The leap from Internet personality to musical artist can often be a difficult one, but it appears that Rich Brian has finally done that here. He's a Twitter shitposter turned promising rapper and the growth he displays on his sophomore album The Sailor is utterly admirable. The production transitions are rich and vibrant, his content is emotionally diverse and when brought together you get one of the most impressive and genuinely surprising rap releases of the year; I mean he has a RZA verse on ... read more

Coming off the back of his finest album to date with Negro Swan, Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange has released a new mixtape of songs that feel equally as sexy as all of his previous works. A project like Angel's Pulse is further proof of the narrative that when you're as talented an artist as Dev Hynes, you're rarely going to falter. The grooves are slick, the production is on point and the vocals, both by guests and Dev himself, are the usual shimmering highlights. It may not be on the level of his ... read more

The album Chance The Rapper was supposed to make. YBN Cordae was the last of the YBN crew to break out and he is without doubt the most lyrical of the collective. The 21 year old Maryland rapper has created a warm vibe on his debut album The Lost Boy, telling tales of his come-up in both a typically confident rap fashion as well as a more emotional and understated one. The features are A-list and suitably deliver, especially Anderson .Paak and Pusha T on their respective songs. This is a really ... read more

This is what happens when albums like Cardi B's Invasion Of Privacy do well commercially. Iggy Azalea has made a trash imitation of a Cardi B album, so that should tell you all you need to know about how I feel about this thing. Beats are boring, bars are overly-sexualised and super-cringe, it never once feels like Iggy actually believes in what she is saying. Hey, at least Fancy still slaps though right?

A collection of previously unreleased recordings from a hip-hop great, with production credits as glamorous as they come? Sounds good to me. Except it isn't. I think Nas' biggest issue is that he put all his eggs into that glorious basket known as Illmatic, so every time he releases something we weigh it up alongside that. Hardly seems fair right? Ranking these new drops to perhaps the greatest East Coast rap album of all time? Well on The Lost Tapes II, a sequel that was almost two decades in ... read more

There's absolutely no denying Willow Smith's talent, her voice is ambient and beautiful and she clearly has a knack for solid songwriting. While WILLOW possesses plenty of potential and slick vibes, I can't help but feel it is somewhat of a lukewarm release at times, more often than not just going through the motions rather than creating a killer blow. There are really intriguing moments on the project, with the whole aurora of tracks like PrettyGirlz capturing your imagination with the kind of ... read more

The Dreamville record label have joined forces and recruited plenty of friends for this collaborative project; and it exceeded all my expectations. The huge list of names rapping on this thing, varying from the Dreamville cast of JID, EARTHGANG, Bas and of course, J Cole; to the feature slots of star studded names like Vince Staples, Ski Mask The Slump God and Ty Dolla $ign flow together brilliantly. It's so easy for albums like this to leave the sour taste of spoiled broth as a result of too ... read more

On his new album, a collaborative effort with some of the most intriguing names in modern hip-hop and pop music, Ed Sheeran flops. Really, really hard. It sounds like he has held each of these featured artists at gun point and forced them to record a verse or hook for him. It's a real shame because this could have been great; a daring crossover between Ed's acoustic catchy pop flavours and the rich sounds of grime and rap. We were instead given a dumpster fire with next to no redeeming ... read more

Jaden aimed for the stars on ERYS, and for that you can admire him in a way, but his musical shortcomings will always rear their ugly heads. He just comes across like an artist who isn't anywhere near as woke as he wants us to think he is, and huge budget production won't hide the fact he is borrowing everyone else's style rather than crafting his own.

On his candid surprise of a sophomore album, Daniel Caesar dives into a deeper world of introspection and understanding than on his last album. CASE STUDY 01 is a generally more squeaky clean and refined listen than Freudian was, opting for more consistency rather than the obvious big hit R&B formula he achieved before.

