MUSIC REVIEW: "Long Live the Angels"-Emeli Sandé

It's been over four years since Emeli Sandé dropped her debut album, Our Version of Events, back in 2012, and I've been anxiously awaiting more music from her ever since. 

Sure, she dropped a few songs and was featured on collabs here and there, but not a full project, and I've been literally craving more! So when the singer-songwriter revealed that she would be dropping her sophomore album, Long Live The Angels, I was too happy. Emeli is an amazing creative, and her vocals are off the charts, so I was ready for whatever she had for us.

I decided to take some time with this album before I reviewed (as I will with all of my reviews in the future), to read the lyrics, do some research and digging on the subject, and truly listen to the music. Long Live The Angels is proof that, sadly, heartbreak and pain brings about some of your best work. With her debut, which was still great, Emeli focused on more inspiring themes about love, being a good person, hope for the world. A few break up songs, but it was mostly positive. However, this one is even more personal, heartbreaking, and vulnerable, after Emeli's divorce from her longtime love, Adam Gouraguine, in November 2014. Throughout the album, Emeli takes on her journey to recovery, as we hear her express her hurt and loneliness behind the break up, but, ultimately, her hope for a better future for herself.

Read more of my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: 'Dangerous Woman'-Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande released her third album, Dangerous Woman, on May 20 for listeners!  I wanted to take some days to just listen before even attempting to write, to just enjoy the music.

Featuring a variety of genres on the album, from jazz to disco, to R&B and reggae, Dangerous Woman is much more reminiscent of Ariana's first album, Yours Truly, with its eclectic mix of sounds. However, with this album, she takes on a more "dangerous," mature approach, showcasing her continued growth as a singer and overall artist and proving that she's only going to keep getting better with time!

ALBUM REVIEW: Anti -Rihanna

Rihanna's highly anticipated eighth studio album, Anti, was finally released on January 28, 2015. The project was released through Westbury Road Entertainment and Roc Nation, and has already be certified platinum by the RIAA due to new rules that allow streams to be Yet, she's been reported that this album debuted at #27 on the Billboard charts. The music scene is definitely changing.

While her seventh album, Unapologetic (released in 2012), contained more dubstep and electronic sounds, this album, overall, is pretty mellow and chill in terms of actual music. Overall, Anti is clearly not a commercial album, with clear cut hits that would be typically heard on the radio. Rihanna is just doing her own thing, and loving it! Definitely wanted to sit with this album a while, and take everything in for this review!

ALBUM REVIEW: Know-It-All -Alessia Cara

On her debut project, Know-It-All, singer Alessia Cara shows her great potential for a long career in the industry!

The album, officially released today, November 13, is a great blend of alternative pop and soul, and is perfectly mellow! Alessia is a talented singer, and her vocals are pretty impressive on the album. However, her material stands out even more. Throughout the project, Alessia shows that she has a lot of wisdom beyond just her 19 years. She's a calm, cool, and collected rebel who has no problem doing her own thing, which separates her from the pack of generic pop singers scrambling for a spot in the industry.

Check out the rest of my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: Smoke Signals-Oktoba

Singer Oktoba dropped his debut album, Smoke Signals, on October 29, a great project I had the opportunity to check out. All tracks on the album were written and performed by the artist, mixed and produced by Tim Bidwell at The Clockwork Owl Studio, Brighton. The project was mastered by Nick Lewis at Brighton Mastering.

Blending folk, pop and Americana, the singer/songwriter based in Brighton, England, created a mellow album that showcases his vocal ability and songwriting skills. "As songwriters, we are given the intimate platform to describe our lives," Oktoba said of his work in a statement. "I really try when writing, to write honestly, giving the listener something that feels familiar and something that they can relate to, no matter who they are or where they're from." With Smoke Signals, the singer definitely accomplishes that aspect, offering a lot of great material and messages that listeners will be able to connect with.

Check out more of my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: Calling All Lovers-Tamar Braxton

Tamar Braxton has released her fourth studio album, Calling All Lovers, today October 2! Though her 2013 release, Love &War, was definitely a good record, the singer came back stronger than ever with this one! Tamar delivered stronger vocals and material, showing us a more vulnerable side as she takes us through the stages of love.

