IT IS WHAT IT IS is the 4th studio album by musician, singer and bassist, Thundercat. This album was released in 2020 and on 14th March, 2021, it received the Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album. Widely known for being one of the greatest bass players of this generation, Thundercat, on this album, expresses his emotions in his signature humorous style. He has dedicated this album to his late friend and collaborator, Mac Miller.
SIGNIFICANT TRACKS:
FAIR CHANCE: A hypnotic and winding track where Thundercat, along with TY Dolla $ign and Lil B, pays tribute to Mac Miller. Talking about trying to get over and come to terms with the loss of his friend, Fair Chance is a message by Thundercat to Mac but also to himself. With incredible vocal performances from both Thundercat and TY Dolla $ign, Lil B’s underwhelming feature is the only downside of this song.
DRAGONBALL DURAG: This track is about Thundercat trying to woo a girl with his goofiness. The title is about a cartoon mixed with a Durag, a form of headgear. With lines mentioning Anime, comic books, video games and having cat hair all over him, Thundercat reinforces his humorous touch on this track. The luscious production and personable falsetto mixed with silly lyrics make Dragonball Durag an incredibly smooth, groovy and hilarious song.
IT IS WHAT IT IS: The closing track of the album, this song is filled with melancholy and grief as Thundercat gives a touching tribute to his late friend, Mac Miller. He speaks on finally coming to terms and accepting this loss, as the name of the track and the entire album suggests- ‘It Is What It Is’. The spacey and progressive instrumentals in the outro of this track are windy and very expressive proving that music can carry a lot of power even without any lyrics.
FAVORITE LYRICS:
“I may be covered in cat hair, but I still smell good
Baby, let me know, how do I look in my durag?”
“I’ll keep holdin’ you down
Even though you’re not around
So hard to get over it
I’ve tried to get under it
Stuck in between, it is what it is”
“When the gold becomes dough and the magic starts to fade
When it all comes to an end
When there’s nothing left to say
It is what it is”
“After all is said and done
And I’m all alone
When I sit back and reflect
From a broken heart
Sometimes there’s regret
It is what it is”
“But you know you gotta pay to play
At the end of the day
Playing with your money and your heart
There’s got to be another way”
FINAL THOUGHTS: A beautiful fusion of funk, jazz and soul with incredible bass, It Is What It Is shows Thundercat’s emotions of grief, heartbreak and day-to-day struggles delivered from a place where pain and comedy meet. This album is significant in Thundercat’s life as he comes to terms with the reality and learns acceptance.
In 2019, British hip-hop artist, Slowthai released his debut album, Nothing Great About Britain. He is known for his bold, uncompromising rap style which is very expressive and compelling. Not afraid to dive into the anguish in the past and present as well, Slowthai is one of the most exciting and anomalous artists from the UK.
SIGNIFICANT TRACKS:
NOTHING GREAT ABOUT BRITAIN: This is the opening track of the album. As odd as the groove of the track is, it sets the tone of the album perfectly. It has a very choppy, sporadic beat, a synth bass line and this digital foundation is built upon cinematic rushes of strings and piano. On this instrumental, Slowthai is ranting and painting the picture of an existence that is riddled with quick fixes, cheap food, massive inequality of wealth and political turmoil like the rise of the EDL. Despite all these issues, he seems to display genuine pride about where he is from, which is depicted on the line, ‘Hand on my heart I swear I’m proud to be British.’
CRACK: It is a soulful but twisted song whose entire tone is given away in the first line, “I love you like a crackhead loves crack.” The track is about a relationship that is plagued with a lot of distrust and lies but also tremendous dependency. The relationship sounds very volatile but endearing at the same time. It’s a very strange mix of emotions that Slowthai pulls off very well with a very authentic style.
INGLORIOUS: Inglorious is one of the most sinister and catchy songs to come out of this album and also the entire UK in 2019. It has a great hook in which Slowthai refers to himself as an ‘inglorious bastard.’ The production of the track is brilliant with a devilish beat accompanied by dark, distant church style organs. It also features Skepta, a legendary UK grime artist whose fast flow and grungy lyrics just better this track.
