album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Taylor Swift's Semantic Fields in 'Reputation': Part One. Top Story - May 2018.
When I first downloaded all of Reputation, I spent the morning skipping through songs, finding one that I thought I may like. At first I was kind of worried because I only liked one or two songs, but as I listened to the lyrics more, slowly, and one by one, each song became one that I must sing along to in the car and can't seem to get myself to willingly escape. This happens for me a lot when first listening to an album because I'm always looking for new music, but hate the process of getting acquainted with the lyrics of the song. I just want to be able to sing along to it immediately, figure out all the hidden messages, find where songs link together in albums, songs hinting at other songs, mirroring previous number one hits and so on. But appreciation takes time, and it was only a matter of time until Reputation became a verbal example of concepts learned and discussed in my 400 level creative writing classes.
By Bella Harris8 years ago in Beat
Juice WRLD - 'Goodbye & Good Riddance' Review
In a post- Man On The Moon/ 808s & Heartbreak landscape, artists are becoming more alternative, genre-bending, and unconventional than ever before. Hip-Hop has never been more diverse than it is right now. Sure, there are artists that sound alike and are riding the same trends.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Lil Baby - 'Harder Than Ever' Review
Lil Baby has been tenacious in his pursuit of stardom. He dished out four projects in 2017 to generate buzz: Too Hard, Perfect Timing, Harder Than Hard, and 2 The Hard Way. Even though the Quality Control rapper grew up attending high school with Young Thug, he never had Hip Hop aspirations. Rap was merely a hobby before he dished out last year’s projects.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino Review
It seems that there will be two very distinct groups of people who will be reading this review. The first group is the small gathering of people I can rely on to read my articles regardless, the others may be die-hard Arctic Monkeys fans who will roll their eyes, close their web browser, and wish they could lob their can of Dark Fruits at my head when I say "I actually quite like this album."
By Peter Ellis8 years ago in Beat
Tee Grizzley - 'Activated' Review
Last decade, Eminem was carrying the torch for Detroit and giving Hip-Hop a glimpse into his life. His vivid storytelling and satirical passages helped him rise to rap’s upper-echelon. Years later, he’s easily regarded as one of the best selling artists of all time.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
ILLENIUM 'Awake' | The Electronic Orchestra
From his guitar and piano driven melodies to his powerful drum and supersaw rhythms, Illenium’s second studio album entitled Awake has set a staple in the EDM community, and is a perfect example of what I like to call “The Electronic Orchestra.” Illenium’s album tells a story of heartbreak from beginning to end in which the protagonist struggles with their past relationships, but eventually opens up their heart to find love once more, all while he expresses his unique taste in Future Bass, Trap, Melodic Dubstep, and Chill.
By Duncan Jones8 years ago in Beat
Playboi Carti - 'Die Lit' Review
Many so-called “mumble rappers” have been influenced by Playboi Carti- directly, or indirectly. He’s arguably one of the OG’s of mumble rap. You can hear a bit of his flow, hooks, and ad-lib driven rap style in the music of today’s newest up and comers. He’s a close collaborator of Lil Uzi Vert, and a fashionable model. He’s best known for his hits, “Brokeboi” and “Magnolia.”
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Review: Dua Lipa, Self-Titled Album
When speaking about being the opening act for artists, Dua Lipa stated that “you're going to show them what songs you've got. You've got to leave your mark" (Billboard Argentina). Not only has Dua Lipa “left her mark” but she has shown the world after the release of her self-titled debut album that she is here to stay and redefine the way we view pop music forever. Lipa has bombarded mainstream music with her upbeat hits such as “Be the One” and “IDGAF,” but paved the way to stardom with her empowering single “New Rules.” The lyrics of the song are relatable to almost anyone who has been through a bad breakup but mainly caters to the women who have had that one boy who only calls “'cause he’s drunk and alone” and did them dirty. The self-titled album is a smorgasbord of instant jams, party favorites, and soft classics that showcase the talented individual that is Dua Lipa. Her sultry and low yet impressive range is one that will keep you listening to her lyrics on repeat.
By Erica Petrillo8 years ago in Beat
Are You Missing Out on Your Favorite Song?
What was the first album that you ever loved? An album, that when you look at it now, sends you back to the first time you’d heard it? Do you ever think about the other possible albums you could have purchased or listened to instead? That is a question that I can get swept into thinking about for hours. I have a few albums in my collection that when I think about them, my heart is just overwhelmed with love. And I find myself wondering, how many people saw it and passed over it instead of picking it up and giving it the once over? How many times had I picked up somebody's favorite album and decided that I wasn’t interested? My next favorite song or my favorite album could be out there and I skipped over it. This in turn gets me into thinking about underrated albums that people might not pick up as often. Be it, by an underrated artist or a hugely popular one with an overlooked album. So I thought I’d briefly bring up a few that you may have passed up before that could have your next favorite song in the track-listing, waiting for you.
By Jaime Burbatt8 years ago in Beat
For the First Time Since 'AM'
The internet is abuzz today with Arctic Monkeys fans. The release of their sixth album, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, has caused a wide range of emotions among both the fanbase and critics alike. This reaction is pretty par for the course when it comes to the band's endeavors, as they are notorious for doing complete 180s in their sound. If I remember correctly, there was a time when people were unsure about how they felt about AM4, Suck it and See.
By Hannah Adamson8 years ago in Beat
