KSIβs Dissimulation brings YouTube trap to the mainstream
Being a YouTuber before turning to music used to be a career choice that was ripe for ridicule. Thanks to new wave industry acts such as KSI, Joji, and Quadeca, the rules are finally changing. It wasnβt all that long ago when Olajide Olatunji, better known as KSI, was making...
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Little Simz βDrop 6β β Review
One of Londonβs best artists is back with a quick EP to keep us going during lockdown, and itβs another solid entry in an already strong discography. Little Simz is up there with the best of them when it comes to UK rap and grime. Her last album βGREY Areaβ...
Machine Gun Kelly drops βBloody Valentineβ β Review
This new single is a departure from his typical hip hop aesthetic, one that brings guttural pop punk production reminiscent of early noughties Blink 182 albums. Youβd be forgiven for only knowing who Machine Gun Kelly is due to that Eminem diss track βRap Devilβ he dropped in 2018. Heβs...
The Weeknd βAfter Hoursβ β Review
The Weeknd brings his usual dark, moody R&B style to his newest record, and itβs more consistent than nearly all of his previous efforts. You could easily argue that The Weeknd is perhaps the biggest pop star of the last ten years. Heβs kept up a consistently stellar track record...
Green Day ‘Father Of All…’ – Review
The punk bandβs fifteenth record is a hollow, dated affair that says a whole bunch of nothing in its brief run time. You have to feel sorry for Green Day. Itβs been sixteen years since they droppedΒ American Idiot, a politically charged rock opera that transformed them from a chill out trio...
Mac Miller ‘Circles’ – Review
The would-be 28-year-old rapperβs posthumous release is a tentative, delicate ensemble of rich storytelling, thatβs as much about inner peace as it is turmoil. Mac Millerβs story is one I think about often. It ends in tragedy and an untimely passing, obviously, but itβs also a shining example of how resilient...
Lil Peep: Everybodyβs Everything – Review
In conjunction with a docufilm by the same name, Lil Peepβs second posthumous album βEverybodyβs Everythingβ dropped today (Nov 15th) to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the rapperβs tragic death. Tales of musicians crushed by fame and drugs have, regrettably, become common to the point of clichΓ©. Yet something feels especially sad and poignant about the death of Lil Peep. Throughout his short career, Peep took typical drug-fuelled trap tropes...
Post Malone ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’ – Review
Some obvious bangers aside, Post Maloneβs third album is a repetitive snooze fest thatβs dragged down by mopey misogyny. Post Malone wants you to know that he doesnβt trust anyone. He spends his days drinking in his Lamborghini and avoids old friends that ask if their mums can get a ticket to his show. He fights with his girlfriend but buys her necklaces occasionally to appease her. He denounces all those...
Ed Sheeran ‘No 6 Collaborations Project’ – Review
The singer songwriter prodigy Ed Sheeran ditches the guitar for an eclectic collaborative project with an extensive feature list. While the switch up is refreshing, his original charm is washed out in the process. This year has been relatively quiet for popular music, aside from Billie Eilishβs rapid world takeover with βWHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE ALL GO?β and Lil Nas Xβs trip to the Wild West...
Tyler, The Creator ‘IGOR’ – Review
Expanding on the artistic quirkiness of its predecessor,Β IGORΒ is a weird, heartfelt masterclass in production. Tylerβs verses are few and far between, but his presence still shines across all twelve tracks. Before I review Tyler, The Creatorβs fifth studio album, I want to make a quick disclaimer for transparencyβs sake. I am a huge fan of his previous work, as well as Odd Future and all of its members. This weekend I...
