Reviews
A Breakdown of Wizkid’s Billboard Chart Achievements
It is no longer news that Wizkid’s latest single “Essence” featuring Tems from his album Made In Lagos has become a global summer anthem and a viral international hit. The massive streams, airplay all over the world, reposts from celebrities worldwide, social media engagements, etc. over the past few weeks have prompted Wizkid to add another chart record to his collection. This is as big as it gets but it doesn’t even end there. The album Made In Lagos is still growing as in this same chart week on Billboard 200 album chart, Wizkid‘s Made In Lagos re-entered the chart at #147 after previously peaking at #80 back in November 2020. Its re-entry on the chart makes it the longest-charting album by a Nigerian artist on the Billboard 200 album chart this century. ALSO READ: Nigerian Rap Is Becom...
Sonic Frequencies from “The Black Album” Make Metallica’s Latest Blackened Whiskey the Perfect Sipper: Review
Metallica have unveiled The Black Album Whiskey Pack, the latest release in their Blackened American Whiskey line. The 12 songs from the classic 1991 album were used for the “Black Noise” sonic-enhancement process, literally pummeling the casks with sonic frequencies to extract flavors from the wood. The new pack includes a bottle of Batch 114 Blackened whiskey — finished to the low hertz frequencies of “The Black Album” — a collectible coin, and a Snakebite cocktail booklet. It’s a dream gift for Metallica fans and at a very modest SRP of $49.99, considering this is high-grade craft whiskey. I was fortunate enough to have been gifted a pack for this article. Knowing that I certainly couldn’t polish off the whole bottle alone — or shouldn’t, at least — I decided to bust out ...
Bella Shmurda, Fully Understands Sonic Fluidity – High Tension 2.0, EP Review
Shmurda has found his star power and he has grown hotter than ever. High Tension 2.0, takes you into a crystal clear picture of how he morphed from the beginning of the initial creation of High Tension 1.0 a year ago, as this follow-up sequel designs him as a true star who finally understands his sonic fluidity and how to make it beyond measure appeal deliberately. He delivers alone and it was good. With the creation of pop-infused “Party Next Door” that was released off the project a few days ago, alongside “World”, and “Rush” some months back, Shmurda becomes a full-fledged singer with confirmations of his art staking an audience a glimpse of introspection about the world he comes from and the Lamba in between his artistry. It is wonderful. ALSO READ: “UY Scuti” Interpolates With A Speci...
Vince Staples’ Self-Titled Album Is a Worthy Homecoming: Review
Vince Staples is home again — and while that home of Long Beach, California might look the same to him in a lot of ways, there’s no denying that the rapper is the one who’s changed. Vince Staples, the ten-track self-titled LP, is the artist’s fourth studio album and feels like more of an evolution than a departure from his earlier work. Remarkably slight at just over 20 minutes, Vince Staples swims in a world separate from 2017’s stylish, avant-garde Big Fish Theory or 2018’s bigger, feature-heavy FM!. Instead, the album is a bit of a slow burn, simmering and sitting in a lower, smoother groove than much of Staples’ discography to date. (Kenny Beats produced the entire album.) The result is incredibly cohesive, though, and if Staples was interested in telling his own story in his own way, ...
Tyler, the Creator Finds Himself on Call Me If You Get Lost
Tyler, the Creator’s latest album, Call Me If You Get Lost, blends his unconventional early-days charisma with the warm melodies of later projects Flower Boy and IGOR. The record, a love letter to the DJ Drama mixtapes of the 2000s, finds Tyler reminiscing on personal histories and basking in the possibilities up ahead. Like much of his discography, the album devotes a healthy portion of its runtime to self-reflection. Since introducing fans to imaginary therapist “Dr. TC” on his debut mixtape, 2009’s Bastard, Tyler’s music has cathartically yet creatively addressed the frustrations, passions and inspirations of his personal life. He took that theme even further on 2019’s IGOR, centered around the titular figure—represented by Tyler in a blonde wig—who embodies and reckons with heartbreak....
Rick Rubin Picks the Brain of a Beatle in Hypnotic McCartney 3,2,1 Docuseries: Review
The Pitch: Ask any self-respecting millennial music dork which two people he’d like to have dinner with, living or dead, and chances are Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney are somewhere at the top of that list. Luckily, with Hulu’s new six-part docuseries McCartney 3,2,1, we get the closest possible thing, with Rubin and McCartney spending a long afternoon in a recording studio, the former grilling the latter about his history with the Beatles, his collaborations with John Lennon and George Martin, and taking apart some of his most famous tracks to see what they’re made of. The Notes That Like Each Other: One of the unexpected joys of Zachary Heinzerling’s docuseries is just how relaxed it is. There’s no pressure to use McCartney and Rubin’s time together as a comprehensive ...
