#music review

[azinemagazine]

Jus doin' sum random scrollin'. 📱 - r3al' 🐉 #mambamentality🐍

Call it mindless, yet we all (in some sorta way) do it. It'd been a minute since anything had been posted for Azine. Supposing it appeared as though only reviews about Ye, Drake, Billie, or Taylor were worthwhile, it still felt integral to take my time. I'd go as far as to say that my creative nuances were both amusingly and unapologetically unafraid of patience. Cut to what one could curate as chancing upon the profile for Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Kallitechnis's Ardene interview on YouTube. While snuggly lotus sedentary in a lounge chair Kassandra (a.k.a Kallitechnis) sorted words on some pretty deep stuff. (See, I'm the type to keen in what artists fr say alongside of winnowing amid whatever it is they craft.) All her talk about authenticity, longevity, and even therapy, backdrops her latest Single releases, to delicately while devoutly dream weave some of the most sensational late night Trap Alt. Soul/R&B that I'd ever heard. After hours of zoning out on Spotify & Apple Music, I'd seemingly stumbled upon a mound of sound designs showcasing that Kallitechnis latest releases, "KALEDISCOPE LOVE" & "SOFT LIFE, are sonic gems worthy of ethereal shine. 

"KALEDIOSCOPE LOVE" is the most recent release by Kallietechnis.  Lyrically it's the lift off elements of romance dazzled in the depth of the "bedsheet ballets'" that hopefully accompany it. If you tap script Kallie's verses here, it'll literally take your breathe away. This 2024 Soul Over Ego Single release paints a sensual sonata, saturated in the palates of lovemaking by the likes of a Jhene Aiko, Victoria Monet, & fav Kehlani. My cherished over the two songs is the latter 2023 released, "SOFT LIFE", where the copulation carved crooning by Kallitechnics feels more assured in its contour.  Lyrics like, "Cocoa butter kisses on the back of your neck...No ones around, go and say it with your chest." sets up a between the sheet session, where direction details desire and more importantly: pleasures for both parties. The hedonism hails heavy here, and when ya place that alongside of Kassnadra's visceral vocal layerings, you're insatiably sedated into this ‘sensational style of life’ she's sojourning. 

Both releases mode just a mere of the music you can muse through courtesy of Kallitechnis. For me it's the completeness interwoven in the listening experience of these two tracks. Detailing what it takes to call yourself professional in this or any realm is something I valued early on. The attention to detail, care, production, and most importantly the passion, tentpole sound designing success for any act whether indie or not. On that note, Kassandra does something else, almost effortlessly. She ate, and fanged deep into the fact that there are stars who are not signed. Stars: real artists who are crafting carefree of what seemingly fates, what often lacerates acts who sign with labels. Definitively, I'm the late night type. I'm good either playing the pull while out, or layinlow at the cribbo, playlsitin' on the MacBook with Apple TV or YouTube dressing the backdrop. Either in or out, this pair of indie soul sounds soothe both the mind, as well as those other places the sensations may align.😉 

♾️

🔥🔥🔥🔥

∆³

#azrelazitgetz #music review #billboard #musicians #newmusic #writers #music #azinemagazine

[girlreviews]

Review #146: Parallel Lines, Blondie

Man oh man oh man. I love Blondie so much. I found this record in the Windsor Oxfam. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember what boyfriend was with me so that puts me between 15 and 18. Yeah, same guy. I actually don’t remember if he ended up getting his hands on this record or not. I think I still have it. Will rifle through my collection later to check.

Blondie was in the “being cool” wilderness for some absolutely crazy reason at that point, and nobody really gave a shit about them anymore. When I was 17 or 18 they were playing the Reading Hexagon which is honestly still just such an unbelievable insult I’m still annoyed about it. I’ll circle back to that.

Parallel Lines epitomizes the complete and total coolness and badassery of Debbie Harry. I have never wanted to be someone more than I wanted to be her. So much confidence. Such incredible cheekbones. Such commitment to art. No apologies. The voice of an angel one moment and snarling whimsical warnings, like, hey you, don’t fuck with me, the next. Always standing in front of all of those completely non-descript nobody dudes. Yeah they’re playing the music, but who cares, who are they? It’s all her. She is Blondie.

