Drake’s disclosure that the project was made in six days is less of an impressive stat than it is an accurate summation of what we have here: two rappers who maxed out on their chemistry and made some cool songs.
If the shaky performance of his debut was a wipeout—to mix a metaphor—Dreams Worth More Than Money sticks the landing, sustaining over its running time without stumbling and occasionally providing some thrilling moments.
In many ways, Compton is a child of To Pimp a Butterfly, if only Kendrick had the same sense of urgency when reaching to the bleachers.
Dark, frenetic, and complicated, Ratchet is so thrilling because of its refusal to settle down.
In Colour isn't only a necessary listen, but an important one too.
Surf is a boardwalk picnic with sunset views of the Ferris wheel, grassy laughter, and paper plates smeared with blueberry shortcake.
Aside from the strength of her voice, which bubbles at top range like Lil Mo’ and is suede-soft down below like Jojo, Kehlani’s imagination for storytelling is what sets You Should Be Here apart from its current R&B-pop corollaries.
All things considered, this is a solid album. Fans of old Rocky will be happy to hear he hasn’t left them behind and new fans will have a plethora of options to choose from.
Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, and impassioned when he wants to be, Sean has advanced (if not graduated) from the tepid mythmaking of Hall of Fame. Here he’s dynamic, and a pretty good rapper. No fronting.
He lays his soul bare in joyless lyrics stripped naked, requiring very little interpretation, filling the crags with buoyant, sun-drenched productions from Skrillex, Blood, and Diplo.
Even as she's suffering the romantic disadvantage, Adele infuses the songs of 25 with a love-drunk cockiness, tossing wine by a loose wrist as she reconsiders these departed men.
Reckless and tormented, his latest album doubles down on the darker side of his sound, and his life's personal costs. Call it More Honest Than Honest.
With all its superfly flourish and talk of Willie Lynch, Butterfly is heady and ambitious, if not unprecedented as subject matter. As promised, Butterfly is (somehow) darker and more thoroughly conflicted than good kid.