Schmigadoon! Is Charming Catnip for Musical Theater Kids: Review
The Pitch: Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong) have hit a roadblock in their relationship: he’s too aloof, she’s too controlling, and the pair are steamrolling towards an abrupt end. But on a last-ditch backpacking trip to rediscover their bliss, they stumble upon something stranger: A mysterious, brightly-lit town called Schmigadoon, where everything looks like a colorblind-cast version of a ’40s villa and the townspeople burst into song at the drop of a straw hat. Soon, they discover that they’re trapped in the cloyingly musical town until they can find “true love” — love that it seems they don’t have anymore (if they ever did). Will the two patch up and get out? Or will they have to find a way to adjust to this new, toe-tapping normal? Corn Puddin’, Corn Puddin’, ...
Gen Z’s Biggest Star, Rema With ‘Another Banger’
Gen Z’s biggest star, Rema, continues to soar with the success of his latest single “Soundgasm“. Aside from the good music, Rema has one of the most solid record labels and management teams behind him. These factors combined make him Gen Z’s biggest star and his personality and brand have been made to fit and continue to appeal to that generation. He kicked off this year with the release of “Bounce” as it was a very catchy song produced by Don Jazzy, the best of all time this country has produced. It easily found its way to the hearts of music lovers but I was not totally convinced about the quality of the song. The Naija Lamba sound is not known to have deep and sensible lyrics, we are listening for the vibes. Once it makes us dance it gets a pass mark from the majority of music listeners...
Raheem DeVaughn Isn’t Shy About His Desires on LoveSick
There’s a quote from Muhammad Ali that I never fully understood as a kid. “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life,” the boxing legend said. Ali’s statement speaks to growth, and on Raheem DeVaughn and Apollo Brown’s latest project, LoveSick, we see his maturation as an artist. DeVaughn’s ability to adapt to each instrumental makes it evident that he’s in charge of the tracks and their direction. Brown who is credited with production on every record, creates sultry and at times jazzy compositions for DeVaughn to flourish over. The drum patterns aren’t too complicated, and the melodies complement DeVaughn’s voice. Brown shows off his musicality while allowing DeVaughn’s vocals to take everything to the next level. There are a few moments wh...
Every Fast and Furious Movie Ranked by Least Family to Most Family
“I don’t have friends. I got family.” For the vast majority of the Fast and the Furious franchise’s twenty-year lifespan, one overriding ethos has dominated the series even more than its love of tricked-out imported street cars: The physics-defying, bone-deep earnest love of family. (Or, as series star Vin Diesel so frequently rumbles, fambly.) In the Fast movies, having a family and a code by which to honor them is the most powerful force on Earth. It can defy the laws of governments as much as it can the laws of physics; it can even restore memory and bring back the dead. It can turn your most sworn enemy into your dearest comrade. And most of all, it can make Corona Lites palatable. With the latest entry in the series, F9, now in theaters, it’s high time to look back at the franchise’s ...
On Disco!, MIKE Shares a Glimmer of Hope
Disco!, the latest release from the experimental New York rapper MIKE, builds upon his somber but virtuosic style, exploring new lyrical and musical terrain through the honest lens of his writing and his burgeoning talents as a beatmaker. His previous releases, weight of the world in 2019 and tears of joy in 2020, were in direct response to the loss of his mother, captured in heart-wrenching voicemails and pointed descriptions of life’s inconvenient truths. Though this grief still features prominently on Disco!, the progression of both his sorrow and his musical technique can be traced across the album’s diverse tracks. At the age of 22, MIKE has emerged as a leading figure in underground hip-hop, drawing on the dense lyricism and measured delivery of artists like MF DOOM and Earl Sw...
Foo Fighters Reopen Madison Square Garden With Musical Medicine for the Masses
Lyrics to the Foo Fighters’ opening aural salvo summed up a historic night and extraordinary experience: “It’s times like these you learn to live again.” The setting was Madison Square Garden, the occasion? NYC’s first full capacity arena concert since COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020. There was audience speculation about New York-centric guests along the lines of a Billy Joel, and murmurs of why an artist with area ties like KISS or Bruce Springsteen didn’t reopen the World’s Most Famous Arena. That said, it was immediately clear that the Foo Fighters were the perfect choice for New Yorkers to celebrate the city’s reopening with a much-welcomed infusion of communal energy, camaraderie and joy. The group’s consummately crafted arena rock stylings are classic – and now 26 years since ...
