A Year in Albums

[ayearinalbums]

February 15, 2017

Alicia Keys: Here

Alicia Keys is completely stripped down in this album and I’m here for it! I’m only familiar with her radio hits like “Fire” and her feature of Jay Z’s song “Empire State of Mind” so this was an unexpected surprise to hear her so raw and vulnerable. The album cover really communicates the general theme I’ve already touched on: vulnerability and free expression with no limitations. I love how she decided to go without makeup on the album cover because it’s not only a bold move but a statement about how the album is Alicia Keys studying her least protected sides of herself. 

Like Solange’s A Seat at the Table, Alicia Keys explores her qualities as an African American woman and communicates the struggles of being a minority in race as well as gender. It’s very poetic the way she speaks about race and gender. There aren’t a lot of ballads that I know Alicia Keys for on this album, instead we are introduced to a softer side of Keys that relies on minimal background noise. This album felt relevant, fresh, and necessary and I’m glad I listened to it. 10/10

[ayearinalbums]

February 10, 2017

Michael Jackson: Thriller

ICONIC. ALBUM.

Not sure if the songs are in the perfect order, but this album is filled with classics. His voice is so pure throughout the album and really shows his incredible vocal range. This album really solidified his place as the King of Pop which won’t be dethroned for a long long time. He cemented his legacy with hits like “Thriller” and “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” literally playing back to back to back. 

I love how he opens the album with “Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’”. It’s upbeat tempo makes you excited to hear the rest of the album and starts you off in a great mood. That mood never really falters throughout.

[ayearinalbums]

February 8, 2017

Destiny’s Child: The Writing’s on the Wall

Banger after banger after banger. Heavily features Beyoncé as the lead vocalist, but that isn’t a complaint! Not an album that is super deep but a pleasure to listen to with their incredible harmonies. 

[ayearinalbums]

February 7, 2017

New Gen: New Gen

9/10

Really intriguing album from this British rap group. Some island vibes in a few of the beats in their songs which is refreshing and different. I really like the song “Ring the Alarm”, it’s a very chill track. 

I find the group interesting because it’s quite diverse. They feature a lot of people on their album, and it’s hard to tell who’s the constant in the song. It seems like they had an inclusive recording session and just flowed with different people and the result is the produced album. I haven’t been exposed to a lot of foreign rappers, so it was fun listening to a new sound. 

[ayearinalbums]

February 6, 2017

D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah

This album felt very stripped down, in a good way. It was simplistic, relying on the voice and a few background beats. Every song was much different than the previous song and he builded off of the previous song seamlessly. 

He said a lot without saying too much. It definitely had political undertones but he was able to balance the dichotomy of making it about the music rather than the message. 

It’s clear D’Angelo put his heart and soul into this album. It’s constructed seemingly perfectly as he wrestled with how to order the songs to have the greatest effect on the listener. 

[ayearinalbums]

February 5, 2017

Migos: Culture

Meh. I felt like the beats were similar throughout the album which bored me a little bit. 

[ayearinalbums]

February 4, 2017

Stevie Wonder: Innervisions

Shonda Rhimes has introduced me to a lot of Stevie Wonder songs that I wasn’t familiar with previously. He has become one of my favorite artists, but I’ve never listened to his albums fully, instead, I pick and choose the songs I recognize. 

I love how halfway through the song “Living for the City” there’s dialogue in which Stevie Wonder has made it to the dream city, New York. However, upon arrival, he is immediately arrested and shows the severity of race relations at the time. The album kind of takes a turn from that point where the first two songs before it were airy and dream like, the songs after “Living for the City” are more robust. His voice gets heavier. 

This album relies heavily on context and knowing what was happening at the time to make a real impression. His last song, “He’s Misstra Know-It-All” is directed at Richard Nixon’s watergate scandal which isn’t super obvious when you listen to it today. He’s able to make references in his music, but the music can still be sung in any context and have a similar effect, which is really quite extraordinary.

[ayearinalbums]

February 2, 2017

The Beatles: Abbey Road

Good album. I feel like everything has already been said about this legendary album. Didn’t realize how many songs I knew on the album. Playful moments, hopeful moments, happy moments, sad moments. They really hit ever emotion in this album which can leave the listener confused at times with all the rush of emotions. But, a great album nonetheless!

