21 Savage Draws Wisdom From Struggle on ‘I Am > I Was’
21 Savage came from Atlanta’s notorious zone 6, and rose to the top of the rap game with his 2017 debut Issa Album. His follow-up, “I Am…
Vic Mensa Infuses Life Lessons Into Free Format on ‘Hooligans’ EP
Vic Mensa is a particular admirable figure in the hip-hop community, with a record of social activism that stands out from most of his peers in the scene. He founded…
Zayn Demonstrates Multi-Personality Pop on ‘Icarus Falls’
Nabil
Zayn arose from One Direction fame, and is grappling with the consequences. Boy band stardom sets up expectations that are equal parts fanatical glorification and seething dismissal. Zayn embarked on…
Coldplay Reimagine Themselves as Los Unidades on ‘Global Citizen EP1’
Word has been out that Chris Martin was curating a record for Global Citizen, a movement with the ambitious goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. In keeping with the organization’s international scope,…
As Enigmatic as Impressive, The 1975 Defy Classification on ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’
Brett Lloyd
“Please stop calling us a rock band,” pleads singer Matty Healy of enigmatic Manchester outfit The 1975, “‘cause I think that’s the only music we don’t make.” It’s a valid point. The “pop”…
Alessia Cara Grapples With Millennial Anxieties on ‘The Pains Of Growing’
Brick Howze
Alessia Cara introduced herself to the world, on her breakthrough 2015 single “Here,” as “an antisocial pessimist.” Angst is a rare commodity in contemporary pop R&B, and this type of…
Rita Ora Demonstrates Pop as Catharsis on ‘Phoenix’
Hayley Louisa Brown
UK singer Rita Ora started at number one in her country, with her 2012 debut “Ora.” Such a promising start can be frustrating in of itself, as it…
Smashing Pumpkins Are a Shadow of Their Former Self on ‘Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1’
Linda Strawberry
Smashing Pumpkins were a definitive ‘90s phenomenon. There was a period when it somehow became in vogue for singers to sound alarmingly nasal — think Liam Gallagher, Alanis Morissette, etc. The…
Anderson .Paak’s ‘Oxnard’ Is a Cinematic, Socially Conscious Marvel
Israel Ramos
Anderson .Paak is something of an enigma in the hip-hop world. His moniker, with its oddly placed period, is completely representative of the bold disregard for convention that characterizes his…
Mariah Carey Reminds Us Why We Love Her on ‘Caution’
Sarah McColgan
R&B as we know it might have taken a decidedly different trajectory if it weren’t for a few voices along the way that stood out so sharply as to steer musical history.
Mumford & Sons Balance the Intimate and the Epic on ‘Delta’
Alistair Taylor-Young
Mumford & Sons began as a largely acoustic outfit, playing the type of rootsy music that one would expect from the band’s moniker, which the members have described as an…
Muse Draw From ’80s Decadence on Retro-Futurististic ‘Simulation Theory’
Jeff Forney
English rock giants Muse emerged at the cusp of the millenium with a hodgepodge of musical styles that demanded attention. They fit into the general post-grunge alternative rock…