mokitsu Posted December 12, 2020 Author Posted December 12, 2020 (edited) ALBUMS just a few days ago, teyana taylor announced that she is retiring from music, because she feels like she's underappreciated by publications and by the public (a couple days before, she expressed her frustration over not being nominated for a grammy). that made me sad, because i've been following her since the kanye west produced album "ktse". while that one was only 8 songs and 22 minutes in length, "the album" sits at the polar opposite end of that spectrum, with a daunting 23 songs. while the production here isn't as unique as "ktse" (which had neo soul vibes and trademark kanye vocal samples), i still love its more "generic" trap r&b moments, as well as its more classic soulful tracks and more psychedelic r&b ones. her voice is so layered and rich that she could read a phonebook and i'd be happy tbh. and i love how she goes in on her husband (or fictitious lover, who knows) in the lyrics, calling him out on his bull**** and truly baring it all - the good, bad and ugly - for the art. i know nobody listened to this, even as a fan i didn't want to listen to this long ass project either when it came out, but i did and i love it. favorite songs: how you want it, come back to me, bare wit me I was surprised to see the mixed reception for this one... and then I wasn't. Further proof of a deep generational chasm that divides ATRL into two camps; the twentysomething pop/rnb sophisticates with 15 to 20 years of top-shelf music consumption to their name, and an unruly kid crew with Jojo Siwa avatars and tributes to Charli D'Amelio in their signatures. It's not that the latter generation is a lost cause entirely, but they've clearly never heard a "JoJo" — that is, they've never encountered a voice quite as distinctive as JoJo's. "But I know JoJo! Too Little Too Late was the first single I bought!" First off, ask for a refund. And no, you don't know JoJo, you know a very stilted and subdued version of the iconic singer. The JoJo of "good to know" is JoJo as JoJo is intended to sound. She very skillfully vacillates between a range of tones; she nasally, then guttural, then grainy, then nasally again, then delicate. (And yes, that's how she's supposed to do it.) She's sultry. She's goofy. She's sounds slightly absurd. She's fully engaged. She's expressive in ways that "technically superior" vocalists just aren't. She is brilliant. You have no idea how brilliant she is. favorite songs: comeback, gold, pedialyte few artists give me the excitement and the feeling of anticipation whenever they announce a new record - mike hadreas is one of them. as one of the leading artists and most recognizable voices in art pop right now, he puts his whole heart into each project and makes sure to show a new side of him, through lyrics and instrumentation, every time he returns. and if 2017's "no shape" saw him more maximalist and intense than ever, "set my heart on fire immediately" does the opposite, creating a hushed, often atmospheric album. throughout this project, it's clear that mike is a broken man (or at least was), and these tracks serve as a way to exorcise his demons and process some experiences related to his lgbt identity and body issues - his feminine and expressive voice even sounds often fearful. i'm not sure if this is perfume genius' best incarnation yet, but it's a damn good one. favorite songs: jason, on the floor, leave rina thankfully shed her cyber popgirl persona that was present in her eps and focused her energy and talent into creating that feels like a grand entrance into the pantheon of pop girls - and she does it while being one of us! one thing i love about the "sawayama" album is that it truly feels like she broke a barrier between her and the listener and is inviting us to dance with her on the dancefloor while she whispers her most intimate insecurities and darkest moments in our ears. as a queer immigrant, there's no shortage of issues to talk about - isolation, racism, alienation and cultural identity are all talked about in this album - and she does it in a way that feels uniquely hers. the production is incredibly eclectic, attempting a mishmash and deconstruction of genre that isn't always the most successful, but mostly works wonderfully. the best debut album of the year. favorite songs: xs, **** this world, bad friend ever since their 2011, the husband/wife duo tennis has just been getting better and better with each release, and "swimmer" is undoubtedly their most realized and well put together record so far. with a 70s synth-laced indie pop sound, this album paints a sunny and calm landscape. but with tennis, you don't get only a cute aesthetic and an album that feels like you're scrolling through a tumblr feed. this one dives into the ups and downs of their ten year marriage and the fragility of life. quite a few songs talk about death, even if theyre mostly happy, and the upbeat "echoes" describes the day of the lead singer alaina's near death experience. even through its darkness, "swimmer" is a gorgeous listen, that feels like a breeze on a summer day. favorite songs: i'll haunt you, need your love, matrimony ii Edited December 12, 2020 by mokitsu
geodancefreak Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Great update in singles (minus #11 and #12) and I loooove Sawayama!
wxvii Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Positions being in the biggest disappointments of the year category Anyway, I couldn’t agree more in regards to Sawayama being one of the best of the year (excluding a few tracks like Chosen Family, Snakeskin, & Paradisin)... she served
Delta Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 I love Say Something and all, but to me, Magic stood out better. I love seeing it in the top 15
Staryu Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 3 hours ago, mokitsu said: (thankfully) getting close to the end as im starting to get best of fatigue same bestie Also Magic is amazing, one of my faves of the year for sure Rina's album too
wxvii Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 On 12/10/2020 at 3:03 AM, mokitsu said: caucasian r&b done right! i admit i dragged alina baraz quite a bit this year, but i got into her album and never looked back. while it's true that this doesn't reinvent the wheel - it's pretty much in the same wave of chill r&b as jhené aiko and sabrina claudio are - and isn't as lyrically introspective as her peers, relying more on melodies and vocal delivery / vocal samples to establish a vibe, it does capture successfully a feeling of sensuality and warmness with a tinge of melancholy across its tracks. it's a long album at 52 minutes but it's interesting enough to keep my attention and they go by in an instant. while "it was divine" may feel more style than substance, that said style is perfected and executed brilliantly, so i can't really complain. hopefully this is a start to a great discography. Slowly becoming a stan I love to see it. Funny because I just started listening to S*brina Claudio this month (it pains me so much to do so, but I feel like I’m missing out on some decent music from her) and I quite like what she’s doing. Let’s not act like The Color Of You was bad though. I know you’re illegally streaming it somewhere.
