St. Vincent has always been about 2 steps ahead of pop music. Her range is remarkable, but what is really exciting about her is her experimentation. Daddy’s Home starts off aggressively with “Pay Your Way In Pain,” but it resolves the tension with the gorgeous “Down And Out Downtown,” and continues to swing back and forth throughout the album in a spellbinding, time-traveling, psychedelic trance. The entire project is sequenced perfectly. St. Vincent also comes ... read more

This is a colorful, emotionally resonant, and triumphant listening experience. Japanese Breakfast has so many strengths and she uses them all so well across Jubilee. There’s not a bad song on this album. The instrumentals are layered, textured, and varied. They seem to take influence from dream pop, electronic music, and classic rock. Japanese Breakfast’s dreamy vocals float with the instrumentals but also allow them enough space to breathe on their own at important climactic ... read more

Synthpop duo Magdalena Bay’s debut album is as ethereal, colorful, and layered as the album’s cover art. The songs blend and bleed together and have a unified heartbeat, with the vocals and instrumentals carrying equal weight across the project. Magdalena Bay bridges the gap between dream pop and hyperpop, finding a space in the “mercurial,” psychedelic, futuristic digital soundscape. The emotive sounds mesh together and create a fuzzy, intoxicating listening experience ... read more

This is the one. There is nobody else doing anything even close to what JPEGMAFIA is doing on this album. LP! triumphant exit note to Universal Records, among many other things. Now with three masterpieces released under a record label, Peggy finally gets to make music independently. On the album he spits spiteful bar after bar towards his label and anyone else who tries to restrict his art, his mind, his character, even his gender– everything. It is this spiteful resistance that creates ... read more

“My knees hurt when I grow/And that’s a tough pill to swallow.” Injury Reserve has come through with a confrontational, redemptive masterpiece in the face of immense pain and loss. After losing Stepa J Groggs, Injury Reserve went from a trio to a duo. By the Time I Get to Phoenix is charged with the complex, jagged, and raw process of grieving and healing. This album was an essential ingredient in my own grieving after losing a good friend last year, and its refusal to ... read more

This album is a thrilling, gut-wrenchingly emotional journey through BackxWash’s identity. Her intense vocal delivery might be her greatest strength, and she uses it to spill her rawest thoughts on some deeply personal issues. BackxWash confronts her religion, race, and transgender identity over some of the most ambitious and genre blending instrumentals of the year. She raps honestly about substance abuse, imagines her own death, sprinkles in some politics, and confronts her relationship ... read more

Spellling’s incredible range, unique vocals, and creative songwriting are on full display across this stunning album. The Turning Wheel is a dramatic, emotionally affecting journey that has infectiously synesthetic qualities. The music swells, waves, and sparkles along with Spellling’s captivating voice, carrying the listener to a musical space beyond genre and time. “I live in the future,” she sings, and it’s easy to believe her. A must-listen 2021 masterpiece ... read more

Future's DS2 is arguably the best trap album ever made. It's up there with Playboi Carti's "Die Lit," Migos' "Culture," and a couple of Young Thug projects for me. I feel this way about this album for a few reasons. First, Future's beat selection peaked on this project. Songs range from hard hitting dance bangers like "Groupies" and "Fuck Up Some Commas," to the harsh and somewhat experimental sounds on "I Serve the Base, " to the somber, ... read more

After 2018's trap classic Die Lit, Playboi Carti could've played it safe and released a followup album full of sugary trap songs, cashed his check, and called it a day. Instead, he decided to put trap music through the blender. His experimental ambition and risk-taking make this album his most exciting yet, even if some moments fall short of what his fan base expected.

