Author: Agok Mabil

chilombo by jhene Aiko

Album: Chilombo

Artist: Jhené Aiko

Genre: R&B

Record labels: Def Jam Recordings, Epic Records, The Island Def Jam Music Group, The

Ultimate Group

Recommend Tracks: Track 11- Tryna smoke, Track 11- Lightning and thunder

Jhené Aiko is an American singer and songwriter, who made her debut by making appearances in B2K. Her album is titled Chilombo after her last name. Jhené Aiko is known to deliver smooth melodies and quotable lyrics. This album does not disappoint. I give this album a 5/5 because lyrically and vocally pleasant. The tracks I recommend “Tryna Smoke” and “Lightning and Thunder” show the full scope of the album. From one spectrum it’s the relaxation you get from using marijuana, and the calmness from a storm. The lyrics from “Lighting and Thunder”, “ Burning incense just to wish you well” shows Jhené’s positive spirit. I like all the songs on this album and I recommend everyone give it a listen.

color theory by soccer mommy

Album: Color Theory

Artist: Soccer mommy

Genre: Alternative/ Indie

Record labels: Fat Possum Records, Loma Vista Recordings

Recommend Tracks: Track 4: Night Swimming

Sophie Allison is a singer from Nashville, Tennessee and goes by the stage name Soccer Mommy. Color Theory is Soccer mommy’s way of singing about a color without naming it. She used different instruments and vocals to portray different colors. You can tell the color shifts after the sound changes. Songs that sound alike are the same color. I rate this album a 4⁄5 because of its creativity but I don’t like how it sounds like one color. I feel as though there isn’t much variation between emotions so it all feels blue.

Track 4 “Night Swimming” is my favorite on the album because it reminds me of Lana Del Ray’s song “Radio”. The background music is calming. The lyrics “ I’m dancing with the current in my clothes” makes you feel blue. You can sense the ocean.

miss Anthropocene by grimes

Album: Miss Anthropocene

Artist: Grimes

Genre: Electropop

Record labels: 4AD, Roc Nation, Arbutus Records, Lo Recordings

Recommend Tracks: Track 3-Delete Forever , Track 8- You’ll miss me when I’m not around

Claire Boucher, a Canadian pop artist, goes by the stage name Grimes. Grimes music is dark and thrilling. From the beats to the lyrics her music keeps you on edge like a good horror movie. Miss Anthropocene gives me science fiction vibes because of the changes in octaves of her voice as well as the background instruments. I rate this album 3⁄5 . I was not really a fan of the music because I didn’t understand what Grimes was trying to portray.

Track 3, “Delete you forever”, was enjoyable because it’s guitar notes. I prefer her signing with those acoustics versus the metal and EDM. I also enjoyed the lyrics of the song especially, “ more lines on a mirror than a sonnet”.

Track 8, “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around”, starts off really intense, “I shot myself yesterday, got into heaven Anyway…”. The lyrics really draw you in, as well as the instrumentals. The instrumentals sounds like slowed electropop, which intensified the lyrics’ meaning.

Pure Heroine by Lorde

Album: Pure Heroine
Artist: Lorde
Genre: Indie/Electropop
Record labels: Universal Music Groups, Lava Records, Republic Records
Recommend Tracks: Track 4-Ribs, Track 8-Still Sane

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, goes by the stage name Lorde, is a singer-songwriter

from New Zealand. She first came on the scene with the song “Royals”. Pure Heroine is my favorite albums because of the diversity in each song. The is one of Lorde’s best album, lyrically. I can say every song on this album is my favorite.

Track four “Ribs” is my favorite because it makes me feel young again. I fell in love with this song in the seventh grade and everytime I hear it brings me back to that moment. My favorite line is , “we’ll laugh until our ribs get tired”. Track eight “Still Sane” is my favorite because it instills hope. My favorite line is, “I’m little but i’m coming for the crown”.

I love this album because I can listen to it in any mood; It is timeless.

Queen and Slim Soundtrack by Various Artists

Album: Queen and Slim: The Soundtrack
Artist: Multiple Artist (Megan Thee Stallion, Lauryn Hill, Tony K, Burna Boy, The Dream, Reem, Simino, Moses Sumney, Tara George, Roy Ayers, Lil Baby, Mike Jones, Slim thug, Paul Wall, Blood Orange, and many more)
Genre: Multiple Genres
Recommend Tracks: Track 8- Collide, Track 1- Ride or Die, Track 3- Yo love

Queen and Slim is a love story between Slim(Daniel Kaluuya) and Queen(Jodie Turner Smith). Their story begins when Slim kills an officer out of self defense. They are unable to turn themselves in because the state would not view it as self defense, so they are forced to go on the run. Through their story you see black power, black love, and black revenge something that is not usually shown in movies starring black people. Throughout the movie songs from Black artists are heard, whether it be new age rappers like Megan Thee Stallion or old school artists like Lauryn Hill. I rate this album a 5/5 because it was diverse but still followed a central theme of Black Excellence.

Track 8, Collide is a R&B song that is one of my favorites from the album . From the smooth and slow beat to the effortless singing the song makes you relaxed. I have yet to see the movie, but this song sounds like it’s played the moment the protagonist fall in love because of lines like, “When we collide, it’s a beautiful disaster”.

