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.

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Rolling Papers 2 — Wiz Khalifa

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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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!

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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.

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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.

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BEASTMODE 2 — Future

Future Futuring. Not to be THAT guy, but if he’s the future of music, then count me out. #MAMGA!

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2018 Albums, Ranked

1. Black Panther — Kendrick Lamar
2. Dirty Computer — Janelle Monáe
3. NASIR — Kanye West & Nas
4. DAYTONA — Kanye West & Pusha T
5. KIDS SEE GHOSTS — Kanye West & Kid Cudi
6. ye — Kanye West
7. The Color of You — Alina Baraz
8. Redemption — Jay Rock
9. Light of Mine — KYLE
10. Man of the Woods — Justin Timberlake
11. beerbongs & bentleys — Post Malone
12. Scorpion — Drake
13. My Dear Melancholy, — The Weeknd
14. DAY69 — 6ix9ine
15. Shawn Mendes — Shawn Mendes
16. SR3MM — Rae Sremmurd, Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi
17. Testing — A$AP Rocky
18. ? — XXXTENTACION
19. Culture 2 — Migos
20. Bobby Tarantino II — Logic
21. Vacation in Hell — Flatbush Zombies
22. GANGIN — SOB X RBE
23. Sex & Cigarettes — Toni Braxton
24. Isolation — Kali Uchs
25. D6: Reloaded — Lil Wayne
26. KOD — J. Cole
27. Little Dark Age — MGMT
28. Blue Madonna — BØRNS
29. 44/876 — Sting & Shaggy
30. Amen — Rich Brian
31. Five Five — Pouya
32. For My Fans — Fetty Wap
33. Expectations — Bebe Rexha
34. 4275 — Jacquees
35. Common Ground — Above & Beyond
36. It’s Complicated — Wale
37. California — Diplo
38. Punken — Maxo Kream
39. When We (Remix) — Tank
40. 2.23 — Blac Youngsta
41. Invasion of Privacy — Cardi B
42. Trapholizay — Zaytoven
43. Cosmic — Bazzi
44. As She Pleases — Madison Beer
45. Life of a Dark Rose — Lil Skies
46. Love Yourself Tear — BTS
47. Lost & Found — Jorja Smith
48. Legends of the Summer— Meek Mill
49. Youngblood — 5 Seconds of Summer
50. Ready — Ella Mai
51. BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI — Ski Mask the Slump God
52. Activated — Tee Grizzley
53. God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty
54. Vibras — J Balvin
55. By the Way, I Forgive You — Brandi Carlile
56. The Big Pescado — Berner
57. Rolling Papers 2 — Wiz Khalifa
58. P2 — Dave East
59. Camila — Camila Cabello
60. I Like It Loud — Tiesto
61. M A N I A — Fall Out Boy
62. Victory Lap — Nipsey Hussle
63. MEMORIES DON’T DIE — Tory Lanez
64. International Artist — A Boogie wit da Hoodie
65. Bless Yo Trap — Smokepurpp & Murda Beatz
66. Goodbye & Good Riddance — Juice WRLD
67. Reckless — NAV
68. The Longshot — The Longshot
69. Fate — Tammy Rivera
70. The World is Yours — Rich the Kid
71. Kolorblind — DJ ESCO
72. Edgewood — Trouble & Mike WiLL Made-It
73. Hurtin’ Me — Stefflon Don
74. F.A.M.E. — Maluma
75. Rearview Town — Jason Aldean
76. This One’s For You Too — Luke Combs
77. Obsessed: Hedwig and the Angry Inch — Lena Hall
78. November — SiR
79. The Chocolate Box — Jeremih
80. Voicenotes — Charlie Puth
81. The Vault — G-Eazy
82. Dan + Shay — Dan + Shay
83. Heart Break Kodak — Kodak Black
84. Die Lit — Playboi Carti
85. Ottopsy — Chief Keef
86. Lil Boat 2 — Lil Yachty
87. Glock Bond — Key Glock
88. Drip Season 3 — Gunna
89. Spiritual Conversations — Mozzy
90. SUPERFLY — Future & Co.
91. The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It — 2 Chainz
92. Bad Witch — Nine Inch Nails
93. Humble Beast (Deluxe) — G Herbo
94. Rich As In Spirit — Rich Homie Quan
95. Pain and Pleasure — Tink
96. Golden Hour — Kacey Musgraves
97. Ray Ray from Summerhill — YFN Lucci
98. Freda’s Son — YFN Lucci 
99. We Beefin? — at Wendys
100. Dex Meets Dexter — Famous Dex
101. Until Death Call My Name Reloaded — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
102. Harder Than Ever — Lil Baby
103. Age Of — Oneohtrix Point Never
104. Just Cause Y’all Waited — Lil Durk
105. Apart — Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
106. The Marina — Curren$y & Harry Fraud
107. BEASTMODE 2 — Future
108. Sick Boy…Everybody Hates Me — The Chainsmokers 
109. Hear No Evil — Young Thug
110. Chained to the City — Kevin Gates
111. Master the Day of Judgement — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
112. Until Death Call My Name — YoungBoy Never Broke Again
113. 2 Heartless — Moneybagg Yo
114. Grow God — Money Man
115. Don Talk — Don Q
116. N****S Get Shot — Young Dolph
117. Rich Hood — HoodRich Pablo Juan
118. The Leek 4 — Chief Keef
119. Pray For The Wicked — Panic! At the Disco