Author: Edward Zarate

YOU by Ali Gatie

Album: YOU

Artist: Ali Gatie

Genre: R&B/Soul

Record label(s): Warner records

Recommended Tracks: Track 1- It’s You Track 8- “Holding On”

Ali Gatie is a Canadian performer who was born in 1997 in the city of Toronto. He started to listen to music at the age of 17. At age 20, he started to post his music online and started to collaborate with other producers, but he gained recognition from the RhymeStars song contest he won. He used this fame and released several tracks online and they went viral. He has been releasing tracks since 2017 and albums including his most recent being “YOU” on November 7th, 2019. This album continues with the same theme and style of Soul and R&B music he has been producing which is a very enjoyed style on the radio now. Ali has a unique vibe to his music. This album includes previously released songs that have been popular. His songs about mainly about personal experiences told by raw lyrics that are companied by sound music. “YOU” follows the same theme of love, the turmoil, and amazing experiences it offers. This style of music is the reason why he spiked as an artist and has gained such a big following, he is able to connect with his listeners through his own feelings. If I were to rate this album, I would rate it a 5 out of 5 because of the music, it feels very soothing and calm, plus, the lyrics feel like a lot of heart and soul was poured into them, making it feel so personal.

“It’s You” is the first song on the album and the most popular since Ali released it as a single. This song has a low vibe song that projects a lot of hurt feelings. The lyrics in the song repeat a lot of hurting and vulnerability, but also a lot of hope of love. The music starts off a guitar and another guitar playing a really saddening chord that gives the song a sad vibe from the start, it continues with a mainly acoustic ensemble of instruments that gives the song a minimal feel to it, making it even more saddening. The song is well made and it shows how much emotion and how much if himself Ali has put into this song.

“Holding On” is the 8th song on the album. This song has a much more loud vibe to it and uses more sounds that feel like the world is falling on you. The loud thuds and echos feel as if you are surrounded by large objects and it makes you feel powerless, which is what Ali is saying in his lyrics, he feels powerless when it comes to wanting to move on, he is stuck on loving someone. The desperation is felt in this song and it feels sad and lonely. The lyrics express a lot of hope for his love. This song mirrors “It’s You” but it expresses how he still has hope even after a loss.

Ali Gatie is a young man who uses his emotions as a guide in producing his music, which is unique and different from anything else. His style markets well to a younger generation, with personal experiences and low vibe music, most people could relate to it, especially the younger generation. “YOU” is an album that describes Ali’s love journey of falling in love up to acknowledging the loss of his love. The album has a sad and slow feel that makes the listener reminisce about their love and have a chance to express their emotions. If you liked the personal feel of the music, then I’d recommend listening to Tessa Violet and Waterparks. Overall, if you enjoyed an album that you can listen to when you feel sad and are hurting, you should listen to Ali Gatie’s recent album, “YOU”.

An Invitation to an Alternate Reality by New Politics

Album: An Invitation to an Alternate Reality

Artist: New Politics

Genre: Alternative rock, Pop rock, Pop punk

Record label(s): Warner Bros., DCD2, RCA

Recommended Tracks: Track 1- Unstoppable Track 8- Death of Me

New Politics is a Danish rock band from Copenhagen. It consists of David Boyd, Søren Hansen, and Louis Vecchio. They came together in 2009 after Boyd and Hansen had been writing music together for years. The first album “New Politics” was debted in 2010 and 4 more followed, including their most recent one “An Invitation to an Alternate Reality”, debuting on November 1st, 2019. This album seems to continue with the theme of innovative thinking, contemporary topics, and interpersonal conflicts that are rarely heard on the radio. New Politics is a unique band that stands out for their use of keyboards, programming, and vocals. If I were to rate this album, I would rate it a 5 out of 5 because the music is rough and feels very powerful and deals with conflicts people have, in this album, which makes the album feel well thought out and filled with emotion.

“Unstoppable” is the first song on the and it could be argued that it is the most powerful song on the album. New Politics’ music is known for their themes and programming, and this song is no exception. This song has an anthem-like vibe to it. As the title suggests, it is about being unstoppable despite all the constant let downs and put-downs. The programming in this song is amazing, the sounds are very unique. This song makes you feel like you’re ready to try all your best to prove somebody wrong and be the best. The vocals also give this song a powerful vibe, the shouting and echoing give it more of an edge.