Can I pick a favorite? It opens with Hanging on the Telephone, in which she is really threatening to rip the phone clean off the wall. It might be that one. But we’ve also got the classic One Way Or Another, which needs no comment, and one of my actual favorites of all time, Heart of Glass which never fails to fuck me up, but like, it’s a god damn disco track? Like sure, yeah, let’s boogie away our heart break. And I did. And I have. And I will. And these are all SINGLES. We aren’t even discussing the actual album tracks yet. Just listen to it. Honorable mention goes to Sunday Girl, which I always really loved. It’s cute and it’s kind of sweet in a very teenage girl kind of way that worked for me since I was in fact, a teenage girl. Also, not on the official album release, but there was a version of that track where the latter half was sung entirely in French and I always really dug it.

Okay so circling back to the Hexagon. This is a weird story and I’m still not sure how I feel about it, to this day. As I said, Blondie were playing a show at the Hexagon. I was absolutely obsessed with them, and Debbie Harry. I was also 17 or 18 and spent every penny I had on going to shows, but those pennies were pretty limited. I worked as a waitress at the pub that was two doors down from my house. It was full of characters. One such character was a regular, he was in his late 40s, was very wealthy, didn’t drive, was single, and spent literally every bit of his spare time in that pub. Think on that. He paid a lot of attention to the various young women that worked there. Was he creepy? No not exactly. But did it make you uncomfortable? Yes it did. Because you never knew when he might make it weird. Everyone liked him well enough. One day out of the blue this guy presented me with five tickets to the Blondie show. I didn’t know what in the hell to say or whether to accept them. Or what it meant. Whether there were expectations attached to them. Whether it was okay to take them. I was uncomfortable. I was 17.

Here’s what happened. My Mom, who sort of knew him too, since he was always there, decided it was fine, because she wanted to go. But for it to be okay, she decided he also had to come. So we went, he came, and a few friends too. The thing is though, she never knew him like I did. I saw him every day. I saw him with the other girls that worked at the pub. I saw him drunk off his ass. I don’t know that I ever would have taken the tickets. Or if I did, I’m not sure I ever would have invited him. I feel a bit queasy about it to this day. I think in the end something really off-base happened one night between him and someone on staff and he got barred. That was usually the way it went with regulars who were there that often.

The other thing to note is that Blondie ended because Debbie Harry was with Chris Stein, who was literally dying of some rare autoimmune disease throughout their last tour. There were other factors at play, but essentially, they broke up because he was too sick and she stayed at his side and became his full-time carer. When he was well, he left her. They are, remarkably, still close friends to this day and still perform together. Just never forget that men are dogs, and that Blondie is and always will be Debbie Harry. I love her. To this day she looks better than I do in a mini skirt and I love that for her.

ETA: I checked and in fact, I do not still have Parallel Lines in my record collection, but I am quite confident it got lost when I moved back to the US. Also, I’m not 100% certain that show was at the Reading Hexagon. I just know it was a shitty venue not worthy of Blondie. This was 18 years ago. You get the idea.

#album review #music #music review #rolling stone top 500 #blondie #parallel lines #debbie harry

[heidismagblog]

#musician magazine #musician #music review #nine inch nails #trent reznor #art blakey #vince gill #extreme #betty carter #luna 2

[music-moon]

All my liked songs from the 2020s, organized by the year they were released.

Always updating, discovering and refining. Cover art is my most listened to albums from each year, according to my last.fm.

My favourite songs organized by release year: 2020s

View more decades: 2000s / 2010s / 2020s

Take a deeper dive into my most listened to albums from each year:

Data from last.fm + pythfm.

2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023 / 2024

#Spotify #concept playlist #playlist #spotify playlist #lastfm #music #music playlist #playlists #year end list #2020s music #2020s #best of the decade #music recs #2020s core #best of 2020s #favourite albums #20s music #rawring 20s #2020 music #2021 music #2022 music #2023 music #2024 music #new music #favorite albums #tunes #liked songs #hot 100 #billboard 200 #music review

[thepoisonofthepaint]

men reacting to preachers daughter is just so wild to me because they never see the scream in ptolemaea coming and are always so shocked and act like it came out of nowhere, even though it’s so clear that it’s building up to that and every woman listening understands exactly what’s going to happen

that just really says something to me about how men perceive women and their reactions

#ethel cain #preachers daughter #hayden anhedönia #ptolemaea #music review #mine

[album-a-day-project]

2/20/24

Yeat

2093

====

This is my first time listening to Yeat at length. I've come to the realization that I don't need 22 tracks from artists like this anymore. He seems to use the same exact flows as Travis Scott, without the same level of entertainment value, maintaining a monotone voice throughout every single track.

