This is one of those weeks that had a ton of music come out. Christian, R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop, you name it a song in that genre probably came out. It is weeks like this that I am bound to miss a few records. At the time of writing this on Saturday afternoon, I am still trying to get to all the new music that was released. Nonetheless, I have to head forward and continue listening.
I will say that even with all the music that came out this week, the five songs on this week’s list were easy to pick because they were head and shoulders above the rest. But, before we get to the official list let me briefly touch on some of the singles and projects that didn’t make the list but are worth checking out.
The R&B genre was heavy with releases this week by a multitude of heavy-hitting artists. Ty$ and Mustard dropped the remix to “By yourself” with Jhene Aiko and Bryson Tiller. I don’t know who was asking for this remix but it is here regardless. It’s exactly like you would like a remix for this song would be. Still a great song, Bryson’s sound fits perfectly with the rest of the track, but it isn’t his strongest effort. Ty and Jhene outshine him, and if you’re a fan of the original you may be a fan of this but it is not a necessity to go listen to.
Elhae and Masego came out with a single, “My City.” This is a true summer record and while it may not be the strongest of records, the summertime, west coast, chill-out vibe will be the reason you hear this song at kickbacks and cars all throughout this summer. If we are ever able to be allowed back outside.
Russ dropped nice R&B leaning hip-hop single, “Bankrupt.” “I don’t feel the same love / my heart is bankrupt…I love you but I gotta let you go.” He is not the best singer in the world but it is still a good song. For people to like this type of song from Russ my feeling is you’re either going to have to already be a fan of his or like these types of records. I don’t see many non-Russ fans flocking to this record, but as someone who is a lightweight fan of Russ, I enjoyed this track and the feelings behind it.
When I saw Miguel’s name on the newly released list on Spotify this week I was hyped. Then I saw it was a 3-pack and I got that much more excited. Then I started listening to the first song and all of those feelings quickly rushed away. It seems like he tried to do his best Lenny Kravitz’s impersonation but didn’t quite hit the mark. Hearing his truly R&B vocals on rock-sounding tracks just wasn’t doing it for me. Maybe his fans or fans of Lenny will enjoy this music but it definitely wasn’t for me and is not something I will be going back to anytime soon or even if I go to a Miguel playlist.
Transitioning to Hip-Hop, Rod Wave dropped, “Soulfly” a combination between new-school R&B and rap. I’m a hit-and-miss Rod Wave fan and for me, this was somewhere in between. I did listen to this coming off of everything that made my Top 5 list this week, so that could’ve skewed my listening pleasure of this a little, but I don’t think it mattered that much in the grand scheme of things. It was a nice-sounding album, and there is no doubt that his fan base will be listening to this for the next couple of months atlas but it is not something that will be in my rotation. Going through it, for me, it was a little repetitive. Each song sounded extremely similar both in music sonics and flow and that is one of the reasons I am saying that this album isn’t for me.
Internet Money dropped another single, “Jetski,” featuring Lil Tecca and Lil Mosey. When it first came on I almost immediately thought this was going to make it into my Top 5 without a doubt. Then the lyrics came on. The hook isn’t bad but the verses aren’t that good. Musically it sounds like their earlier single, “Lemonade,” which is still being played as we speak, but this isn’t that. I can see this song being played throughout the summer because of its sound and the artists that are on it, but for me, I would much rather go back to, “Lemonade,” before listening to this.
Brockhampton and Danny Brown released, “Buzzcut.” I wasn’t sure what to expect from this because I know that Danny can either go off lyrically or go left sonically and lyrically. I know of but by no means have any deep knowledge of Brockhampton so the combination while intrigued me enough to take a listen, I went in skeptically. Boy was I surprised. “Platinum record ain’t gonna keep my black ass outta jail.” (Brockhampton) “N**** blow a lot of smoke like they breathe in the wind.”(Danny Brown) Both show off outstanding lyrical ability, they sound incredible together and this was close to making the Top 5 list this week. Actually, it was on the list until the very end when it got beat out by a tiny bit because the same qualities that made this song a Top 5 were put together for an EP by another artist.
Lil Nas X, I don’t know what to say. “Montero” sounds different than what I know him for. Then again I only know him for, “Old Town Road,” and nothing else, but I still don’t know how to feel about this single. I can’t get with the verses lyrically because of what he’s saying but I can get behind the emotions and feelings, somewhat. The hook and post-hook are relatable to anyone but I still feel a little weird when listening to it. I don’t think I should but I still do. It’s a cool uptempo “love” song that people can vibe to and will definitely be playing and singing but I think only a specific group will be playing this on repeat and I am not apart of that group.
