Adele’s 21 album surpassed expectations to become a monster hit, the type of big-selling album that most people thought wasn’t possible in the 2010s (and seriously, probably won’t happen again). I’m pretty sure that Adele’s record company (and maybe not Adele herself, since she seems so blase about her success and that’s actually kind of… Read More “Hello” by Adele (2015)/”Hello” by Joe (2015)
British singer/songwriter Jamie Woon initially gained attention for his 2011 album Mirrorwriting. I discovered him via a recommendation on Twitter, and fell in love immediately. I was unaware that he’d recorded a follow-up until months after its release. 2015′s Making Time is quite a bit different from its predecessor. Woon’s soulful voice is the same,… Read More “Dedication” by Jamie Woon (2015)
If “Adorn” was Miguel’s breakthrough “I Wanna Be Your Lover”-style hit, “Coffee” was his “Dirty Mind”. I make the Prince comparison because…well, because it’s apt. It also means Miguel’s next album will make him a pop superstar. After all, Prince’s fifth album was 1999. I’m getting ahead of myself. “Coffee” was the lead single from… Read More “Coffee” by Miguel (2015)
The two lead up singles to To Pimp A Butterfly got dragged by a large chunk of the internet. It’s important to remember that, considering how lauded the album eventually became. The internet can be a horrible place sometimes…correction; the internet is a horrible place most of the time. “I” was criticized because it fairly… Read More “The Blacker The Berry” by Kendrick Lamar (2015)
Because of this: But also this: and even this: NOT QUITE FIVE STARS… “Billy Jack Bitch” by Prince (1995): I knew from the lyrics that “BJB” was directed towards someone, but didn’t know specifically who it was until after Prince died. Apparently, Prince wasn’t feeling a specific Minneapolis-based gossip columnist who apparently wrote negatively about him… Read More “Bitch Better Have My Money” by Rihanna (2015)
I’m pretty sure that when Kendrick wrote this song, he didn’t think it would become an anthem for a political movement-a 21st century version of “We Shall Overcome”. But in light of the shitty situation we Americans find ourselves in (well, it’s always been shitty, I guess it’s just more obviously shitty for a lot of… Read More “Alright” (Kendrick Lamar, 2015)
Five Star Jamz 