook on this one, and again, it feels strange that this is on Drake’s project considering that he’s nowhere on it, but all in all, it’s a good track that might even get some repeat listens out of me.

Portland (ft. Quavo and Travis Scott): This track is just flat-out boring! There is nothing memorable about this song! I’ve sat down and tried to listen to it multiple times and it literally just leaves my memory after each listen! Drake’s verse is really boring, Quavo’s hook is definitely one of his weaker featured appearances of the year, and while Travis Scott’s verse and “drowning in autotune” vocals were kind of fun, they were not enough to save the song from being a crashing bore for me. Not even the flute was able to win me over.

Sacrifices (ft. 2 Chainz and Young Thug): I like the piano-driven intro on this one, which is why I wasn’t as happy when the feel changed so much on Drake’s verse. And while his flow on said verse is pretty solid, his hook was pretty boring to me. 2 Chainz and Young Thug are also featured on the track and, unfortunately, I feel like 2 Chainz’s performance on this one doesn’t have the charisma or energy I usually expect from him, and even if Young Thug shows some of that energy and charisma, his verse just feels a bit repetitive and too long. Yeah, wasn’t all that crazy about this one.

Nothings Into Somethings: A much shorter track, I like Drake’s vocals on this one, and I think the hook is pretty fun, and while the instrumental is a bit cliché, the song itself does have a pretty solid, sad vibe to it. My only big gripe is that it feels like Drake has so much more to say on this one, and I think the fact that it ends with a minute of instrumental is honestly a bit unsatisfying. Even so, it is a solid track.

Teenage Fever: A much slower song, I like Drake’s vocals and flow on the verse of this one, and sampling Jennifer Lopez’s “If You Had My Love” adds to the catchiness of it. It definitely just feels like standard Drake stuff, and it is very reminiscent of a B-side, but I don’t know, I guess I kind of like the downer vibe of this track, and I feel like it’s a song that I might be willing to go back to a bit in the future.

KMT (ft. Giggs): The song that caused a huge ruckus because it was allegedly a copycat version of controversial rapper XXXTentacion’s “Look at Me,” I think I’m more interested in the fact that he sampled “His World” from “Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)” on this track. But still, I do like Drake’s sound on his verse of this one, and the “His World” sampling really makes the song a lot more interesting to me sonically. And honestly, if this really did copy X’s song, it’s a rare case where the copycat is better than the original because I think this song is much nicer on the ears than “Look at Me.” Giggs’s verse isn’t as interesting on this one as his verse on “No Long Talk,” but I have a feeling this is gonna be one of those tracks that ends up being very earworm-y for me.

Lose You: I feel like this track is one of Drake’s more personal and mature songs, in that it talks about how his success caused him to question if he’s lost his family and friends. It’s a really interesting personal journey from Drake, and I like his flow throughout the verses on this one. Not really much of a hook on this one, but I’m really digging this track and I feel like it’ll definitely get repeat listens out of me.

Can’t Have Everything: Unfortunately, I’m not all that crazy about this song. Sure, Drake’s flow on the verses and the catchy, punchy beat are quite solid, but his lyrics about wanting everything but not being able to have them just aren’t really that interesting to me. Some of the lyrics even border on cheese for me, to be honest. It’s not a bad song, I just feel like I’m pretty indifferent towards the track.

Glow (ft. Kanye West): I really like Kanye West and Drake’s vocals on the hook of this one, and I like their chemistry on this one. Even if they talk again about how successful they’ve become in the music industry, I find the song to be too fun and great on the ears. I love the punchy and bright instrumental, and I feel like I’ll end up giving this one some repeat listens, for sure.

Since Way Back (ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR): This track features PARTYNEXTDOOR, and I feel like they kind of mesh together nicely on this track. The fact that they talk about a relationship going sour just kind of feels very much in Drake’s wheelhouse, and both their vocals are quite nice on this one. The instrumental is pretty minimal and hardly all that noticeable in the first part of the song, but on the second part, it ends up being really infectious and memorable. I actually really like this track!

Fake Love: This one definitely grew on me a bit. I initially wasn’t all that crazy about it, but even if it feels kind of like a “Hotline Bling” B-side, it’s kind of a really catchy, fun beat, some solid vocals from Drake on the verses and a hook that, while I didn’t love it at first, I ended up growing to have a lot of fun with. I also like Drake’s lyrics talking about the people that act fake to him. Definitely grew on me a bit, I really liked this track!

Ice Melts (ft. Young Thug): Another track that features Young Thug, I’m honestly not all that crazy about his hook on this thing, and while Drake’s vocals are nice on his verses, I can’t help but find the song to be a bit repetitive. Drake talking about a love interest is obviously nothing new, and honestly, I don’t mind that as much as others, but just in the context of this playlist, the instrumental and Drake’s flow just come off as too much of the same. It’s not a terrible track, but it’s definitely not all that memorable.

Do Not Disturb: I like the sampled vocals from "Time" by Snoh Aalegra on this track, and while I do think this is an appropriate track to end on, I feel like it’s just nothing I’ll want to go back to in the future. It’s just Drake spending about three and a half minutes taking shots at numerous different people and talking about some of the crazy things he’s been involved with, and then an extra minute of instrumentals. It’s an appropriate end to the playlist, especially considering that he alludes to taking a much-needed music break, but it’s just not the most memorable track on this thing, or a track I’ll really want to return to in the future.

Overall, I don’t really know how to feel about this project, to be honest. I was genuinely pretty bored throughout the first half, but I ended up having a much better time with a number of the tracks on the second half of this thing. Even then, though, I found it to be an overly-long, kind of inconsistent project that just feels wholly “so-so” to me. While there were definitely some tracks that I enjoyed (and you’ll see on my list of “favorite tracks,” there were quite a few), there were honestly even more moments that I didn’t enjoy on this thing, and a lot of the tracks just felt really “whatever.” It felt like Drake was trying to make a record of B-sides and hiding it as a “playlist” just to make it feel unique and hold people over until his next major release, although I’m not sure why he would feel the need to hold people over because “Views” wasn’t even a year old when this dropped. It just felt like he had some ideas on the cutting room floor that he wanted to put on that album but couldn’t quite do it, so he just haphazardly threw them together on this “playlist.” The result is a project that just goes on way too long, and can’t help but feel like an exercise in gimmicky marketing.

Not a terrible project, just nothing special.

Favorite tracks: Passionfruit, Skepta Interlude, Teenage Fever, KMT, Lose You, Glow, Since Way Back, Fake Love

Least favorite tracks: Get It Together, Gyalchester, Portland, Sacrifices, Ice Melts

Rating: Okay

NAV & Metro Boomin "Perfect Timing" Mixtape Review

Moving right along, it’s time for a review of the NAV and Metro Boomin collaboration mixtape “Perfect Timing.” Metro Boomin has been around the block, working with several big artists today: Drake, Future, Kanye West, The Weeknd, Lil Uzi Vert, Migos, 21 Savage, Post Malone, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Kodak Black, the list goes on. And now he’s working on a mixtape with XO’s very own NAV, whose debut mixtape I reviewed yesterday. I found that, while NAV brought some interesting things to the table, he unfortunately felt a bit too stuck in his comfort zone on this project and didn’t really have enough variation overall. Does working with “Young Metro” help him to realize more of his potential? Let’s find out:

Perfect Timing (Intro): Well, it definitely sounds like a lot of NAV’s other songs, but I do have some fun with this one. It’s uptempo, catchy, I like NAV’s vocals, the hook is really earworm-y, and overall, it’s definitely fun. NAV also luckily doesn’t enter cringe territory with his lyrics on this one. Sure, it’s nothing deep and it’s not reinventing the wheel for NAV or Metro, but it’s a good listen overall.

I Don’t Care: A much slower track, this one does have a few kinda silly lyrics, but as I said about quite a few of the tracks from NAV’s previous tape, the R&B vibes are working for me on this one. It’s fun, I like NAV’s vocals, and the hook feels a bit different from some of his other tracks, and it’s pretty good overall. I like this song.

Hit: Once again, the hook is really earworm-y on this one and, even if NAV himself is kind of monotone on this one, the beat is pretty fun and I still like his vocals. Sure, he does talk about a lot of the same things on this track, but it’s honestly a pretty fun track overall.

