Laufey unites past with present on jazzy, sophisticated âBewitchedâ
Rating: 4.5/5 stars Jazz has an awkward position in pop music. Critics used to encounter it in underground clubs and bars, then jazz became synonymous with commercial pop to the ire of snobs as âfailed art musicâ or even capitalist…
âSpeak Now (Taylorâs Version)â enchants one loyal, nostalgic Swiftie
Rating: 4.5/5 stars I prefer to call myself a âTaylor Swift enjoyerâ above a âSwiftie.â I like most of her music, but I will never be the fan who defends her every move. She has written bad songs and released…
Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion pop, lock, flip hip-hop on new bop
Rating: 5/5 stars Historically, the music genre of rap has been dominated by men, with early influential figures being Dr. Dre (âThe Chronicâ), Tupac Shakur (âAll Eyez On Meâ, The Notorious B.I.G. (âReady to Dieâ) and many more. However, the…
Olivia Rodrigo returns gutsier than ever on long-awaited sophomore album
Rating: 3.5/5 stars Olivia Rodrigoâs (âSOURâ) sophomore album âGUTSâ was released Sept. 8. âGUTSâ has 12 songs that expand on the issues of girlhood, heartbreak and societal pressures. Rodrigo released two singles off of the album: âvampireâ on June 30,…
Mac DeMarcoâs 199-track snoozer âOne Wayne Gâ egotistic at its core
Rating: 1/5 stars Readers expect a music reviewer to listen to the entirety of an album. It is only 30-90 minutes of the reviewersâ time, they say. But sometimes it is the artistâs fault. Musicians, like experimentalist AG Cook (âAppleâ)…
Post Malone releases cathartic new single on healing
Rating: 4.5/5 stars On his single, Post Malone (âTwelve Carat Toothacheâ) doubled down on developing his sound, while struggling to free himself from a toxic relationship. âChemical,â although released as a single on April 21, was included as a part…
Jethro Tull returns with mythological flute tunes, poetic Icelandic lyrics
Rating: 3.5/5 stars Sit down and prepare for a musical deep dive into Norse mythology with Jethro Tull (âZealot Geneâ). The band released their new album âRökFlöte,â roughly meaning ârock fluteâ on April 21. Since their previous drop was only…
Ellie Goulding returns with upbeat pop on âHigher Than Heavenâ
Rating: 5/5 stars Ellie Goulding (âBrightest Blueâ) released âHigher Than Heavenâ on April 7 through Polydor Records. The album was originally announced in October 2022. It is her first album in three years, since âBrightest Blueâ (2020), Goulding has been…
Frost Children reinvent indie rave in post-hyperpop world on new album âSPEED RUNâ
Rating: 3/5 stars What actually is hyperpop? The dynamic genre has been the subject of debate amongst both middle-aged music critics and teenagers in TikTok comments. Some say it is the future of pop; some say it died with SOPHIE…
Metallica resurrects itself with themes of head-banging hope amid darkness
Rating: 5/5 stars Thrash metal is reborn and fresh out of therapy with Metallicaâs (âHardwired … to Self-Destructâ) latest album â72 Seasonsâ released on April 14. The band has a pat- tern of releasing a new album only every five to…