Upon reviewing the credits, I noticed numerous writers listed for each track, as well as various 'TikTok Producers', which initially surprised me. It appears that we're witnessing the full evolution of Soundcloud rap into TikTok rap, with the first successful artists garnering substantial industry hype and financial backing. This is likely how Yeat managed to feature Future on the track 'Stand On It', which falls flat.

There's undoubtedly a place for this type of music, and Yeat appears to be leading the charge in the zone of TikTok rap. However, the repetitive and uninspired lyrics fail to drive the overall industry forward. By the end of this album, I find myself thoroughly exhausted. Thankfully, it's finally over.

5/10

#5bones #yeat #2093 #tictok #album #spotify #albumreview #musicdiscovery #album review #albumoftheday #nowplaying #now listening #Music Review #Music Recommendation

[cosmicsundust]

My thoughts on some randomly chosen Will Wood songs

Yes, to Err is Human, So Don't Be One: Had a really cool opening then got funky

You're Body, My Temple: Sick guitar rift immediately followed by clown music

Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY (Bones): Tasty old piano and love the sentiment

The Main Character: Sounds like I'd hear it in a movie like Megamind but not Megamind itself

Laplace’s Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!): I feel like I could listen to it on a lot of occasions if I don't actually listen to the lyrics

...well, better than the alternative: Upbeat jazzy sad

Cicada Days: Nice and oddly calm for Will Wood but then he rocks out at the end

Half-Decade Hangover: Sounds a little churchy but in a positive way also he curses like he doesn't want to

Big Fat Bitchie’s Blueberry Pie, Christmas Tree, and Recreational Jell-o Emporium a.k.a. “Mr. Boy is on the Roof Again” (Feat. Pasta by Sneakers McSqueakers) [From the Motion Picture ”B.F.B.’s B-Sides: Bagel Batches, Marshmallows, and Barsh-mallows]: Nice name wish the song was as long as it

Against the Kitchen Floor: It's a song I want to share but don't know how I could

White Noise: So close to being a song you could fall asleep to but he just couldn't hold himself back long enough

Red Moon: idk it's just good in the way that made me go "ooo that's nice"

And I can't leave out my sister's comment on the original post

#this post is like a year old but i wanted to repost it here #will wood #music #music review #songs #song recs #william woodiam #mr. boy #megamind #will wood and the tapeworms #the normal album #in case i make it

[demodays]

From Nirvana's Cover of Terry Jack's

Seasons In The Sun

"I don't know all the words...."

I know this isn't the rarest track around, but it is one I really enjoy and I hope you all like it.

If you dive as deep as you can into Nirvana you will come across the strange and unexpected. Browsing the rarities of Nirvana is a rewarding experience for somebody who is looking for music with unpolished edges. Nirvana is one of the best bands for irregular music with an enormous catalog of demos and alternative versions of songs that I personally think are far better than some of their studio recordings. I will probably review every single one.

"Seasons In The Sun" is a classic hit song from the 70s by artist Terry Jacks and probably pioneered some of the later sounds of the 2010 indie scene. I say probably, there is no way for me to verify - no artist has declared this as a point of their inspiration. However, Nirvana gave us a very fun performance of the song. Listening to this track is insightful and also a close look, even, I would argue an intimate look of the space a band creates on their first take. This track really makes me want to grab two others and record something out of the air. The lore surrounding this performance according to YouTube comments is that they all switched instruments and played the song for fun. There are a couple uploads of this song on YouTube and one of the uploads shows a video of Kurt on drums. If it is true that this only exists cause they were goofing, I am glad one of them hit record on the tape deck. Audibly the song is fun, I wouldn't expect a polished performance - you get alot out of it by listening to Kurt sing a song that isn't his and the band creating a kind of indie soundscape. Imagine if Nirvana made 2010s indie - I suppose.

I have included the original song because it's very interesting to hear the original and then go right to Nirvana's performance. You can decide which version you prefer and ask yourself what matters in a song. Does it need to be sonically perfect? I think putting these side by side can show you that tracks with unpolished edges are just more fun to listen to at times.

