Six albums to cover this week, some new and some old:
SR3MM — Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi
Another example of an album boasting songs that add up to a whole greater than the sum of their parts. I don’t ADORE most of the single tracks — with the exception of “Powerglide” — but the triptych-structure of the album’s concept makes for a dynamic listening experience. It’s basically three albums in one. None would be remarkable on their own, but together, they make for a true sonic journey, all of apiece with one another. Individually differentiated, yet still cohesive.
Rolling Papers 2 — Wiz Khalifa
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Youngblood — 5 Seconds of Summer
Echoes of HAIM (5 Seconds of Summer even have their own track titled “Want You Back” herein), Maroon 5, The National, Fall Out Boy, Charlie Puth, and a gajillion other pop groups, a testament to the diversity of their nevertheless consistently-summer sound. Even if they’re on the inferior end of a lot of those comparisons, no one should gripe about being in such illustrious company; working at a place like Google is impressive, even if you’re just a mere employee, not a mover and shaker at the top of the pecking order!
Die Lit — Playboi Carti
Die Lit conforms to a trend in modern music: the first half of albums tend to be stuffed with more conventional fare, probably in an attempt to appeal to casual listeners giving them a passing spin… er…stream. Once Playboi Carti moves past this derivative nonsense, the album’s second half becomes legitimately experimental; some of the tracks are honestly more like random collections of odd sounds than straightforward songs. They’re choppy and syncopated, with his voice basically hitting every beat, making the lyrics almost incomprehensible. If he learns how to harness this skill into a consistent asset, his future albums will probably be superior to the mixed-bags of his past oeuvre.
Until Death Call My Name Reloaded — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
More of the same…just with bouncier beats. An unexpected twist, given my uber-documented befuddlement regarding his popularity: these songs actually made me bounce! Perhaps YoungBoy’s finally coming into his own? Or maybe this veer towards uptempo producing just conforms to my personal tastes? Or, or, after subjecting myself to the perpetual pain of listening to his prolific output, I’m finally starting to appreciate his appeal? Or, or, or, it’s a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome, where I’ve grown enamored with my aural captor? We shall know more upon his next release…which shouldn’t be too long given his aforementioned productivity.
BEASTMODE 2 — Future
Future Futuring. Not to be THAT guy, but if he’s the future of music, then count me out. #MAMGA!
2018 Albums, Ranked
- Black Panther — Kendrick Lamar
- Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
- NASIR — Kanye West & Nas
- DAYTONA — Kanye West & Pusha T
- KIDS SEE GHOSTS — Kanye West & Kid Cudi
- ye — Kanye West
- The Color of You — Alina Baraz
- Redemption — Jay Rock
- Light of Mine — KYLE
- Man of the Woods — Justin Timberlake
- beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
- Scorpion — Drake
- My Dear Melancholy, — The Weeknd
- DAY69 — 6ix9ine
- Shawn Mendes — Shawn Mendes
- SR3MM — Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi
- Testing — A$AP Rocky
- ? — XXXTENTACION
- Culture 2 — Migos
- Bobby Tarantino II — Logic
- Vacation in Hell — Flatbush Zombies
- GANGIN — SOB X RBE
- Sex & Cigarettes — Toni Braxton
- Isolation — Kali Uchs
- D6: Reloaded — Lil Wayne
- KOD — J. Cole
- Little Dark Age — MGMT
- Blue Madonna — BØRNS
- 44/876 — Sting & Shaggy
- Amen — Rich Brian
- Five Five — Pouya
- For My Fans — Fetty Wap
- Expectations — Bebe Rexha
- 4275 — Jacquees
- Common Ground — Above & Beyond
- It’s Complicated — Wale
- California — Diplo
- Punken — Maxo Kream
- When We (Remix) — Tank
- 2.23 — Blac Youngsta
- Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
- Trapholizay — Zaytoven
- Cosmic — Bazzi
- As She Pleases — Madison Beer
- Life of a Dark Rose — Lil Skies
- Love Yourself Tear — BTS
- Lost & Found — Jorja Smith
- Legends of the Summer— Meek Mill
- Youngblood — 5 Seconds of Summer
- Ready — Ella Mai
- BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI — Ski Mask the Slump God
- Activated — Tee Grizzley
- God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty
- Vibras — J Balvin
- By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
- The Big Pescado — Berner
- Rolling Papers 2 — Wiz Khalifa
- P2 — Dave East
- Camila — Camila Cabello
- I Like It Loud — Tiesto
- M A N I A — Fall Out Boy
- Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
- MEMORIES DON’T DIE — Tory Lanez
- International Artist — A Boogie wit da Hoodie
- Bless Yo Trap — Smokepurpp & Murda Beatz
- Goodbye & Good Riddance — Juice WRLD
- Reckless — NAV
- The Longshot — The Longshot
- Fate — Tammy Rivera
- The World is Yours — Rich the Kid
- Kolorblind — DJ ESCO
- Edgewood — Trouble & Mike WiLL Made-It
- Hurtin’ Me — Stefflon Don
- F.A.M.E. — Maluma
- Rearview Town — Jason Aldean
- This One’s For You Too — Luke Combs
- Obsessed: Hedwig and the Angry Inch — Lena Hall
- November — SiR
- The Chocolate Box — Jeremih
- Voicenotes — Charlie Puth
- The Vault — G-Eazy
- Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay
- Heart Break Kodak — Kodak Black
- Die Lit — Playboi Carti
- Ottopsy — Chief Keef
- Lil Boat 2 — Lil Yachty
- Glock Bond — Key Glock
- Drip Season 3 — Gunna
- Spiritual Conversations — Mozzy
- SUPERFLY — Future & Co.
- The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It — 2 Chainz
- Bad Witch — Nine Inch Nails
- Humble Beast (Deluxe) — G Herbo
- Rich As In Spirit — Rich Homie Quan
- Pain and Pleasure — Tink
- Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
- Ray Ray from Summerhill — YFN Lucci
- Freda’s Son — YFN Lucci
- We Beefin? — at Wendys
- Dex Meets Dexter — Famous Dex
- Until Death Call My Name Reloaded — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
- Harder Than Ever — Lil Baby
- Age Of — Oneohtrix Point Never
- Just Cause Y’all Waited — Lil Durk
- Apart — Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
- The Marina — Curren$y & Harry Fraud
- BEASTMODE 2 — Future
- Sick Boy…Everybody Hates Me — The Chainsmokers
- Hear No Evil — Young Thug
- Chained to the City — Kevin Gates
- Master the Day of Judgement — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
- Until Death Call My Name — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
- 2 Heartless — Moneybagg Yo
- Grow God — Money Man
- Don Talk — Don Q
- N****S Get Shot — Young Dolph
- Rich Hood — HoodRich Pablo Juan
- The Leek 4 — Chief Keef
- Pray For The Wicked — Panic! At the Disco