Niall Horan’s The Show is a short collection of fun, love songs—but that’s about it. Niall does have star potential and a lot to offer the pop world. If You Leave Me and Save My Life have magnetic melodies, and Must Be Love has a chant-worthy arena chorus. However, the record is a mere 10 tracks, with relatively plain lyricism and little experimentation. The Show is an example of a project that plays it slightly too safe.

- Lyricism 15/30
- Production & Instrumentation ... read more

Nobody Is Listening is an R&B project with a pretty decent vision. Vibez, Sweat, and Tightrope are testaments to the catchy and rhythmic melodies Zayn can produce, but it's still missing those grand moments. Lazy and sometimes overtly sexual lyrics dilute the meaningful moments, and most tracks are simply forgettable or blend together. The potential is there, but not fully reached.

- Lyricism 13/30
- Production & Instrumentation 10/20
- Creativity 5/10
- Authenticity 7/10
- ... read more

Harry’s House was a huge commercial success. Its lead single, As It Was, was everywhere in 2022 and 2023. It also (somewhat controversially) garnered an Album of the Year win at the Grammy’s. While it’s an above-average pop album, it lacks some of the characteristics that made Harry’s last 2 projects so standout. There are a few memorable moments (ex. Grapejuice, As It Was, Daylight, Cinema) but also tracks that are forgettable, lyrically bland, or leave something to be ... read more

Louis Tomlinson’s Faith In The Future is a much-needed improvement from his debut. Clear intention, vision, and growth make this his best project yet. Brit-pop and punk influences are evident throughout the entire record, and it feels much more authentic to Tomlinson and his musical identity. While the majority of tracks are enjoyable and hold substance, a few (ex. Bigger Than Me, Chicago, That’s the Way Love Goes) hold the record back lyrically and production-wise. However, this is ... read more

It’s hard to follow the ups and downs of Lover by Taylor Swift. Overall, it’s a lengthy dream-pop record that chronicles exactly where Taylor was in 2019—deeply in love with her partner, speaking up on politics for the first time, and dealing with the hardships that came with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. The highs are high. Songs like Cruel Summer (Also: Lover, The Man, The Archer, Death By A Thousand Cuts, False God, Afterglow, and Daylight) further establish her ... read more

Niall Horan’s Heartbreak Weather has some noteworthy pop moments—it’s a record fit for much more commercial success than it got. As the title suggests, the album tells the story of a failed relationship and Niall’s attempts to move on. While there really aren’t any specific complaints, the project feels like more of an attempt to create hits than his debut (Flicker). The country and folk-inspired instrumentals have been replaced with typical pop production. There ... read more

Icarus Falls is an exhaustive collection of mostly forgettable songs. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few gems. Tracks such as Common and If I Got You are typical catchy R&B-inspired pop tunes, but there's nothing that truly showcases Zayn's immense talent. There is an artistic vision behind the album, but the surface-level lyrics and run-of-the-mill production don’t do it justice. The last few tracks also appear to be thrown in last-minute, and don't make sense with the ... read more

Harry Styles is nothing if not interesting. Fine Line feels freer than his debut, and there’s much more of a storytelling aspect as well. Fine Line recounts a dying relationship, and having the strength to let go. Harry’s blossoming vulnerability in tracks like Cherry and Fine Line are some of the best work of his career so far. Even the more radio-catered tracks are pleasant to listen to, and right when you start to get bored, he throws in the random and wild Treat People With ... read more

It really is unfortunate. Liam Payne has vocal talent—if his team had encouraged a more Michael Buble-esque route the results would likely have been 10 times better. It’s hard to even call LP1 an album or record—it’s more of a compilation of less-than-mediocre tracks. Completely unfinished and rushed, he ends the overtly sexual project with a… Christmas song…? There is absolutely no vision or artistic integrity, and the misuse of potential really is such a ... read more

Louis Tomlinson was the ex-1D member with the most writing credits under his belt, and it’s clear to see when listening to Walls. There are those easy-to-chant choruses and interesting melodies (ex. We Made It, Fearless)—moments where you can spot the Brit-pop influence and talent for creating. However, the album as a whole is confusing. Lazy lyrics such as “life gets hard and it gets messed up” drag the project down and don’t showcase Tomlinson’s real ... read more