A$AP Ferg (ft. Lil Uzi Vert): Lil Uzi Vert comes in on this track to provide a pretty fun hook, but I imagine this is where things are going to start getting boring for me: Uzi’s verse is nothing special, NAV talks a bit more about sex on his pretty boring verse that does feature some kind of cringe-inducing lyrics, and while the instrumental is pretty fun, I feel like this is where the songs are gonna start meshing together. And seeing as how this song has far more Uzi than NAV, it makes me wonder why it’s on this tape and not on one of Uzi’s projects.

Held Me Down: I actually really like this one! I like the moody feel of the instrumentals, NAV’s kind of sad vocals on this one, and the all-around really sad feel of the song. It feels a lot more romantic than some of the earlier songs, and I actually like it quite a bit. I feel like I’m going to end up coming back to this track quite a bit.

Minute (ft. Playboi Cart and Offset): Unfortunately, things get really boring on this track. NAV’s hook is pretty boring on this one, and his flow on the hook probably would’ve been more fun if it didn’t feel so similar to “Hit.” The instrumental is pretty great on this one, but I’m not crazy about Offset or Playboy Carti’s verses on this one, because they have a bit more charisma than NAV on the track, but nothing about their verses are all that memorable to me.

Did You See NAV?: The hook on this one is really fun, but the lyrics throughout are in that “cringe-territory” I’ve been talking about. And while the hook is plenty of fun, the verses just feel a lot less inspired, consider they follow the same flow as the hook. It’s a shame because Metro’s beat on this one is great, and again, the hook is really good, but the verses are just a lot less memorable, and a lot more generic.

Bring It Back: While it’s nice to hear NAV sounding a little less monotone on this track, it’s still pretty boring overall. He follows the same flow as usual and the instrumental sound is nothing special compared to some of the other songs on this record. One of the weaker songs on the record.

Both Sides (ft. 21 Savage): Think NAV’s been pretty monotone on this record? Well, leave it to 21 Savage to fly in for the hook and…sound just as monotone, if not worse. NAV’s vocals on this one are actually pretty solid, but this honestly feels more like Savage’s song than his, which makes me wonder what it’s doing on this tape. And again, there’s a pretty solid instrumental on this one, but seeing as neither performance is all that great, it feels like a waste of an instrumental for Metro, unfortunately.

Call Me: A song I just can’t get out of my head, no matter how much I try. It’s definitely a more moody, sad track, but I really like NAV’s vocals on this one, the flow changes he takes on throughout several points on the track, and the earworm-y hook on this one. I like this track a lot, it’s definitely stuck with me and I’ll probably end up listening to it even more from here.

You Know (ft. Belly): Unfortunately, we follow up a standout track with a pretty boring one. NAV’s flow is really boring on this one, even though his vocals are a bit less monotone, and the song was saved entirely by Belly’s verse. If not for him, this song would’ve fallen under my “worst tracks” list. As it is, it’s not great, but it’s not one of the worst on the mixtape.

Rich: Oh look, it’s NAV once again talking about his rags-to-riches story over an admittedly good instrumental! Where have I seen this before? Oh right, the many other tracks on this mixtape! In all seriousness, I actually like NAV’s vocals on this one, but it’s just that his flow and lyrics really feel repetitive twelve tracks in. Not one of the mixtape’s worst, and I feel like it’s a track that might even get stuck in my head, but as of right now, it’s not a great track.

Need Some (ft. Gucci Mane): I feel like I’m repeating myself at this point, but if NAV wants to repeat himself, I’ll do the same: I like the instrumental on this, but it feels like NAV following the same flow and rapping about the same thing once again, even if I do kind of like his vocals once again. The only real difference to me is that the track features Gucci Mane for a pretty forgettable verse. All in all, a really forgettable track.

I Am: I actually like the hook on this one, but my problem is that he follows the flow of the hook on the verses, thus making the song feel kind of repetitive. I once again love Metro’s production on the track, but hearing NAV repeat his kind of boring flow and talk about the same things again and again just makes the song feel boring to me. It’s far from the mixtape’s worst, but it’s nothing special overall.

NAVUZIMETRO#PT2 (ft. Lil Uzi Vert): Lil Uzi Vert returns for one more track, and I like the way it starts out, in that it sounds kind of sad and moody, and I like Uzi’s vocals on the hook on this one. His performance on this track is really fun overall. NAV’s performance is a bit of a mixed bag: sometimes I think he sounds pretty good, other times he gets a bit overly-repetitive. Some of his lyrics also feel almost the exact same as “Did You See NAV?” on this one, too. I’m not sure how to feel about this one, it’s not bad but it’s not good. It’s just whatever, honestly.

Overall, this mixtape actually started out pretty strong, and I liked the first few tracks on this thing. Unfortunately, outside of “Call Me,” everything just kind of meshed together after “Held Me Down” and the tape as a whole just ended up feeling pretty boring to me. It felt like NAV just kind of did exactly what he did on his last tape, just with the assistance of Metro Boomin, who does come through with some pretty strong beats on this mixtape for most of the songs. It’s just that NAV’s monotone delivery does start to wear thin as the tape wears on, and where his last tape actually had some very slightly different subject matters, this one just felt like an entire victory lap around NAV’s success without taking any interesting angles. At least NAV’s fellow XO boy The Weeknd can talk about similar subject matters across his albums while taking interesting routes to make them feel fresh. It just feels like NAV is repeating himself on a lot of these tracks, and unfortunately wasting both his own talents and the talents of Metro Boomin. It’s not terrible and there were definitely a few solid tracks that’ll get some repeat listens, but I feel like NAV has a lot of work to do before he can become one of the best in the business.

I hate to say that, but it’s just how I feel.

Favorite tracks: Perfect Timing (Intro), I Don’t Care, Hit, Held Me Down, Call Me

Least favorite tracks: A$AP Ferg, Minute, Bring It Back, Both Sides, Need Some

Rating: Bad

NAV "NAV" Mixtape Review

We’re coming to the end of the year, so I’ve only got a few more reviews for you guys before it’s list time. Starting things off, I’m gonna take a look at NAV’s mixtape…"NAV." If we consider the three-headed XO monster that is The Weeknd, Belly, and NAV, this year I’ve reviewed The Weeknd’s entire discography, and Belly’s most recent mixtape “Mumble Rap.” However, I have not looked at NAV’s music, even though he’s dropped two mixtapes this year. So, I've decided that, to be fair, and because I’ve listened to quite a few of NAV’s songs recently, it would be nice to give his two mixtapes a look, so let’s get started!

Myself: As I’m sure quite a few of NAV’s songs will do throughout his mixtape, this one explores NAV’s more self-conscious, depressed state, and it even has him going as far as to say that he doesn’t feel good unless he is under the influence of drugs. That’s tough, man. But it’s got a really ear-wormy hook, I like NAV’s kind of raspy vocals on the track, his flow is really strong, and I also like the kind of dark, moody instrumental on this song. A good start to the tape, and definitely a song I’ve continued to go back to, even if I’m not that crazy about the slow-down in the ending.

NAV: It doesn’t get more meta than being an artist named NAV and having a song called “NAV” on a mixtape that you titled “NAV.” Next, I expect The Weeknd to release an album called “The Weeknd” where the first song is called “The Weeknd.” Anyway, this more braggadocio song, while still pretty fun, just feels like a brighter, less sad version of “Myself,” with less-raspy vocals from NAV. It’s still a fun song, though, and it might grow on me in the future.

My Mind: While the song again is energetic and fun, I just feel like it’s kind of ordinary, in that it’s NAV telling the same story about how he came from nothing to something, got a lot of money, and started doing drugs, the big difference here being that the lyrics in the song feel a bit more sexually-charged than the previous two tracks. It’s not bad or cringe-inducing or anything like that, it just feels really ordinary overall.

Good for It: NAV’s flow on this track feels a bit different from the other tracks, which is refreshing, and it’s nice to hear him talk about something a bit different than his rags-to-riches story for once. The hook is also pretty fun, and it feels a bit different from the other tracks, too. The only problem is that quite a few of the lyrics enter into cringe territory (“Spark a Woody, getting buzz like Lightyear” and “Like 2K Player Mode, I had to recreate myself” jump to mind for me). Not an all bad track, but it would’ve been great without some of those cringe-bars.

Lonely: Another more sad, slightly R&B inspired track, and one that feels slightly more romantic than some of NAV’s other tracks. I like NAV’s vocals on this one, and his flow remains solid. The lyrics also mostly avoid the cringe territory that I mentioned about the previous track. While the hook can get a bit repetitive, it’s still pretty fun and I feel like I’ll listen to this track a lot in the future.

