Kelela albums always take a while for me to fully digest, and I’m not sure I ever fully do. I definitely love the vibe of this album, but I don’t get it. Contact is a generational hit, and I generally love it when Kelela makes dance music. The latter half of the album is where I start to get lost. Listening to this album front to back is a beautiful experience, but track-by-track, I’m not picking up what she’s putting down. I just need more time to digest this record. ... read more

A compilation of Nina at her best, most introspective, moody and melancholy. You really can't go wrong with any of these songs. Light a candle and take a trip with her.

This record sees Kacey at a healed, mature place in her life, embracing the unknown entirely, even to the point where she worked it out on the remix with Miranda Lambert. I absolutely love the Mariachi influences on this album, especially as a political statement in such a MAGA-ified genre. I also love that this album is so candid about where she is in her life, no 'era', just floating in the middle of nowhere.

Kacey already has a very deep understanding of her roots and what makes her her with her debut album. A lot of songs on this record read as a sarcastic diary of a girl who notices everything. She notices the patterns her family falls into on Merry Go Round. She notices the hypocrisy of her hometown on Blowin Smoke and the iconic Follow Your Arrow. A lot of the lyrics read like an early-2010s Pinterest 'quotes' board. It's very justgirlythings chic.

For the longest time, I have hated country music, but Kacey Musgraves kind of has me in my country era. I’ve listened to (and loved) Golden Hour and Deeper Well, but I thought I’d try some of her more “country” country music. Something about this album is so comforting, especially the songs like Dime Store Cowgirl and the bonus track, Are You Sure. This album really hits home for me, as I grow and start to make plans for my career, which do not involve my home state.

I ... read more

I really loved this album when it came out, but it really hasn’t stuck with me. It feels like time-traveling back to 2022. I still really enjoy this album; I just don’t revisit it often. Honestly, after listening to it, I remember why I like it so much. I should really listen to it more often.

The vibe of this album is unparalleled in terms of futuristic R&B. It’s spacey and extraterrestrial, but still very honest and grounded. She has a voice that’s unique, yet ... read more

I love this vibe for Slayyyter. It feels like a creative manifesto, like, I feel like it fully captures who she is as an artist. She’s grimy, filthy, messy, but she’s still a person who wants to be loved. I love the balance between her loud, gritty rap, with songs like Crank and Yes God, and her soft, emotional pop, with songs like Unknown Lovers and Brittany Murphy. I feel more drawn to the latter, but the grit makes the album special.

I’ve been listening to Slayyyter since ... read more

Junglepussy is truly always ahead of her time. Like, if you got it, you got it. This album was amazing in 2020, when it came out, but over time, it has aged so beautifully. She went from her horniest album to her most introspective album in just two years; you really can’t put her in a box as an artist.

I think JP is one of the cleverest rappers (and artists in general) that we have ever seen. She has this ability to say some of the most outlandish shit possible, but she makes it sound ... read more

I entered this album with very low expectations because, traditionally, I don’t like country music, like at all, but I really ended up liking this album. It’s very sweet and summery. It’s got this innocent vibe, but not in a goody two-shoes way. It gives more of a sweet soul vibe of innocence.

Kacey has a charm about her that most country artists don’t. Maybe it’s just the fact that she’s not a MAGA piece of shit, but who knows? She has a way of storytelling ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

To be honest, I forgot this album was even on my 75 Hard list. I remember when this came out; she was on tour with Lana Del Rey. This album is so summer 2018, in the best way. It’s youthful and carefree, yet very deep at some points. I don’t really listen to it often anymore, but that doesn’t knock how beautiful this album is.

While this is definitely not ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

I remember when this album came out, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. It was very different from Diary 001, but I ended up really growing to love it. This album is so nostalgic for me; I feel like a freshman in High School again.

I can’t quite put Clairo in a box, genre-wise. I love that and hate it at the same time. It’s definitely pop, but it’s also ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This is the best breakup album of all time. I have cried and screamed for countless hours to this album. This album really got me through my first breakup. I know I’ve said that before in other reviews, but this one got me to the other side of healing. Seeing this live was a religious experience, even if Keyshia didn’t do much actual singing. And everybody loves Love; ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

I was so obsessed with this album during lockdown. This is Ari’s Magnum opus (thus far). Argue with the wall. The summery vibe fits her artistry so well.

I adore Pharrell (as a producer), and this duo is absolute perfection. I think this album saw Ari at her most playful and experimental. Her vocals sit beautifully with this upbeat, summery production. Not only is this her ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This was my album of the summer 2024. I know we had better albums, but this one spoke to me on a spiritual level. I was in the midst of a complicated situation with an ex, and I went through every stage of this album. I cried endlessly to BOAT, twentysomethings, and Godspeed; I felt fun and flirty with I Luv It and Hot Uptown. I really felt this album in my soul.

I honestly ... read more

First of all, what a beautiful title for a debut album. Her voice is incredible, especially her higher register. Her whistle notes were great, but after a while, they lost their novelty. I feel like they should've been used more in moderation, a la Mariah Carey. I like the slower, quieter songs much more. I feel like they suit her voice better. When the songs start to get louder, I feel like they lose a lot of clarity, and they start to sound a little muddy. I love horns, but on this ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

When I was younger, I used to sneak listen to GUY because my mom said it was too provocative. Even 8-year-old me got it. Lately, there has been a lot of discourse about whether or not this album was actually ahead of its time (it was), even though the production was done partially by Zedd. I find this to be so reductive. Just because EDM was popular at the time doesn’t ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This may be the best album of all time.

Renaissance, and its entire era, means so much to me. In 2022, I was still kind of a baby gay, and this album really inspired me to get in touch with my queer history. After this album was released, I watched Paris Is Burning, Drag Race, and consumed as much queer media as I could possibly consume. The song Plastic Off The Sofa became the ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This album is the perfect continuation of the world she introduced us to in Shea Butter Baby. It follows a lot of similar themes, but in a more mature way. Where Shea Butter Baby is a quintessential album of your early 20s, this is a quintessential album of your late 20s. You’re getting older and growing increasingly tired of all the bullshit.

Ari will always serve vocals, ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This album is criminally underrated. You may not get it on your first listen; I didn’t. It took me time and maturity to fully grasp the beauty of this album.

It feels like driving in the country during summer, dancing in a kaftan on a private beach, and working at a rural coffee shop. It really is just about vibes. I don’t think the lyrics and concept are super deep, ... read more

Preface: This is an album I have already listened to, and I am re-listening to it as part of my 75 Hard Challenge.

This is the summer album. The second the weather hits over 60 degrees, this is on my speaker, and I’m popping a bottle of prosecco. I have so many good memories associated with this album. It’s just pure joy, pure celebration.

where their last album explored the intersections of black and queer identities in a raw, vulnerable, yet carefree way, this one is just ... read more