Lastly, before I get to the official Top 5, I have to mention Carrie Underwood. Her album, “My Savior,” is good and she is still phenomenal, but this is also only for a specific group that I am not fully apart of. This is past what I would consider a Christian album and just a straight church album. She can still singer better than 95% of the artists out today and the music sounds amazing, but if you’re not a churchgoer or a fully entrenched Christian I don’t know if you will enjoy this album as much as others will. It’s good and I wouldn’t say don’t listen to it, but I will say be mindful of those facts going in.
IT’S …. TIME, in my best UFC announcer voice, for the Top 5 of the week. Coming in at number 5 is the artist and project that knocked Brockhampton out of this list:
I don’t want to say I was surprised by this tape but I also didn’t know what to expect. This is a true rap, Hip-Hop, lyrically, heartfelt, storytelling, imagery album (or tape or EP). Throughout Vic flows and uses metaphors that aren’t seen in rap much today, and it was refreshing to hear.
“Nipsey hustle flow this my victory lap bitch”(Victory) – “Don’t let no n- with no car drive you crazy”
On every track, he shows off his ability as a top-notch artist. This is one of those projects it is going to take a couple listens through to get all of the lines and metaphors, and a couple more listens through to understand everything he is saying. His ability to flip from an opening soulful sample to a bouncing hip-hop track on, “Fr33dom,” was incredible, especially when he flipped it back to the sample at the end.
“Mossa,” is a front-to-back lyrical story that makes you feel as if you were there or watching a movie. This song brings you back to the 1990s hip-hop where everything was audible stories that you could see by their words. The addition of the Nas sample isn’t a bad touch either. And if you can name five other artists who are using and rhyming the word serendipity easily in a rap song you win the prize, because I can’t think of one off the top of my head.
“We got more funeral homes than schools where im from.”(Vic)
“Let me be your shelter/ill be your superhero when danger arrives.” (Wyclef)
“If we pay it back the whole world would be broke.”(Chance)
“Shleter,” with Wyclef and Chance to the end the project was incredible, I will just leave it at that.
If you’re a fan of the Joe Budden Podcast, this is one of those albums that makes him stop and call the artist live on air. This project is amazing and worth the listen and re-listen, and re-listen.
If you’re an R&B head like me you know who Chiiild is, if you’re more of a nonchalant R&B listener you may not, and if so you need to go catch up. This song makes you nod your head within the first four bars. This is an incredible dance/R&B song that is still being played by me as we speak. This was one of the tracks I played yesterday in my car, in the studio, in my car, in my house, on my balcony and everywhere I was listening to music.
“How does it feel walking fast asleep under the sunlight/open your eyes its ok to dream under the sunlight.”
Chiiild keeps you rocking all the way through. The vocals are great, the beat is great, it is great sounding, everything about this is great. It all just works together. And the vocal fx in the hook along with the flang/vocoder is a nice touch.
It may be hard to see why I put this at number 4 over Vic because this was only a single, but this was such a great R&B single from an artist that I listen to often that it appealed to me more. Maybe I am biased, maybe I am still digesting Vic’s project, either way, R&B wins over Hip-Hop for me at this moment.
I bet you weren’t expecting to see this on the list this week. Honestly, I wasn’t either. I planned on listening to this from a strictly A&R standpoint. It’s Demi and as an A&R I have to know what she is doing, what she is releasing, and how to stay competitive. Then I began jamming to this record.
“Almost made it to heaven it was closer than you know / its so hard to say no when you’re dancing with the devil…twisted reality / hopeless insanity/ I told you I was ok but I was lying…I thought I could walk away easily but I fell to my knees”
If those lyrics don’t strike an emotional chord with you, you need to tap into your emotions. As someone who has battled with and come back from addiction, depression, and mental health issues I felt every word she was signing throughout this entire song. From the opening note to the last fade-out this Demi had me hooked. This is the type of song I will be listening to continually gain strength from when it’s needed. I love this song and everything that went into and came out of it.
The only reason this isn’t number one on this week’s list is that number 2 and number 1 were complete 10 plus song projects that were incredible front to back with no skips. Both were R&B albums too. I couldn’t justify putting this song above those too with how much I have continued to enjoy those albums so it had to land at number 3, but it is a strong number 3. This song being number 3 on this week’s list is the equivalent of an NCAA college basketball team winning their conference title than being placed as a 3 seed in the championship tournament. They should be a 2 or a 1 seed but the teams ahead of them are so good and were so strong it just couldn’t be justified.
GO LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND SHARE IT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT!
This man is talented, and there isn’t much more I need to say other than that. Off the top, he draws you in with his flows, his melodies, and the sonic quality of his songs. Even if you don’t like all of the lyrics you can’t help but nod your head and vibe along with how he raps and how he flows. His ability to flip from rapping to “singing” to melodically rapping is always in the pocket and effortless. And this is all just in the first song properly titled, “The Top.”