Up: Seeing as how this track is a collaboration with Metro Boomin, I feel like this was kind of a sneak preview of NAV and Metro Boomin’s collaboration mixtape “Perfect Timing.” Maybe that’s just me. But anyway, this track features the infamous NAV line “now she give me head outside of Toys R Us,” a line that never fails to make me laugh (for all the wrong reasons). And while NAV’s flow and hook feel a bit different on this track, I kind of find it, on the whole, to be pretty boring. Again, hearing NAV talk about his rags-to-riches story just gets a bit boring when he does it this often. Not a terrible track, I did have some fun with it, but it’s certainly not one of my favorites.

Interlude: A short interlude that tops out just under 2 minutes, I’m not as crazy about NAV’s deeper vocals on the intro of this one, but the weird change of tone is pretty cool. I’m not crazy about the lyrics (I don’t know what it is but hearing “I make her think I love her, just so I can fuck her when I want” rubs me the wrong way), but sonically, some cool things are going on here. It’s not all bad.

Sleep: I like the hook on this one, and again, NAV’s vocals and flow are pretty fun, but all in all, this is just a very standard NAV song to me. While I like that NAV talks about how people are “sleeping on him” in this track and not giving him the attention he deserves, I just feel like, lyrically and sonically, this song just feels like NAV sticking firmly in his comfort zone and making another track that just feels very ordinary.

Mariah: While I like that NAV spends this song telling a story about a fictional character named Mariah (instead of talking about himself again), and I like the R&B vibes on NAV’s vocals, the song again just feels very average to me. Not all bad, just kind of boring and nothing special. I don’t hate it at all, but I feel like I won’t be coming back to it anytime soon.

Some Way (ft. The Weeknd): On this track, The Weeknd flies in and kind of owns the track. His performance is rock-solid and his vocals are extremely impressive, and again, it feels like he kind of makes the track his. No disrespect to NAV, though, his performance is pretty good on this track, too. I love the really uptempo, exciting instrumental, and decidedly-not depressing lyrics on this one. It’s a song I’ve definitely really enjoyed since its release, and still enjoy to this day!

Ten Toes Down (TTD): I like the slightly minimalist instrumental for this one, NAV’s vocals are pretty solid, and again, the R&B vibes are really working for me on this one. Where a couple of the songs were lyrically entering the “cringe territory” for me, this one, fortunately, stays away from it as well. This was a good end to the mixtape, and I feel like I’ll be coming back to it a bit in the future.

Overall, NAV’s debut mixtape shows me that the man definitely knows his sound and what he wants to go for, but unfortunately, he’s a bit stuck in that sound, to the point where a lot of the songs end up feeling a bit generic and similar to one another. And while I do like his vocals (even if they are overly-filtered) throughout a lot of the tracks, I feel like NAV sometimes finds himself entering into the “cringe-territory” with his lyrics. All in all, there definitely weren’t many really “bad” songs, but there weren’t enough highlights to make up for what sounded pretty ordinary throughout. I will say this: if you guys remember, I wasn’t all that crazy about NAV’s fellow XO homie The Weeknd’s first mixtape “House of Balloons” when I first heard it, and yet, Abel is one of my favorite musicians. Perhaps NAV just needs some time to iron things out. We’ll see.

I’ll be reviewing his next tape “Perfect Timing” next. We’ll see if things are ironed out on that one.

Favorite tracks: Myself, Lonely, Some Way, Ten Toes Down (TTD)

Least favorite track: My Mind

Rating: Okay

Eminem "Revival" Album Review

Alright, guys, it’s finally here! The moment I’ve been waiting for and getting pretty excited about, it’s time for a review of the new Eminem album “Revival!” Eminem is a rapper that pretty much needs no introduction, he’s one of the best rappers out there, and he’s back with his ninth studio album, one that he has been dangling over our heads for some time now. With the whole “fake drug ad campaign” thing done and out of the way, Em has finally hit us over the head with this brand-new album, and it’s knocked the fanbase in half: some of the features are shocking people, and while the album leaked online a bit early, not everyone is warming up to it. But now that it’s finally in our hands, it’s time to check it out to see if I end up finding something others don’t. I’m not sure if you can call me a “Stan,” but I have found myself enjoying even some of Em’s weaker projects, so who knows, maybe I’ll like this? Either way, let’s look at this album as objectively as possible to see if it’s all that bad:

Walk on Water (ft. Beyoncé): A song that features Beyoncé providing some typically angelic vocals on the hook, I really liked this song when it was first released. I liked Em’s more spoken-word approach to it, and I was really intrigued by the lyrics that showed Eminem in a more vulnerable state, feeling like he has a lot of pressure to prove himself with the album. It’s also fitting that the song where Em is vulnerable is the album starter. Even after repeated listens, I still really like the track a lot, and it’s one of my favorites on the album.

Believe: This song frustrates me. I’m not opposed to Eminem trying a trap beat out, but it just feels so not Eminem, and the beat itself is not all that great. And even if his flow is still on point, the fact that he uses the “Soundcloud rapper ad-libs” at the end of certain verses, even though he’s trying to stick it to the “Soundcloud rappers,” kind of frustrates me. Also, I’m used to Eminem being kind of cheesy and silly sometimes, but his performance on the hook is borderline ridiculous. If he’s intentionally trying to “mimic” the “Soundcloud rappers” he’s not fond of, he’s not doing a great job of it with this track. It’s a shame because, as I said, Em’s flow is still strong, but the song itself is just not all that great.

Chloraseptic (ft. Phresher): You know what? I actually think this song is pretty solid, in that it’s a more strong attempt by Eminem to call out the “mumble rappers” by legitimately attempting to make fun of their flow and style. This song feels like a stronger track than the last, because he’s legitimately making fun of them, and he’s doing it far better than before. It’s really funny seeing him kind of just wave the middle-finger at them. I’m not all that crazy about Phresher’s hook, but I get what he’s trying to do. Not something I will listen to on loop, but I think it’s a good track overall.

Untouchable: I was pretty crazy about this when it first came out because I was really intrigued about the idea of Eminem writing a song about the Black Lives Matter movement, but after repeat listens, this is such a conflicting song to me. I like the different perspectives Eminem takes on this track, with the first half coming from the perspective of a white person and the final verse coming from the perspective of a black man, and as always, Em’s flow is on point, but I feel like it doesn’t really kick in until that perspective change. The instrumental is nothing special, the hook is boring (and the sampling of "Earache My Eye" by Cheech and Chong, not great). I don’t know, it’s got some good things going on, and it definitely had good ideas, but I’m conflicted about it.

River (ft. Ed Sheeran): You guys know I love Ed Sheeran, so seeing him featured on an Eminem track got me really hyped. Though I worried his voice and Eminem’s voice would clash, I think they both sound great together. I love Ed’s hook a lot, Eminem’s flow is strong, and his lyricism is really great. He tells a story on this track about how a girlfriend that used him is now pregnant with his child, and some of his lyrics are extremely clever. Definitely really liked this track.

Remind Me (Intro): You guys know I’m not crazy about 26-second tracks, and this didn’t change my mind, especially since it sounds so wildly different from the song it is supposed to be an intro to.

Remind Me: Another song that really conflicted me. Once again, Em’s flow is strong as is his lyricism, and I find it fascinating that he tells the story of when he first met Kim and was carefree with her, but there are other problems with the song that I noticed: it samples “I Love Rock & Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and while that’s interesting (and admittedly, it got me excited because I felt like this could be a second-coming of “Berserk”), in this case, it just makes the song feel a bit lazy. Not only that but since the hook goes back and forth between Joan and Eminem, it just doesn’t feel as clean to me, for some reason. Not a terrible track, but not all that great, for sure.

Revival (Interlude): I like Skylar Grey’s vocals on this short interlude, but again, I’m not all that crazy about sub-1 minute interludes on albums, and this one just didn’t win me over.

Like Home (ft. Alicia Keys): Eminem spends this song talking about Donald Trump, but disclaimer, he says at the beginning that you don’t have to agree with him, so don’t burn him at the stake, Trump supporters! Thanks. Anyway, I really like this track, in that I like how it feels like it's more hopeful that we’ll power through the Trump era and make America better on our own. And while I wouldn’t say this is one of Alicia Keys’ stronger hooks, it’s still pretty good. I liked this track!

Bad Husband (ft. X Ambassadors): This apology to Kim kind of comes out of nowhere after “Like Home,” and while Em’s flow and lyrics are on point (especially since it seems like he’s trying to be a bit more mature on this song), I’m not all that crazy about the beat on this one, and the hook from X Ambassadors’ is pretty weak. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not one of my favorites on the album.