NORTHAMPTON’S CHILD: This track is an audio-biographical cut in which Slowthai details a lot of what brought him to the point of emotional stress, anguish and mental trauma. He sounds close to tears on this song, discussing about his mother’s struggles. He raps about being born to a teenage mother who faced abuse at home. He also talks about growing up in poverty around drugs and his own issues with drug use. He mentions a younger brother who passed away soon after being born. This track is definitely the most emotional on the album owing to the brilliant storytelling and compelling delivery by Slowthai.
FAVORITE LYRICS:
“I’m a product, yeah, they made me, I wear chains like my granddad did in slavery, You’re ’bout as black as Ainsley, that’s bounty, Appropriate the culture before they take heed”
“I’d tell you how it is, I will treat you with the utmost respect, Only if you respect me a little bit, Elizabeth, you c*nt”
“Only queen, Raised me up and kept me clean, Told me right even when I’m wrong”
“Jesus couldn’t save this yout, Don’t pray to him he ain’t saving you, Hate me, you must hate the truth”
“Don’t make me Chuck Norris, ‘Cause I run my town but I’m nothin’ like Boris”’Cause I run my town but I’m nothin’ like Boris”
“Not a lot goin’ on in Northampton, Shawshank ting, need redemption, True say sellin’ drugs, ain’t got a pension, Try repent my sins, but I’m not a reverend”
FINAL THOUGHTS: On his debut album, Slowthai proves himself to be an exciting new voice in the UK hip hop landscape. A majority of the songs on this album come from a place of emotional stress and trauma. Nothing Great About Britain is a fresh breath of air straight out of a Britain which is in the throes of social and political turmoil. The album’s vision of Britain in 2019 is compelling, potent and profoundly grim: divided, wildly unequal but also a Britain which holds a very important place in Slowthai’s heart. Slowthai is great at translating his own personal hardships as well as the struggles of a disenfranchised youth in the UK. It is a brilliant album that acknowledges the idea that we are products of our surroundings.
Circles is the 6th studio album by rapper, singer and producer, Mac Miller. Mac tragically passed away on September 7, 2018, due to an accidental drug overdose. Circles is his first posthumous album which was released in 2020, more than a year after his death. Circles was supposed to be a companion album to Swimming, Mac’s final album released before his passing. The two albums put together were meant to convey the phrase “Swimming in Circles”.
THE CONCEPT OF CIRCLES: Through his music, Mac made evident the mental dips and struggles that he faced. He told his listeners in his previous projects, especially on his track Self Care, that his positive mental state was a result of years of processing and growing. Being a very sensitive and anxious soul who is trying to grow, he knew that he was guaranteed to go through a mental dip again at some point. It all just comes around- like a circle.
The cosmic circle of infinity displays and symbolizes the creation of life. It is a deep concept but when you couple it with mental health, it becomes so much more.
SIGNIFICANT TRACKS:
CIRCLES: Through Circles, Mac speaks about being directionless, feeling as though his life is in cycles and that he cannot do anything to get out of them. He also sends a message to his loved ones and fans asking them to not be sad because he isn’t there anymore. It feels like Mac is trying to speak to them from the other side, trying to comfort them about his own death. It also speaks volumes on Mac’s self-awareness, anticipation and foresight as if he knew that the life he led and the mental state that he was in would eventually take a toll on him.
BLUE WORLD: Blue World has Mac rapping about the trials and tribulations of life, and reflecting on all that it has. It features a trippy sample flip with chopped and pitched vocals. Mac is trying to send the message out that there is a sense of hope and happiness in this chaotic and weird world. He asks the listeners to have the courage to keep going in life in spite of all the hurdles in their lives.
GOOD NEWS: On the track Good News, Mac maintains a similar theme that was seen on his last record, Swimming. He talks about there being a constant fear of expressing himself as he knows in the back of his mind, that the people around him probably can’t help him. The people tell him everything that he shouldn’t do but do not have a single answer for what he should do. He implies that the only time the he feels safe is when he is by himself but that is also when he is in the most vulnerable as there is no one around him to tell him when he is doing something wrong.
THAT’S ON ME: That’s On Me shows Mac taking accountability for his mental state and at the same time, trying to help out others who may be in a similar situation. It is an extremely introspective track which shows Mac’s self-awareness and acceptance of his frail state of mind. While holding the accountability for his own actions and bad mental health, Mac tries to console the grief of his close ones and fans. Lyrics like “Don’t wait around” and “I’ll let it go, I’ll cut the strings” showcase his foresight and understanding of own mental state.
