There's a lot to like about Maggie Rogers' second album, and while it doesn't quite reach the highs of some of the best music of the year, it's still a very good album that's at least worth checking out once.

The first time I ever heard this album was after it won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and I was upset that Mac Miller (RIP) lost in what would likely be the final chance for him to win an award with that much weight in the music industry. I was unfairly harsh on this album. Is it great? No. Should it have been in a "Best Rap Album" discussion? I would personally say no but I do understand this album's appeal. It's much stronger work than I was initially willing to admit, and while ... read more

The proto-To Pimp a Butterfly and of the greatest rap albums of all time.

The defining work of a once-in-a-lifetime musician.

I Want You is a watershed moment in a career with at least three of those.

This was a really fun listen! I had been putting it off for a while but I actually regret not checking it out sooner. It feels like it came straight out of 2012 (look at the names involved) but in the best way possible. The four people involved aren't going to reinvent the wheel, but they have great chemistry and this love letter to a previous era is wildly enjoyable.

It's a very good, almost great album that I will likely never revisit.

This is on the shortlist for the worst releases of 2022.

I listened to this the day it dropped, then forgot it dropped later. Listening to it again and it's very clear that Leikeli has some staying power. This is a great album.

This is not it.

I might be overrating this, but this is currently my favorite beat tape of the year. Apollo Brown showcasing some of the best work he's done for rappers over the last few years on this album leads to some quality results.

It's not bad enough to where you'll want to turn it off, but it's not good enough to warrant repeated listens.

It's not QUARTERTHING but it's good.

At this point, this is my favorite EP of the year.

Special, Lizzo's fourth album, sees her complete her metamorphosis into an out-and-out radio pop star. That leads to mixed results, as the highest high this album hits produced one of the best pop songs of 2022 (the endlessly catchy "About Damn Time"), while the lowest points are among some of the most uninspired songs you'll hear all year.

Lizzo is not a great songwriter. That's not to say she's bad, but if you want great lyrics, she's not the one for that. Her limitations as a ... read more

Excluding Rockstar (and its great Kill Bill-inspired video), I’ve never been moved by Post Malone’s music, but this album is a new low in his discography. It’s entirely devoid of personality and lacks the charisma that Post seems to have in settings that are not his music. Once you’ve heard one Post song, you’ve heard them all. The only time that any energy is shown on this album comes when Doja Cat delivers a typically excellent feature on “I Like ... read more

Boldy James continues his run as one of rap's finest, and while the highs don't quite match the highs of Manger on McNichols, it's still an AOTY-level body of work.

OH MY GOD.

This is IDK's best album, but that's not saying much since I think a lot of his music is either uninteresting or bad. KAYTRANADA gave him some great beats, and IDK himself was actually good on this album. He didn't devolve into sounding like Kanye as he's prone to doing, and a lot of those questionable bars were cut out. And at only 18 minutes, he doesn't overstay his welcome. It's an enjoyable listen, and while I'm not necessarily looking forward to new IDK music, I think there's some promise ... read more

Outside of "Do Ya Like," this mixtape has no great songs and is arguably the worst project in the section of his discography that anyone has heard.