#nirvana #kurt cobain #krist novoselic #dave grohl #grunge #grungy aesthetic #90s #ninties #demos #records #album #albums #songs #song #song of the day #song recs #song review #art #music recs #music review #sad music #cover #cover song #Spotify #rarities #bootleg #alternative rock #rock music #terry jacks

[swangtup6]

Demo Review: Fenriz - A Funeral of Light (1996)

Ok so there's like no info on this band online that I've found, I have a policy of not reviewing NSBM (for the record) and the Polish scene (where this band comes from) is a minefield of sketchy politics but as far as I know they're clean. If im wrong abt this lmk n ill look further into it. all ik is that this demo goes hard as fuck

The first thing I want to talk about is the production, actually. This is DEFINITELY raw black metal. Everything sounds muffled, like it was recorded under water, you can barely hear the snare drum, you can't hear the cymbals at all, and the vocals are completely drowned out by everything else. All in all, it's lovely. I think the minimalistic sound makes for pretty perfect kvlt black metal, and this band is a huge inspiration for my own project, actually.

Next up has to be the guitar work. The guitar playing on this demo is phenomenal, with plenty of menacing riffs, eerie melodies, etc etc. I think the production serves the guitar particularly well as it gives it a kinda otherworldly feeling (like on Burzum's first demo) and the minimalistic songwriting let's the guitars stand out as the driving force behind this demo.

The drums are the only other instrument audible, so we're gonna talk about them next because we have to. The drumming is great, whoever drummed on this (metal archives says all of the instruments were played by one person named Thorn) can play with the best of them in this genre. The drumming is written well too, with plenty of blasts and a healthy dose of slower bits. It all feels natural and fluid, and only being able to hear the kick and the lower freqs of the snare drums is honestly a pretty cool effect. It's like the drum production on Transylvanian Hunger turned up to 11, with only the pieces of the kit absolutely necessary to get the rhythms audible.

The vocals are also fantastic. Thorn utilizes a somewhat-pained sounding high rasp that sounds totally sick and manages to cut through the thick guitar pretty easily. It almost sounds like the vocals are sitting on top of the instruments but in a cool way not a shitty production way.

Overall, this is one of my favorite black metal demos ever. I'm not going to give it as high of a rating as I think it deserves because I have to stick to my principles on how I rate these things or I'll rate everything 10/10, but it's easily like a 9/10 in my heart. I wouldn't recommend this to a newcomer to the genre, I don't think it's an essential listen even for experienced black metal fans, but it has a special place in my heart for being ridiculously raw, well played, well written, and all around dope as hell.

7/10

standout track: The Blaze Mountain

#youtube #music #music review #metal review #metal music #dungeon synth #black metal

[angeblancrose]

An Honest Brief Review Of TTPD

People are going to dive into the words and look for clues to try and string people and events together, but I'm not here to do that.

I'm here to talk about the brilliant tapestry of words she's woven into this album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.

Twists of Modern Poetry weaving in and out in a musical symphony. This was THE Taylor Swift album.

The songwriting, symbolism, and the aesthetic of it all encompass who she is as an artist in the music industry.

The whole album was compact and well intertwined from start to finish. You can count on Taylor Swift to make an album that is not only sonically cohesive or aesthetically pleasing but also contains songs that can exist even outside of the tracklist, on its own, with no context, whatsoever.

The whole promo leading up to release day and how she didn't put out any singles until today kept everyone on their toes, anticipating and wondering what this album is going to sound like. She's a Mastermind, no one can deny.

#taylor swift #it surpassed midnights #no skips #maybe one but purely 'cause it's not my taste :) #swifties #taylor's version #taylor nation #the eras tour #THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT #ttpd #ts11 #music review #new album #midnights #songwriter #music #but it's not over yet...

[nosignalsoffical]

*SONG OF THE WEEK*

Song of The Week: Bedroom Eyes

Artist: Dum Dum Girls

Rating: 8/10

*follow, like and repost for more*

#indie pop #shoegaze #femalebands #dum dum girls #lana del gay #mars argo #alt rock #alternative #alt #rock #music #music recommendation #new music #indie music #pop music #alternative music #music review

[mywifeleftme]

327: XTC // Black Sea

Black Sea XTC 1980, Virgin

XTC’s discography has a very organic flow to it. Andy and Colin’s voices aside, it’d be tough to guess the same band was behind the albums that bookended their career (convulsive 1978 New Wave speedball White Music and the lavishly arranged psych pop of the turn of the century Apple Venus tandem), but if you follow the band over time, from one album to the next there are few radical departures. Each link in the chain contains elements of the record that precedes it and the one that follows it. Still, you can clearly divide their discography between their early years as a hard-touring New Wave act and their second act as a pastoral psych pop studio project—and, in that light, the albums that straddle that transition (today’s album, Black Sea, and 1982’s English Settlement) could be considered the “definitive” XTC records.