FAVORITE LYRICS:
“Well, this is what it look like right before you fall, Stumblin’ around, you’ve been guessing your direction. Next step, you can’t see at all”
“And I cannot be changed, I cannot be changed, no. Trust me, I’ve tried, I just end up right at the start of the line; Drawin’ circles”
“Some people say they want to live forever; That’s way too long, I’ll just get through today”
“Think I lost my mind, reality’s so hard to find. When the devil tryna call your line, but shit, I always shine”
“Oh, I hate the feeling. When you’re high but you’re underneath the ceiling. Got the cards in my hand, I hate dealing”
“Well, so tired of being so tired.Why I gotta build something beautiful just to go set it on fire? I’m no liar, but Sometimes the truth don’t sound like the truth”
“There’s a whole lot more for me waitin’ on the other side’ I’m always wonderin’ if it feel like summer”
“Now I’m switchin’ location ‘Cause Heaven too far when you live in the basement, I’m lookin’ for balance, I’m in an oasis”
“Life is a fantasy until you wake up in shock, Hittin’ the ground, I’m hittin’ the ground, I fell from the top”
“Hate love, heartbreak will have you bankrupt. Too many days in a daze, better wake up”
“I made it, but I hate once I build it I break it down, Might just break me down”
“And all I ever needed was somebody with some reason who can keep me sane, Ever since I can remember I’ve been keeping it together but I’m feeling strange”
“That’s on me, that’s on me, I know; That’s on me, that’s on me, it’s all my fault”
“Yeah, why don’t you wake up from your bad dreams? When’s the last time you took a little time for yourself? There’s no reason to be so down; Rather fly around like there’s no ground”
“Sometimes I get lonely, Not when I’m alone. But it’s more when I’m standing in crowds, That I’m feeling the most on my own, And I know that somebody knows me, I know somewhere there’s home, I’m starting to see that all I have to do is get up and go”
“Don’t keep it all in your head, The only place that you know nobody ever can see, You’re running low on regret, No tears that’s keeping you wet, I think you gettin’ it now”
FINAL THOUGHTS: Circles, the album and its concept is wonderful, from start to finish. Unlike other posthumous albums, Circles didn’t seem to be put together in a haste to profit off the death of the artist. Mac’s family and his team took their time to offer the best gift they could present- closure.
Circles should be held as a benchmark for other posthumous albums. The entire album is handled with care to make sure that despite Mac not being here anymore, cohesiveness existed. It shows how well his close ones understood his vision.
RATING: Out of respect for Mac Miller, his family and his fans, I’m not attaching a number to this piece of art.
In 2018, Mac Miller released his 5th studio album, Swimming. It is also the last album released during his lifetime, as Mac passed away on September 7, 2018. The inspiration behind Swimming was Mac’s breakup with Ariana Grande and also his 2018 DUI arrest. An album with nothing but time on its hands and an understanding that healing is a slow, tedious process, Swimming is most engaging when it details the simple things Miller tells himself to keep his spirits up.
SIGNIFICANT TRACKS:
COME BACK TO EARTH: It is the opening track of this album and introduces the theme of self-care, self-acceptance and personal liberation that runs through the album. He establishes the swimming metaphor in the line, ‘I was drowning but now I’m swimming’ through which he shows that he was drowning in the negative feelings but now he is embracing them. He shows a healthier outlook towards a not-so-bright situation, where he is learning to live with the negative emotions as opposed to letting them overtake everything else in life.
SELF CARE: Self Care is song through which Mac spreads a message about overcoming hardships, exercising self- control, and being aware of how to handle yourself. The song begins with Mac traversing through aqueous synths, rapping with a staggering flow. He raps about the difficult change from being taken care of to taking care of himself. He also mentions certain incidents like his car crash which helped him put his life together and get back on track. A sudden beat switch transitions into the second half of the song which is soulful and full of emotion. Here he sings about being stuck in an oblivion but it being ‘a beautiful feeling’ there.