The album starts off with a bang. Opening song Ride or Die i s by Megan Thee Stallion who is a popular female rapper. This song is like most of her other songs; Catchy twerk song. This song, like the title suggests, is about being a ride or die shown in the lines, “I ain’t scared, I’ma

pop that shit”. Track 3 Yo Love, is another song about being a ride or die, but it is more about being madly in love then proving oneself.

I recommend everyone at the very least listen to this album. The soundtrack is so good that it paints a vivid image of what the movie is about, and makes you want to watch it. This album has something for everybody by including different artist like Burna Boy, 6lack, Lil Baby and many more. This album is more meaningful if you can relate to the racial struggles faced in the movie, but even if you can’t it still reaches you.

Love Language by Umi

Album: Love Language
Artist: UMI
Genre: R&B
Record labels: 408 Records and Loud Robot Recommend Tracks: Track 1-Love Affair

Tierra Umi Wilson goes by the stage name UMI. She is a singer and songwriter from Seattle. She currently lives in LA and attends USC. This singer made her debut with the song “Friendzone”. Its pop and dance vibe is what intrigued audiences. Love Language is UMI’s first album and it’s a short one with only 4 songs. The four songs are centered around the theme of identity within the context of Love. UMI is Japanese and African American. She struggles with what side to identify with and expressed that in her music. All the songs have the same vibe, meaning the beats and lyrics are similar. Her voice is similar to current artist SZA.

If I could, I would say all the songs are my favorite but since I have to choose my favorite track is the first one “Love Affair”. It makes you daydream because you get lost in the words and her voice. The lines, “maybe it’s just a crush” bring you back to reality. This sings demonstrates the theme of identity, because listers are on a journey of daydreaming, confusion, and realization.

I rate this short album a 5/5. It gives me just enough heartbreak and self reflection. The songs are similar yet distinct enough to take you on a journey each time. This album is for anyone looking for songs to add to your shower playlist. What I mean by this is anyone who wants to daydream and be reminded of who they are.

Dream Girl by Anna of the North

Album: Dream Girl
Artist: Anna of the North
Genre: Alternative/Indie pop
Record labels: Different Recordings, Atlantic Records, 300 Entertainment Recommend Tracks: Track 1-Dream Girl, Track 4-My Love

Anna Lotterud goes by the stage name Anna of the North. She is a singer songwriter from Norway. Manny people describe her music as soul bearing electro pop. I agree with this statement. While listening to the album you can hear the emotions. The album seems to be themed around moving on. In Anna’s case it’s moving on from someone who broke her heart, but it can be applied to any situation. This album is relatable;That’s why I like it. It makes me feel good about getting over a troubling problem. While listening to her album you feel chill, because her voice is soothing. I would rate this album a 4⁄5. Compared to her first album, Dream Girl is less electro pop and more pop.

The album starts off with a bang. Her first track “Dream Girl” is a great introduction to the contents of the album. My favorite line is, “I kind of like the girl I’ve become, when I’m alone”. It was a moment of self realization. Even though she was reflective, she goes back to him when she says, “I’m still your Dream Girl”. I like this song because it displays her vocal range. Her voice isn’t washed away by the music. Instead it accompanied her soft voice.

The fourth song on the album “My Love”is my favorite out of all the songs because it is upbeat. It makes you feel like dancing. The lyrics are relatable to everyone. My favorite line is

the hook, “wherever you go you got my love”. This song is for when your feeling happy and want your spirits to stay lifted.

Dream Girl is an album for someone who enjoys listening to songs that make them relax. Anna of the North is an artist whose passions can be felt through her singing. The way she sings lyrics like “you got my love”, you feel her old feelings. This album would get a 5/5 if it was less about losing yourself in someone and more about finding yourself. Even though a lot of the songs are about self reflection, it always relates back to an ex lover. Listen to this album if you want more something refreshing.

Motions by Melii

Album: Motions

Artist: Melii

Genre: R&b soul

Record label: Interscope Records

Recommend Tracks: Track 3-High For U, Track 1- No Hard Feelings

Melii, Audrey Grinell Duncase, is a singer, songwriter and rapper from New York. She gained popularity in 2017 when she made a bilingual cover to Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow”. Her ethnic background is Dominican, and she speaks both English and Spanish. She sprinkles bilingualism throughout her album. Melii gets music inspiration from Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Amy Winehouse, and Lil Kim. Her first album phAses has a similar sound to MOTIONS. What she sings and raps about is consistent across both albums. She sings and raps about sexual freedoms, being better than the next person, and love. Although the songs are of similar content each song has a different vibe. Some make you want to dance and others get you in your feels. Overall I rate this album a 4⁄5 . For it to receive a 5/5 I would like to hear more tracks where she belts it out. It would really emphasize the feelings.

Track 3 High For U feat. Gyptian is a really nice club song. The Afro/ Caribbean beats in the background makes you want to dance. The lyrics are also really good, it makes you feel like that Girl. I line from the song I really like is “say you want a bad girl, show you what it’s like then”.
The first track on the album is “No Hard Feelings”. The slowed down music in the background, makes you really feel the lyrics. This song is about a previous breakup showing your above that

now. I like the line, “say you doing better, I heard you”. This song is one you can bump in the car after you found out something vital about your significant other.

Overall I enjoyed Melii’s album MOTIONS. It took me on a journey of hurt and being over it. Melii has a light voice that’s also seductive so it makes you want to move your hips. I will add some of her songs to my playlist. If you are going through a breakup or are just over it, I say give this album a listen. It’s really relatable.