It’s easy to forget what a spectacular live act XTC were in their early days, something like a combination of ‘60s bubblegum, Devo, the Residents, and Wire, but with cardio that would’ve put most of those acts to shame. As a guitarist, Andy Partridge scorned anything that smacked of blues, slashing out hiccupy riffs way up the neck, hurling himself into head-spinning rhythms that often wouldn’t be out of place on a Fugazi record (if he didn’t have such a sweet tooth). He surrounded himself with collaborators whose ability as players was such that they were able to make their own marks on the band’s sound despite Partridge’s dictatorial tendencies—not only minority songwriter and exceptionally melodic bassist Colin Moulding, but ultimate utility man Dave Gregory (who flitted with ease from lead guitar to keys) and their gem of a drummer Terry Chambers, a non-writing / arranging member who would be lost when the band’s studio transition reduced him to a glorified session man. Chambers was an absolute machine, and many of the band’s most memorable early statements rely on his power and precision behind the kit.

Black Sea is their last record to be dominated by the quirky sound-over-sense rhythm workouts on which they built their name, and they go out with a bang: “Rocket from a Bottle,” “Burning with Optimism’s Flames,” and especially “Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)” are fine reminders that new wave was as much Body as Head music, while the tribal stomp of “Travels in Nihilon” feels like a hint at what XTC would’ve sounded like as some kind of Swindon krautrock band. But the songs that are best remembered from this one are those first stirrings of their burgeoning reinvention as basically the attention deficit disorder Kinks.

By his own admission, Colin Moulding’s early songwriting efforts had aped Partridge’s style, but here it seems Partridge was inspired by Moulding’s sardonic kitchen sink satire “Making Plans for Nigel” (from the previous year's Drums and Wires). “Respectable Street” reads almost like Partridge proving to himself he can write his own “Nigel,” while the chiming psychedelic pop of “Towers of London” scales its social commentary to the Empire itself. His finest moment though is “No Language in Our Lungs,” one of the band’s first genuinely emotional statements. The wordy lyric is typically “clever” (“I would have made this instrumental / but the words got in the way”) yet it captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by the intensity of…well, a feeling. The credit lies mostly with its arrangement, which heaves and stumbles behind Andy’s inconsolable howl like someone dragging their feet in exhaustion.

Black Sea usually sits somewhere between third and fifth in my personal XTC rankings, but it’d be the place I recommend a new fan start with the band (or would be, were the record available on streaming services). Between Andy’s peculiar voice and a smartass quality that can get a little cloying, XTC’s not for everyone—but for those on the wavelength, their catalogue is one of the greatest of the rock era.

320/365

Bonus

For the hell of it, my personal XTC discog rankings.

Skylarking English Settlement Black Sea White Music Drums and Wires Apple Venus Volume 1 Go 2 Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) Oranges & Lemons Mummer Nonsuch The Big Express

#xtc #xtc band #andy partridge #colin moulding #virgin records #new wave #art rock #post punk #psych pop #'80s music #music review #vinyl record

[eternalspring4]

i ranked the songs on danger days from best to worst.

1. na na na

2. the only hope for me is you

3. save yourself, ill hold them back

4. bulletproof heart

5. destroya

6. planetary

7. s/c/a/r/e/c/r/o/w

8. the kids from yesterday

9. summertime

10. sing

11. party poison

disclaimer: I fucking love this album and think every song is incredible. I have ranked them by innovation, creativity, strength, and memorability (is that a word?). this was not easy, ive been obsessed with this band for about four years now but I stand by my decisions. comment or dm if u want to discuss further, I'd love to talk about music

#mcr #my chemical romance #my chemical fucking romance #my chem romance #gerard way #frank iero #ray toro #mikey way #danger days #ddttlotfk #music review #:33333

[heidismagblog]

#m.e.a.t. #meat magazine #music review #nirvana #duff mckagan #varga #judgment night #ren & stimpy #believer #sepultura #junkhouse #my sister's machine #one free fall #iron maiden #the heralda of oblivion #black market flowers #saigon kick #meat loaf #hollyfaith #hater #macabre #atheist #zen #crimson jimson #victims of luxury #salvador dream #ad #smashing pumpkins #music world #vai

[annisrealandsoami]

The Hatchetfield series. Starkid Productions. You now know the context.