SMALL WORLDS: Small Worlds features a slow tempo and somber mood as Mac discusses his flaws, showing the listener he’s aware of the issues he’s caused following his car crash and DUI arrest. His rapping on this song stands out as he maintains the theme of the album but introduces brilliant wordplay and a few funny lines such as, “You never told me being rich was so lonely, Nobody know me, oh well, Hard to complain from this five star hotel.” He concludes the song with a verse in which he talks about keeping his head up and moving on in life.
2009: The song is a reflective journey from the year 2009, a year before Mac’s breakout mixtape, to the present day. The song starts off with a beautiful violin and piano intro before Mac starts singing. Throughout the track, he speaks to the listener about the lessons he’s learned and the wisdom he’s gained throughout the track. The entire song shows a lot of self-awareness from Mac as he is able to see and show the distinctions in him as an artist and also a person. The song perfectly encompasses Mac’s journey and evolution from a fun-loving pop rapper to a soulful, experimental and true-to-himself musical artist. This song resonates with a lot of listeners and fans of Mac who have been a part of this musical journey with him.
FAVORITE LYRICS:
“My regrets look just like text I shouldn’t send, And I got neighbors, they’re more like strangers; We could be friends, I just need a way out of my head; I’ll do anything for a way out of my head”
“And don’t you know that sunshine don’t feel right, When you inside all day. I wish it was nice out, but it looked like rain. Gray skies and I’m drifting, not living forever. They told me it only gets better”
“Yeah, okay you gotta jump in to swim. Well, the light was dim in this life of sin. Now every day I wake up and breathe”
“And sometimes, sometimes I wish I took a simpler route. Instead of havin’ demons that’s as big as my house”
“Take my time to finish, mind my business,A life ain’t a life ’til you live it. I was digging me a hole big enough to bury my soul. Weight of the world, I gotta carry my own. My own, with these songs I can carry you home,I’m right here when you’re scared and alone”
“I got all the time in the world, so for now I’m just chilling. Plus, I know it’s a, it’s a beautiful feeling, in oblivion, yeah, yeah”
FINAL THOUGHTS: Throughout this album, Mac explores the conflict between his struggles and a newfound sense of positivity and optimism. Rather than drowning in his sorrows, Mac is trying to swim to shore. Through Swimming, Mac Miller offers his fans a piece of art which portrays a strong desire for self-love, personal healing and psychological growth.
In 2017, American ‘boyband’ BROCKHAMPTON burst onto the hip hop scene dropping 3 albums in quick succession in the form of the Saturation trilogy. They aren’t your regular boy band like the NSYNC or One Direction. They are 14 self-trained rappers, designers and photographers sharing a common goal: to redefine what it means to be a boy band. In 2018, BROCKHAMPTON released iridescence, their most mature work till then with elevated production value and deeper lyrics.
MAIN MEMBERS:
Kevin Abstract: Singer/rapper
Dom Mclennon: Rapper
Matt Champion: Rapper
Joba: Singer/Rapper
Bearface: Singer
Merlyn Wood: Rapper
SIGNIFICANT TRACKS:
NEW ORLEANS: iridescence opens with NEW ORLEANS, an upbeat track featuring each of the six rappers/singers in the group. . It is a classic BROCKHAMPTON ‘hype’ song with an unpredictability in the structure of the song which keeps the listener guessing who is on the hook and how long the verses are. This song is a perfect way to start the new album as well as a new era of the boyband after the trilogy. It has Matt Champion & Dom McLennon deliver 2 fun verses. Joba, on the other hand raps about having his ‘wings clipped’ referring to the turmoil and obstacles that he faced in his life. Merlyn Wood ends the song with his verse where he raps about his family turning him towards Christianity away from his original Ghanaian roots, much to his apparent dislike.
THUG LIFE: NEW ORLEANS smoothly transitions into THUG LIFE, which has an intro by the London Community Gospel Choir and Bearface. This is followed by a strong verse by Dom McLennon in which he provides a unique perspective on how fame has made his mental struggles even more difficult. His ability to convey feelings of isolation, along with his honesty when talking about his mental health struggles, is one of the reasons this song and entire album is so touching and relatable to the listeners.
