It’s been a pretty busy and hectic week so getting to sit down on a Friday afternoon and start listening to music nonstop was a blessing. The fact there was great music that came out this week made it that much better. As always there were a few duds but that is bound to happen every week.
I’m not gonna lie getting through this and last week was a little rougher than normal and trying to wrap my head around continuing to push forward was not always easy. We all have those moments where things just seem ass-backward and we need a break and the end of this month hit me just that way.
I am not going to harp on this as most of you probably don’t care what problems this article writing guy sitting behind a computer has as you are all dealing with your own problems so I won’t go into details. But listening to this week’s music hit the nail on the head with the topics that were covered. And just like the past few weeks going from one song to the next was a struggle because just as many bad songs and projects came out as the good ones. But as is the life we have to push forward and move on, and this is no different.
Before I begin to dive into the music that came out this week I want to point out something that I thought about last week while listening to some of the songs that I didn’t mention in the article because I would rather this be a celebration of good music and notification of all music that was released. However, this week there were some absolute duds that I have to point out because of the notoriety of the artist and the releases that I am thinking about starting a completely new list because of them. The bottom five may have to start being a thing.
Listening to the songs I would consider in this list this week was like watching the first game of the college football season when you see Alabama play some random FCS team that you have never heard of and by the end of the first half the score is 50-0. No, this is not Michigan losing to App State a few years ago, this is a bludgeoning that makes you wonder why it is even a thing. Then you remember, “Oh right, they are getting paid to do this.”
So, let’s get these songs quickly out of the way because this is not something I like to harp on and would rather get to giving out flowers than burying people.
Iggy Azalea came out with, “Sip It,” featuring Tyga and all I have to say and going to say is the line she used as the hook, “Sip this pussy like a styrofoam.” I have nothing else to say.
Lil Tjay released his project, “Destined 2 Win,” and that name is very deceiving. I don’t know what he is destined to do but with this album, I don’t think a win is it. Off the bat seeing 21 songs makes me hesitant to even listen because that is a long album and a lot of songs to go through, especially for an artist I am not a huge fan of. But nonetheless, I began my listening journey.
I will say before I go any further that coming off his single, “Calling my phone,” with 6lack that I was a little excited to hear what he came up with knowing that it has been a minute since he first signed with Columbia and his previous releases, but this makes me wonder why it took so long.
The album sounds good and whoever chose the beats for the songs has a good ear. They all sound great together and create a cohesive album moving from one song to the next. They create an R&B/Trap undertone that I was into and made even that much more excited to hear what he was going to do. Then his lyrics started…
Immediately I was turned off. His flows to me were that great and even worse than that was his lyrics. He went an entire album and didn’t say much. He tried rap love songs and fell flat (both figuratively and literally as he can not sing, not one bit). He tried a trap song and with the exception of the second single, “Headshot,” which was partly saved by Pop Smoke and Fivio (even though I didn’t think it was that good) fell flat again. Then he tried street records and went 3-3 on falling flat for me.
What was weird in the album structure was the fact it would go 2-3 “love songs” then flip to trap/drill for 3 songs then go back to “love songs” for 4 songs and then go back to street songs. Thankfully because of the sonics of the beats it wasn’t too jarring as everything went together but going from telling a girl you need her and she is your love to say you’re gonna go kill someone and riding around the streets with your gun doesn’t make much sense to me at all. But hey what do I know.
Overall this was a complete and utter miss for me. I don’t know, maybe I just don’t understand this new era of rap, and like Nas, “It doesn’t keep me up at night,” or maybe I am just out of tune with modern-day rap because of my affinity of R&B and old school rap. Either way for me this wasn’t great and will not be in my rotation at all and will not be something I am going back to.
Ok, so now that I got that off my chest let us turn our attention to the songs that enter the other category of the Fabulous five. Of course, first, let me highlight some of the songs that didn’t make the list but are worth me mentioning and going to take a listen to for you.
Hip-Hop again made a strong presence this week with a lot of singles. Westside Gunn realized, “TV Boy,” which is exactly what you expect for both him and/or anyone else in Griselda. I will say I have heard him do better and eventually I do think they have to speed up the beats to some extent but this was still enjoyable either way. This is their style, it has worked and they are sticking to it. At least this one has drums. However, for me, it wasn’t his strongest effort and when I go back and listen to Westside and Griselda this will not be the song I run to. Worth taking a listen to especially if you’re a fan like I am, but it may not be in your Griselda rotation going forward.
Young MA dropped, “Successful,” which like Westside is exactly what you would think of when you think of a Young MA song. She can rap and she got bars in here like always, but it is not fully for me. I can only listen to so much, “street” music before I get turned off because it is overall not relatable to me in my current life state (not that it ever was previously either but that is not the point). Her fan is defiantly going to enjoy this song and will be putting it in their rotation but it is not for me at this juncture.
42 Dugg and Roddy Ricch put out the single, “4 Da Gang,” and all I have to say is EH. Defiantly not for me but then again I am not a huge 42 Dugg fan so I won’t say definitively good or bad in either direction. I didn’t enjoy his verse and I think Roddy has defiantly done better but it was a valiant effort and somebody somewhere will enjoy this. It just won’t be here and me.
