Never Really Over for indie rock purists

“on a mission to position myself right underneath you”

i must’ve missed the memo that said that tove was this serious dark pop edgy queen!!! sunshine kitty does have brighter, more upbeat pop production and..attempts at happier lyrics than the previous lady wood albums, but ATTENTION not to its detriment! its singles are as sharp as radio pop can be, fun (in some alternate universe) club anthems, sexy but melancholic. yes, most of this is just well put together pop music that ... read more

"Charli" is pretty much an experimental pop record, and as experiments go, sometimes they don't work out! this album is definitely a mixed bag, that's great when at its most introspective and weird (like thoughts and cross you out) and verging on bad at its most generic, nonsensical pop moments (1999, blame it on your love). it doesn't quite reach the heights of the first two albums and it's not as tight, crazy or innovative as pop 2, but it has enough replay value and jaw dropping ... read more

very very interesting debut album! there are some bumps along the road, mostly because of the lyrical content, but i honestly don't care that much because the mood the album sets allows for it. the small team allows this album to be very coesive with each song having a distinct feel. i'd say from bury a friend onward the album takes a very tight inward turn with more atmospheric production and darker themes that only makes the record 10x better and shows the potential that billie can tap into ... read more

if casual listeners who tuned in to lana for slightly left field pop songs about wanting to die didn't jump ship after the psychadelic blues rock of ultraviolence, they certainly did after honeymoon. lana's third major label studio album is incredibly cinematic, a 50s black and white romance complete with an interlude and a credits score, and obviously makes a summer hookup with an italian man sound like the lead single of the biggest spy thriller blockbuster soundtrack. if the ordinary person ... read more

from the first 10 seconds of ultraviolence, you know something is gonna be different. whereas born to die and paradise opened with dramatic ballads, strings swooping in and taking over her haunting vocals, lana’s sophomore record starts with an electric guitar riff and a no-fucks-given attitude towards a man that she dumped. queen! as ultraviolence unravels, you see a lana who, as a comic book writer would put it, embraced the darkness. an ode to masochism is made; a song called ... read more

lana del rey came onto the scene with ideas about toxic and abusive relationships, wealthy lifestyles and a dark backstory detailed in the massive “born to die”. it’s not hard to see how she quickly became the voice of a generation of girls and gays with this album, burdened and doomed at birth for their love of the stupidest creatures alive, desperately searching looking for a pop star that says more than that life is a party. the singles on this record, most of them jammed ... read more

the paradise ep only came out one year after lana’s major label debut, born to die, and sure enough it doesn’t deviate much from the formula that made it a massive hit in the first place - the string swoops with a hip hop beat is still there, as is the troubled, scorned and most of all, american, character - yet it all feels bigger, more epic and more refined, as if between albums she went from a 17 year old brat to a 26 year old who likes a man by her side, especially if it’s ... read more

i can't hate an album with come over in it

there's a running gag on the internet about how sam smith only shows up when adele is on a break - and surely enough, the thrill of it all came out almost precisely two years after the dominating, record breaking and frankly, disappointing '25'.

i like that after the success of 'in the lonely hour', sam didn't go all out for his sophomore record and didn't hire max martin and other famed producers (which made 25 an overproduced album). instead, thrill's piano, guitar and choir ballads have a ... read more

the listenable ed sheeran, while i can agree the music is beige and basic i think shawn's doe eyed naive personality and raspy voice are enjoyable enough and the first half of this offers serious ear candy (lost in japan, where were you in the morning and fake coming out anthem fallin' all in you are all flawless). i can't say i like his other releases but this is solid and i hope he can take his artistry to a level above in his next release.

painfully generic and below-average pop that does offer some gems (rendezvous, if you're over me). it's sad that someone who offers so much personality in the interviews and videos for this project released something as faceless as Palo Santo. i expected something much better than an anne marie b-sides compilation

so boring and lame... wtp is a banger though

e: wtp is lame and the rest of the songs are fire

incredibly boring and lifeless

unapologetically brash and vibrant pop is why blackpink are the most popular korean girl group right now, and this EP doesn't disappoint or feed into the hype. these four songs are pretty much some of the best crafted mainstream 'generic' pop in recent memory (especially if you compare them to the lackluster offerings by newer popstars such as camila cabello, dua lipa, bebe rexha etc). they bleed personality and charisma and are super refreshing in today's boring music climate

xtina has always strived to create a fully fledged body of work everytime she releases - maybe that's why liberation only comes 6 years after her disappointing 5th album 'lotus'. this one is less inspired by mainstream electropop beats and more by the alternative r&b and soul vibes that allowed mega stars like rihanna and demi lovato to create their best work recently.

therefore, liberation has a darker and more sensual edge that, when fully realized, gives us the best tracks in the ... read more

alma is part of the new wave of alt-pop girls but she fails to catch my attention as much as her peers do. heavy rules tries to position her as a badass chick (legend?) and the songs are catchy enough, sure, but most of the personality and fun here comes from the featured artists - and i can't help to think how much better this project would be if these tracks were sung by literally anyone else

viral supergroup loona has been making waves since kim lip's debut 'eclipse' but their last mini-album before their full debut might be their most accomplished and bold release. although the 5 track EP sins in having one of those sappy piano ballads, the rest of the bouncy and anthemic tracks make this one of the most unforgettable kpop releases of the year

with mystical and chill inducing lyrics and a grandiose production that evokes the chilly mountains of sweden, lykke li is able to create an equally raw and dreamy masterpiece. her tone throughout the album is vulnerable and Sad, with immense productions that still feel as personal as a whisper in your ear. i never learn might be one of the best breakup albums ever created - the kind where you're even in, or out, love and still want to crawl up and die

it's hard to judge this album in the vein of her first three records since this feels like a complete departure from the doe-eyed love-stricken ballads and epics she made herself known for. so sad doesn't feel like a complete commitment to the more hip-hop infused sound, with production choices and melodies that feel half-baked and repetitive. there's traces of the great album that it could've been on songs like 'hard rain', 'last piece' and 'utopia', but for now i'll settle with a good one.