What a busy season of music we’ve had this year!
Even your favorite artist had to get back in the studio and process these past few years. We’re truly being fed, but with that comes an overwhelming amount of tours too. Me personally, I will attend as many as I can afford if it means getting to see some of my artists that are heavy in rotation.
Before diving in, it’s worth discussing the art of being able to create a cohesive album. Now I’m not a musician, but as a listener, there is a certain touch of skill that’s required of the artist to create a project that is differentiated enough sonically, yet still delivers a clear listening experience. Many artists have been sharing their thoughts about the process of creating, from Pink Pantheress saying she doesn’t listen to albums and doesn’t understand why her fans care about track listing, to Tyler, The Creator calling out new-age rap artists for lacking purpose in their music & just being in it for the money.
People on social media like to give Tyler, The Creator shit for his stance on the current state of the music industry, but I truly hope he is able to impact more young talent throughout his career. Ever since his episode in Hulu’s Rap Caviar limited series, he has really been clocking everyone’s tea in the industry and sharing what true passion & vision for a project looks like. Bring back caring about the musical process!
Now, every artist doesn’t have to be an album-oriented musician. That’s why the term “one hit wonder” exists! Don’t drag me for this, as I do enjoy some of these artists’ music, but let’s take Pink Pantheress for example. Her 2023 album ‘Heaven Knows’ isn’t really conveying a story, it’s just a project of many songs released at one time. Luckily, PinkPantheress has a distinct enough sound and direction to her music that makes it less abrasive. Ice Spice, on the other hand, released a pretty lackluster album this year, ‘Y2K!’ It’s a good example of an album that doesn’t have enough differentiation in its sound or depth to the lyrics. All the songs are giving the same build and are difficult to distinguish from each other. It was a difficult listen to be honest. Not a surprise to most, as many see Ice Spice as lacking artist development, which honestly is valid.
Whoever is in the writers room and helping produce these artists’ projects needs to apply a bit more rigor to their development. There’s a lot of great talent out here, but it’s clear that they lack at least one key element of delivering a good album, whether it’s narrative, cohesion, or strong musicality. And, the industry itself has been prioritizing cash-grab songs so much to the point its impacting the type of talent and work ethic we witness. Not everything needs to be a TikTok Top 50 song or a sound bite. And, maybe artists’ songs would have a better chance of going viral, or being critically acclaimed, if they put a bit more effort into delivering something differentiated & authentic to their character.
Anyways, with that, let’s get into some albums that I’ve been listening to:
ALBUMS
roses are red, tears are blue – Fountain Baby Extended
Amaarae finally released the deluxe album to her 2023 project Fountain Baby. Fountain Baby is easily my album of the year, even though it came out last year. The 7 songs that make up the deluxe disc of this extended album are so ethereal and dreamy. It’s true to her dynamic sound that we get throughout Fountain Baby, almost giving unreleased tracks that didn’t quite make it to the OG album.
The biggest disappointments for me are the features. Two songs have features, one with Naomi Sharon and the other with 6LACK, but they didn’t really stick out to me. They aren’t bad songs or bad features, just not for me. I personally would like to hear Ravyn Lenae collab with Amaarae, Doechii, or even Tyla as I think those artists would fit best on the songs that I enjoy.
My favorites from this deluxe album:
1. sweeeet
First track of the album supremacy. The beat on this is smooth. Her flow on this is smooth & sexy. 10/10 start to the ethereal garden story that is “Fountain Baby”.
2. jehovah witness
This song stood out to me initially on my first listen. I definitely think this is the most dynamic musically out of the deluxe 7 which is likely why it stood out to me. The chorus on this is one of my favorites too. This is how you do a 2 minute song!
3. this!
Overall this is a solid song. It’s a good GRWM song as the vibes are nice, beat is strong and has good transitions for dancing & feeling yourself.
