"PRINCESS OF POWER" is fun and campy, but also at times incredibly dull.

F*gg*ts let me hear y'all make some noise!!

MARINA returns for her comeback after four years with her first project as an independent artist, and I must say that after the weird first two singles that MARINA released at the beginning of the year, my excitement for this project began to fade. I wasn't fond of the high-pitched vocals in "BUTTERFLY"; they felt overly produced for a ... read more

"Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land" is a rediscovery of MARINA.

After her first project, rebranding herself "Love + Fear," saw a lack of positive reviews coming from both music critics and her fan base, MARINA started to write her fifth album, stating that she was going to go on a much more raw and wild record in comparison to the more shiny and slicker "Love + Fear." MARINA also stated this project is on the more political side of music, being inspired by the ... read more

"Love + Fear" is a bit of a mess for a rebranding.

Oh boy... here we go...

In the world of pop stars, there is a period in time when the artist must rediscover who she is as a person aside from all the glitz and glamour that accompanies fame. We have examples like "Joanne" by Lady Gaga, "Witness" by Katy Perry, "Blue Banisters" by Lana del Rey, hell, even "Lover" by Taylor Swift serves this purpose. For MARINA, this is "Love+Fear." ... read more

"Froot" is MARINA at her best.

It's quite usual that when an artist finds success within a genre with a series of singles or an album, they try to replicate their success using the same formula to create their next big project. That is not the case when it comes to MARINA and her third album, "FROOT." MARINA instead took some sleeping pills, was forced to feed them to her alter-ego so she could never come back, ditched all the producers that helped craft that project, ... read more

"Electra Heart" is 2010s electropop at its highest

After an incredible debut album, Marina decided to take her point of view style of writing and create a persona that would catalyze her critiques of the female archetypes created by society for women in popular culture (House Wife, Beauty Queen, Homewrecker, and Idle Teen), all this wrapped in an electropop, synth-pop, and dance-pop box that were popular at the time. The project also enlists the biggest pop producers at the time to ... read more

"The Family Jewels" is theatrical.

It's truly a test of time when an album that was released 15 years ago still sounds as fresh as ever, especially when you consider the period when it was dropped and the trends that were popular at the time. This is my first time hearing this project in full length as I had only listened to popular tracks like "Hollywood" and "Oh No!" because I was 9 when this album came out, and I can say that I'm more than impressed ... read more

"Heard It In A Past Life" is solid pop.

Maggie Rogers released her debut LP in 2019. It showcases a perfect mix of folk, synth, dance, and alt-pop elements that perfectly suit her tone of voice and writing style at the time. It's not enough to make it memorable after all these years, but it does a magnificent job of showcasing Maggie's strengths and talents.

"Give A Little" catchy and upbeat start that is infectious from the beginning, and it's only ... read more

"Solar Power" is a polarizing project.

*Everyone, put down your tomatoes.*

After the release of "Melodrama" —which many people would classify as her magnum opus —and during one of the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lorde decided to drop her most personal and introspective project to date (this review was written before the drop of "Virgin," so I don't know if the statement will hold accurate). "Solar Power," a project that strayed away ... read more

"Melodrama" is a masterpiece.

In 2017, another pop music touchstone was created by no other than Lorde. Her rise to fame was due to her previous project, "Pure Heroine," which quickly became revered as a cult classic by many teens and young adults of the time, and also because it received critical acclaim from the beginning. Lorde took a four-year hiatus while creating her next LP, as it would later become her regular album cycle, and when she dropped this, I can tell you ... read more

"Pure Heroine" Changed Modern Pop Music

The early 2010s were a crazy period for music. We had just come off the height of the "pop-timism" movement of the 2000s. On the one hand, Britney's "Scream & Shout" was in the air, Taylor Swift marked becoming "22" a thing, "Gangnam Style" received viral success, Madonna had just done the Superbowl, Nicki Minaj was telling us to put our hands up and touch the sky in "Starships" and on ... read more

"Cuz I Love You" is confidence bottled.