The same guitar sound that made him famous on his first single he brings back on, “Company,” featuring Future. “I’m looking like Michael Jackson in these shoes/ I got a couple hoes but that don’t mean nothing to me/ I got a couple blunts that keeping me company.” 24K sounds great and Future adds his iconic sound to compliment perfectly. The one downside I will say about this track is Future’s lyrics. I am not a fan of his verse, but his sound and flow do work alongside 24, but I could’ve done with a shorter Future verse or even just a Future hook.
“Love or lust” is a great uptempo love song and one that isn’t your traditional love song. “Would you walk 8000 miles to make me smile on a Wednesday?…If you’re in love then I shouldn’t be here/ its never enough so I gotta leave you now…When Destiney calls it’ll never be for me/ I told you from the jump I can’t give you what you want” Many artists have made songs saying that love isn’t for them, but it mostly comes in a derogatory way towards females by either saying that she is a hoe or that he can’t be blamed for all the hoes that want him. 24k flips it and says that it isn’t the right time and that because of his status and what he is doing maybe he is only in a “lust” phase and isn’t ready for love. The way he flipped not being ready I thought was clever and isn’t something I am used to hearing.
Then he flips the love story again on, “Take My Breath Away,” where he is trying to find the right girls. “I’m just looking for love in girls I feel like I need/you look like the one for me/ in the dark feel like a spark.” One of the many uptempo love songs on this album, this one stands out for me. He offers many different sides of himself and they all sound good and I like all of them.
The singles “Coco,” featuring DaBaby, and “Mood,” featuring Ian Dior is still great and their placements in this album are perfect. They don’t sound out of place, they don’t sound like they were made to be singles and had to be placed somewhere in the album. They flow within the album seamlessly and if you didn’t know they were singles you would think they were just part of this album. “Coco” is in the middle and “Mood” is at the end and both are placed in a perfectly constructed album sequence.
Each song on this album offers something different while still sounding the same and fitting in the same pocket for a great cohesive album. Relationship issues, nonlove songs, love songs everything you would want from a new age R&B/pop/hip-hop. This is head and shoulders better than most new acts’ debut albums and he went crazy on the entire album. There isn’t one true skip and maybe only one song I can think of that I didn’t listen to all the way through on my first or second initial listens.
This album is one I will be continuously going back to and has been in rotation the last two days since its release. It comes in at a strong number 2 this week because number one is an incredible true R&B album from an artist that I enjoy very much and true R&B isn’t something that you hear much anymore.
25kGoldn is on the rise if not close to the top already and when it is all said and done he will be much more than Goldn.
Name the last time you heard a true singing love centered R&B album…I’ll wait…
Now that you have had time to try and search through your playlists and albums and haven’t come up with one that fits that mold in some time, let me introduce you to Gallant and “Neptune.”
You should be familiar with Gallant by now but if for some reason you do not stop reading this right now, click on the link above and go listen to not only this incredible album but the rest of his catalog and you’ll understand why I am so high on him, his music and this album.
“There’s no better time/ I’ll leave all the lies if you come back.” This is how he opens the album. There aren’t many other true love song R&b lines than this one. As soon as I heard this song and this line I knew I was in for a great ride through the rest of the album. And not one time on one song was I disappointed.
“Chemical Romance” is where he shows off his signature high-pitched sultry vocals. I can’t think of too many artists period that is able to hit these types of notes, forget about doing it consistently throughout an entire song. As a listener, you are able to clearly understand everything he says and his voice in this tone is never unpleasing to listen to. Gallant is just magical when he hits this range.
“If we lost our minds/blew up like dynamite/wouldn’t that be nice/ if we gave up life/threw it all aside.” Can you ever go wrong with a Brandy feature on an R&B song? The answer is no! Gallant and Brandy together are a match made in heaven, their vocals fit so well together that you would think they were a duo. His harmonies under her vocals and her harmonies under his vocals create an eargasm that is unmatched by most. Together they can make you make faces only the top-notch R&B singers create from their listeners. Brandy is still able to create vocal arrangements that are unfathomable by most other singers and I can’t get enough of this song and this duo. I hope to God they make more music together.
You can’t get much more R&B than, “Julie.” I don’t know who she is but I don’t want her to leave in the morning either. There isn’t much more R&B than telling a girl to stay and not leave and begging her to do so. He made me want to tell a girl to stay. He even throws in the signature low voice talking harmonies in the background that you will only find in old school true R&B. Think Boyz ll Men bridges.
Can you tell that I love R&B yet? There is nothing better than a true R&B album from a great singer with great songs that are all about love. And if you think differently then we can’t be friends. As soon as I started this album there was no doubt in my mind that it was going to be number 1 on my list this week. It was a tough call after I went through and listened to 24K and Demi, but even still they didn’t touch what Gallant did on this album. Probably the strongest number 1 so far in this Friday series.
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