RATING: 2 out of 5 Justin Timberlake has returned to the music industry after a six-year hiatus with his pop and R&B album “Everything I Thought It Was.” With tracks that remind listeners of his original NSYNC roots along with a new R&B sound for Timberlake, the album is anContinue Reading
Rating: 3 out of 5 The label Aural Alliance released Stage 1, a group album featuring 16 tracks each produced by a different artist under the label to present the label and each artist to a wider audience. The label, formed this summer, was founded on socialist ideals, according toContinue Reading
After months of anticipation, Olivia Rodrigo has returned not only with a riveting punk-pop explosion but tender, evocative acoustics. With the unveiling of the lead single, “vampire,” followed by “bad idea right?,” the singer-songwriter released the album, “Guts,” on September 8, 2023. Rodrigo concocts an eclectic mix of genres, seamlesslyContinue Reading
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Not many artists would devote a third of their album’s focus track to a flute instrumental, but BTS’ V did on his solo debut album, “Layover.” The title represents V’s non-linear path and slower pace in living life, according to an interview V did withContinue Reading
Rating: 4/5 Prior to listening to “Never Enough” by Canadian singer Daniel Caesar, I was only familiar with the singer’s 2017 smash hit “Best Part” featuring H.E.R, so I went into the singer’s third studio album expecting to hear the same laid-back, smooth sound. I wasn’t disappointed, as the albumContinue Reading
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Juni Habel’s sophomore album “Carvings” is a raw and reminiscent journey through grief in a decidedly folk exploration of ephemeral life in the permanence of nature. The album is also Habel’s tribute to her teenage sister, whom she recently lost in a car accident. CreatingContinue Reading
Rating: 3.5/5 MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco, more commonly known as Mac DeMarco, released his newest instrumental album, “Five Easy Hot Dogs,” marking the Canadian singer-songwriter’s first album release since 2019 and eighth album to date. While the 14-record tracklist was released on Jan. 20, 2023, all of the songs wereContinue Reading
Rating: 3/5 Fans of superstar K-pop group BTS were devastated when record label Big Hit Music announced in October that the members would take a break to complete 18 months of required military service in South Korea and reconvene in 2025. As a goodbye-for-now to fans, Jin, who Big HitContinue Reading
Rating: 3/5 After four years since their last release, the Arctic Monkeys have made their highly anticipated return with an underwhelming project that left me with only one thought: That’s it? “The Car” is the British quartet’s seventh studio album and was released on Oct. 21, 2022. Their previous album,Continue Reading
Rating: 3.5/5 Taylor Swift’s newest album, “Midnights,” tells the story of “13 sleepless nights” throughout her life, according to Swift’s social media. Released on Oct. 21, 2022 at midnight EST, the album features a distinctly modern sound. To the surprise of fans, Swift released “Midnights (3am Edition)” — a versionContinue Reading
Nirvana, a grunge rock band formed in 1987, has left a timeless legacy on the history of music. “Nevermind,” their second album, celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sept. 24, 2021. The band consisted of Krist Novoselic on bass, Dave Grohl on drums, and the late Kurt Cobain on vocals andContinue Reading
Apple Music and Spotify are locked in a battle to be the most popular music-streaming service in the world today. Both feature tens of millions of songs and have millions of users worldwide. Their popularity and positions as the top music services made me wonder: which platform comes out onContinue Reading