“Death of Me” is the 8th song on the album and it deals more with an inner conflict of a person still in love with someone but knowing that their relationship is not healthy. This song feels like a constant struggle to avoid someone. The vocals in this song were amazing. The lyrics and beat are really catchy. The theme of the song is one that anyone can relate to. This song is one of many on the album in which the band gets more into a relationship-themed vibe and that is the interpersonal themes they are constant with.

New Politics is a contemporary themed band that deals with both personal and social issues, as shown in this album and previous albums. Their rock style markets well to a younger audience and the music and programming help the audience find it unique. “An Invitation to an Alternate Reality” is a more personal album that is meant to connect more to the individual on a personal level, rather than to society, like previous albums. If you like New Politic then I’d recommend listening to bands such as Three Days Grace and Skillet. Overall, if you like music that speaks to both bigger issues and more personal issues, that is also catchy and unique, then you should definitely listen to New Politics’ new album, “An Invitation to an Alternate Reality”.

Bad Ideas by Tessa Violet

Album: Bad Ideas

Artist: Tessa Violet

Genre: Indie Pop

Record label(s): TAG MUSIC

Recommended Tracks: Track 1- Prelude Track 6- Feelin

Tessa Violet is a vlogger and an Indie Pop singer-songwriter from the United States. Tessa started to be known in the public eye through her Youtube video vlogs and then moved on to direct music videos and finally started to record and release her own music in 2013. “Maybe Trapped Mostly Troubled” was her first album released in 2014, two more including her most recent album “Bad Ideas” on October 25, 2019. This album diverges a bit from her previous album. This album follows the themes of crushes, relationships, and boredom. These themes seem sweet and relatable but they never feel monotonous. Violet’s smooth and soft voice, accompanied by her guitar, gives the album a raw feel. The album also has a combination of electronic music and contemporary pop, this along with the rawness gives the album an interesting take on anti-pop. “Bad Ideas” is an enjoyable art piece that listeners will gravitate to it and be stuck on Violet’s own thoughts presented in the album. If I were to rate this album I would give it a 5 out of 5 because the music feels like it’s been thought of carefully and meaningfully,

“Prelude” is the first song on the album and is one of the two rawest songs on the album. The song only consists of Violet’s rich voice and her guitar, once again, this gives the song a raw feel. The same musical choice is done once more for the ending song on the album. The lyrics to the song feel relatable in the sense that we all feel insecure and bad if someone we love leaves us, then we think it’s our fault but it really is not. “Prelude” is a very soothing, soft, relaxing, and relatable song that feels like a summer day is an old retro vintage style with the wind blowing through your hair while you reflect on your relationship

“Feelin” starts right away with kind of a repeating beat drop in the first verse. This song is what most of the songs on the album feel like, electronic music with the lyrics of the song gives it an anti-pop vibe. The song also has very unique sounds that make up the instrumentals of the song. The song has many more instrumentals in it as well as a more dubstep feel from the music, but it still sticks with the theme of the album and goes into depth about keeping your feelings inside.

Tessa Violet is a very contemporary and anti-pop artist that is not afraid to show the negatives in everyday things. She is a very aesthetic person, style-wise, and her appearances fit perfectly with her style of music and her themes of anti-pop and indie pop. The album has a very different feel, separate from the sweet girl image that most female artists have. This style of music allows listeners to have their true feelings represented in the media, this has listeners drawn to Violet’s music. If you liked Tessa Violet, then I recommend listening to Billie Eilish and Conan Gray. Overall, if you enjoy anti-pop and indie pop music, then you have to give Tessa Violet a listen, especially her most recent album “Bad Ideas”.

Mala Santa by Becky G

Album: MALA SANTA

Artist: Becky G

Genre: Latin Music, Pop, Hip hop

Record label(s): Kemosabe, RCA, Sony Latin, and Arista Records

Recommended Tracks: Track 1- MALA SANTA Track 2- PELEAS

Becky G is an American singer and songwriter. She is a Mexican-American born in 1997 and from Inglewood, CA. Becky G was discovered by some of her record labels after she posted videos of herself covering popular songs in 2011. Becky G first debuted her first single “Problem” and many works after, including her first album “MALA SANTA” on October 17th, 2019. This album diverges from the past theme of love and sweet pop music and incorporates the theme of fun and rebellious pop music that is meant to empower listeners, which is a common theme in modern music, but very much popular. Being Mexican-American, Becky G incorporates her culture into her music by singing this album entirely in Spanish and reaching to the Mexican-American demographic. Becky G is a popular singer who has an empowering and hard-edge beat which is why her fans love her. If I were to rate this album, I would rate it a 5 out of 5 because of the way the album drifts away from Becky’s sweet image and the way the music makes you want to dance and feel dangerous, confident, empowered, and tough.