WEIGHT: The track WEIGHT further develops the album’s theme of feeling out of place. The song gives a glimpse of the ‘weight’ and inner demons that each member has been carrying. Kevin Abstract starts the song with a verse where he raps about his struggle with accepting his sexuality. He creates a vivid portrayal of a young man who feels completely alone and ostracized by his community. Dom McLennon’s verse is focused on finding inner peace and how the ‘wolves’ and ‘snakes’ in his life are making that difficult for him. The song also has Joba talking about consuming drugs to suppress his depression.
SAN MARCOS: SAN MARCOS references the boyband’s beginnings in San Marcos, Texas, and how they are ready to leave the fame and money behind just to go back to those days. Joba has the most powerful verse in which he talks about living with depression and having suicidal thoughts even though he knows he won’t succumb to them. He isn’t happy with just being alive. He wants to be in a better place. The song, filled with mellow acoustic guitar, ends with The London Community Gospel Choir repeating the line, “I want more out of life than this.” It encompasses what BROCKHAMPTON stand for- being the best version of themselves.
FAVORITE LYRICS:
“Can’t help but meet the feeling with a familiar embrace, when I know that it’ll kill me if I give into my brain.”
“Could be stronger than Vibranium, don’t mean that I ain’t fragile, Grapple with reality to break out of these shackles”
“When the push comes to shove, I’d rather bend than break,But something’s gotta give, ain’t that what they say; When you’re torn between reality, and a choice you could have made, Or should’ve made, they’re not the same, I’m not the same”
“I want more out of life than this.”
FINAL THOUGHTS: iridescence is filled with relatable lyrics, whether it’s that feeling of being out of place, or wondering if things will all be okay in the end. It chews on what it means to be in the limelight and the responsibility that comes with it. The allure of the group- an eclectic bunch of minds that have come together to create a fusion of sounds and it turn great music is reflected in the project.
In 2018, Kanye West released his 8th studio album, Ye. A 7 track long project without any fillers or the extravaganza & multiple features that most of Kanye’s albums comprise, Ye stands out from the rest of his discography. A bulk of the production on the tracks is by Kanye himself along with long-time collaborator, Mike Dean. Ye is a journey through Kanye West’s personal life including his family, addiction and depression.
Significant Tracks:
I THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOU: The track kicks off with really strange-angelic but chilly-vocal harmonies. Kanye isn’t rapping at the start of this song but is delivering some spoken words where he talks about killing ‘You’ and killing himself. He goes on to talk about struggling with the decision of killing himself as he loves himself. ‘You’ is Kanye West himself and this illustrates his bipolar side. He also portrays love for the people around him and those feelings are wrapped in the darker feelings that he spoke about earlier in the song.
GHOST TOWN: The entire theme of this song is Freedom. It has a really generous soul sample hanging in the background. It also has a nostalgic beat and blaring, distorted guitar sounds which add to the already incredible production. Kid Cudi, another long-time collaborator, features on this song expressing the feeling of being unloved The track outro is the most brilliant part of this song with 070 Shake, an upcoming artist singing about a person’s self destructive tendencies as well as Kanye’s feeling of liberation. The entire track is the epitome of Kanye’s bipolar disorder, depicting depression and euphoria side by side.
VIOLENT CRIMES: This song starts off with beautiful 070 Shake vocals where she has the tone of a lullaby which is appropriate as the song addresses Kanye’s daughters. Kanye’s verse shows his growth and awareness as a man. He raps about how his perspective on women has changed and how he now views them as ‘Something to nurture, not somethin’ to conquer.’ Kanye raps about his change in attitude from when he was trying to possess a woman as an object to the present, when he is raising and protecting his daughters.
Favorite lyrics:
“The most beautiful thoughts are always beside the darkest.”
“Today I seriously thought about killing you, I contemplated, premeditated murder. And I think about killing myself, And I love myself way more than I love you”
“They know I got demons all on me,Devil been tryna make an army. They been strategizing to harm me.They don’t know they dealin’ with a zombie, n*ggas been tryna test my Gandhi,Just because I’m dressed like Abercrombie”
“Sometimes I take all the shine, talk like I drank all the wine,Years ahead but way behind, I’m on one, two, three, four, five. No half-truths, just naked minds, caught between space and time”
“Father forgive me, I’m scared of the karma. ‘Cause now I see women as something to nurture, not somethin’ to conquer”
“Just being salty, but n*ggas is nuts, and I am a n*gga, I know what they want”
Final Thoughts: Ye paints a vivid picture of Kanye’s current idea of self and, for as brief as it is, succeeds as an intimate exploration of family and mental health. The brilliant production, harmonizing background vocals and features from artists like PARTYNEXTDOOR and Kid Cudi add to the sheer artistic prowess of Kanye West.