[ayearinalbums]

February 1, 2017

Adele: 19

Adele was destined for stardom with how strong her first album, released at the age of 19 -- hence the album title. This album is beautifully arranged and is really true to Adele’s style that she still abides by today. 

[ayearinalbums]

January 29, 2017

Jay Z: The Blueprint

Jay Z is one of my favorite rappers. However, I pick and choose specific songs I listen to by him, rather than listen to his albums in their entireties. This album works. Jay Z is a musical genius in his composition and style. To me, it’s timeless. It was released in 2001, but it could stand in today’s rap albums easily. I think rap is an under-appreciated genre because there are so many rappers today on the radio that aren’t interested in making an album but just releasing songs that will captivate a large audience. Jay Z had a different approach. Yes, he had hit singles on this album including “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Izzo” but the songs that weren’t in that category were still great songs that fit in the album. I loved how he repeated “Girls, Girls, Girls” to end the album because it emphasized one of the themes of the albums -- girls. 

It’s interesting listening to this album in modern times, because it predates everything he’s known for today. When he composed the album, he was awaiting to criminal trials -- gun possession and assault. He was seen as a gangster and nothing more. Today, Jay Z has beaten all odds and really made a name for himself. He is a business man, plain and simple. He’s in almost every industry possible and I know he has gained a lot of respect from people that were once doubters. It’s cool listening to this album almost 20 years later and to see how much he’s grown as a person. He seemed one dimensional at the time of this album, and quite shallow at moments. But, I couldn’t say the same thing about him today. That’s what makes albums so special. They are a timestamp. Not only for the creator of the album, but also for the listener. It takes you back to specific memories when you listen to albums that might hold special significance. Music is so powerful! 

[ayearinalbums]

January 28, 2017

Rihanna: Music of the Sun

Everyone’s familiar with “Pon de Replay”, the hit single off this album, but beyond that song, this album is fairly quiet. However, this album was reminiscent of Destiny’s Child and some of Beyoncé’s songs when she first went solo mixed with an island vibe from the Barbadian girl herself. It’s a fun album filled with dance beats. 

It was interesting to listen to this album and compare it to her most recent album ANTi. This is when she was still trying to make a name for herself, and you can tell because she stuck to what was popular at the time (Destiny’s Child/Beyoncé influence). Now, she’s branded herself and is able to explore new depths like she did in ANTi. 

[ayearinalbums]

January 27, 2017

Kehlani: SweetSexySavage

I didn’t even realize the timing of this review until I looked more closely at the cover art for this album. Kehlani has a Lauryn Hill tattoo on her arm that I never noticed before, so it is quite timely to listen to this album after listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, given that it seems like Lauryn Hill was an inspiration for Kehlani.

I’ve listened to a few songs that have featured Kehlani in them before, and I’ve always liked her appearances, but she is just not dominating enough to be anything more than a one verse singer on a song. She doesn’t have the powerful voice that demands the listener to pay attention to her. I was easily distracted listening to her album in a way that I haven’t been before. 

Her album definitely has raw emotion that I can appreciate as a listener, but I can’t see myself listening to this album in its entirety again, but rather maybe a select number of songs that really grabbed my attention from the album. This is Kehlani’s debut album, so I hope that she continues to push herself, because there is an artist in there. I just didn’t really here it as much as I would’ve liked to on this album. 

[ayearinalbums]

January 26, 2017

Ms. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

This album was released the year I was born! However, I had not heard about the album until a few years ago when Beyoncé performed the “Ex Factor” live in concert. I am ashamed I wasn’t introduced to the album earlier, but I am going to attribute it to the fact I was too little when it was released and my family does not listen to a wide variety of music. 

I think this might be one of my favorite albums I’ve listened to this year thus far. I was familiar with “Ex-Factor”, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” before listening to the album today. But, other than that, I had no previous exposure to her work. I can’t quite put a label on her genre, but it’s quite funky and edgy. It's vibe is similar to other songs I’ve heard from about that period in time. 

I love her use of commentary at the end of each song. It is a motif from the first song, titled “Intro” in which the teacher is taking attendance and when he calls “Lauryn Hill” there is no response. This directly correlates to the title of the album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” because she is not present at school which leads to her “demise” that the rest of the album is about. The commentary at the end of each song takes the listener back to the classroom in which there is dialogue about a variety of subjects. Sometimes, you can’t really decipher what they are saying which makes it all the more intriguing. 