“MALA SANTA” was a single released a few days before the album was released on October 17th. The song starts off with a quiet opening and it also starts with Becky singing in a more quiet and whispery voice that draws the attention to the song. This song is the theme of the album and Becky’s place in her career as of today, with talking about her being the bad saint and not wanting to stop for anyone. The song turns into a more seductive tone and becomes more fun to dance to. I think this song is the best representation of the album because the album is supposed to represent Becky’s grown woman image. This song is a lot more seductive than her other songs but still contains her rebellious theme with her other songs.

“PELEAS” seems to be a more personal song because it deals with relationships. This song has a few rap verses that make this song a bit different from other songs on the album, but it makes it feel fresh as well. It also has some amazing guitar instrumentals in the beginning of the song and makes the song feel as if it were a song of missing someone, but then the lyrics change and so does the instrumentals, involving some beats and making the song about the mistakes in the relationship. The chorus of the song repeats the title of the song, emphasizing the issues in the relationship and it also expresses how Becky knows the other person won’t change. This song gives a more edgy vibe to the whole relationship theme of some songs, but it also sticks with the album’s theme of being tough, much like “MALA SANTA”.

Becky G has been through many changes in her music career since being in the public eye when she was young, this album is her way of transforming into a woman. Her style has changed to a more seductive and rebellious style and it reaches the young adult demographic. “MALA SANTA” is a very empowering album that is completely different from Becky’s old music, it also shows her growth from a sweet girl to a grown woman. I recommend listening to this album if you like pop music and want to feel empowered and tough.

Fandom by Waterparks

Album: FANDOM

Artist: Waterparks

Genre: Pop punk, pop rock, electropop

Record label(s): Hopeless

Recommended Tracks: Track 2- Watch What Happens Next Track 8- Turbulent

Waterparks is an American rock band that consists of three members, Awesten Knight, Geoff Wigington, and Otto Wood. The band formed in 2011after the members had met while playing for different bands. Waterparks released their first studio album in 2016, followed by two more, including their most recent one, “FANDOM”. This album continues with the theme of edgy punk and a pop-like beat that follows personal experiences and that pays homage to their fans. For example, this album was written out of the break up of the lead vocalist Awsten, which seems to be common with many punks bands on. Each member plays a certain role in the band like being the vocalists or guitarists. Their young age, late 20s, is also a contributor to their edgy and fun music that attracted their fanbase. The personal connection and emotional bond that the band put into this album is also another reason that fans love them. If I were to rate their album, I would rate it a 5 out of 5 because the music is fun to listen to and has the edge that keeps you hooked, it also explores the emotional turmoil that Awsten goes through when dealing with his breakup and what the band thinks of their fans, relating the album name “FANDOM”.

“Watch What Happens Next” is the second song on the album. This song plays into the album’s title, “FANDOM”. The song talks about what the lead vocalist, Awsten, feels when the band’s fans criticize them about how they sound and what changes they choose to do. Awsten expresses all they really want, even though it may make them seem shallow, and he also mentions all the criticisms they receive for changing their sound, and also how fans do not understand that bands are not perfect. This song feels like a message to their fans saying that even though they care about them, that they need to understand that they, the band, themselves are not perfect and can follow a path they want for themselves. The song also feels upbeat and fun to listen to, it gives you a sense of “I’ll do what I want” attitude.

“Turbulent” is a song that represents the other side of the album, the personal experience side. This song is an example of Awsten’s own heartbreak or anger from the heartbreak. He explains how he felt during and after his relationship, which was awful in his experience. In the song, he expresses his anger towards his ex and not caring about her and her feelings. He also expresses how he felt mentally due to the breakup and rumors around it. The song goes into depth on his view of the breakup and how he was in the relationship, it is also a more dark and beat-y song.

Waterparks share a lot of common themes with other punk bands on the air, however, the way Awsten brings in his own experiences gives the band and the album more of a connection with the audience. The group is relatively young and in their youth, which allows them to relate with their fans and make them feel closer to them. FANDOM is an edgy and a big “F- You” to people who hurt you or do not support you, such as Awsten’s ex and Waterparks criticizing fandom. The album, overall, is edgy and gets you in a renegade type of mood, if you like this type of music, then “FANDOM” a listen.