Check out my full review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: Unbreakable Smile-Tori Kelly

After releasing two EPs and other songs, including popular covers, Tori Kelly is set to release her debut studio album Unbreakable Smile on June 23! I just had the opportunity to see her perform this past weekend, and heard some of her new songs, so I had to review the album for the blog.

Seeing Tori live, it seemed to me like she was very sweet and down to earth. She’s been releasing music for a while, and seems determined to not let the industry change her or her music. Unbreakable Smile is a clear reflection of all of that. The album is a mix of pop and soul, and speaks on the ups and down on relationships, the importance of staying positive in life, and her refusal to conform to the industry. It’s a really awesome, fun album, perfect for the start of summer, but it’s also filled with great messages that we can all relate to in some way. With teens as Tori’s target audience, this is a great album for them to listen to, hopefully learn something from, and be inspired.

Check out my review below!

EP REVIEW: Your Little Trick-Travis Caudle

Last summer, we had the chance to feature Australian pop/rock artist Travis Caudle, and it was great to share his story. Well today (May 27), Travis has released his latest EP, Your Little Trick, globally!

The EP is really upbeat and great to groove to, which is perfect since summer is right around the corner! In addition to just great overall music, Travis offers awesome lyrics that listeners will definitely connect with as they hear the project.

Check out my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Gift EP-Monique

British singer, songwriter and producer Monique recently released her EP, The Gift, which has garnered great reviews from Alt Sounds, Urban Development, ILUVLIVE, Guestlist Magazine and the MOBO Awards! 

The EP was inspired by Monique's own pregnancy and her embracing of motherhood (she recently gave birth to a baby boy!). The singer states that the EP “explores the theme of time and moments in a world that moves so fast that we rarely stand in the present. There are moments that bring us face to face with ourselves and others that are willing us to take a look in the mirror. To stop and consider our course or just to simply enjoy, be thankful and content."

Check out more of my review, and stream the EP below!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Album About Nothing-Wale

Wale released his fourth album, The Album About Nothing, on March 31, which you KNOW I copped (three physical copies with the different covers plus the digital version from iTunes...no games here). I contemplated long and hard whether or not I was going to review this album. As a huge supporter of his, I knew that this album was going to be different, and I partly just wanted to enjoy him telling his story. As an entertainment blogger, I felt obligated to share my thoughts on the album. I decided to sit with the album this week, and THEN review (I mean, as J. Cole said, "1 listen reviews are fxcking up hip hop."). For lyricists like Cole and Wale, you need to really study their work to truly understand, so I did.

Using a Seinfeld theme, as used in previous mixtapes The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing, Wale incorporates dialogue from the show, as well recorded conversations between him and Jerry Seinfeld himself! The album features production from DJ Dahi, Pro Reese, No Credit, Ayy Dot, and more, as well as vocals from stars like J. Cole, SZA, and Usher. I literally haven't stopped listening since the album's release. Honestly, I was impressed, the most impressed I've ever been by any of his studio albums. The vulnerability and expression is on another level on TAAN, and that is impressing many people, beyond just his fans.

Check out more of my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Perfect EP-Ash

I recently featured music and did an interview with alternative R&B/pop singer Ash! On February 10, 2015, the artist dropped her debut project, The Perfect EP, for listeners! The four-track EP was produced by T Brown, who has worked previously with Janelle Monae (Ash is also a background singer for The Electric Lady!).

Ash’s debut reflects her own feelings on love, and, between the actual music and lyrics, listeners are bound to really connect with the EP! "The Perfect EP, I hope helps change the conversation in music. I think the way I've chosen to write about love will add a cool twist to the dialogue that so many artists are already having. At the very least I hope it compels people to love deeper," Ash said of the project.

Check out my review of The Perfect EP below!