I fucking love Starkid. I fucking love musicals. I fucking love well written arcs and plots. I love it.

I love the weird irony of watching the destruction of a town over and over with laughter in the background. It’s morbid, it’s funny, it’s wonderful.

Go watch Starkid. Idk, it’s wonderful. Y’all probably have. If you haven’t I don’t know lol.

#starkid #musicals #hatchetfield #music review

[popbloganddropit]

Cowboy Carter - Beyoncé

1. AMERIICAN REQUIEM: Just light the CMAs on fire, B! An impeccable intro to this album with varied sounds throughout the song that is representative of the sonic journey this album is going to take you on. 4.5/5

2. BLACKBIIRD: Stunning. Knowing no background about the song, I think it would still stop you in your tracks to hear these women harmonize and deliver each line with the perfect performance, emotional but not overdone. With the addition of the knowledge that Paul McCartney wrote this song about black women in the civil rights movement adds to the feeling behind the song and the feeling this version should have always existed. 5/5

3. 16 CARRIAGES- I heard the first two singles described as Texas Hold ‘Em being for country fans that weren’t sure about Beyonce and 16 Carriages as being for Beyonce fans that weren’t sure about country music and that holds up. This song describes Beyoncé’s ascension in the industry, and while I do like it, it’s missing something that makes me NEED to return to it like some of the other tracks here and on RENNAISSANCE. The way the chorus builds up into the titular line is really striking, and does stick around in my head. 4/5

4. PROTECTOR- This song is so sweet, just the right amount of hymnal to feel it in your spirit. The protector into projector line is *chef’s kiss*. 4.5/5

5. MY ROSE- an interlude, but I really wish it were longer because it’s got some really gorgeous and touching moments. 3.5/5

6. SMOKE HOUR- again not rating this, just had to note how tickled I was to hear Willie Nelson say KNTRY radio.

7. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM- I think this song has been stuck in my head since the Super Bowl. It’s so fun and makes you want to learn how to line dance in a pair of Daisy Dukes. 4.5/5

8. BODYGUARD- so smooth and sexy. If I were figuring out what to do with the Bond franchise, I would build a movie fit to make this the theme song and it would be a for sure blockbuster. 5/5

9. JOLENE- there’s probably too much discourse around this song for how serious it is, the Creole banjee bitch is having fun, so we can ignore a few corny lyrics (don’t raise full grown men though, ladies). There’s some really fun stuff going on in the background too, which is keeps a familiar melody interesting. 3.5/5

10. DAUGHTER- MURDER AT THE OPERA, and it is me who has been slayed. 5/5

11. SPAGHETTII- Beyonce having rap as a little side hobby she keeps in her back pocket is so cunty, country, petty of her. This would be one notch better if the hook in the chorus did a touch more for me lyrically. Beyonce’s harmonies over Shaboozey’s verse is perfection, though, so I will overlook it. 4/5

12. ALLIGATOR TEARS- the driving beat in the background never lets you feel at ease with Beyonce’s soulful yet slick performance. 4.5/5

13. JUST FOR FUN- a souldul, heavenly performance. Bey and Willie Jones sound great together. Willie fits in so well, his voice adds a gravelly, twangy flair. This is the CHURCH GIRL of this album for me. It’s objectively good, but something about it just doesn’t go all the way for me. 4/5

14. II MOST WANTED - This so fun! Miley and Beyonce’s vocals sound great together. A music video for this song would be magnificent. Fringe and rhinestones everywhere, vintage cars speeding through the desert, and I can picture them singing together on an upright piano in an old-timey saloon. This song does remind me of Gaga’s “You and I” and some of Joanne. She would have been a great option for this duet too. This song was meant to be belted out your car window at sunset. 4.5/5

15. LEVII’S JEANS- It’s most notable how clean and smooth Post Malone sounds! Everyone cleans up their act for Beyonce! I prefer “II MOST WANTED” a bit more of these two duets, but this is a fun little number. 4/5

16. FLAMENCO- it’s giving mafia but make it country. I know it was noted that a lot of these songs were inspired by movie and I would love to know what movie this one was. FLAMENCO has a bit of a theatrical flair. 4/5

17. THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW- Again, not rating this, I just think it’s very important to the thesis of this album. Genres are limiting. More on this later.

