The singles are massive highlights on an otherwise bland and formulaic album.

Some of the most egregious and blatant pitch correction I’ve ever heard on vocals. There’s some alright tunes in here but Ringo’s vocals and the processing on them really make the whole thing feel soulless. The songwriting is shallow.

Overall thoughts: A master class in electropop. Underscores is going places. Proudly giving this thing a 10/10

Thoughts on individual tracks:
1. Tell Me (U Want It) - really fun bouncy beat, catchy lyrics. love the future bass influence in this track. ESPECIALLY love that it's got a 6/8 feel, contributing to the bounce. -10/10
2. Music - the way the vocals sound when she sings "music" is heavenly. love the breakdown about 2 minutes in, giving space for when the beat comes back ... read more

the blueprint for everything after it

Surprisingly introspective with some catchy hooks and chill production throughout. Feels especially refreshing going back to this project a few months after I initially heard it.

Thank you Apple News+ for the "Friday puzzles are for the Swifties" notification

Honored to have given this a positive score before Fantano. The duo here shows they truly are on another level when it comes to writing and performing complex and fresh rhymes. Compared to most Pharrell-backed projects, they are not simply carried by the production, even though Pharrell also is on his absolute a-game for the whole project.

Overall score: 9/10

Time for me to talk about each track:

1) The Birds Don't Sing - beautiful hook from John Legend, a really great intro that sets ... read more

I thought I would hate this album based on the album art and title, but I was really pleasantly surprised by this whole project, and now feel like I should listen to her other album. Great production that heavily varies throughout. Each track feels unique even though it all works together -- and all the sounds and genres being explored here are very nostalgic for me. I also love how the album progresses over time and is split into "chapters".

Just like I thought on its initial release via the Stem Player, this album has a lot of potential... and that's about it. Some interesting ideas, some cool production. But it's obvious that Kanye has lost the ability to "lock in" and produce something actually worth listening to, not just something you feel obligated to listen to given his status in the music world.

TOO EASY sounds great.

As is, though, this album is pure garbage.

Some really low points here, but when it hits, it hits. I will not be checking on her vagina.

there's some glimmers of decent music in here

i don't get it

"Chill Bae" is the only track here even worth listening to.

Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA (Track scores averaged out to 9.5)

CMIYGL let me down after absolutely adoring IGOR. Hoping this one re-ignites my love for Tyler's music. Here are my initial thoughts on first listen.

1) St. Chroma - Intriguing intro. Whispering vocals somehow still energetic. Interesting synth lines in the background. Crazy beat drop half way through. Excited to hear the rest of this based on this track - 10/10
2) Rah Tah Tah - Insane production. The crushed weird snare ... read more

"We can all agree that V.H. was a tape, right?"

oh how they massacred my girl...

I love Porter Robinson. Gave Worlds a 9.5/10 and Nurture an 8/10. Here we go...

1) Knock Yourself Out XD - simple and good song, great singing, all the synths are kinda in the background relative to most porter songs but I'm here for it. 8/10
2) Cheerleader - obviously the best track here, and it isn't even close. best vocal melodies on the project. the singing and production all tie together for a super emotional yet upbeat experience. 10/10
3) Russian Roulette - song's pretty ... read more

hey blur you're not queen

Zoom is incredible.

Overall thoughts: An absolute journey of an album. Still very pop with extremely catchy writing. But also heavily dance and EDM influenced, with unique production choices throughout. Ending the album with a remix of the first song with many beat switches with varying styles was a great cherry on top. There were only a couple "duds" relative to everything else on the album, and those duds are not bad enough in my opinion to need to skip while listening to the album. She is very ... read more