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Father of 4 by Offset

Album: Father of 4

Artist: Offset

Record Labels: Motown and Quality Control Music

Recommended Tracks: Track 9: “Don’t Lose Me”, ” Track 15- “Red Room”

Rating: ⅘

After much anticipation and delay due to supposed technical difficulties, Offset released his new album Father of 4 nearly three months after its original release date. This album is Offset’s uncensored story as he opens up about his life on the streets and apologizes to his four children and his wife Cardi B for his downfalls. Offset, member of the well-known trio Migos, has not been shy of the spotlight, although it has not always been for good reasons. Offset’s turbulent 2018 is center of this album as he begins to right wrongs and acknowledge his past. This album is strong, real catharsis that should be recognized.

Track 9, “Don’t Lose Me,” discusses Offset’s mistakes with his wife Cardi B and their complex relationship. The song begins with a spoken, deep hearted apology to Cardi B for his mistakes stating, “And I apologize, you know what I’m sayin’? Breaking your heart, breaking our promise, breaking God’s promise, and being a selfish and messed up husband.” Kind of sweet, maybe, if you ignore all the other stuff. Offset’s typical sound begins after his statement as the beat drops into his auto-tuned voice and flows through a series of clever cricket chirps- that’s a metaphor. This song, like the entire album, is raw and uncensored as he acknowledges his mistakes and his past.

The most recognizable and generally popular song of the album is track 15, “Red Room.” This song prefaced the album as the debut single and served as the glimpse to the intense introspection. This song has more of a Migos-esque sound but instead of random lyrics, this song is weirdly eerie as he describes his near death car accident. He continues to discuss his mother and his upbringing throughout the track. It describes his newfound gratitude for life, and how he recognizes the need for change. Despite the complexity, Offset’s rap flows across the beats seamlessly. This song is four minutes of necessary deep self-analysis.

Offset’s ability to debut his own single album is impressive in itself, but the impressive content within the sixteen tracks proves his talent as an artist. My only criticisms of the album would be that the beats are simple at times and his lyrics are repetitive but these are common qualities of modern rap, which is why I rated Father of 4 with a four out of five. This album is a personal reveal of Offsets past and a testament to his future. Y’all like some uncensored male introspection? This is it.

Helium by Homeshake

Album: Helium

Artist: Homeshake

Record Label: Sinderlyn

Recommended Tracks: 7- “Just Like My” Track 8- “Nothing Could Do Better”

Rating: 3/5

Solo singer and song write, Peter Sagar released his fourth full length album, Helium. Sagar insisted he record this album within his own house rather than in a studio like most albums. That stipulation paired with the removal of guitar and R&B from this album makes this album feel as an assertion of identity. There are 13 tracks on this album, four of them are instrumental, and one is just a series of eerie voices.

“Just Like My” is the perfect pairing between lightweight lofi beats and symphonic brass. This song knows how to capitalize off of lofi beats paired with some romantic lyrics, and does it very well. The lyrics are simple, “Guess it’s been a few days now/ Since I left the house/ Should be out about/ Quiet as a mouse”. This song is about solitude, the struggle between leaving the house or staying in- and to an extent feels like a look inside Sagar’s brain.

Track 8, “Nothing Could Be Better” begins with a slow beat series and then continues with lightweight vocals. This song is not complex, which is a double edged sword. The songs drum machine beats are repetitive and lack density, but when paired with the simple, lightweight vocals make the song cohesive. The lyrics follow suit with the simplicity and solitude of the album, “Mentioned that she’s headed out/ To meet people that we know/ Maybe I should come along/ Maybe I should stay”. This song is the perfect song to do nothing to, it is simple but vibe-y.

If there was one criticism of this album it would be the lack of density. The album is a series of lightweight beats and softened coo’s seeming as though the artist could only commit to one sound; however this simplicity seems intentional. The whole album feels as though you’re in a dream or other dimension, as the beats are experimental and lightweight. I give this album a rank of ⅗, it is a decent album but the simplicity disallows it to pique my interest. If you’re looking for a soundtrack for you midnight contemplation hour, this is it.