The song “Lost Ones” really intrigued me after the first listen. I felt like I recognized the background beat in the chorus when she starts saying “it’s so silly...”. I listened to the song again and determined that it sounded familiar because of the song “Famous” by Kanye West. Throughout the song, Sister Nancy’s “Bam, Bam” is weaved into the verses. I then realized that I have another song on a playlist that uses “Bam, Bam” in the background -- “Murder She Wrote” by Sly & Robbie. I get so giddy with excitement listening to music and finding these connections! 

Lastly, I want to end with a quote from Ms. Lauryn Hill herself from the song “Superstar”. She sings “Music is supposed to inspire”. And I have to say, Lauryn Hill definitely inspired me, as have many other singers in the industry. Keep doing you! 

[ayearinalbums]

January 25, 2017

Joni Mitchell: Blue

This was a suggestion by one of my good friends, Lena. Thanks girl! This album was released in 1971, and it is very classic of that generation. It’s a wonderfully produced album and seemingly flawless. Although it’s not an album I would typically listen to, I can appreciate it for what it is, which is a highly praised album. You can feel the emotion in all of her songs and the purity that some of the songs of this generation lack. 

[ayearinalbums]

January 24, 2016

Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

I’ve always been intrigued by Amy Winehouse’s raspy jazz voice. She was so successful in the industry even though jazz is not widely popular in top 100 music. 

This album was full of heartbreak. Although “Rehab” is a catchy song, the lyrics are really quite upsetting, especially knowing what happened just a few years later with Amy Winehouse. She was a very gifted singer and it is too bad she was so troubled and couldn’t get the help she so badly needed. I think having the song “Rehab” as the introduction to the album was a very gutsy but forgiving move. It opens the album with a bang and drags you into the heartbreaking story that is Amy Winehouse. You can just feel the strain in her voice and it really affects your mood. 

I’ve never listened to this album before, and I was surprised at how many songs on the album I had heard previously on their own. Even though the songs have a theme throughout them, most, if not all the songs, can survive independently of each other and still carry the same meaning with them. That’s the power of her voice, that she is able to transform it enough so that the songs tell a story within them. 

I didn’t expect to listen to this album so quickly into my New Years Resolution, but I’m glad that I did. In my review of Side Pony by Lake Street Dive, I mentioned that the main singer’s voice reminds me of Amy Winehouse. Now that both of their albums are fresh in my memory, I can attest that I still stay true to this statement. There were moments in Back to Black where I couldn’t help but think of Lake Street Dive. Amy Winehouse is what Lake Street Dive aspires to be vocally. 

[ayearinalbums]

January 22, 2017

Frank Ocean: Channel Orange

This album was far ahead of its time. Released in 2012, it is composed similarly to how many artists are releasing their albums today. He included quite a few interludes between songs that brought the storyline together. I especially enjoyed the “Start” and “End” because it signified just that, a start and an end to a story. In both of these songs, if you can call them that, it’s as if you are transforming into a new world. He is defining boundaries in which we are spectators and he is the artist that is in control of the narrative. Some of the interludes lacked meaning at least when I listened to them this time through. I really questioned the necessity of “Fertilizer” in this album as I think it’s a song that most people skip over when listening to the album, even if they are listening to it all the way through like myself. However, at the same time I do see it’s value in the album as it is setting the stage for where the album takes place.

Listening to Blonde and Channel Orange really shows the overlap in his albums. He likes to include funky interludes that really forces the audience to listen to the album as a complete piece of art. Otherwise, the interludes are meaningless and really have no value on their own, but in the album they serve a great purpose for pushing the storyline along. This organization of an album separates the artist from singers that just release radio hits continuously until there’s enough material to release an album.  

[ayearinalbums]

January 21, 2017

Zac Brown Band: Uncaged

Zac Brown Band is the only country band I’m a little familiar with. I don’t dabble much with country, but I do like the Zac Brown Band. Most country music listeners don’t consider Zac Brown Band “country” especially because they are quite popular. 

Their music is always fun to listen to. It’s upbeat and pretty joyful most of the time and this album was no exception to their typical style.