In 2018, after a hiatus of 3 years, Earl Sweatshirt came out with a new project called Some Rap Songs. Earl carries on with the uncompromising, emotionally dark streak in his music and goes down an even more depressing route in the album than his previous work. The entire project is warped by the gravity of the passing of his father and new relationships that help him maintain his sanity. It also depicts Earl trying to find closure and learning how to figure himself out.
Significant Tracks:
Nowhere2go: Earl opens up about his depression and melancholy on Nowhere2go. In less than 2 minutes, he riffs about drug use, isolation and not liking anything the world has to offer but still having to go outside.
On the way!: This is a track that stands out from the rest of the songs on the project. The lyrical and instrumental tone feels like the upside of a mood swing. It is one of the rare slices of bliss that Earl has to offer on this album.
Azucar: This song has Earl talking about his depression over the previous year due to the loss of his father. He discusses consuming alcohol and how it helps him cope with his issues. He also talks about not being able to move forward in his life due to these challenges.
Playing Possum: This is the only track where Earl doesn’t feature himself. The splitting of his parents has had a huge impact on Earl and his music, something he dives into in this track. It is a beautiful and psychedelic sound collage which brings together pieces of spoken words from his mother and his late father. A part of this song sounds like an acceptance speech in which Earl’s mother thanks her son, her partner and close friends for supporting her to reach the position she is in. This is aptly matched by Earl’s poet father , reciting lines about refugees, borders and homeless children.
Favorite Lyrics:
“Every n*gga that’s trippin’ around me serve as reminder that,I gotta watch my step, I keep it quiet as kept, Yeah, I think I spent most of my life depressed, Only thing on my mind was death, Didn’t know if my time was next”
My cushion was a bosom on bad days, There’s not a black woman I can’t thank
“Main line, underneath the skin of the grapevines, Save time, serpent, no need to hiss, Found a reason to live, doubt could be an abyss, Open my lids, my eyes said my soul is amiss
The signs say we close to the end, My mind state sober, I’m bent, Growin’ from my father, bitter to his touch, Now I’m solely honor, livin’ is a must, All this for my momma ’til I’m dust
Final Thoughts: Despite the raw emotion and vivid lyrical descriptions felt throughout the album, Earl is still hard on himself for not being able to articulate the emotional damage and challenges he is facing. Some Rap Songs is easily his most idiosyncratic work to date. The tracks are short, usually comprising only one verse and filled with muffled, off-beat rhymes that are as brilliant as they are bizarre. The entire album has chopped up and broken vocals which is reflective of Earl’s emotional instability.
Kids See Ghosts,which was released in 2018, is a self-titled project by the rap duo, Kanye West and Kid Cudi. The album cover is painted by Takeshi Murakami, a famous Japanese artist and one of Kanye’s inspirations. Although just a 7 track long project, the mix of Rock, Hip Hop, Grunge, Psychedelic and even Pop makes this album feel a lot longer than it actually is.
Significant Tracks:
FEEL THE LOVE: It is a song about contrasts and ups and downs in the artists’ lives. The song focuses on the reconciliation between Cudi and Kanye with ‘I feel the love’ recurring throughout the track. However, it also features a hard-hitting verse from Pusha T which talks about the competition in hip hop. Kanye also makes gunshot noises throughout the song which alludes to the troubled history between him and Cudi.
4th DIMENSION: This track opens with a sample of jazz legend Louis Prima’s ‘What will Santa Claus Say’ which is followed by an old-school Kanye verse which is probably one of his best verses of the decade. An abrupt beat switch transitions into Cudi’s verse which is a little more serious. Cudi refers to his stint in rehab after dealing with depression and suicidal urges.