Betty by Betty Who

Album: Betty

Artist: Betty Who

Record Label: RCA Records, Kobalt Music Group

Recommended Tracks: 1 – “Old Me”, 13 – “Stop Thinking About You”

Australian singer Betty Who released her thirteen-track third studio album, Betty, on Feb. 15, 2019. Since the title of the album is the artists’ own name, I believe that the songs are going to be about her. Throughout the album, there are elements of upbeat pop songs, but ultimately, every song reflects on each individual story she has to share. As a whole, I would rate Betty a three out of five. While pop music is not my cup of tea, I still enjoyed listening to this album.

The first track, “Old Me,” is a story depicting a past relationship. Who says in this song: “I went to bed last night with a broken heart, now something’s different. I’m feeling like the old me. No, you cannot control me” which may mean that, although she might be feeling heartbroken, maybe it was for the best; she is no longer being controlled and feels a sense of freedom. When Who sings, “I’m feeling like the old me,” she means that she is feeling how she felt before she was in a relationship with this previous significant other, which shows growth and the lessons of strength that she has learned along the way.

Track 13, “Stop Thinking About You,” is also about a past relationship. Who sings, “What do I do? I’m still waiting for you to come crawling to bed like you used to. That’s when I’ll stop thinking about you.” She means that she cannot stop thinking about this person and will not stop until the moment they are physically together again. Who also sings, “You’re everywhere. You’re in my blood, in every stranger, every song I love. You’re in my dreams. You’re all I see,” which can mean that, in whatever she does, she sees a piece of her partner.Overall, Betty was quite enjoyable. To hear someone else’s perspective through their own story is intriguing, which is the best aspect of this album. I would recommend Betty to anyone that just wants to jam out with their friends, as this album gives you positive vibes.

thank you, next by Ariana Grande

Album: thank you, next

Artist: Ariana Grande

Record Label: Republic Records

Recommended Tracks: 2- “needy”, 5- “fake smile”

American, Pop singer Ariana Grande recently came out with her album “thank you, next” on February 8, 2018, with a total of 12 songs. With recent drama that has come up regarding her love life, I think that this album will reflect off of her past relationships such as her engagement she recently broke off after finding out about the death of her ex- boyfriend Mac Miller. As one of her songs called “thank you, next” in this album mentions the names of her ex- boyfriends, it foreshadows what the main inspiration of this album probably be about.

In track 2, “needy” this song is exactly what the title makes it out to be. Ariana Grande is basically talking about how in relationships she can be needy because “she knows how good it feels to be needed”. In this song she also says “sorry if I’m up and down a lot, sorry that I think I’m not enough, and sorry If I say sorry way too much”, which basically explains the ways in which she interprets herself to be needy in a relationship and how needy of a partner she can be because she needs and wants a lot of attention from her significant other.

In track 5, “fake smile”, the title also foreshadows what the song is going to be about. This tends to be something frequent throughout her songs in this album. Ariana Grande in this song talks about how she has been through way too much to always fake a smile, as she says in her song, “f**k a fake smile”. She also says,” If im hurt, I ain’t gon’ lie about it, arms crossed with the attitude, lips pouted, if I’m mad I ain’t gon’ lie about it” which says that if something is wrong with her emotionally, or just in general, that she is going to show it through her facial expressions and she is no longer going to pretend to be happy because in reality she may not be happy all the time.