Charm
Clairo, oh Clario. I wasn’t familiar with your game. I’ve seen a few songs being used as TikTok sounds, and by no means were they bad, but I didn’t exactly care enough to check Clairo out even after seeing them gain traction. However, I’m so glad I did. Charm transports me into an airy boho state of mind. This is a great album to listen straight through while you’re doing tasks around the house, doodling or journaling, or simply basking in the sun. I’m not typically a major Indie listener, but this album has caught my attention. I love the jazz infusion and 70s elements that are incorporated too.
I also really enjoy when an artist uses their voice differently throughout the album. Instead of just singing and making her voice the foreground of each and every song, Clairo uses her voice as another instrument and changes up how she sounds, how loud her voice is, etc. Track 9 “Echo” is a great example of a transitional point in the album where the use of her voice is distinctly different from other songs. More artists need to do this!
Although I think this is a great album that I could [and will] listen to in its entirety, there were a few stand-outs to me besides “Sexy to Someone” and “Juna,” which have been prominent on TikTok.
1. Thank You
There is a strong use of piano throughout the album along with Clario’s voice, but this song does it the best for me. The little piano in the chorus is so catchy and has been stuck in my head. Love the energy of this song and the lyrics.
2. Juna
I have to include this one in my top 3… For once, TikTok actually got stuck on a song that is really good musically. You can just tell that Clario and her team care about music in this song. It’s sultry, it’s jazzy, it’s very 70s reminiscent, yet also light and airy. A great amalgam. This is my favorite on the album. The lyrics also stood out to me, which isn’t as common for my listening experiences. I felt like it was a very vulnerable manifestation of how one wants to experience intimacy. Very beautiful, very real.
3. Add up My Love
Believe it or not, this song is what convinced me to actually listen to Charm in its entirety. Recommended to be added to one of my other playlists on Spotify by Spotify, I gave it a listen and was impressed. The beat on this track is one of the best on the album. It’s upbeat., and I enjoy how you can really hear all of the different instruments and elements that bring this song together. I imagine this song will be ideal for a live performance with her full band.
Bird’s Eye
I want nothing more than success for Ravyn Lenae. She has been my newest artist obsession and I’m not mad about it. Another dynamic R&B artist who is able to flow with an ethereal sound. Bird’s Eye is another album that gives me boho vibes, with a touch of R&B. And to believe that this is only her sophomore album! Very well done. Another project that I can listen to straight through, and also one that I imagine would be played in an Anthropologie.
At only 35 minutes and 11 songs, Bird’s Eye is concise yet accomplishes a lot. I thoroughly enjoy the entire project, but here is what stood out on the first listen:
1. Genius
Starting off strong, the first track on the album is Genius. This song really gives me “just a girl and her guitar” vibes, but in a POC way. It sets the tone for the album and lets you know, sonically, what you’re about to hear. A great album has a great first song and introduces the vibe. I like the way this does that.
2. Dream Girl
This song is a really great example of new age R&B to me. It’s a bit Indie, has that ethereal dreamy sound, yet also has Ty Dolla $ign as a feature. It’s kind of a rite of passage to have Ty Dolla $ign as a feature on a song as an R&B artist, especially because his features usually never miss. “Dream Girl” uses a lot of different instruments, Ravyn is talking at some points, and her vocals are great. It’s a 10/10 production and progresses really well.
3. Candy
Candy is so island-gyal-reggae-coded and that stands out to me. It’s fun, and it has the ability to transport you mentally to a vacation or island state of mind. R&B gets a stereotype of being sad in your feels music or freaky music, and I think this song does a good job of disrupting this stereotype.
4. Love Me Not
Here we go, my favorite song on the album. The production on this song is also really well done. One of the best produced songs on the album, in my opinion. I love when a song feels cohesive like an orchestra with many elements. The chorus on this song just makes you want to sway and walk with a different pep in your step. This is a song that is meant to be performed.
