I’m not gonna lie, I kind of zoned out while listening to this, but that’s almost expected from a Drake project at this point. ICEMAN isn’t offensively bad or anything, it’s just painfully uninteresting for most of its runtime. Drake sounds completely comfortable coasting, and while there are a few decent moments scattered throughout, none of them really stick once the album ends.

That said, I honestly do think this is probably his best project since Views, which says ... read more

Really enjoyed this overall. Evan has a great ear for melody and atmosphere, and the album is consistently solid front to back.

That said, it’s hard not to feel a bit disappointed that some of his best material didn’t make the cut. “miss melancholy” and “Spawn!” might not fully fit the album’s vibe, but they honestly clear most of the songs here. Still a strong project, just feels like it could’ve been even better with a different tracklist.

I didn’t like this quite as much as I’d hoped, but it’s still a really strong project overall. There’s something about the sound that feels oddly dated in a way their previous work didn’t, and that does take away a bit of the freshness I usually get from underscores.

That said, the songwriting and energy are still very much there. Even when it doesn’t fully hit the highs I was expecting, it’s consistently engaging and easy to come back to. It might not ... read more

Until we finally get that new Rihanna album, I guess this’ll have to do.

Hopefully this complements the film well, because as a standalone listen, this really doesn’t play to Charli XCX’s strengths at all. As a soundtrack to Wuthering Heights, I’m sure the atmosphere and restraint make sense in context. But removed from the movie, it feels muted and oddly lifeless compared to the bold, chaotic energy she usually thrives on.

There are some pretty moments here, but nothing that really captures the sharp hooks or personality that make her pop ... read more

Relapse was the first Eminem album I ever owned on CD outside of Curtain Call, which is kind of insane in hindsight. Because of that, I’ve always had a soft spot for it. Revisiting it now though, it’s wild how well this has aged. What once felt like a weird detour in his discography now comes across as one of his most focused and fully realized concepts.

The horrorcore angle is pushed to the extreme, but that commitment is exactly what makes it work. The production is dark and ... read more

I feel like you have to already be on board to get any real enjoyment out of J. Cole’s music, and I’m just not. The Fall-Off did next to nothing for me. I won’t say it’s bad, but it’s kind of insane how quickly this faded into background music. This dude makes some of the sleepiest music imaginable and somehow has the whole world praising him for it.

That said, I can’t really rate this low either. The production is noticeably stronger and more varied than on ... read more

This is by no means great, but it’s also not terrible. Honestly, it’s better than a lot of trap music coming out right now. The production is pretty hit or miss, but one thing you can’t deny is that DaBaby can rap. If anything, he might honestly be one of the most overhated rappers in the game rn.

Yeah, he’s repetitive, and that’s still an issue here, but you can tell he’s actually trying to switch things up on this project. Not all of it works, and he ... read more

Yawn. Nah but fr, the opening and closing tracks are actually pretty decent. Outside of that, this does nothing for me. J. Cole still remains one of the most consistently boring rappers in the game.

I remember really enjoying "Shea Butter Baby" when it came out, but I haven’t really kept up with Ari Lennox since then. I think I listened to her last album too, but it honestly didn’t stick with me at all, and this new one feels much the same. It’s enjoyable while it’s on, but it doesn’t really leave much of an impression afterward.

It’s not bad, but it feels pretty safe and unremarkable throughout. The vocals are still smooth and polished, but ... read more

This was not a great introduction to Megadeth, especially if this really is their final album. I wasn’t expecting them to be anywhere near their A-game at this point, but it still ended up being pretty disappointing. The whole thing sounds painfully generic, like they just wanted to put something out rather than make something that actually feels inspired or definitive. As a send-off, it’s pretty underwhelming, and it definitely doesn’t make me want to dig into their earlier ... read more

Poppy’s discography has always felt like a coin flip, bouncing between albums that fully click and ones that just don’t. Unfortunately, Empty Hands lands on the weaker side of that pattern. Where projects like I Disagree or Negative Spaces felt sharp and decisive, this one sounds hesitant, like it’s constantly pulling its punches.

There’s nothing outright terrible here, but a lot of the edge that made her stronger releases exciting is noticeably dulled. The heavier ... read more

After a string of pretty uninspired projects, IDK finally delivers something that actually feels inspired again. This is easily his most engaging release since "Is He Real?", and honestly, you could argue it’s his strongest work since "IWASVERYBAD". The ideas feel more focused, the energy is back, and for the first time in a while, he actually sounds hungry. The feature list is genuinely impressive too, and everyone shows up with strong performances. Hopefully this ... read more

I skimmed through this because I’m NOT wasting an hour and a half on a 30-track YB album. There are a few okay-ish tracks scattered throughout, but for the most part it’s the same mindlessly boring trap music he’s been putting out for years now.

More music should be this unapologetically unserious and fun.

Zach Bryan try to release a project with a reasonable number of songs challenge: impossible.

Zach Bryan once again proves he’s allergic to editing. There are some great songs here, but also plenty that didn’t need to be included. This really did not need to be this long.

Y’all are so corny for rating this a zero out of ten. Yeah, she’s a shitty person, but that doesn’t automatically make the music bad.

If I’d known about the situation beforehand, would I have checked this out in the first place? Probably not. But retroactively tanking your rating over something that doesn’t actually affect the music itself is just performative.

This might be the one time the RYM crowd has a leg up on AOTY, because the virtue signaling on here is ... read more

DJ Sabrina is probably the only artist I’d ever even consider listening to a four hour long album from, and I haven’t been disappointed by that decision once.

Fantasy is arguably their best effort yet and easily justifies its absurd runtime, even if the first ten tracks alone would’ve made a stellar standalone album. It’s immersive in the best way, pulling you into a warm, hazy mix of house, dance, and pop that feels endless without ever feeling exhausting. Instead of ... read more

I can’t believe I missed this when it dropped earlier this year. I’ve been looking forward to a new Yugen Blakrok release for years now. Anima Mysterium is one of my favorite hip hop albums of the last decade and easily a top 10 hip hop album from the year it came out.

Thankfully, this new project lives up to my anticipation.Yugen still sounds locked into her own lane, delivering dense, abstract writing over dark, atmospheric production that feels immersive without being ... read more

What happened to the streets? More like what happened to your music? 😭

21 was on an amazing run from 2017 to 2020, and arguably even into 2022 with the Drake collab. Projects like "Without Warning", "i am > i was" and espescially "Savage Mode II" cemented him as one of the most exciting names in trap at the time. Add an incredible feature run with tracks like “My Life,” “Surround Sound,” and “Jimmy Cooks,” and it really ... read more