There was a lot of music that came out this week. Like a lot – a lot. So much that it took me about four hours to just go through the singles, then the rest of the day to go through the albums. And just when I thought I was done, I found one more album to go through, then one more after that, then one more after that. You see where I am going here. And that is why on Saturday morning there is an article being posted with Friday in the title.
Don’t get me wrong I loved every minute of yesterday I spent listening to music, well most of it, but it does get a little overwhelming at a certain point. Much like spending 16 hours mixing a song, listening to music for 16 hours makes my ears go numb. And some of the music that came out wasn’t helping then cause any. But you got to take the bad with the good I guess. Thank god for the skip button.
Let’s start with the list of singles and projects that didn’t make the list…
Spill tab – anybody else single
Chiiild – gone single
Morrray – street sermons album
NLE chop – final warning single
Alec Benjamin – the way you felt single
Kyle Dion ft Kari faux – purr single
The alchemist – this thing of ours album
Lil eazzyy – rookie of the year album
Machine gun Kelly ft Kelvin Quinn – love race single
Raheem devaughn ft apllo brown – zaddy single
Bebe rexha ft lil uzi vert – die for a man single
Burna boy – kilometre single
Lil baby ft Megan thee stallion – on me remix
Baby keem ft travis Scott – durag activity single
Billie eilish – your power single
PnB Rock – need somebody single
You see why it took so long to go through all of the music this week. Those are just the ones that didn’t make the list. And there were so many good and great songs I have to actually make an honorable mentions list this week because I had about 10 songs in my top 5. And well I am not Trey Wingo. When I do a top 5, it’s actually a top 5. Not top 5 with a-d added on.
Before I get to the good let me mention one thing because I know this is going to come up… DJ Khaled did release an album and I did listen to it. And that is all I am going to say about that.
For my honorable mentions list get ready because this is a whole top 5 list before the top 5 list. However, there is no particular order here…
Hayley Kiyoko – Found My Friends Single
“I keep on running, I don’t think I’m well…I can’t be myself.”
At first, I contemplated whether this should be included but as the song went along I got more and more entranced with the beat and the song to the point where I had to add it somewhere where it wouldn’t get lost in the fold of this week.
Joyner Lucas ft Lil Baby – Ramen & OJ Single
What would you expect from a Joyner song other than bars? What would you expect from Lil Baby other than melody and bars? What more do I have to say about this song for you to get the point?
The Kid Laroi ft Miley Cyrus – Without You Single
This almost made the top 5 list until I heard about 90 projects that I could justifiably put a single over. At this point, I have made it pretty clear I am a sucker for an acoustic guitar, or any acoustic track for that matter, and a great R&B love song. So when you add the two together you got me on board immediately without even trying.
“You cut out a piece of me and now I bleed internally.” Ya, it’s that kind of love song.
Allblack ft G Eazy & E40 – 10 Toes Single
This was in my top 5, but like the song above it got dethroned by the massive amount of incredible projects this week. This is a true west coast track and all three of them absolutely killed their verses.
E40 IN HIS SIGNATURE STYLE RHYMED THE WORD THESAURUS!!!! PLEASE NAME ANOTHER RAPPER THAT CAN OR HAS DONE THAT.
Then he finished his verse with, “Been having fetty since caveman piss.” With the “Ew” ad lib to match. E40 is amazing.
Ok, so now that we got all of that out of the way, let’s get to the actual top 5 list for this week. For the first time, I believe this list consists of only EP and projects, no singles. The level of competition for this list is increasing every week and much like the NBA it’s feeling like the playoff push. I guess even during quarantine artists push out records for the summer. Hopefully, we will be allowed outside to hear them.
I don’t know if I am the right person to speak on this song, as a white male, but this song is crazy. All-female ensemble speaking with a powerful message in a real rap song. This reminded me of Queen Latifah back in the day.
“What’s a hot thotty to a God body?” “Black women been running shit since the pyramids.” Rah Digga still got it.
This is a true Hip-Hop, true rap, true boom-bap track, and they killed the entire thing.
As I started to go through this, first I thought it was just a single (ya, I did a quick glance before I listened). Then the first track started playing and I realized it wasn’t the same title as the project and I was like, “Oh, ok, this is a project.” Then I was intrigued a little more.
As I began listening I was going back and forth in my head of how much I was enjoying it and what place I should put this. At first, it was on the honorable mentions list, then it continued and I couldn’t keep it off the top 5 list. It grew on me with each song.
This album is a pop/R&B love/emotional album and as I figured that out my love for it grew and grew. Not unlike the grinch’s heart. From loving you to wanting you back, to tell you to go, to watch you leave, to being with you but seeing your ex, to just about every emotion and thought you could possibly have during a relationship she put in this project.