Toosii released, “Back Together,” which for me is also just ok. I have only recently dived into his catalogue, so I won’t say much about this as I am still learning his sound, but even off the little, I know of him, I know he has better and stronger songs in his bag. His fans may enjoy it but I don’t know about the general public.
Brockhampton released another single this week called, “Count on me,” coming off their last single last week featuring Danny Brown. When I saw this I was excited because after last week when they almost made the top 5 list I thought I was in for another one. Not so much. This song isn’t bad but it isn’t as good as last week. I like the hook more than the verses, but even the hook isn’t too strong. It is catchy and will have people singing it from now until the album comes out (which it seems they are gearing up for with two singles in two weeks) and further on from there, but I will not be one of the people singing this at the moment. Maybe my tune will change when the album comes out (pun intended) but until then…
In the R&B world, a few singles were released too from a few artists that maybe you don’t know so much about. Mustafa is an artist from Toronto and has released a few songs in the past but not a tone and in music is better known for his writing than his song catalog at the moment. His previous releases were good and he is more on the conscious rap/song side so it takes a few listens to catch everything. When I saw his name I thought that is what I was getting and boy was I wrong. He went the singing route with this 3-pack called, “Ali,” and yah…I wasn’t a fan of the way he attacked these songs but the messages he put in them were amazing and worth going to listen to.
Olivia Rodrigo released her single, “Deja Vu,” which I thought was pretty good. “She thinks it’s special but is all reused.” A song about the guy’s second relationship after their break up and one that we all know too well. When he gets with the next girl and you start seeing it on social media. He starts posting all of the things they are doing together and you realize that he is doing all of the things you used to do together and showing her all of the things you showed him as if they were his own ideas. Ya, I have been there too with girlfriends. Showing off the new girl to make the old girl jealous. It’s not a pretty sight, but it makes for a good song. I would suggest giving this song a listen if you haven’t already.
Last, before we get to the top 5 of this week is, “Gold Fronts,” by Foushee featuring Lil Wayne. I have been listening to Foushee for a little while now and have become a lightweight fan of hers. Her last single was also featuring Wayne so it is making me think what is on the horizon for her that she keeps getting these Lil Wayne features. Either way, this is a nice slow acoustic R&B vibe and the simple guitar and bass drew me in right away. “The city’s fucked/ why don’t we just roll up,” and then you hear Wayne’s signature lighter was perfectly done. “If they drip then I’m the one it all flows from,” is yet another great Lil Wayne line and shows why he is continually considered to be one of the greats. It is a good song that I would listen to again but it wasn’t either of their best efforts. Both have better and stronger songs in their bag (including their last single together) and I can’t wait to see what comes next. For her, as she continues to grow, and for Wayne, if this means we can expect more music from him in the near future.
Now for the main attraction…the Top 5 songs/projects of this week.
It would be just in the vein of April fools day if I were to just stop here…
But I couldn’t do that because this week’s top 5 is a strong top 5 that I couldn’t pass.
I don’t know too much about Emilee, but from what I have gathered she is a major TikTok and social media star and has been making music and is starting to gain attention from it. That is great because this song and her voice are great. “I want to grow up fast when you said take it slow / I’m on my own now but I’m finding my way home.” I was pleasantly surprised by this song mostly because I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t know what I was going to get but sometimes that is the best way to go into things. No expectations mean you can’t be disappointed and they can only exceed what you went in thinking. Emilee did just that, blew me away with what I heard, and made me go research her past music and what she was all about. This song isn’t going to be for everyone but it is a good listen nonetheless.
Chiiild once again graces our list and has me thinking he is going to become a mainstay. At this point, you would think I had a connection or agreement with him to always get him on this list but I don’t and his music is just that good. Right off the top the song draws you in with its west coast bounce and has you waiting for the lyrics. “Meet me in the bedroom lay there awake…VIP treatment giving you the chef special…I still get butterflies like the first time we met…If you’re trying to be the Nelly to my Kelly pull up no pressure.” I love a west coast love song and the way these two meshes together and with the beat is amazing. Add yet another Chiiild song to my playlist for the summer and beyond. I can’t wait to hear what he is gearing up for with these consecutive singles.
Fresh off a Grammy nomination Freddie comes back with another great song. The Nas, “I’m the man,” sample doesn’t hurt either. His flow is crazy, he goes on the verses and like you would expect (especially coming off “Alfredo” which I am still listening to) he doesn’t disappoint. Knowing and being a fan of his, I think the hook could’ve been stronger as it is outshined by the verses, but in all fairness, if we go back in time and listen to some of the most real and best lyricists in hip-hop we could say the same thing about their songs. I can’t and won’t knock him for that because the verses are so strong. I have a feeling his die-hard fans will have nothing bad to say about this song and love every aspect of it, and I can’t fight them on that. In actuality, I am nitpicking when in what I say in regard to the hook, but that is what I am supposed to do. Still a great song nonetheless and one that everybody should go listen to as one of the top songs this week.