ALBUM REVIEW: 2014 Forest Hills Drive-J.Cole

I've never done too many hip hop reviews for Spotlight or any of the websites I've written for honestly. The last one I remember doing for a mainstream artist was my review of Wale's sophomore album Ambition back in 2011...and that was for a music writing class my senior year at Loyola (*laughs*).

However, I'm trying to do more music and movie reviews, and it starts with the albums that I'm actually buying, which includes J. Cole's junior album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Cole did something different this time around by deciding not to collaborate with anyone or drop any singles, just giving his listeners a release date of December 9th, an order link on iTunes, and a video for his Intro as he rides his bike through NYC. Now the album is here, and the reviews are mostly pretty good!

What I respect about Cole is that he is really is about his music. Sure, every artist is somewhat driven by sales, but some artists take it too far releasing terrible content with a catchy hook that the audience is sure to dance to (*insert whoever's name here*). To me, Cole isn't like that. He carefully crafts his lyrics, which, as a listener, I love, because he is one of very few rappers who makes me think (as a blogger, I get annoyed when I can't get it, because I'm trying to write a damn review here!). Throughout the album, Cole literally takes listeners on a journey through his younger years until now, and you really get a feel for who he is as Jermaine and not just J. Cole. 

Check out my song by song review below!

ALBUM REVIEW:Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart?-K. Michelle

K. Michelle's sophomore album Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart? is set for release on December 9, 2014. Almost a week ago, the singer has teamed up with her home network VH1 to stream the album, and I'm glad I was able to take a listen before the album dropped.

What separates K. Michelle from many other singers is that she is REAL. Real to the point where she can admit that the man she loves has a baby by another woman, and she'll never be able to compete with that. She wears her heart on her sleeve, at least when it comes to her music, and, in a world of commercialized artists who are starting to sound mostly the same, I will always appreciate that about this woman.

AWBAH gives that rawness that we've come to expect from K. Michelle, but in a much more mature way. It's clear that K has been busy writing with other songwriters, and experimenting with different sounds, and it worked in an incredible way!

Check out my song by song review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: Girl Next Door-Alexis Hightower

Last week, I put up my feature with singer Alexis Hightower. Today, I have a review for her debut full length album Girl Next Door, which mixes classic jazz, soul, and a touch of hip hop. Her sound is grounded in jazz and R&B, which is evident on this album. What's great about this album is that Alexis is very transparent in her lyrics, and the music is soulful and calming. I've never honestly been a huge jazz fan, but the different artists that I have heard in the genre always give a fun, yet relaxing vibe in their music. I definitely looked forward to checking out Alexis' project. 

Check out my review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: X-Chris Brown

I'm a big fan and believer still in Chris Brown. In spite of his mistakes, I've always admired his incredible talent, so I've been waiting for his new album  "X" for quite some time. Released today, September 16, this is Chris' sixth studio album, and he definitely gives Team Breezy a lot of great tracks.

In a past interview with Ebony, Chris explained the significance of the title:

It's the Roman numeral for 10. 5/5/89 is my birthday: 5 plus 5 is 10, and this is my tenth year since I got into music. 'X' is the 24th letter in the alphabet, and I will turn 24 when this album comes out. 'X' is also a metaphor, as in 'ex-girlfriend': it implies you're progressing and moving on in life, not holding on to the past and your old ways.

For the album, Chris has said that he was going for a more mature and soulful sound. He clearly incorporates his inspiration from his idol Michael Jackson, as well as Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. He mostly made that happen, though some tracks were off the mark. 

Check out my full review below!

ALBUM REVIEW: My Everything-Ariana Grande

I haven't done a real music review in a really long time! I figure the amount of music that comes out and that I get through email, I should do that more often. Therefore, I'm starting back up again with an album that I personally have been waiting a while for--Ariana Grande's My Everything!

Released August 25, 2014, My Everything is Ariana's sophomore album, and she doesn't disappoint! Her first album, Yours Truly, was a good introduction, and a lot of great pop songs and even a few 50s doo-wop tracks, that really showcased Ariana's talent as a singer. However, it's clear with My Everything, Ariana has grown up and really taken the reins on her musical choices

Read my review of Ariana's new album below!