If you’re at any point in a relationship you can relate to a song on this album. Just be careful what song you listen to and what your current relationship emotions are because listening to a particular song at a particular time can and will sway your emotional state for better or worse.
Much like the next project on this list, I wasn’t completely familiar with Priscilla Block or the fact that she was releasing a project. I was scrolling through the Instagram timeline and saw that she released something, thought her name looks familiar and I went to listen to the project. Boy am I glad I did.
This is a great powerful pop/country EP, and she has a great voice. I am ashamed to say it surprised me, but only because I haven’t listened to a whole bunch of her stuff up to this point. But you can bet I will be doing a deep dive into her back catalog.
“That’s the bad part of good,” is extremely clever because we all know that during a breakup or when we have to have time apart there is a bad part about a good thing. Sometimes it needs to happen and it is a good thing it did, but the emotions that come along with the action are always the bad part that makes you rethink the action.
This is a great EP where she shows off her skill and emotions and much like the aforementioned Julia Michaels project will get you in your feelings depending on the song you listen to and the time you listen to it. The one saving grace about the emotions this project will bring up is that the song you will be listening to that entices that emotion will be an upbeat, head nodding, dancy song, which should ease the emotional turmoil a little bit.
This is one of those projects I was speaking about at the beginning of this article. It came across my Instagram timeline as I was finishing up the list of releases for the week. Or so I thought. I am not completely familiar with Jamie Miller, but I saw a major label post his cover of him sitting on a window sill longingly looking out the window with the title, “Here’s Your Perfect.” How can I not listen?
Then I saw it was four songs instead of just the one I thought it was going to be, and I got excited. Then he started singing… AND I LOST MY SHIT!!!!!
THIS MAN CAN SING!!! AND WHEN I SAY SING, I MEAN SING-SING, LIKE ACTUALLY SING! LIKE HOLY SHIT SING!
He went off on this EP. Think Wilt’s 100 point game. Think Kobe’s 81 point game. Think Alvin Kamara’s six touchdown game. Do you get the point yet?
I don’t think I have ever heard four songs in an EP from an artist I am unfamiliar with capturing me as much as this project did.
Did I mention he can sing?
GO LISTEN TO THIS EP!!! MY WORDS DON’T DO IT ENOUGH JUSTICE.
Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned this as a four-song EP and said it was phenomenal and I wish there was more? Well, I got exactly what I wanted and I didn’t even know I was going to. Imagine the excitement on my face when I saw this in my Spotify released list and saw there were seven songs added to the already amazing four I put at number one in a previous article.
Ever since I heard, “Marry Me,” I have been a fan of Thomas Rhett. I would venture to say that it is because of him and that song that I began listening to country music. I was always an R&B/Hip-Hop guy if you haven’t been able to tell. I was always the one that said I wasn’t a big fan of country and would roll my eyes when one of my friends or somebody would put the country on in the car. But thanks to Mr. Rhett that has all changed.
“Heaven Right Now,” is the happy side of a loved one passing away. We hear so many sad, I miss you songs when there is a loss and of course we feel all of their emotion but in turn, it puts us in a sad and sorrowful state as well. This is not that. This is a, “I know you’re doing well and having fun in Heaven,” song. It’s a celebration of life rather than a mourn of death.
“To The Guy That Date My Girls,” is fantastic. This song reminds me of the scene in, “Bad Boys,” where Martin Lawrence and Will Smith answer the door and harass the guy that comes to pick up Martin’s daughter for a date. I didn’t know that a smooth, mellow country song could have such a strong warning to it. Not only was I enjoying the song, but I was smiling and laughing at the warning he was giving whoever makes the decision to date one of his daughters. Be careful.
“See if this cell phone can skip like a rock.” This is a great lyric he puts in a song about wanting to spend more time fishing. I can honestly say that there were and are many occasions when I am walking on the water that I have the same thought. I have my phone in my hand or pocket and I look out at the water and think to myself, “I wonder what would happen if I just tossed this thing as far as I could into the ocean?” Unfortunately, I can’t, but it is always a thought and one that one day I might take myself up on. “More Time Fishing,” is going to be one of those summertime country bangers you hear being played everywhere.
“Put It On Ice,” is going to be continuously played in a similar fashion. This is the song you will hear when the guys are carrying the cooler from the truck to start the party. And will probably be the song that is played when they want to get that second wind and start the party again.
Mr. Rhett has an awesome album on his hands and one that is in perfect timing for the summer parties. Whether you are taking a long summer drive, pulling up to the party, or sitting on your truck bed or car hood, he has a song that you will be listening to.
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