If you know anything about Terrace Martin it is that he never disappoints in anything he releases, and any time I see his name I am rushing to listen to whatever it is. This song was no different. “I don’t believe in nothing / I believe in holding your hand…I know you’re bad for me but she won’t last forever like fast money.” “Life is a beautiful bitch that can’t cook.” Terrace and Nick go crazy on this track, in one of the few this week where I can say the hook is as strong as the verse and everything, and everyone matches and meshes perfectly the way they should. This is a straight-up Terrace Martin vibe with the bass lines and swing that makes this song amazing. Then of course he gives you the sax solo at the end had me saying, “Oh my god,” and solidified this song in the top 5 this week.
“I feel stupid when I sing / Nobodies listening to me…I talk to shooting stars but they always get it wrong / I feel stupid when I pray / Who is listening anyway.” I am just going to leave those lyrics here for a moment…
That is the hook of her first song on this album, which is a hell of a way to star over an acoustic piano. She splits this album into two different albums, the first being, “Dancing with the Devil,” which comprises the first three songs. Then, “The Art of Starting Over,” which she starts with the intro (which is actually song 4 in totality).
Demi is singing her ass off this entire album, but not more so than the first three songs. I work with a writer/producer who asked me last week, “What music makes you get chill?” This! This is the music that gives me chills. From the first song until the end I had chills, was in awe, and loving every song. So much so that even the 27-second intro she adds before the “album” switch where she is just talking gave me more chills than I already had.
The only bad thing I have to say about this album, which isn’t a bad thing in any sense of the word, is going from such a strong, powerful, and emotional opening three songs then changing to a somewhat, “happy” sounding beat for the first song of the “second album” was a little weird to me. I guess not so much weird as it was not expected but it didn’t hinder anything from the album for me at all.
We have all at some point in our lives had to pick back up and start over from square one and this is the album for that. “New beginnings can be lonely / Thank God I got me to hold me.”
“The Way You Don’t Look At Me,” made me feel her pain even more so than I already was up until that point. That moment in time when you can feel that there is something changing in your relationship. That time when you can sense your significant other isn’t looking at you the same. When they don’t react the same way they used to. When the smile is gone and the voice tone changes. Ya, that feeling. It sucks and we have all been there, and this song made me reminisce about all of those times I should have noticed something was off and tried to do something about it. Those times when you can feel the tension in the air but don’t know how to go about that conversation so you let it fester thinking you can make it better. I hate that feeling and to this day I can still feel those looks I should’ve noticed and those feelings I should have changed. It’s too late now and all I can do is listen to Demi.
“I met the devil last night / had conversations ya I think he’s alright / He kinda funny he kinda my type…I think I love him I know it ain’t right.” Demi and Ariana make an awesome duo and create a clever song. Who thinks of these lyrics or better yet would say these lyrics. Nobody (well I guess expect devil worshipers) would ever think to say these words out loud especially on record. However, what better way can you think of to describe the feeling of meeting and speaking with the guy (or girl) you know is going to be bad and is going to be bad for you? This metaphor is crazy.
“I used to call my mom every Sunday so she knew her love wasn’t far away / But now I’m all fucked up in LA cause I care more about what other people say.” Everyone has that feeling growing up where they start to fall victim to peer pressure and public perception and it becomes more drastic when we move out and live away from home for the first time. Don’t get me started on what those feelings look like when you move out to LA, or when you become famous and live in LA. SHEESH! We all grow up with the thoughts of growing up to be like our family members, but then as you grow up and gain your own identity things can start to go astray. That’s what this song is about, losing yourself from what you thought you were going to be.
That brings us to the hardest part of the album for me and one of the hardest songs on the album for me to listen to, “Easy,” featuring Noah Cyrus. “The hardest part of leaving is to hold the heavy breathing back from showing you how hard it is for me to make it look easy.” The perfect break-up love song to make you cry. The breakup song every girl will be listening to for months as they go through this thinking it was easy for him to walk away. This brought up some pretty strong feeling that I wasn’t ready for and began the downslide of emotions for the rest of this album. Leaving is never easy no matter how much the person makes it look that way. We never know how much strength it takes for that person to leave and how much hurt comes along with them leaving. To this day I can still see her driving away and even though she stayed strong and made it look easy I know it wasn’t.
On a positive note, even Saweetie sounds amazing on “My girlfriends are my boyfriend.” When a true rapper sounds great on an R&B/pop album like this you know that the album is great.
The final three songs of this album had me on the verge of tears from start to finish. What Demi is talking about in these songs hit extremely close to home in both a good and a bad way which all great music is supposed to do, invoke emotional feelings. I still remember one producer telling me during an album we were working on that the album wasn’t finished until it made me cry. Granted I was going through some relationship stuff at the time but still if an album can create that type of emotion of any person you have a winner. And that is what this album is A WINNER!
From the first song to the last song it’s awesome. As much as it is going to hurt me to listen to this album I am going to continue to listen to it a lot because of how good it is. Easily the number one album for me this week and could possibly be one of the top albums for me this year.
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