18. YA YA- this song begins the best stretch of the record and is a highlight on an album chock full of great moments. “YA YA” really showcases so many things that Beyonce does well. The intro call and response showing her cheeky sense of humor, then takes off like a shotgun with killer vocals and some social commentary (“whole let of red in that white and blue”) and moves into a sickening Beach Boys interpolation and is ass-shakeable throughout the whole thing (plus some some wild guitar shredding). And it keeps the country line dance-y vibe the whole time. An instant Beyonce classic. 5/5

19. OH LOUISIANA- an excellent transition, because you honestly do need a minute after YA YA. Would love to eventually hear the unedited vocals and/or an explanation of how they made Beyonce sound like this??? Going to skip a rating because this is just a transitional moment; I think very few people are playing this intentionally on repeat as a solo track.

20. DESERT EAGLE- sexy with a hot bass line running through it. Beyoncé makes do-si-do sound cooler than it ever has. The only possible complaint is we need an extended version since it’s only ~70 seconds long. 5/5

21. RIIVERDANCE- only Beyoncé could get away with the combining “Folsom Prison Blues”-esque verses, The Gift esque “running through the river”’s, a hint of 2010’s folk-pop stomp claps, and a and cheeky twerk anthem, “bounce on that shit, no hands”and absolutely get away with it. 5/5

22. II HANDS II HEAVEN- love the “no hands” of the previous song moving into this. This wouldn’t be out of place on Renaissance, but belongs here lyrically and musically as well. It’s not a stand out track, but still very solid. 4/5

23. TYRANT- I really like the beginning and I wish there was a little more of it or it was its own song. I also really like the second part, so it’s not too sad. This is the tight black leather type of country song. That string in the background and the beat are doing some work, which really rides an interesting line between country and RnB. 4/5

24. SWEET/HONEY/BUCKIN- a JOURNEY of a song, I would take 5 minute cuts of any of these portions. It’s a mix of everything that’s on the rest of the album. SWEET starts off with Beyoncé’s soulful vocals and gets a verse from Shaboozey that balances a country and rap fusion significantly better than most garbage on country radio that sounds like rap for people who are afraid to leave their suburb. The claps that follow are scientifically designed to make you want to dance. Into a slower, sensual(but short) HONEY interlude that then takes off like horse into the BUCKIN section which is just a goddamn banger. Sickening how hype this gets. Does Beyonce say “Look at that horse” because you could lift a horse when it’s playing?? 5/5

25. AMEN- an AMERICAN REQUIEM reprise that is a nice bow on the end of this gift Beyonce has bestowed upon us. Works perfectly if you want to go ahead and start the album over again (and you might) or go right in to RENAISSANCE. 4/5

I overall do love so much of this album. If we were to compare to Act i, I would say Renaissance is better as it is, for me, a no skip, play front to back album that is so cohesive. I think the Linda Martell interlude is key to understanding Cowboy Carter, because what is genre and is it important? I think the thesis of this album is that genre is limiting. To the critics that will say xyz elements aren’t country enough, she’s got Willie, Dolly P, and Linda Martell’s co-sign. Country fans checking this out will find Beyonce playing with so many different genres but can hopefully see the country twist she has put on them. In the opposite direction, Beyonce fans who might limit themselves to modern pop and RnB might discover the original Blackbird or Jolene, or they might look at works by the interlude or featured artists and find something they love and relate to. How much of genre do we relate to who it is coming from? Can a Beatles cover by Beyonce be country? Does it matter if it’s “country” if you like it anyway? Beyoncé is exploring and pushing the boundaries of every genre here. Where Renaissance feels very tight and cohesive as a record, Cowboy Carter is the Wild West with a little something for everyone. There does seem to be a general consensus that it’s a little long, but there’s no agreement on what should be cut. I love the way the interludes divide the record up into cohesive segments and those segments would feel incomplete if you removed songs from them, so I must come to the conclusion that the more Beyonce, the better. There are rumors she might do a rock album next, but the real message to be found here is that she can do anything she wants.

This album gets an average of 4.4 and I do feel it is absolutely an album that works together from front to back, so we will round up to a 4.5/5.

Top 3: Bodyguard,Ya Ya, Sweet/Honey/Buckin

What’s Next:

A review straight from The Tortured Poets Department. Thinking I might split it up into a few pieces. This already took me a while and 31 songs is A LOT!

#pop music #music review #beyonce #beyhive #cowboy carter #country #country music