This is a criminally underrated project and one of my favorite hip-hop releases of all time. When I reviewed this initially around five years ago, I understated Akin's contributions to the record to prop up Cise Starr (which is, ironically, something I hate that happens when people discuss OutKast and act like Big Boi is some scrub that Andre 3000 carried along for the ride and not one of the 25 greatest rappers to ever pick up a mic). Cise is one of my favorite MCs ever, but Akin is every ... read more

I was unsure what to expect from a Franz Ferdinand album in 2025. The Human Fear is... fine. It's not bad and there's nothing horrible to listen to here. But it's not great all the way through, and loses quite a bit of steam in the second half. The band has solidified itself as a legacy act at this point. If nothing else, it is simply nice to hear them with something new out, even if it's not particularly impressive.

Early contender for Song of the Year.

I will probably raise this score when I listen to it during the summer.

Absolutely fantastic album, on par with (and better than) some of his best work ever. Rest in Peace, Mac.

Four nice tracks that I don't think really fit the energy of Ultra 85, so I am glad they were cut. Not a Game is the standout of the bunch, as Logic and Lucy Rose cannot make a bad song together.

Among the most hollow releases of 2024 and a really bleak reintroduction to Linkin Park as they learn to navigate making music without Chester.

So much potential here. So much.

Gaga's best song in years and potentially her best lead single since Bad Romance?

Historically, I have not been a Halsey fan. I think a lot of her older work, though it had potential, largely lacked personality. Somehow, an album that pays tribute to some of the greatest women the music industry has ever seen also results in the most uniquely Halsey album ever. It's a shockingly great album in a lot of places, with some genuinely impressive songwriting and production choices that suit her voice better than just about anything I've heard from her. "Lonely is ... read more

It is far from the worst thing you can listen to this year, but at this point in her career, Latto is not impressive enough to carry an album of this length. Maybe one day.

The closest that Blu & Exile have gotten to Below The Heavens (in messaging and execution) since Below The Heavens. Blu is one of my favorite rappers of all time and, in my completely unbiased opinion, has quietly been building a case for being the best rapper out of California for nearly two full decades now. Even if the public never catches on, the people who know, know.

Favorite tracks: Love Is Blu (one of my favorite Blu songs ever), Gold, Suge Knight, A Song Called Precipitation

An impressive album in the sense that his last release was 11 years ago and very bad, but still not great. Q-Tip deserves a bigger spot among the best producers in hip-hop history though, he has somehow gone underrated.

The beats are hard, but Glo does not make music that appeals to me. Rooting for her, though.

Not as good as the original (nor does it really even sound like the original), still a mostly fun time.

Comfortably the worst album I've heard this year, one of the worst I've heard in a while.

I have accepted that Big Sean does not have a great album in him, but this is a largely inoffensive batch of tracks that suffers primarily from there being too many of them.

Some of Kamasi's most impressive work to date, which says a lot considering how strong his discography is. Easily one of the best albums of 2024.

Billie Eilish's best, most fully realized release to date and among the best pop albums of the last couple of years.

Pi should've been a Daylyt & Ab-Soul track alone.