Tragic Endings (ft. Skylar Grey): I really love Skylar Grey’s hook on this song, and her voice is amazing, but I’m not really crazy about Em’s part because, while his flow is solid as always, I feel like his lyricism is not as clever as some of his other tracks, and the song can’t help but feel like another attempt at making “Love The Way You Lie.” Not one of the worst songs on the album, but if not for Skylar Grey’s hook, it would have been.

Framed: The hook on this one is downright terrible, and while, again, his flow is solid and his lyricism is pretty clever, the song just feels like something from the “Relapse” era and considering that Eminem doesn’t seem to like that album, I’m shocked he would go back to anything like that. The beat on this is also nothing that special. One of the weaker tracks on this album.

Nowhere Fast (ft. Kehlani): While I like Kehlani’s vocals on this song, I’m not too fond of the trap-flavored beat on this one. Em’s flow and lyrics are once again very strong, but the hook is nothing that special, unfortunately. It’s a bright song and I don’t think it’s one of the worst on the album, but it’s not all that great, unfortunately.

Heat: An unapologetically sex-driven song, this song actually feels relatively like some of Em’s old stuff, and I like his flow on this beat. And unlike quite a few of the instrumentals on the album, I actually do like this one a bit. Not really all that crazy about the hook, and I probably wouldn’t listen to it on repeat or anything, but it’s a solid track overall.

Offended: Oh, but if you thought the last track sounded like one of Em’s old songs, this one definitely feels like one of the old ones! His flow is some of the best on the album, and lyrically, this song feels like the old-school, unapologetic Eminem that wasn’t afraid to say a damn word. His hook interpolates a classic children’s rhyme, and it’s pretty charming honestly. Definitely one of the better songs on the album.

Need Me (ft. P!nk): P!nk sings a lot throughout this track, and as always, her vocals are beautiful. The rather bright, epic instrumental is also really great and I like the beat a whole lot on this one. And, as always, Em’s flow is really strong on this one. Even if it’s another track about relationships, it handles the topic really well and stays interesting. I kind of think it feels a bit more like P!nk’s song at some point, which makes me wonder why it wasn’t on “Beautiful Trauma,” but all in all, I do like this song a lot.

In Your Head: Eminem reflects on his career in this track, and while I like his flow a lot, and the beat is not all that bad, I just don’t find either of Em’s verses to be all that memorable. The song also samples “Zombies” by The Cranberries on the hook, and not only does it feel lazy, but in this case, but it just feels at odds with the rest of the song. I’m just not all that crazy about it.

Castle: This song is about Em’s daughter, Hallie, which is strange because, in the last track, he mentions that he “didn’t mean to make her eighty percent of his songs.” I don’t know, it just feels strange to me. Either way, I do like the kind of subdued hook on this, and once again, his flow is really strong. It’s not one of my favorites on the album, but I do think it’s a pretty solid song.

Arose: This song actually hit me emotionally. The song is about Eminem in 2007, about to die as a result of a fatal drug overdose, and the song kind of serves as his thoughts on his dying moments. Eventually, the song turns into an extension of “Castle” where he thanks the nurses for helping him live, and establishing that he is back and ready to keep releasing projects. His performance and lyrics are really emotional on this one, and it’s definitely a strong end to the album.

Overall, though, I’m not really sure what to think about the album: Em’s flow and lyricism, for the most part, is really on point, but it’s definitely really problematic: instrumentally, this is not one of his stronger albums, and unfortunately, I think he tries to take a few new directions that just don’t quite work on this thing. Sometimes, he tries to do something brand new and it doesn’t work, and other times, he rests on his laurels and just tries to make not-as-strong sequels to some of his older tracks. The album is also filled with largely hit-or-miss features, some great, some not all bad but not realizing their potential. All things considered, I’m disappointed to inform that, while I found quite a few highlights on this thing, the album is just too inconsistent to really stand next to Eminem’s stronger projects, and I can see this being one of the most polarizing albums in Eminem’s discography.

Sorry, Em.

Favorite tracks: Walk on Water, River, Like Home, Offended, Need Me, Arose

Least favorite tracks: Believe, Bad Husband, Framed, In Your Head

Rating: Okay

The 1975 "I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it" Album Review

If I reviewed their first album, it’s only fair that I review the second. It’s time for a review of the 2016 sophomore album from The 1975, titled…*sigh*…"I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it." Guys, if that’s not the creepiest album title in the world, I don’t know what is. It might as well be called, “I like watching you sleep, for I am very creepy and you should call the cops!” Ridiculous title aside, you guys saw from my recent review that I really enjoyed The 1975’s self-titled debut record, and the track “Somebody Else” off of this record has been a huge replay-button breaker for me. So, I walked into this album with high hopes. Were they met? Let’s see:

The 1975: Retaining their meta status, this track mirrors the opening track of the last album, the only big difference being that it features a more grand sound because of the choir singing behind lead-singer Matty Healy. My thoughts aren’t much different than they were on the last album, it’s a good starter to the album despite its short length.

Love Me: Alright, I like the funky, dance-y synth instrumentals on this track, the hook is really fun, and I’m really fascinated by the social commentary on this track: the discussion of the narcissism a celebrity faces on their rise to fame is really interesting, and I love songs that can hide something kind of dark and sinister behind an upbeat and snappy instrumental, so this song really clicks with me, for sure!

UGH!: Once again, I love how upbeat and fun this song is: it’s funky, energetic, and bright, and Matty definitely has a lot of fun on the hook with this one. And as always, there’s interesting lyrics behind these upbeat instrumentals, this time talking about Matty’s addiction to cocaine. As I said, I love when people can hide those kinds of darker stories behind punchy instrumentals, and beyond that, the song is just really fun to listen to as well!

A Change of Heart: I find it clever that the song titled “A Change of Heart” is slower than the other songs at the start. But once again, I love this song! I love Matty’s subdued vocals, the really beautiful synth instrumentals, and even if the group described this as the most “simple” song on the album (it talks about losing a girl because the love fades and you see her for how she really is), I still think the lyrics are so well-written and fascinating. This will become a replay-button breaker for me!

She’s American: A more uptempo track, this one has a really funky bass line, some really strong vocals from Matty, and I like the lyrics on this one, where Matty talks about the cultural divide between him (a male, British singer) and the band’s female, American fans. I find this to be a pretty interesting topic, and the band executes the concept wonderfully.

If I Believe You: Taking things much slower on this one, we have a more jazzy, gospel song about Matty’s faith and religion, as he ponders throughout the track if his lack of belief in God is working against him. I’m not all that crazy about the slower feel on this one, but it does sound pretty nice, the hook is pretty strong and Matty’s vocals are quite nice. Not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s still a pretty solid song that might grow on me in the future, even if I think it goes on a bit too long.

Must Be Naked: Here, we have a nearly four-and-a-half-minute instrumental song that kind of feels like a story, feeling kind of like a series of fear and different emotions during the intimate moments of a sexual encounter. I really love the very beautiful piano track on this one, it kind of reminds me of a sad song that’d you hear in a video game. And even when other instruments come in, the song is still beautiful and easy on the ears. I know it sounds weird that I’ll pick a four-and-a-half-minute instrumental song and call it a replay-button breaker, but that’s what this might be, it’s a really great song!

Lostmyhead: There are not many lyrics on this track (the same hook repeats twice), but Matty’s very filtered vocals are really strong on this one, and I like the really bright instrumentals that, again, wonderfully mask the kind of dark lyrics and subject matter on this one. Sticking with the idea of the last track reminding me of a video game, this one kind of reminds me of something you’d hear when you complete a really epic video game, and that’s what makes it so good to me.

The Ballad of Me and My Brain: Continuing with the theme of Matty exploring his mental state, I really like the punchy drum beat on this one, and Matty’s really passionate vocals are wonderful. I also like how Matty talks about losing his mind, but not being able to find it because of his celebrity status and all of the people asking him for autographs. It’s not one of my favorite tracks on this album, but it’s a good one and, again, I think it’ll grow on me in the future.

Somebody Else: I love that this song has some really sad lyrics, but is still able to provide some very punchy and energetic instrumentals. I love Matty’s vocals a lot on this one and the hook is a lot of fun. As I said at the start of this review, this song has been a huge replay-button breaker for me, and I still love it even after too many listens. Fun fact, actually, while writing the review, I had to listen to this song twice, that’s how much I love it.

