Articles tagged: album review

Leisure

Beyoncé, rebirthed: What Renaissance means for her legacy and more

But it’s on Renaissance where Beyoncé proves there’s no need to top herself—she instead transforms the musical geography altogether.

By August 27, 2022

Leisure

State Champs’ Kings of the New Age artfully improves on what makes pop punk captivating

State Champs’ Kings of the New Age (2022) is an anthemic punk album ready-made for summer—all while being a life-affirming, thoughtful dive into issues of love, loss, paranoia, and moving... Read more

By May 31, 2022

Leisure

Rx (2022) shows ROLE MODEL revived in a whirl of passion, devotion, and vibrant sensation

Rx surges forth in a journey from struggle and vulnerability toward a place just as open and honest, but cushioned by love.

By April 30, 2022

Leisure

We gave Lizzy McAlpine a minute and five seconds flat is the remarkable result

five seconds flat firmly side-steps the sophomore slump with mature production, stellar lyricism, and fearless creativity.

By April 25, 2022

Leisure

Rex Orange County’s Who Cares? puts an optimistic spin on feeling aimless

While the title may seem fatalistic, Rex (Alex O’Connor) puts a cheerful twist on the question with his fourth album.

By April 16, 2022

Leisure

Fame, femininity, and flamenco: On MOTOMAMI, Rosalía is not the pop star you think she is

On MOTOMAMI, Rosalía is both more playful and vulnerable than ever before, offering meditations on love, fame, and womanhood. 

By March 31, 2022

Leisure

Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (Extended Version) demystifies pregnancy and fame

When Halsey first announced that their fourth studio album would be about pregnancy, she faced intense fan resistance. In an Internet age where teenagers and young adults are a cornerstone... Read more

By February 19, 2022

Halftime Leisure

Albums we love: Phrazes for the Young

The year 2022 marks the upcoming thirteenth anniversary of Julian Casablancas’ debut solo album Phrazes for the Young (2009). Why is this significant? It’s not, really; I just wanted a... Read more

By January 29, 2022

Halftime Leisure

Looking back: Madonna’s Ray of Light 24 years later

On February 22, 1998, singer-songwriter Madonna released Ray of Light, her seventh studio album. An introspective, psychedelic, and electronica-influenced album which reflected Madonna’s study of Hindu scripture and conversion to... Read more

By January 21, 2022

Leisure

Weathering the storm: Adele is a force of nature on 30

Adele has returned bearing gifts. Her latest album, 30, is another smashing collection of musical masterpieces that strike deep into your core. The British singer’s fourth album, which is about ... Read more

By December 9, 2021

Leisure

Revamped, rerecorded, and repackaged: Red (Taylor’s version) revisits a timeless classic

A 30 song, two-hour-plus version of Red. In the words of Taylor Swift, “I never saw [it] coming, and I will never be the same.” Red (Taylor’s Version) takes listeners... Read more

By and November 29, 2021

Leisure

PinkPantheress’s to hell with it goes back to the future

Something about PinkPantheress seems familiar. Pulling extensively from 2000s beats, the TikTok-famous hitmaker crafts songs that are often an ode to the distinct sounds of her childhood. Incorporating the dazzling... Read more

By November 28, 2021

Music

Get lost in the psychedelic garden of Lorde’s Solar Power

Solar Power (2021) is an album best listened to on long walks.  You may have heard negative reviews of Lorde’s much-anticipated third studio album that brings an end to a... Read more

By October 22, 2021

Music

Kacey Musgraves’s star-crossed is a tangle

The sweet, light fluidity of Kacey Musgraves’s croon has emerged to tell the tumultuous narrative of the years since her Grammy-winning Golden Hour (2018). star-crossed (2021) is a cohesive work,... Read more

By October 19, 2021

Music

Maisie Peters shows the duality of young adulthood on You Signed Up For This

After making a name for herself with her singles such as 2017’s “Places We Were Made,” a lyrical love letter to her hometown, and 2018’s wildly popular “Worst of You,”... Read more

By October 8, 2021

Music

Lil Nas X produced the goldilocks of pop albums with MONTERO

Pop songs often follow a carefully calculated formula for success: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Writing a single that will top charts, or go viral, is a science that... Read more

By October 6, 2021

Music

Despite problematic collaborators and history, Kanye West’s Donda is a prayer for hope

Content warning: brief mentions of sexual assault, homophobia, and antisemitism Imagine if you had a dollar for every time you were told Kanye West’s Donda was going to come out... Read more

By September 27, 2021

Music

Lady Gaga pushes the boundaries of her own music on Dawn of Chromatica

Last year, Lady Gaga released her sixth album Chromatica (2020), which is fun and pop-y, yet still continues to deliver Gaga’s signature contrast of upbeat music paired with quite sad... Read more

By September 16, 2021

Music

Hard rock band Greta Van Fleet fights its biggest critics in The Battle at Garden’s Gate

Greta Van Fleet is no stranger to living in the shadow of the great rock bands that came before them. Hailing from Frankenmuth, Michigan, the band has been compared to... Read more

By April 29, 2021

Halftime Leisure

All the Vault Songs from Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Ranked

It feels like 2008 all over again. After having perhaps the most productive quarantine creative process with the albums folklore (2020) and evermore (2020), Taylor Swift started 2021 not by... Read more

By April 23, 2021