Despite my love for many of the tracks on this album that I come back to, re-listening to “BALLADS1” is a chore for me. The repetitive tone of modern heartbreak works well sonically, as Joji is clearly a talent when it comes to making dramatic RnB ballads that almost obnoxiously appeal to a younger audience. But I found it surprising to notice that Joji fails pretty hard as a lyricist on this album as he almost always comes off as amateur, fake, and even misogynistic. The opening ... read more

Frank Ocean’s first attempt at a solo project is exactly what it was made to be, catchy beats and lyrics to listen to on a midnight drive. With a consistent topic of love and heartbreak, “nostalgia,ULTRA.” explores themes of romance with a dark, almost gritty, collection of lyrics which are contrasted by Frank’s excellent, sleek, modern instrumentals and transitions that fit the album perfectly. This project would be a great start to any musician’s discography as ... read more

Never have my expectations for an album been so proven wrong. I’ve tried to become a Frank Ocean fan through Blond multiple times and have been let down every attempt so far. After listening to Blond for a 4th try and not enjoying it I decided to listen to Channel Orange instead because I had interest in a few tracks and I couldn’t bare his other album anymore. I was to say the least… astounded. Frank Ocean manages to perfectly master the psychedelic pop genre on his debut ... read more

Tyler, The Creator’s 6th album is by far his most acclaimed album both critically and by audiences. Tyler’s magnum opus “IGOR” is his latest concept album that takes on the story of a narrator’s relationship that gets interrupted by the significant other’s affair. The use of Kanye-esc sampling throughout the project truly shines a light on Tyler’s talent with production that he’s improved somewhat recently. The magnificence of this album ... read more

Madvilliany is the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band of hip-hop. From Madlib showing his genius with the blaring sample on Rhinestone Cowboy to the Viktor Vaughn lyrics written by DOOM for Fancy Clown, this album was destined for perfection from the start. The obvious talent pouring from both artists as “Madvillian” on this album evolved hip-hop to it’s most creative form yet. Madvilliany released in 2004 during MF DOOM’s peak 3 years of his career, dropping the ... read more

This album means more to me than any other album. Twenty One Pilots’ debut was what shot me into the universe of music, I had never once sat down and thought about a song before I heard this album. The admiration I have for every piece of sound produced from every track is insane. Tyler Joseph, Chris Salih, and Nick Thomas wrote and produced the album in Tyler’s basement during high school 2009 on a laptop with cheap software and managed to create a masterpiece. The way that teenage ... read more