Loving Someone: Immediately after that, this song talks about how a girl should be “loving someone.” I like the funky instrumental on this one and I love Matty’s flow as he half-raps the verses (with a voice that kind of reminds me of Ed Sheeran, honestly), but I’m not all that crazy about the hook. It’s kind of boring and the vocals on it are not all that strong. Still, it’s not a bad song, it might just need to grow on me.

I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it: Naming a song after this album won’t make the name any less creepy to me, just saying. Either way, continuing their trend of huge instrumental song, this song is almost six-and-a-half minutes long and only has a few lyrics, where Matt describes what seems like a previous sexual encounter. That said, I really like the bright instrumentals on this one, and even as it goes in a lot of different directions, it remains really fun and enjoyable throughout. Again, doesn’t change my thoughts on the name of the album/track, but I did enjoy myself quite a bit with this one. Would I listen to the whole thing all over again? Honestly, I might, because I did like it quite a bit.

The Sound: I like the really bright, really fun sound of this song a lot, and Matty’s vocals are really strong. The song actually kind of feels a bit old-school to me, and the hook is way too much fun! Matty spoke in interviews about how this song “wears its pop on its sleeve and it’s kind of unabashed.” All of that is true, and that’s also what makes it such a fun, extremely enjoyable, replay-button-breaking song.

This Must Be My Dream: Another song that hides some kind of dark lyrics behind an extremely bright and fun instrumental, Matty talks on this one about finding a girl that he feels is going to “rearrange his world,” only to find that he’s wrong, and everything ends up going to Hell. It’s head-noddy, it’s dance-y, it’s plenty of fun, and with a great hook and more wonderful vocals from Matty, it’s definitely got the potential to be a replay-button breaker.

Paris: The 1975 made a better song called “Paris” than The Chainsmokers did. Not shocking, but still worth noting. Once again, really bright and extremely fun, I like Matty’s vocals, and I like the old-school vibe I get from this one. Not really much of a hook on this thing, and it’s not one of my favorites on the album, but I do like it quite a bit, I feel like it might even grow on me in the future.

Nana: Switching things up quite a bit, this is an acoustic song about the death of Matty Healy’s grandmother. It might seem like a jarring shift, but it still feels like it fits with the album, as it’s still a pretty bright track overall. It’s also such an interesting track because of the way that Matty approaches death, especially as someone that isn’t religious. It’s honestly a rather heartbreaking song, especially at the end when Matty says that he “hasn’t been doing too well,” which kinda shows how, even as he puts on a brave face, he’s not taking her death that easily. And he further shows that with a really emotional performance and some very raw vocals on this track. Definitely an amazing song.

She Lays Down: Originally, I thought Nana should’ve been the closing track on this one, but then we have this track, another acoustic track that features a more broken sounding Matty Healy talking about the postnatal depression his mother felt after his birth. It’s actually a cleverly-produced track, in that it’s Matty after recording “Nana,” still in a sad, broken state singing this song, and he even appropriately ends the song with “that was it.” It’s a very raw and very sad track that’s very appropriate to end the album on, and Matty’s vocals are really strong on this one. A wonderful end to an incredible album.

Overall, The 1975’s sophomore album is even better than the first. Filled to the brim with bright, fun, dance-y songs, the band reminds us with this album that they know how to make genuinely enjoyable music. It’s an album so great, even the really long instrumentals are a lot of fun! The 1975 proves with this album that their music is fun, their lead singer Matt Healy is a wonderful vocalist, and they don’t have to rest on the sound that they brought with their old album to be successful. This album actually feels quite different from the last album, but even so, it’s a great album that’s definitely gonna get repeat listens out of me. Listening to this album makes me happy that I went back and chose to listen to The 1975’s studio albums because they are absolutely fantastic, and I’m really excited to see how they keep this going as we continue into their next album “Music for Cars” in 2018.

Still don’t like the album’s title, though. Nope.

Favorite tracks: Love Me, UGH!, A Change of Heart, She’s American, Must Be Naked, Lostmyhead, Somebody Else, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, The Sound, This Must Be My Dream, Nana, She Lays Down

Least favorite tracks: Loving Someone (if I REALLY had to pick one)

Rating: Excellent

The 1975 "The 1975" Album Review

Here’s an album I’ve been kind of interested in lately: today I’ll be reviewing the self-titled 2013 debut album from The 1975. I’m largely unfamiliar with the band, but I have heard a few of their tracks: “Girls,” a track off of this record, appeared in “Guitar Hero Live,” and I enjoyed it overall, and then “Somebody Else” off of their next album became a replay-button breaker for me. So, I wanted to look through their studio albums to see if they were as worthwhile as those two singles. So, let’s take a listen:

The 1975: It doesn’t get any more meta than starting off your self-titled album with a self-titled track. Just saying. Either way, I do like the heavily synthed-up sound that this track provides in its short runtime, and I also think it feels like it’s a “warm-up” song, kinda giving me a feeling that the band is just warming up, tuning things, and raring up for action. It’s pretty clever, I’ll give it that.

The City: The song begins with a really punchy beat and a really bright sound, and it’s extremely head-noddy. I love Matty Healy’s vocals, the really catchy hook, and the really nice lyrics talking about finding love. This is a track I’m probably gonna end up breaking the replay button on, it’s really bright, fun, and all-around great!

M.O.N.E.Y.: A slightly lighter song, I like the guitar track on this and the lyrics that discuss cocaine use are really fascinating. There’s plenty of energy on this track, but there’s something about it that’s not quite grabbing me like the previous track. Maybe the overuse of strange filters on Matty’s voice makes it feel like the verses are not as strong as the hook? I’m not sure what it is, but I think this track might need to grow on me in the future.

Chocolate: One of the group’s most popular songs, I like the really bright, uptempo feel of this track, the really fun hook, Matty’s vocals, and the all-around fun vibe of this track. The way the lyrics use chocolate as a way to describe weed is also kind of interesting to me. I had way too much fun with this track, I feel like I’ll be replaying it quite a bit!

Sex: An energetic, but much harder, rockin’ track, this one talks all about that first awkward encounter with a girl that eventually escalates into sex, even though “she’s got a boyfriend anyway.” It’s all so strange, but the song succeeds in so many ways, from the extremely head-nodding and fun instrumental, Matty’s strong vocals, and the really memorable hook. Another replay-button-breaker for me.

Talk!: Sonically, this one sounds a bit strange to me, but it’s definitely pretty groovy overall, and I like Matty Healy’s vocals on this one. I’m not particularly struck by the hook, but I like the lyrics that talk about one’s encounters with drunken friends. Not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s a pretty solid track overall.

An Encounter: You know, it might seem odd to say that a minute-and-a-quarter track is one of my favorites on the record, especially when there are so many great tracks on here, but for the short runtime, I fell in love with this short interlude. I love the bright, wondrous sound of it, and I kind of feel like I want to go back to it in the future.

Heart Out: I once again love Matty’s vocals on this track, and while this initially didn't really leave much of a lasting impression on me, it grew on me with repeat listens. I love the hook a lot, and lyrically, it’s kind of sweet at points. Originally, I thought it would be something I wouldn't return to much, but I definitely slept on it when I first wrote this review; great track.

Settle Down: I like the guitar groove and the bass line on this track quite a bit, and as usual, Matty brings the goods with his vocals on this one. The track as a whole is pretty funky and, while it’s wasn't initially one of my personal favorites on the record, it really grew on me with repeat listens. The hook is infectious, and I had a lot of fun with the song.

Robbers: A slower song about a destructive relationship, I like Matty’s extremely passionate vocals, the general sad sound that this track provides, and the surprisingly dark lyrics throughout the track. I’m not in love with the hook, but this is another track that I feel has a lot of potential to grow on me.

Girls: The first 1975 song I’d ever heard, this one kind of feels like a sequel to “Chocolate” for me, and in a good way. It’s bright, it’s catchy, it’s fun, Matty’s vocals are strong, the hook is really memorable and catchy, the guitar track is really fun, and it’s a really memorable song overall. I’ve had quite a bit of fun with this track before, and I think I’ll definitely listen to it even more in the future.

12: The 1975 reminds us that they are meta on this song, naming it “12” while also making it the twelfth track on the album. It’s another instrumental interlude and, much like “An Encounter,” I feel a strange urge to keep revisiting this track in the future: I like that it’s really dark and beautiful-sounding, and while it again might be strange to call a minute-and-twenty-second interlude one of my favorite tracks, it really is!