Overall, this is one of Ariana Grande’s best albums. As I have not always been a big fan of her music, she has started to grow on me throughout the years. If you are personally going through a rough time emotionally or with your relationship and need empowerment, i would recommend you listen to this album because Ariana Grande gives off a powerful vibe. All in all, I would rate this album a 4 out of 5 as I really enjoyed listening to this album, although I don’t listen to Pop too often.  

amo by Bring Me The Horizon

Album: amo

Artist: Bring Me The Horizon

Record Label: RCA Records

Standout Tracks: Track 1: ”Medicine”, ” Track 12: “heavy metal”

Generally a rock band Bring Me The Horizon released their new album January 11th, 2019 but this album is just about every genre combined into one album and only barely touches on their rock and roll roots. BMTH is no longer a rock band, they have evolved into an electro-pop band, experimenting with too many forms. Each of the 13 tracks take a new form feeling as though 13 different people were asked to contribute to a playlist.

Bring Me The Horizon immediately kicks off the album with their new sound in the song “Medicine”. This song is an electro-pop song built for the radio. This song is catchy and could be a new heartbreak anthem. It is a song talking about some pretty important themes. The song states “Some people are a lot like clouds, you know/ Cause life’s so much brighter when they go” which is kind of cliche and surface level but some people are into that.

Track 12 blantlany address their new sound. In the song “heavy metal” they border the line of their rock past but only to prove the point that they are aware of their new sound. This song is mediocre at best, the lyrics are simple and the instrumentals are redundant and basic. This song is a standout song due to the lyrics which state, “Cause some kid on the ‘gram said he used to be a fan/ But this shit ain’t heavy metal”. BMTH is recognizing and fully aware of the fans that are upset about the abandonment of their past, but BMTH is unapologetic.

While entertaining, it is an album that is hard to listen from start to finish because one can not follow the complexity of the conglomeration of different genres. 15 years from their heavy metal beginnings the band is far from their roots, but as they touched on in track 12, they’re aware and they don’t care. In a way, it is admirable for a band to understand how a new sound may impact their fan base, but still make music that they want, but is this the music they want or BMTH conforming to upbeat, pop radio culture?

Don’t Feed the Pop Monster by Broods

Album: Don’t Feed the Pop Monster

Artist: Broods

Record Label: Polydor Records, Neon Gold Records

Recommended Tracks: 3- “Life After”, 12- “Life After”

The brother and sister duo, Georgia Josiena Nott and Caleb Allan Joseph Nott, from Nelson, New Zealand recently released their third album, “Don’t Feed the Pop Monster” on February 1, 2019 with a total of 12 tracks. With the genres of music they specialize in being Indie pop, electronica, electropop, and trip pop, it will be interesting to see what other elements they incorporate into their album. Personally, there is more of an Alternative and Indie pop feel mixed into this most recent album.

In the third track, “Peach”, what caught my attention was the chorus that they decided to incorporate into this song, along with the beat which is a major factor when it comes to enjoying the song as a whole. The chorus proceeds to say, “I’m high and im low, no control, but everything’s looking peach now” which ultimately can interpret to although an individual mentally and emotionally has no control over the feelings that they are experiencing, it does not matter because they are living in the moment and feeling “peach”, which can translate into ultimately just feeling happy. The song also says that “I don’t need it all when it feels like old” which may also mean that however there are things that may be presenting itself currently from the past, this specific individual does not need that encounter because it is old news and she doesn’t care about it.

Track 12, “Life After”, has the most unique beat in this album by far and intrigued me the most. With this song kind of sounding like a lullaby, it makes sense as to why the title of the song is “Life After”. It is as if it is a lullaby that is about people or one specific person, being permanently asleep. As the song starts off, it is describing the most peaceful setting which is where the sun always sits low, tide always high, the stars with the moon, and down the road is all the people that you have ever loved. With the title being named “Life After”, you can only infer that is about an “after life”, perhaps heaven? As the song says “I’ve been waiting for you, since the day you were born, thousands of years ago, hope it makes you feel at home”, this can interpret to someone entering the afterlife, which explains why there is such a peaceful setting.

Ultimately, this album as a whole was very enjoyable. I admired all of the different beats they incorporated within each of their songs to make each one have their own personality. With this album being labeled under the Alternative genre, if you enjoy listening to Alternative music or just enjoy Broods as a whole, I believe you will enjoy this album as much as I did. This album would also be good to jam out to on a road trip with your friends.