Before this album, Playboi Carti was arguably already pivoting between mainstream pop-trap and experimental hip hop, at least ... read more

Trying to get back to some of the 2020 highlights I haven't reviewed yet. This one was excellent, definitely one of the better produced underground albums this year with a crisp mainstream sound. bbymutha is definitely a name to watch, she deserves more critical and mainstream hype than she's gotten although she's incredibly well respected in underground circles. She's a wildly entertaining rapper with a fantastic sense of humor. Her sharp wit is somewhat reminiscient of Open Mike Eagle, ... read more

Kid Cudi is a lovable person and an influential artist, but in my opinion he's not a great rapper. Although his first two MOTM installations are widely adored, I find it hard to make it through the projects for a few reasons: too many tracks, poor rapping, poor singing, basic lyricsm and cringey bars, and a theatric quality that just feels forced and overdone. On this project, much of that has been improved. There are still too many tracks, but most are average or above average-- there are only ... read more

Taylor Swift has returned with a second gorgeous 2020 addition to her legendary discography. "evermore" simultaneously sounds like a full project of "folklore" afterthoughts and stands on its own as a more personal, intimate songwriting exhibition. There are no grand, emotional statements here like "epiphany," there aren't quite same storytelling devices used on "august" and "betty," and the production is somehow even more minimalist than its ... read more

One of the more disappointing releases this year for me personally, especially considering the quality of singles like "Don't Like Me" and "IPHONE." I went into this project expecting Rico's best, and after giving it some time to settle in, I can confidently say that most of this album just doesn't do it for me.

First, I'll start with the positive. The beats on this album take Rico in a totally new direction, and for the most part the ambitious production does not ... read more

I really enjoyed the unique, honest, heartfelt lyrics and some of Quelle Chris’s entertainingly risky production throughout. However, some of the rapping leaves a lot to be desired, and some of the songs have pretty terrible hooks. Cant say I feel enthusiastic about relistening.

Great album. The first half is nearly perfect, with the exception of "//aguardienty y limon," which is a disappointing lag in an otherwise beautiful stretch of poetry and soothing instrumentals. The Rico Nasty appearance on "aqui yo mando!" is a fun burst of energy. The second half lapses a bit, but that's not to say that it's bad-- I just wish there was a little more going on. Still, Kali Uchis is an incredibly talented songwriter, and I really enjoyed hearing her sing ... read more

Returning to this because I see it as one of many confounding Grammy snubs since the nominations were announced this week. At the heart of this project is an infectious pop core, but its ventures into hard rock territory on "XS," "STFU!" and other songs are by far my favorite moments. Rina's clever writing and smooth vocals are captivating on almost every track. It's not a perfect album, there are certainly some lags here and there, but I think it's an improvement on her ... read more

Megan thee Stallion is one of the most talented MCs in the mainstream today. Her uncompromising flows and fiery independence make her one of my favorites to return to when I need a quick energy boost. This album only adds to her resume in terms of hitmaking and rapping skill. It features a high-energy tracklist with a full slate of rap and R&B features, which range from awful (Popcaan), to unnecessary (DaBaby), to great (Young Thug, Beyonce). Although the tracklist overstays its welcome, ... read more

Incredibly disappointing but not at all surprising, a completely stale tracklist with less than a handful of redeemable songs. "Sleeping on the Floor" is the only song that I'd describe as good, "Plastic" is passable, and the rest is either forgettable or painful to listen to. Everything from the mixing to the lyrics indicates that the bare minimum effort was put into this album. As the mainstream trap market continues to be oversaturated with formulaic, overstuffed albums, ... read more

Busta Rhymes hasn't lost a step as a rapper. This album showcases some of his hardest flows, most conscious bars, and freshest production choices. As a 10-15 track project this would be nearly perfect. Unfortunately, there are 22 tracks, many of which could be scrapped. This isn't exactly surprising; Busta Rhymes has been overstuffing albums since his debut. So although the album as a whole has its flaws, there are still mindblowing tracks. I don't care how old the Kendrick verse is on ... read more

Ariana Grande's voice is enough to create a few special moments on this album, but for the most part lazy songwriting and a general lack of ambition take away from the listening experience. Ariana appears to have settled deeply into her comfort zone, losing the infectious appeal of "Sweetener" and "thank u, next" that solidified her as a legitimate pop giant. There's nothing unlistenable or horrible, but there's also nothing that adds dimensionality to Ariana as an artist. ... read more