She Way Out: I love the guitar intro on this track, and I like the bright, really fun vibe on this track! Matty’s vocals, as usual, are on point, and I like the lyrics on this one, talking about the girls who can dance. The hook is really fun as well, and I think I’ll be revisiting this track for sure.

Menswear: This track starts off with a light, largely instrumental song that has only a few occasionally synthesized vocals coming in here and there. It’s an interesting approach and the instrumental does sound really bright and really fun. Eventually, it transitions into something more upbeat. The track tells an interesting story of Matty’s experiences bringing drugs to a wedding, and his vocals are still as strong as ever. It’s not one of my favorites on this record, but I did have a lot of fun listening to it.

Pressure: Keeping things really upbeat on here, this song has one of the most fun hooks on the album. Beyond that, I love Matty’s vocals, the really bright and exciting instrumental, and the interesting, layered lyrics that talk about the pressure Matty Healy feels having celebrity parents. Another potential replay-button-breaker here.

Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You: Taking things MUCH lighter here, we have a piano-driven ballad where Matty talks about his obligation to watch his younger brother after the divorce of his parents. It’s a really nice song, and I love Matty’s more raw vocals on this track. My only real gripe with it is that seeing as how this is a largely poppy, energetic album, this track does kind of fly out of left field for me, and it does feel a little at odds with the rest of the record, but even if it’s not one of my favorite tracks on the album, I see the appeal in it, and I think it’s definitely an appropriate end to the record.

Overall, I think this album just turned me into a 1975 fan, because it was too much fun! The 1975 clearly has a grasp on how to make catchy, fun, and energetic pop music, and Matty Healy succeeds as both a wonderful vocalist and a strong storyteller. Even if a lot of the tracks talk about love, he finds unique ways of keeping the stories interesting throughout. The album, as a whole, is also just fantastically enjoyable. It grabs you from the start and just never lets go, bringing a lot of energy, passion, and excitement throughout. If you haven’t given The 1975’s debut album a listen, give it a shot! I think you have a fun time!

Stay tuned, though, because next up, I’ll be reviewing the band’s second album “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it.” Still a really strange title, honestly.

Favorite tracks: The City, Chocolate, Sex, An Encounter, Heart Out*, Settle Down*, Girls, 12, She Way Out, Pressure

Least favorite tracks: M.O.N.E.Y.**

Rating: Excellent

(*An asterisk next to a “favorite track” indicates that the track wasn’t initially one of my “favorite tracks” when I first wrote the review. If a track has an asterisk next to it, it means the song wasn’t initially a favorite of mine, but it grew on me, and the text for the song may have been edited to more properly reflect that.)

(**"Heart Out" was originally listed as a "least favorite" track. However, repeat listens helped it to grow on me, hence the double asterisks. Text in the review has been changed to reflect that.)

Childish Gambino "'Awaken, My Love!'" Album Review (50th Review)

Here’s another album review I definitely wanted to get in before the end of the year: it’s time for a review of Childish Gambino’s 2016 album “‘Awaken, My Love!’” Donald Glover (A.K.A. Childish Gambino) is a singer, rapper, actor, writer, and comedian extraordinaire, and I’ve always had tremendous respect for how much he can do in the entertainment industry. However, I’m largely unfamiliar with his music: a friend of mine introduced me to “Sober” (I really like that track), and of course I’ve heard “Redbone,” but otherwise, I’m not sure what to say about his music. However, I’ve heard plenty of positive talk about this album over here, so why not give it a listen, huh? Let’s go:

Me and Your Mama: Already, I really like the very eerie piano intro on this song. And as it progresses, I continue to really appreciate its really dreamy, lighter, prettier instrumental on this, and even if the intro goes on for a really long time, it sounds so beautiful. Things take a really sudden change into a more rock-infused song, which kind of made me a bit sad because I was really digging the dreaminess of the intro. Still, I like Gambino’s really passionate vocals throughout the track and thankfully, the instrumental change ends up working and it makes the song very entertaining. Even if I won’t play this on repeat very often, I do think it’s a good start to the record.

Have Some Love: A very upbeat and funky track, I really like the instrumentation on this one, and I think Gambino’s vocal performance is really interesting, as he explores a lot of different vocal sounds and keeps things pretty interesting. The fact that the hook also talks a lot about togetherness and love is also icing on the cake. Again, nothing I’ll end up looping, but I do enjoy this overall.

Boogieman: Keeping things pretty funky and upbeat, Glover discusses racial fear in this track, and he continues to experiment with a lot of different voices and ideas, all of which end up sticking the landing. There’s also a healthy helping of cowbell on this track so that always helps things out. I also like how, for upbeat and catchy it is, it sounds rather eerie at several points. Definitely a pretty strong track.

Zombies: In what is a much slower jam than the previous songs on the album, Childish Gambino talks a lot about people trying to steal some of your success, doing so through another charismatic performance with another different voice, one that still sounds extremely nice, even if it’s intended to sound more “strange.” Karl Faux also provides some vocals on this track, and overall, her performance, even if it's hardly there, is still fun. I also love the instrumental on this thing, specifically in the guitar solo. I feel like this might end up being a replay-button breaker in the future.

Riot: The shortest song on this album, this track is nonetheless extremely energetic and funky in its short runtime. While Gambino’s voice on this track isn’t necessarily “different” per se, it’s still pretty exciting and fun, and the guitar track on this one is amazing. I don’t see myself breaking the replay button with it, but I do enjoy the song, even if it ends as soon as it starts.

Redbone: What would Redbone sound like if Matt reviewed it? Well, he’d probably tell you that it’s one of his favorite songs on the album, with a really soulful, old-school instrumental, some really strong vocals from Gambino, and a really strong eerie vibe that it has going on. He also really likes how it sounds in the context of the rest of the album, as this slow-jam is the perfect follow-up to the more loud and upbeat “Riot.” He would conclude by saying that, even though the song has been meme’d to death throughout 2017, those memes haven’t soured his impression on the track, and it remains a song that he still absolutely loves.

California: Less so a funk-song and more of a Caribbean-flavored track, Gambino talks about California throughout this track, complete with arguably his weirdest vocal performance yet, with its combination of strange delivery and strange filters on his voice. For a minute, I wasn’t even sure if it was him. But I actually like the track: the vocal performance, while weird, is rather charming, I love the bright instrumental sound on this one, and the track is pretty fun. I feel like this one might grow on me in the future.

Terrified: Much slower and much eerier than the last track, this song nonetheless feels like something of a sequel to “California,” where a more subdued Gambino sings about the girl from the previous track and begins to realize how much he likes her. While I like the eerie instrumentals and Gambino’s charismatic performance, I do think the track is a bit boring, and not as fun as some of the others on this album. Even so, I don’t think it’s one of the worst on the album, and it might grow on me in the future.

Baby Boy: Talking on this track about his newborn child and newfound responsibilities as a father, Gambino takes on the same vocal style from “Redbone,” singing in a higher register, and the song itself sounds a bit like it was made in some kind of video game. I do think it sounds pretty interesting, and Gambino’s vocals remain really strong. I also like Gambino’s ability to tackle a really personal topic on this track, and all in all, the song ends up being pretty enjoyable.

The Night Me and Your Mama Met: An almost entirely instrumental song (there’s some harmonizing here), I like the really funky guitar on this one a lot. Adding the choir also added a strong layer to the events of the song. I really liked it a lot.

Stand Tall: Ending things off, we have a two-part track. Part 1 features Gambino singing without any kind of accent or anything like that: it’s just Gambino singing with his normally impressive voice, and the considerably minimalist instrumental really adds to that. I also love that he chooses to end the album on a song that talks all about positivity. As something we can all use, I totally appreciate that. In Part 2, Gambino takes on a more filtered voice and, while I think his voice is perfectly fine without a filter, I understand the significance of it on this track, as it helps differentiate the two parts. The instrumental is also quite lovely, and even with two parts, this track takes so many interesting twists and turns and stays wonderful throughout.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this album a good bit. I liked Gambino’s really charismatic performances, his strong lyricism that deals with really strong themes that aren’t easy to talk about, and the instrumentals are funky, vibrant, and exciting. For being such a different album, Gambino takes some major risks to his style with this album, and he pretty much sticks the landing each time. I do think it might be a bit too weird for some, and his radical change of sound might scare off a few potential listeners, but I still had a really fun time with this album, and I definitely recommend that you give it a shot. I feel like this album has a lot of potential to grow on me and, even if I don’t listen to all of these tracks on loop, I can’t deny the album’s quality, and I can’t deny that everything about it, from the production, to the lyricism, to the performances, are made with incredible attention and care, and I think that’s why I love the album so much.