Short n’ Sweet
It’s only fair that I give Ms. Carpenter’s album a review. As soon as “Please, Please, Please” was released and when I found out that Jack Antonoff was producing this album, I knew it wasn’t going to be for me. ANd I’ll be honest, upon first listen to this album, I was really struggling to find things that I personally liked about it. I’m glad I revisited it with a more open mind & a differentiated expectation because there is something for everyone here.
Short n’ Sweet truly is a combination of 3 distinct sectors of pop music, and relying on a cohesive writing style of many innuendos and freakier lyrics. There are songs that are country-inspired, reminiscent of Dolly Parton, like in “Coincidence” and “Slim Pickins.” Then, there’s also the more traditional ballad pop music about how a boy or relationship has wronged them, which we frequently hear from Taylor Swift. “Taste,” “Sharpest Tool,” and “Dumb & Poetic” all give me this vibe. Finally, we get to the R&B seductive pop that is typically reminiscent of Ariana Grande. “Bed Chem,” and “Don’t Smile” fall into this category. Let’s just say it’s very apparent that Sabrina was on tour with Taylor Swift for many months & that has influenced the production and direction of this album.
Going back to my earlier discussion about what [traditionally] makes a good album, I don’t think this is necessarily that. It’s not cohesive sonically and I think that really disrupted the listening experience for me. I had to really focus on what I was supposed to be feeling when listening to this project because it was jumping around so much between different sub-segments of pop that were dissonant. However, knowing how much music Sabrina Carpenter has already made throughout her career, I could see a scenario where she tested a few different sounds on one overarching project to test the charts. Sabrina also mentioned she considers this album like a self-titled album, even though it isn’t, and I can see how this variant mix of pop could fulfill different parts of her and feel like a self-titled project.
With that being said, here are the songs that I DO enjoy:
1. Good Graces
Now this is a pop song!! “Good Graces” is an easy repeat, run-into-the-ground type of song. It has a bit of an R&B feel to it, but it definitely feels like something that Ariana Grande would have produced earlier in her ‘Yours Truly’ or ‘My Everything’ era, which I think is a major underlying contributor to why I am drawn to it. I cannot wait to see her perform this live. This song is meant for some cute choreography and I know she will deliver. It’s dynamic from lyrics to the beat, which is a key box to check for me. I do wish she released a music video for this instead of “Taste” though…
2. Juno
“Juno” is very much so giving traditional pop music. I envision this being used in The Summer I Turn Pretty soundtrack. It’s cute and references the 2007 film Juno for those that didn’t get that lol. The beat is relatively basic & uncomplicated, but it has enough going on to still be enjoyable.
3. Don’t Smile
When I first listened to this song, I had to run it back immediately. The beat on this is just right. R&B Sabrina came out on this track and it’s clear the general public took away that same sentiment. I was also really listening to the lyrics on this song too. Normalize wanting the other person to want you even when it’s over! Such a real experience that was conveyed beautifully. I think I listened to this song 15 times in one day that’s how much I enjoy it!!
4. Bed Chem
This one is worth including as I do enjoy listening to it, but it isn’t on the same level of repeat status as the other 3 mentioned. The chorus on this song is truly carrying the song for me.
Considering Jack Antonoff produced this album with her, I’m shocked we even got any bit of differentiation from this project. It’s ok to recognize that an album isn’t for you or doesn’t fit your listening profile. I can honestly say a lot of this doesn’t fit mine, but there are some bright spots.
The funniest part about all of this is that I will be going to see her in October for the Short n’ Sweet tour! I really enjoyed ’emails i cant send’ and I anticipate that a decent amount of the hits from that album will be performed on tour since Short n’ Sweet is only 36 minutes. And, Amaarae is opening for her tour so obviously I will be there bright and early to see my artist of the year.
Wow! So many albums and so many thoughts!
Stay tuned for part II of this volume of Weekly Flow, focused on individual songs only.
THE IDENTITY CRISIS 