The follow-up to 2014's bonafide classic Piñata from gangsta rap mogul Freddie Gibbs and production wizard Madlib is what we all expected and more. Bandana is a polished, finely-poised and incredibly executed masterclass which confirms much of what we already knew already; and that is that Gibbs is street rap royalty and Madlib is the most innovative hip-hop producer ever. Alone they are fantastic, together they are unstoppable and unmatched.

While there isn't necessarily anything bad about The Black Keys' ninth studio album "Let's Rock", it will hardly blow you away with invention and diversity. The songs are solid enough but in general this just feels like pretty safe blues rock rather than the huge comeback celebration we could be excused for expecting. Dan Auerbach's vocals often get drowned underneath the instrumentals and the guitar riffs, while adequately groovy, can come across pretty gimmicky at times. It's an ... read more

On his third solo album ANIMA, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke continues to glide through a dystopian universe through the use of glitchy electronics and watertight production. It is a broad spectrum of sound, vivid imagination and a harrowing reality of a society in turmoil; all forming together to create the best solo project of Yorke's career.

It's really cool to see Lil Nas X dip his toes into new waters here, and while there are obvious areas of improvement, he's shown his utter likeability and a keen ear for music on his debut EP. The gimmicks are clear for all to see, but what did we honestly expect from a former Nicki Minaj stan account and professional Internet shitposter? I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised by 7, as Nas X proves he is no one trick pony (pun intended).

The newest venture from innovative dance/indie fusion band Hot Chip is a bulbus and vibrant project deep fried in technicolour. A Bath Full Of Ecstasy uses glorious high-keyed synthesisers and colourful sounds to compliment the captivating vocals of Alexis Taylor; making the band's best album in a decade in the process. Hot Chip have always been a sweet and serene group who strived for invention and quirkiness in their music; and this latest record has done so in the most futuristic prom party ... read more

Much like Sigrid before her, AURORA is the next Scandinavian popstar to make a cute and glamorous album that has broken through into the ruthless world of British pop music this year; and A Different Kind Of Human (Step II) has justified the hype surrounding it. Her art-pop fusions on this album make for really pleasant listening, especially with her abstract and unorthodox songwriting; utilising her dreamy vocal delivery to full effect. It's an atmospheric and gorgeous release from a name who ... read more

I don't know what is weirder, the fact that Madonna has brought a new album out in 2019 or the fact that not all of it is terrible. Don't get me wrong, Madame X ticks every single box of a fading superstar trying to act hip and trendy (hence the Swae Lee and Quavo features), but there are honestly some of Madonna's best songs in years on here. Dark Ballet is mental and I love every second of it, while Come Alive is a wondrous pop hit full of character; but there's far too much trash on this ... read more

Dan Smith described this album as an "apocalyptic concept album" and that filled me with fear. What made Bastille so great on their debut was their serene innocence and quirky attitudes, I felt a bold concept piece could be a bridge too far for them; especially given the disappointment of their sophomore album. Surprisingly, Doom Days is a candid and impressive effort with a moody take on blind world ending panic and riddled nostalgia. It certainly doesn't hit the stunning heights of ... read more

Jack White's supergroup The Raconteurs are back with their first album in eleven years and it is a worthy return for the blues rockers. Help Us Stranger is littered with slick guitar riffs, great vocals and catchy choruses in ways that only Jack White can muster together. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this album from start to finish and while it is obviously a bit top heavy and fades towards the end; it is a welcome rebirth and perhaps the best of The Raconteurs' three albums so far. ... read more

When I first heard Sucker, the comeback single from Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas as infamous trio the Jonas Brothers, I was taken aback by how polished and interesting a pop sound they had. It was a truly great, fun single that appeared to lead the way for an album of summer jams from the boys. Instead, the full album just felt so gimmicky and all it did was show just how much of a fluke Sucker was. Happiness Begins is a really poor attempt at white chick pool party music, with lifeless production ... read more