WHAT WOULD REDBONE SOUND LIKE IF ahh dammit, never mind.

Favorite tracks: Boogieman, Zombies, Redbone, The Night Me and Your Mama Met, Stand Tall

Least favorite tracks: Riot (if I had to pick one)

Rating: Excellent

U2 "Songs of Experience" Album Review

Why not give this a listen, huh? It’s time for a review of the new U2 album “Songs of Experience.” I know I mentioned before that I should stick to pop music, but U2 is one of my Dad’s favorite bands, and I’ve listened to and enjoyed plenty of their songs, such as “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “With or Without You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and “Mysterious Ways,” and I also loved their feature on Kendrick Lamar’s song “XXX.,” from the “DAMN.” album. So, I figured I should look into this new U2 album and see if they’ve still got it. So, let’s do it!

Love Is All We Have Left: A really light song, I like Bono’s vocals on this track, even when they get filtered and strange. There’s not really much to the song, but it feels like it could be a great starter/finisher to a concert, given the rather nice lyrics and kind-of bright yet minimal instrumental. Not sure it’ll be a replay-button breaker, but it’s a solid starter, all in all.

Lights of Home: Things pick up here with the more rockin’ guitar intro, but the song itself doesn’t take things too fast. I do like the multitude of meanings by the lyrics that touch on ideas of death, and once again, Bono’s vocals are pretty solid. Pretty good track, I must say.

You’re the Best Thing About Me: Another rocking guitar track introduces this more loud, slightly faster-paced track. I like the really nice lyrics about love, the drum beat on the hook, and the overall brighter sound of this track. The instrumental breakdown is also a lot of fun. Another pretty good song.

Get Out of Your Own Way: While I love the brighter sound on this song, and I think U2 handles a more “modern” sound pretty well, I’m not really crazy about the hook, as I think the vocals are a little cheesy and laughable. It’s not enough to ruin the song, though, especially with the really solid, subtly political lyrics here, and Kendrick Lamar’s feature at the end is wonderful. Not a bad track, and it might grow on me in the future.

American Soul: The “ending” of Kendrick’s poem transitions to a more hard, guitar-heavy song that kind of serves as the culmination of U2’s feature in Kendrick Lamar’s “XXX.,” and again, while I’m not too crazy about the hook, I do like the more political lyrics (this time, specifically zeroing in on refugees) and the harder, more thrashing sound of this one. Another track that might grow on me in the future.

Summer of Love: Dialing things down, this track starts with a guitar melody that’s far less thrashing, but still fun and irresistible. Bono once again focuses on the Mediterranean refugee crisis in this song, and I really like his vocals a lot. The hook is also really strong, and the lyrics are pretty solid. I like this track a lot!

Red Flag Day: Continuing from many tracks already on here, Bono talks about self-image and lifestyle, along with the Syrian refugee crisis. He does this over a more lively, uptempo track that features some solid vocals, a good hook, and more interesting lyrics. Not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s a pretty solid track, all-in-all.

The Showman (Little More Better): While I do like the very personal lyrics on this track, I’m not really as crazy about Bono’s vocals throughout, and the hook is pretty unmemorable all-around. Definitely a track I can’t see myself coming back to.

The Little Things That Give You Away: This much lighter song features a more minimal drum beat that feels a bit more electronic, but the song just sounds really pretty. I like the bright guitar track, the lyrics that discuss Bono surviving an “accident,” Bono’s really wonderful vocals, and a hook that might be the album’s best. I think I’ll be replaying this one quite a bit.

Landlady: Keeping things pretty light, I once again really like Bono’s really nice vocals on this track and the lyrics feel pretty personal and solid. I’m not too drawn by the hook on this one, but it’s a pretty decent song overall.

The Blackout: I love the guitar intro on this track! I also really like how Bono talks about the band’s musical relevance on this track, his vocals remain sharp, the drum beat is straight but plenty of fun, the sound changes throughout are really interesting, and the hook is pretty memorable. Great track!

Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way: With the more filtered vocals on the intro, I felt like this was going to be more of a “modern-sounding” track, but this more piano-heavy song actually feels like a wonderful balance between the old and the new! I once again also really like the more positive, love-driven lyrics on this song, the bright sound is wonderful and, as short as it is, the hook is plenty memorable! I had a lot of fun with this track, I really liked it!

13 (There Is A Light): The final track on the “non-Deluxe Edition” of the album is once again extremely light and kind of minimal, but Bono’s vocals are still quite nice, and I like the lyrics on this track, talking a lot about keeping the metaphorical “darkness” away by shining the “light” on it with love and kindness. The hook is also very sweet, and I think it feels like a really appropriate (and really strong) ending to the “non-Deluxe Edition” of the album.

Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Remix): A Golden Globe-winning song in 2013, this new Remix to “Ordinary Love” is exclusive to the Deluxe Edition of the album, and it’s a pretty fun, bright, energetic track with some more solid vocals from Bono and a catchy drum-beat. I probably won’t play it on loop or anything like that, but it’s a pretty fun listen overall.

Book of Your Heart: Another more “electronic” song that features some nice, more subdued, and filtered vocals from Bono. I like the brighter instrumental on this song, but I don’t really find the hook all that memorable, especially compared to some of the other hooks on this record. It’s not a bad track overall, though, just not one of my favorites.

Lights of Home (St. Peter’s String Version): A more string-heavy version of one of my favorite songs on this record, a lot of what I said about the original version applies here. The extra string track just serve to make the song feel a bit more epic. I do still like the original version a bit more, but this version is still pretty great, and I feel like I’ll be able to enjoy the song, regardless of which version I choose to listen to.

You’re the Best Thing About Me (U2 vs. Kygo): This track is supposed to be exclusive to the CD version of the “Deluxe Edition,” but apparently, it made its way to Spotify, so I was able to listen to it. Kygo has done some remixes that I’ve really enjoyed before (look no further than his re-creation of “Starboy”), but I was interested to see what he would do with this track, and while I think he successfully keeps it pretty faithful and fun, and I think the hook sounds a bit more fun on this version, there’s something I like better about the original cut. I’m thinking it’s that I like the original version’s instrumental breakdown, and I’m not crazy about this song’s drops. Still, it’s a nice end to the album overall.

Overall, I didn’t know what to expect, but I really enjoyed this album! U2 shows me on this album that they can maintain a strong balance between their older, established sound, and a more modern, “current” sound, and I think they nicely re-established their musical relevance, if it was ever gone before. Beyond the sonic, instrumental merits of the record, I also really love the layered lyrics and Bono’s vocals throughout the songs on this record. And even if there were a few not-so-memorable hooks on one or two of the songs on here, the songs with good hooks were very memorable. This one might polarize some critics, U2 fans, and general music lovers, but for me, this was an album I had a lot of fun with, and I’m glad I gave it a listen.

I’m probably in the minority on this one, though.

Favorite tracks: Lights of Home, You’re the Best Thing About Me, Summer of Love, The Little Things That Give You Away, The Blackout, Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way, 13 (There Is A Light)

Least favorite tracks: The Showman (Little More Better)

Rating: Excellent (yes, strike me down for that)

Kendrick Lamar "To Pimp A Butterfly" Album Review

It’s high time I gave this a listen: it’s finally time for my review of Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album “To Pimp A Butterfly.” If you go all the way back, you’ll see that the first review on this site is Kendrick’s latest album “DAMN.,” which I absolutely loved and still love, for that matter. However, ever since I listened to “DAMN.” (and even before that, for that matter), I’ve been hearing that “To Pimp A Butterfly” is even better, and that it’s potentially one of the best rap albums of the decade. So, I definitely wanted to give it a listen. Let’s see if I end up loving it as much as I loved “DAMN.,” shall we:

Wesley’s Theory (ft. George Clinton and Thundercat): A really funk-driven song, Kendrick talks on this song about the music industry, in ways alluding to the industry as his “first girlfriend.” It’s a really interesting listen, and I also like the way the song kind of alludes back to Wesley Snipes and his income tax conviction. It’s an interesting start to the album, for sure, and beyond all of the interesting ideas it presents lyrically, it’s energetic, instrumentally wonderful, and it also features the same great flow that we expect out of Kendrick. Great start to the record.