The year was 2019, the sun was sitting up high, and everyone and their mother were jamming to: "I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch." A lyric from a 2017 single that went viral all over the internet due to the infectious, unapologetic, and meme-able abilities that the phrase had. And who was this mysterious singer who managed to get the whole world on the same page, no other than Lizzo. Lizzo, at the time, was ... read more

"Confetti" is a rediscover.

This is my final review for my Little Mix deep-dive, and honestly, it has been a fun and easier one to write reviews for. I had hit a slump on my Lana del Rey reviews because there was so much I wanted to say about her music that I couldn't find a way to start writing, but because of this little (no pun intended) series of reviews, I've found it much easier to let the creative juices flow and start putting my thought on the word document. So now, ... read more

"LM5" is a mature album for the band.

Finally, free (mostly) from Syco Label and Simon Cowell's mismanagement of the girls' talent and album deal, the girl band returned with their fifth studio album, "LM5". I say mostly because the Syco team still oversaw production and boy, does it show in its attempt to recreate modern trends. I have conflicted feelings about this project because, on one hand, the songs are mostly good, if not great, but on the other hand, they ... read more

"Glory Days" is Little Mix's catchiest project.

After a tumultuous year for the girls, filled with breakups and starring to gain traction outside their home country, Little Mix returned with their fourth studio album, "Glory Days." If I had a nickel for every 2010s girl band under the Syco label that made their album cover an awkward picture of them standing in the desert at an awkward time of day with the sun blinding them, I would have two nickles which isn't ... read more

"Get Weird" is the standard Little Mix.

For me, "Get Weird" is when everything in the Little Mix project clicked. From their previous two albums, I saw that they were likely leaning more towards an R&B route, which honestly suited them better due to their vocal abilities and skill for nailing a ballad or a slow love song to a T. That's the only "weird" aspect of this project for me: the way they maintained R&B sensibilities in the slow tracks while ... read more

"Salute" is the actual start.

Exactly a year after the debut album "DNA" was released, Little Mix returned with their sophomore album that proved they were ready to raise the bar every time —they had these ladies working! I remember the first time I ever listened to Little Mix, and it was because of Tumblr (R. I. P). I remember logging onto my dashboard as a 12-year-old with pretty much-unrestricted access to the internet, seeing a gif of the "Move" music ... read more

"DNA" is decent.

I'm going to break my silence and say that, yes, I am a Little Mix fan, and I'm not ashamed of it; I like pop music. And also, with that same sentiment, I'm going to say that this album is decent but has many mistakes.

Little Mix started their career by winning the British talent competition called the "X-factor", being the first group to ever win the show. Being considered fan favorites due to their personalities and (most of them) being ... read more

"Bewitched" is a love potion to the ears.

"Dreamy" is the only way I can describe this project. While browsing my Apple music recommendations, I stumbled upon "The Goddess Edition" of this project, which captivated me at first Glance. I've heard of Laufey before due to the viral craze that "From the Start" got on TikTok two years ago —time isn't real— but it wasn't until now that I decided to listen to it. ... read more

"For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)" is the other side of the coin.

After a project receives critical acclaim from the music industry, it would be expected for them to milk the success out of it, pumping a new project as quickly as possible to try and capitalize on the buzz and creative juices. That is not the case for the band "Japanese Breakfast," who after their critically acclaimed project "Jubilee" released in 2021, decided to step back and take a ... read more

"MAYHEM" is a revival of Gaga.

It has taken me quite some time to try and write this review because my thoughts on this project are a mixed bag, and I was trying to finish my Lana del Rey deep dive, but now that that's finished, I can focus on processing my feelings on this project. Lady Gaga started teasing this era in the last leg of last year, releasing the first single "Disease" which captivated the audience and sparked excitement among fans who started yelling: ... read more