Articles tagged: album review

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

Music

Canadian post-punk band Dish Pit showcases grime, grit, and glamor on debut LP

Content Warning: This article mentions sexual assault.  It is hot and sweaty in the dish pit of a Montreal restaurant. The sounds are cacophonous and the air is grimy with... Read more

By April 17, 2021

Digital Issue

Beyond Awards Season: Underrated media from 2020

Most people measure a year with a calendar, but for movie and music buffs, a year is defined by its films and albums. With the COVID-19 pandemic creating a ripple... Read more

By , and April 16, 2021

Music

Justice and injustice: Justin Bieber expresses passion for change and love on his sixth studio album

Justin Bieber’s sixth studio album, released on March 19, is already topping the charts.  Justice is Bieber’s eighth overall album to be No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The original... Read more

By April 8, 2021

Music

Julien Baker moves forward and finds her strength on Little Oblivions

Queer and Christian. College student and famous touring musician. Addict and sober role model. In Julien Baker’s hands, reconciling these identities is old news—now, she pushes past them altogether.  Baker’s... Read more

By March 8, 2021

Music

Hayley Williams lays her ghosts to rest in FLOWERS for VASES / descansos

No artist showcased quite as much of a quarantine transformation as Hayley Williams. The Paramore lead singer released her explosive solo debut, Petals for Armor (2020), back in May, in... Read more

By February 25, 2021