Slayyyter is the moment. Since launching into the hyperpop stratosphere in 2018, the singer has quickly amassed a devoted following and paved a unique lane for herself in the post-PC Music landscape, becoming a celebrated popstar for the Internet age. But that doesn’t mean things have been easy for her in these short three years, and Troubled Paradise — her sprawling and aptly-titled debut album — is the culmination of her initial success coming to a head in both fantastical and terrifying ways.
Largely eschewing the Y2K aesthetic and sound of her self-titled mixtape, the singer takes visual inspiration from…
In 2020, I didn’t have the energy to write about music at all, even when I really wanted to. As such, I will be posting reviews of my favorite albums of last year — approximately as the anniversary of their release approaches — to allow myself to capture what made me love them so much. Here is the fourth!
The first line sung by Hayley Williams on the single “Simmer” is a visceral one: “rage is a quiet thing.” It is an assured statement, leaving no room for questioning before moving forward with her thoughts; it is also a pretty…
With an ear for writing catchy toplines and the ability to switch from dreamy soundscapes to aggressive pop beats at the drop of a hat, Troye Sivan captures queer melancholia in a way few of his peers are able to emulate. On his first single since last year’s immaculate In a Dream EP, the singer teams up with DJ Regard and breakout up-and-comer Tate McRae for “You,” a breakup anthem that fits in snugly with the rest of Sivan’s catalog while still advancing his artistry.
Over Regard’s clubby synths and a sturdy kick drum, Sivan unravels his heartbreak, questioning the…
Self-empowerment songs can often teeter the line between cathartic and cringey, and there is no greater modern example than Demi Lovato’s discography. A singer known for rallying the bruised and battered with her music, she has made a career of uplifting her fans to varying degrees of success — 2011’s “Skyscraper” continues to hold up a decade later, while 2020’s “I Love Me” has already been all but discarded from her musical canon. …
In 2020, I didn’t have the energy to write about music at all, even when I really wanted to. As such, I will be posting reviews of my favorite albums of last year — approximately as the anniversary of their release approaches — to allow myself to capture what made me love them so much. Here is the third!
“You want a timeless song/I wanna change the game” are the first lyrics uttered by Dua Lipa on her sophomore record, Future Nostalgia, and listeners were not prepared for the singer to do just that. Over the course of a tight…
Hayley Williams is big time sad. Or perhaps was at some point — it’s a little bit unclear. Described by the singer herself as a prequel to or “some sort of detour between parts [one] and [two] of” her debut solo album, Petals for Armor, her second record, FLOWERS for VASES / descansos, is devoid of the cathartic joy and sometimes rage that characterized its predecessor, instead reveling in the macabre and heart-wrenching feelings that occupied her mind during the dissolution of her marriage. …
In 2020, I didn’t have the energy to write about music at all, even when I really wanted to. As such, I will be posting reviews of my favorite albums of last year — approximately as the anniversary of their release approaches — to allow myself to capture what made me love them so much. Here is the second!
If any artist has been through hell and back, it’s Kesha. After pursuing a tumultuous legal battle with former producer/label president Dr. Luke (that is, unfortunately, still ongoing), the singer released 2017’s somber-yet-victorious Rainbow to critical acclaim; while the country-glam-pop-rock record…
In 2020, I didn’t have the energy to write about music at all, even when I really wanted to. As such, I will be posting reviews of my favorite albums of last year — approximately as the anniversary of their release approaches — to allow myself to capture what made me love them so much. Here is the first!
Manic is an apt title for Halsey’s third record. Described by the singer as “chang[ing] its mind as often as [she does]” in the lead up to its release, the album is a hodgepodge of different styles, genres, and subjects held…
When Jazmine Sullivan drops a body of work, it’s always a statement. On her last proper album, 2015’s Reality Show — released almost five years after its predecessor — the singer embodied the stories of Black women in all their facets, from scorned lover to envied Instagram influencer, from ride-or-die to “stupid girl.” Speaking her truth, she left no stone unturned and no person unscathed (herself included) before she quietly retreated from the spotlight until she had something of substance to voice again. …
TJ Lovell
A music business student with a passion for writing about music almost as intense as his desire to curate it.