REBORN: Reborn is centred around Cudi and Kanye’s struggles with mental health. It starts off with Cudi’s signature humming which creates the perfect atmosphere for the chorus and verses. The chorus and main theme of the song is about moving forward and overcoming the various obstacles that life throws at you. Kanye delivers a powerful verse where he raps about his addiction to opioids and being bipolar. Kid Cudi opens up about his drug addiction and dealing with depression in his verse. This is the most powerful song on the album as it delves deep into the personal lives of these two artists and because the entire song is produced and recorded in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Favorite lyrics:
Everybody want world peace/’Til your niece get shot in the dome piece/Then you go and buy your own piece/Hopin’ it’ll help you find your own peace/Bring light to what they don’t see/Auntie cryin’ on the concrete/Talkin’ to dispatcher when the phone beep
“I had my issues, ain’t that much I could do/But peace is something that starts with me, with me/At times, wonder my purpose/Easy then to feel worthless/But, peace is something that starts with me”
“I was off the chain/I was often drained/I was off the meds, I was called insane/What a awesome thing/Engulfed in shame/I want all the rain/I want all the pain/I want all the smoke, I want all the blame/Cardio audio, let me jog your brain”
“It’s so many days I prayed to God/All this pain I couldn’t seem to find a way/On a mission livin’, carry on/Got my family, I’m seein’ through by the days/Never late, pull up a seat and come grab a plate/Check the date, let ’em hate/This the type sh*t that they couldn’t make”
I’m so—I’m so reborn, I’m movin’ forward/ Keep movin’ forward, keep movin’ forward/ Ain’t no stress on me Lord, I’m movin’ forward/ Keep movin’ forward, keep movin’ forward
Final Thoughts:
KIDS SEE GHOSTS is an incredibly innovative and experimentative album that still stays true to the original Kanye and Cudi sounds. A short but completely fulfilling piece of art, it is quite a futuristic album in which both the artists take an introspective approach.
In 2016, Frank Ocean released his sophomore album, Blonde, four years after his Grammy winning debut album, Channel Orange. Considered one of the greatest R&B albums of this decade, Blonde is a beautiful combination of beatless melodies, acoustic and electric guitars, abstract sounds and Frank’s soothing vocals.
Significant Tracks: –
NIKES: – The album kicks off with Nikes where Frank uses high-pitched vocals for majority of the song before a sudden beat switch after which he begins to rap. The song takes a dig at consumerism and hedonism in today’s world. Frank also raps about half-hearted relationships and their meaning in life.
IVY: – Frank takes us through a love-hate relationship in Ivy. It is an indie pop ballad where Frank’s mellow vocals go hand in hand with a melancholic production. The song goes from moments of love to moments of pain and tears while also depicting the hate he faces from the society because of his sexuality.
SELF CONTROL: – In this record, Frank sings about a relationship which is nearing its end. He suggests that the cause for it to fall apart was the immaturity of the other person. Throughout the song, he keeps a constant tone of regret in his voice. The outro of this song feels like an out of body experience with reverberations added to Frank’s vocals.
NIGHTS: – Frank reflects on his past and tediousness in Nights. In the first part of the song, he sings about the highs and lows of love and life with pitched up guitars in the background. The transition to the second part of the song is using a guitar solo which builds up the tempo and finally drops down for a beat switch. The second part has Frank singing/rapping in a mellow tone about his lifestyle and burning the candle at both ends which is taking a toll on him.
WHITE FERRARI: – In this song, Frank sings about the memories of a relationship he had as a youngster . He compares this relationship to a road trip, singing about the time spent together with the person and their journey coming to an end. The beats of this track are replaced by his vocals in the form of humming and overlapped singing, making it one of the most emotionally pleasing songs on the album.
Favorite lyrics: – ‘It’s hell on earth and the city’s on fire, inhale in hell there is heaven
There’s a bull and a matador dueling in the sky, inhale in hell there is heaven’
‘If you could die and come back to life, up for air from the swimming pool
You’d kneel down to the dry land, kiss the earth that birthed you’
‘Living so the last night feels like a past life’
‘I’m sure we’re taller in another dimension
You say we’re small and not worth the mention’
Final Thoughts: – Blonde is undoubtedly one of the greatest pieces of art of this decade. It is aesthetically soothing and consists of a variation of instrumentals & melodies along with Frank’s soulful vocals and brilliant writing.
MUSIC ALBUM REVIEW 