My reviews of full-length albums and EPs.
Billie Eilish has had quite a year. She debuted her first full-length album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, scored her first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bad Guy,” and snatched three VMAs at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards (for New Artist, Push Artist, and Editing). Launching off of her newfound success, Billie used her podium to bring attention to an issue very dear to the singer: climate change.
In her notoriously nonchalant, California style, Lana Del Rey released a cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” which will be featured on her upcoming album, Norman Fucking Rockwell. Sublime was known for embodying the SoCal vibe – something Lana herself loves to exude – but tragically the band broke up after lead singer Bradley Nowell died of an overdose shortly before their third album’s release. The song explores a theme well known to Del Rey—domestic violence—and is slated to be featured on the upcoming documentary about the ska-punk band, titled Sublime.
Continue reading “Check Out Supersized Lana Del Rey in Her New Video for Sublime’s “Doin’ Time””
The road to recovery has been a long one for Iggy Azalea, but things seem to be coming together nicely for the Australian rapper. Her sophomore LP, In My Defense, suffered major delays and has been in the works for the last five years. After being dropped by label Island Records, Iggy decided to create her own independent label, which is part of the reason why In My Defense is coming to fruition. That said, it’s finally been given an official release date of July 19 (with an option for fans to pre-order it). To celebrate this major achievement, Iggy rolled out the club banger track “Just Wanna,” which takes things straight to the bedroom.
Continue reading “Iggy Azalea Is on the Prowl in New Track “Just Wanna””
Ariana Grande is a force to be reckoned with, and she’s solidifying her seat atop the throne of pop with every new release. Her fifth studio album, Thank U, Next, just dropped, as did her racy video for the song “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.” And it’s a certified bop.
2007 was a (very) rough year for Britney Spears. There was the head-shaving incident, that time she went ham on a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella, two counts of hit and run, her divorce from Kevin Federline, a bitter child custody battle, an unfortunately lackluster MTV Video Music Awards “comeback” performance, and a catalogue of highly publicized and photographed outbursts. The singer suffered one of the most global and unforgettable breakdowns the world had ever seen. But, thankfully, Britney also gave us Blackout in 2007, an album of such quality that it’s been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s music library and archives. Continue reading “‘Blackout’: How One Tragic Year Gave Us Britney Spears’ Best Album”
“Music To Watch Boys To” from Lana Del Rey’s third album, Honeymoon, is a pop-noir slow-burner that dives head first into her trademark bleak songwriting. For this track, Del Rey teamed up with “Summertime Sadness” collaborator Rick Boyles, and the outcome is undeniably dark. Executed to perfection, the song is far more than it appears to be.