Seasons by American Authors

Artist: American Authors

Album: Seasons

Record Label: Mercury Records

Suggested Tracks:  Track 7- Deep Water, Track 1- Stay Around

American Authors are a pop/rock band based in New York City. The band is made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Zac Barnett, guitarist banjoist James Shelley, bassist David Rublin, and drummer Matt Sanchez. The group’s first album, Oh, What A Life was released in 2014, including the hit song “Best Day Of My Life.”  The band originally formed in 2006 under the name Blue Pages, before changing record labels and finding success as American Authors. American Authors infuses classic rock, pop, and alternative sounds. Their most recent album Seasons, was released at the beginning of this month. Seasons was recorded in a studio outside of Nashville, and the change of location is exemplified  a change of sound, straying from the typical American Authors pop-style hits, throughout the whole album.

Track 7- Deep Water is a heart felt anthem of a song. It mixes strong pop and rock beats with a calming but powerful melody. The use of piano really carries this song and ties all of the different genres within the song together. The lead vocals by Barnett are filled with raw emotion that allows the listener to really connect to the song. Deep Water exemplifies an array of emotions with its sturdy lyrics and instrumental. The listener can sense doubt, hurt, power, excitement, and disappointment at different parts of the song. Despite all of these things, the song is beautiful and empowering at the same time. Barnett uses his voice to show both its strength and vulnerability. This song is a much more raw side of American Authors.

Track1- Stay Around is the most popular song on the album for good reason. Stay Around is the type of song you hear in the car, at the club, in a video game, at a sporting event, and anywhere else that pairs well with energetic music. The lyrics are relatable to everyone, and the use of instrumentals on the beat is fun to listen to. The melody is electrifying, and the lyrics are very catchy. The song leans more towards Rock n Roll, while infusing Pop beats and Hip-Hop and Rap style vocals with a strong but simple chorus. The use of percussion carries this song. When paired with Barnetts clear and concise vocals, the song is a hit for anyone that enjoys Pop-Rock music. Stay Around is the type of song that makes you want to get up and dance at the club or go for a run in the morning. It’s the type of song that you can’t help but bob your head to- even in LA traffic.

Overall, Seasons is a new and different sound for the American Authors. Some of the songs on the album stay true to their more original music, but there is a lot of new stuff going on too. The album as a whole is a complete 180 from American Authors smash hit “Best Day Of My Life” released in 2013. They have shifted much further away from the mainstream pop-sound, but have similar uses of banjo and percussion in their music.  Seasons is a fresh side of American Authors that will expand their fanbase and open new doors for them as well.

Don’t Try This by Chase Atlantic

Album: Don’t Try This

Artist: Chase Atlantic

Record Label: BMG Management (US) LLC

Recommended Tracks: Track 1: “What U Call That”, Track 3: “Like A Rockstar”

Alt-pop trio band, Chase Atlantic released their new EP, DON’T TRY THIS in early 2019 kicking off the new year with another album. The band comprised of three aussie born singers compiled multiple genres; alt-pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hop into one cohesive album. This 6 track album displays the bands dark but melodic sound, which proves to continue to be the key sound of the band.

Chase Atlantic immediately kicks off the album with an absolute banger, “What U Call That”. This song is the usual terrain of the album featuring strong vocals with the sound track being gentle and introspective. The song has some pretty impressive transitions through multiple key changes and bass drops.The main chorus is all too catchy, “Seven-headed snake, what you call that? / Bleeding like an open scar” the seven headed snake being a reference to the devil which is a common theme during the album that leads to the dark, introspective sound the band does all too well.