For Free? (Interlude): Wow…wow…this track, absolutely blew me away. Kendrick does a better job in a 2-minute interlude than a lot of rappers can do in full-length songs. His rapid-fire flow on this track is absolutely incredible, and the way he speaks to this “woman” during the track (and the way that he connects this woman to America) is really intriguing to me. Even for a short interlude, Kendrick pulls no punches, and he creates such an incredible, memorable track.

King Kunta: Another really funky, head-nodding track, Kendrick refers to Kunta Kinte, a fictional slave, as a king to show that he is at both the highest and lowest point in life: he feels he is oppressed but still powerful, and he discusses how on this track, he’d rather be broke and remain humble than to give in to the industry. And even beyond the lyrical content, the song is bouncy and exciting, it features a typically strong performance from Kendrick, and the hook is really strong. The track also ends with the first line of a poem that Kendrick adds to throughout the album. Another fantastic song.

Institutionalized (ft. Bilal, Anna Wise and Snoop Dogg): Kendrick takes things a bit slower on this track that talks about how people are so blinded to have as much money as possible, and how the idea of being rich blinds and corrupts us. He does this through a track that is light, dark, and mysterious but still featuring the same strong flow we’ve always gotten out of Kendrick (the addition of some voice manipulation definitely helps), and we also get some strong guest performances from Bilai, who performs the hook, and Snoop Dogg, who raps on the bridge and the outro, and does a great job setting the stage for Kendrick’s story. Another strong track all-in-all.

These Walls (ft. Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat): Another really funky track, Kendrick explores different metaphorical walls on this song, from the walls of a woman’s genitals to the walls of a prison cell, to the walls inside his mind. The “walls” he discusses represent a form of imprisonment on an entire sexual situation he encounters, and through incredible wordplay, he creates lyrics that are layered and meaningful, and he performs them over a really fun, rather sexy track that has a really fun hook from guest artists Anna Wise, Thundercat and Bilai. On this track, he also further continues the poem from “King Kunta,” now discussing how he misused his power as a “king” and thus, feeling resented, he goes on an alcohol-driven rage in his hotel room. Another track with a lot going on, and one that remains so powerful and fantastic.

u: Beginning with Kendrick’s screams (thus serving as a continuation to the portion of the poem seen in “These Walls”), Kendrick goes into the darker recesses of his mind and heart on this song, discussing his own negative thoughts that purge him, and continuing from the idea of the rage in his hotel room, his last two verses feature him getting more and more depressed about himself, drinking himself to death and rapping despite being at his emotional lowest. He also delivers a really emotional performance that was enough to almost bring tears to my eyes. Really incredible track.

Alright: A song that’s almost become iconic at this point, this track is often seen as the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement, and something of a second-coming of “We Shall Overcome” for black youths. And beyond its anthem-like nature, it’s just a truly incredible song. A catchy hook with a positive message of “we gon’ be alright” perfectly accompanies some verses that feature some really incredible flow from Kendrick, a really great instrumental, and fantastic lyrics about finding trust in God to help achieve solidarity. He also continues the poem last seen in “These Walls,” now discussing how, in his rage, he ran from the devil to find himself. There’s so much going on in this song, and it’s one of Kendrick’s most powerful, resonant, and fantastic songs to date.

For Sale? (Interlude): Continuing from the poem’s discussion of “Lucy,” Kendrick begins the track out of breath on his search for “answers,” Kendrick spends this song talking about “Lucy” (obviously short for “Lucifer”), who he portrays through a woman trying to take him away from God’s visions. He recites the poem again, adding on a line that, on his run for answers, he found himself returning home. He does all of this through a really dark track that features Kendrick putting on a far different voice but nonetheless reminding us of his really strong flow. It’s a great song with a really interesting story behind it.

Momma: On this track, Kendrick reveals that he outran Lucy and returned “home” (what that home may be is up to interpretation), and he talks about how he has grown and come to accept himself in a track that is layered and filled with different meanings. The instrumental on this one is also really interesting, and Kendrick’s flow remains unmatched. And even when the song changes its feel on the outro, it still sounds wonderful, and the fact that Kendrick uses a fade-out on the ending kind of makes me want to hear more. It makes me wonder if there was more he wanted to say on this one.

Hood Politics: With this track, a slightly higher-pitched, younger Kendrick transports back to a time when he was just a child, knowing only of the area he lived in. He does go on to discuss things like politics and the rap industry, in a track that features some interesting tonal changes, a strong instrumental sound, a pretty catchy hook, and typically impressive flow from Kendrick. He also continues the poem from “For Sale?” but this time, there’s a lot more to be said: even though Kendrick returned home, he questions whether or not he really made it out of the ghetto successfully and should feel like he succeeded. It’s another extremely layered, interesting track that begs repeat listens.

How Much A Dollar Cost? (ft. James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley): On this track, Kendrick tells us a story where he met a homeless man who asked for 10 Rand (the African equivalent to $1). Kendrick says no and resents the man, only for the man to ask if he had ever read Exodus 14 (the story of Moses crossing the Red Sea and guiding the Israelites to safety). Still guilty, the homeless man reveals that he is God and that Kendrick has lost his place in Heaven. It’s a really interesting story, and Kendrick tells it through a song that features some really great flow, a solid, sort of atmospheric hook, and a punchy instrumental. Once again, great song.

Complexion (A Zulu Love) (ft. Rapsody): Another pretty funky, punchy track, this one features Kendrick discussing colorism, and reminding us to love those around us, regardless of how light or dark we are. It’s a really bright, really nice track that features more strong flow from Kendrick, a pretty fun hook, and a strong guest performance from Rhapsody. This is another one I feel like I’ll be replaying quite a bit, a great track.

The Blacker the Berry: Heading towards the end of the album now, this song discusses the idea of self-hatred of your own race. Kendrick does it through a much more angry performance, feeling aggression towards the haters of his black skin, and uncredited featured artist Assassin explores this idea on his very angry, patois-driven hook where he talks about the pain that is experienced as a result of having black skin. Yet another really powerful song that I think will only get better with repeat listens.

You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said): Once again, Kendrick attempts a far different vocal sound on this track, speaking from the perspective of his mother giving him advice, and throughout the song, he talks about the crossroads that someone can reach when they are stuck in a state of not being one of the most successful people in the world, but not being anonymous to the point of going unnoticed by those around you. This is conveyed on a track that is a bit looser and slightly brighter than some of the others on the record, and it also features a pretty fun hook and strong flow from Kendrick. Once again, great song.

i: Contradicting the messages that he spreads on the song “u,” Kendrick makes a far more positive track with “i,” and the track provides a sense of redemption not really seen in a lot of the other tracks seen on the album. He does this in a really upbeat, bright, vibrant track that’s really fun, and I really like how in the song Kendrick breaks up the spoken argument and tries to keep the spread of positivity alive on this one. His a cappella verse is extremely strong on this one. Another great track.

Mortal Man: I’m not even gonna lie when I saw that this was the final song on the album and that it’s 12 minutes long, I got pretty scared. You guys know that it takes a lot for me to love a long song, and a 12-minute one? Even wilder. Still, I had confidence that Kendrick could handle it because he’s Kendrick. And, as it turned out, he did handle it well! Name-dropping a lot of people on this one, the instrumental is really nice, Kendrick’s performance is once again rock-solid, and Kendrick’s many discussions on loyalty are really fascinating. And the reason the track is 12 minutes is that it ends with an “interview” Kendrick had with 2Pac (which is essentially a series of voice recordings of Pac that Kendrick fit over his own voice), where he read the completed poem, one that is actually about racism and discrimination. The final poem is so powerful, as is his discussion with Pac, and it’s what keeps the song so interesting for the entire duration. Really a fantastic end to the album.

Overall, I can’t believe I waited to listen to this album in its entirety, because it’s really an incredible album. Kendrick pours his heart and soul into this record, and his abilities as a lyricist and a rapper are on full display here. On this, he creates songs that are incredibly layered and meaningful, songs that can be interpreted in several ways, songs that spread messages, and songs that tell stories. Kendrick tells stories that are well-crafted, poignant, and intense, and his performances throughout the album reflect the many different emotions that go on inside of his head throughout the record, and from there, he makes what is one of the strongest rap albums I’ve ever heard. While I’m a little ashamed I listened to it as late as I did, I’m glad I listened to it at all because this is one of those albums I think we’ll remember decades from now as one of the all-time greats.

Way to go, K-Dot.

Favorite tracks: ALL OF THEM

Least favorite tracks: NONE OF THEM

Rating: Excellent