Flicker is an inoffensive folk-pop project with a handful of noteworthy moments. Niall Horan’s talent was greatly undervalued in One Direction, and this record showcases the artist he could be. Tracks like On the Loose and You and Me are enjoyable country-influenced guitar tunes with catchy choruses. While it’s pleasant throughout, the record doesn’t really have any key takeaways or creative risks--things stay relatively surface-level. There isn’t much to distinguish him ... read more

Zayn’s debut, Mind of Mine, is full of misused potential. For starters, he has one of the most beautiful voices in modern music and an immensely impressive range. It almost seems disrespectful to overshadow that with subpar lyricism and sometimes mediocre production. Certain tracks resemble The Weeknd-rejects and a few are too carefully crafted for pop radio listeners. Maybe this is what he thought the public wanted to hear, but his more vulnerable moments (ex. It’s You, Fool For ... read more

The self-titled debut album from Harry Styles is a surprisingly inspired and impressive start to his solo career. Perhaps the most well-known ex-member of One Direction, the world was eager to hear how Styles would re-introduce himself. That introduction ended up being a rock-inspired project with lots of personality. Listen closely and you can hear the moments that predict a future superstar. There are fun melodies matched with old-school guitar riffs—and lots of screaming—but also ... read more

11 years into her career, Ariana Grande continues to evolve and impress. Eternal Sunshine is her most mature and authentic project yet--a light, airy, concept album partly inspired by the famous Jim Carrey movie. With her divine vocals, she addresses her divorce and the overflow of recent public criticism. She's officially taken the reigns in both writing and production--and for the most part, it's a wonderful experience. There are standout tracks, (ex. Eternal Sunshine, We Can't Be Friends) ... read more

Like Ariana Grande's past projects, Positions consists of r&b/pop beats and incredible vocals. However, it's relatively uninspired. There are a few standout tracks, but the majority are forgettable. It stays surface-level emotionally and seems like a backtrack in Ariana's career after breakthroughs in past albums. Unfortunately, it's just okay, and it doesn't stand out in her discography or compared to other pop projects by her peers.

Lyricism 11/30
Production & Instrumentation ... read more

Ariana Grande's 5th album continues her discography's upward trajectory. Finally throwing more of herself into her songwriting, she's playfully confident (Make Up, 7 Rings) and vulnerable (Needy, Ghostin, In My Head). Thank U, Next continues her streak of easy pop listening with influence from the R&B genre--it's full of engaging samples and beats. Although 7 Rings might be lyrically weak and a bit clunky, it showcases Ariana's rising confidence in herself and her ideas. Not only was this ... read more

In 2017, Ariana Grande lived through an unimaginable tragedy. In 2018, she released an upbeat, colorful, and surprisingly optimistic album that preaches love and happiness. As she says herself, "Ain't got no tears left to cry, so I'm picking it up". Sweetener feels like Ariana at her freshest and most authentic. With help from Pharrell Williams in production, it's a fun pop project with r&b influence. While the order of the tracklist is a bit random and the writing is sometimes ... read more

Dangerous Woman is a pretty solid pop project from one of the world's biggest stars. There are perfect testaments to Ariana Grande's success--the song Into You has the type of melody that can play in your head all day long. However, the album gets weaker as it goes on, and there's still little to no creativity or experimentation from Grande. In hindsight, it's clear that she was still finding her niche and learning to put her own spin on things.

Lyricism 15/30
Production & Instrumentation ... read more

My Everything was Ariana Grande's catapult to superstardom in the music industry--it's filled from top to bottom with hits. Songs like Problem and Love Me Harder are incredibly catchy--and carefully crafted for pop radio perfection. The issue is that My Everything feels like a collection of hits rather than an authentic record with a vision. Because Ariana writes very little, it almost comes off as a cover album. Grande is an exceptional talent, and as we've seen over time, she has much more to ... read more

Despite the impressive vocals, former Broadway and Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande's debut album is a mostly unremarkable experience. While there are some fun pop moments (ex. The Way), the majority of tracks are forgettable and even hard to listen through at times. Ariana writes very little, and the project feels impersonal. 11 years later, Yours Truly feels like the before in a before and after photo. Luckily, she only evolved from here.

- Lyricism 13/30
- Production & Instrumentation ... read more