Directly contrasting with track ones melodic, mellow vibe is Track 4, “Like A Rockstar”. This song combines their strong vocals with a new, upbeat electronic beats. The song is so interesting because it blatantly contradicts itself by saying “Don’t do this /And if you don’t get high, don’t pretend to / It’s kinda sad dude” which most obviously is stating don’t do drugs but then following lyrics state, “Take drugs, stay high/ Tell ’em I got high like a rockstar” which is stating how he takes drugs. This may be alluding to the recent deaths and opioid crisis that is hitting the rap and pop scene rather hard (Mac Miller, Lil Peep, etc.) and how to be considered a ‘rockstar’, drugs are just part of the equation. Despite these somewhat confusing lyrics, the song is catchy and upbeat, making it a stand out track of the album.

This album is too good, and honestly I am most definitely obsessed with this band. Their ability to mix genres gives them the sound of a hybrid mix of Blackbear, The Neighbourhood and The Weeknd. The vocals are insane and when paired with the diverse musicianship they definitely produced another solid, atmospheric alt-pop album. This album is made to be blasted through your car speakers with the windows down.

XXXTENTACION Presents: Members Only, Vol. 4 by XXXTENTACION

Album: XXXTENTACION Presents: Members Only, Vol. 4

Artist: XXXTENTACION

Record Label: EMPIRE Distribution

Recommended Tracks: 3- “Sauce”, 21- “Over the Rainbow”, 23- “Empty”, 24- “Rebirth”

The artist XXXTENTACION’s second posthumous album was released on January 23, 2019 in celebration of his life. Before X’s death this past summer of 2018, he had been working on tracks and albums which is the outcome of this album, Members Only, Vol. 4. There is a total of 24 songs with a variation of featured artists such as Corey, Cooliecut Xen & Killstation, Flyboy Tarantino, Kid Trunks, Bass Santana & Kin$oul,Robb Bank$, Tankhead & Ikabod Veins, Ski Mask the Slump God and many, many more artists. As you can tell, this album is very diverse, in terms of the featured artists that were chosen to take part in this album.

The word “sauce” is often used by young people to compliment confident, talented, or attractive people, or it is used the same way bad is used to mean “good”. In track 3, the song “Sauce” is about how X, himself has “sauce” but also uses this word in other ways metaphorically, such as when the song says, “sauce on ya, n**a, got the sauce on me (like I f***’n killed)”, which may interpret to the “sauce” in this instance, being referred to as blood. Throughout this song, there are more explicit figures of speech such as the one mentioned previously but this song specifically, is one of many few in this album where it is just him featured in the song.

In track 21, “Over the Rainbow”, this song has featured artists such as Cooliecut, Kin$oul & rawhool mane. Based off of the lyrics in this song, the message interprets to how this one specific person is not being protected by anyone and how they have gone through a lot of hard endeavors in their life while being terrified and alone. In one part of the song where it says “one million mirrors reflecting me, all over the sky, but where am I?” this may interpret into how they are lost personally, with who they are as an individual.

When it comes to listening to new albums, it is essential that when you first play a song, it catches your attention, especially with its beat. In track 23, “Empty” that is exactly what it did, catch my attention. “Empty” is basically about a person feeling emotionally empty contemplating life due to the loss of their brother. The song also mentions “I hope my end is my start” which may ean that even though this individual is dealing with grief and this may feel like a dead end to them, they feel like they can actually move on and grow as a person.

“Rebirth”, which is track 24, is not really a song but more of a motivational message of XXXTENTACION. He is basically talking about how whatever happens to you, happens for a reason and if you are a good person and you work really hard, you will get what you deserve. He says “everyone will get a death that is deserving and everyone will get a life that is deserving”. With this track being the last one in the album, I feel like it really sends a strong message about the music X tried to make and all of the aspects he tried to incorporate into all of his work.

All together with this album being XXXTENTACION’s second posthumous album, it was interesting how there were a lot of featured artists throughout this whole album, however it added a special element. If you are a fan of X’s music and the message he tries to send with his music, I believe you will enjoy this album and all of the diverse artists it has to offer.