TheWayWeWere Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 yeah, Magic hits much better than Say Something she served this era tho! Jessie' In Your Eyes I loved My Future at first, but it kinda aged badly for me Teyana's ALBUM was great actually, I loved KTSE, but its shortness kinda worried me The Album on the other side can give you everything you want I hate that she's underrated, but there's no reason to retire 4 hours ago, mokitsu said: I was surprised to see the mixed reception for this one... and then I wasn't. Further proof of a deep generational chasm that divides ATRL into two camps; the twentysomething pop/rnb sophisticates with 15 to 20 years of top-shelf music consumption to their name, and an unruly kid crew with Jojo Siwa avatars and tributes to Charli D'Amelio in their signatures. you are so ****ing right! GTK was brilliant Sawayama I only discovered Tennis few weeks ago, Need Your Love is masterpiece I ADORE your writings
mokitsu Posted December 12, 2020 Author Posted December 12, 2020 35 minutes ago, wxvii said: Slowly becoming a stan I love to see it. Funny because I just started listening to S*brina Claudio this month (it pains me so much to do so, but I feel like I’m missing out on some decent music from her) and I quite like what she’s doing. Let’s not act like The Color Of You was bad though. I know you’re illegally streaming it somewhere. hi sis thanks for reminding me to stream GODbrina's xmas ep TCOY is great ofc, im done pretending to hate ha, but IWD feels much more realized and a better introduction for AliN/A 15 minutes ago, TheWayWeWere said: Teyana's ALBUM was great actually, I loved KTSE, but its shortness kinda worried me The Album on the other side can give you everything you want I hate that she's underrated, but there's no reason to retire you are so ****ing right! GTK was brilliant I ADORE your writings i saw janet supported teyana on ig after her retirement and it made me tear up i hope she doesnt give up, but the music industry is though. that jojo description is an atrl copypasta because i was fed up with the hate im glad u like them that makes me happy
Psycho Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Magic In Your Eyes great Pretty Please, My Future boring and don't remember that Rosalia sing Sawayama
KasioKas Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Baby & Pretty please are great Good to Know and Sawayama are excellent
Enigmanotta Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Magic, Pretty Please, In Your Eyes, My Future, SAWAYAMA
BlackoutZone Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Pretty Please and In Your Eyes seem to be for acquired tastes Highlights, often wrongly deemed as skips! good to know write up - PERIOD! And they say glory has no impact...
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 12, 2020 ATRL Moderator Posted December 12, 2020 i dont even REMEMBER that rosalia song. maybe i never knew of its existence in your eyes/magic are great picks but pretty please is NOT a good dua pick, ill still accept it though. glad to see sawayama up here, and tennis/teyana, i enjoyed what they had to offer but something was missing for me for both albums.
Post Malone Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 Magic and Pretty Please My Future existing
Remmy Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 my future is good. In Your Eyes Pretty Please, yesss! Always been one of my FN faves and it seems like that's not a massive popular opinion for whatever reason. Kiiii at the copypasta for JoJo I'm not really a big R&B fan but good to know was nice! SAWAYAMA is obviously excellence Gold, Pedialyte and Bad Friend getting some love
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 12, 2020 Posted December 12, 2020 This was another strong set. Magic is such a great intro for Kylie's album. Pretty Please is probably my favorite song off the album. So chill and smooth.
ATRL Moderator Legend E Posted December 12, 2020 ATRL Moderator Posted December 12, 2020 that song update is perfection (minus rosalia). and yes, in your eyes is no ordinary love's modern sis sawayama
1998tweety Posted December 13, 2020 Posted December 13, 2020 Finally praise of Pretty Please. She took a minute to grow on me but now she's def one of my favs from the whole album Magic, In Your Eyes, My Future the excellence Sawayama really is that bitch, only 1 or 2 skips on the whole album and every other song slaps The Perfume Genius album was nice, it's one of those projects that I know is good but I don't really have the desire to replay it over and over (except for On The Floor, that's one of the best songs from the year)
luckystrike Posted December 13, 2020 Posted December 13, 2020 the magic-pretty please-in your eyes 1 2 3 punch sawayama missing the top 10 tho
potent Posted December 13, 2020 Posted December 13, 2020 Pretty Please is one of few duds in FN for me it's not terrible though In Your Eyes is great though Say Something >>> Magic for me My Future this high is interesting! I mean it's better than the new single I guess lol Haven't heard those albums, Tennis sounds kind of interesting though
Lazuli Posted December 13, 2020 Posted December 13, 2020 ahhhh the songs i only don't know the rosalia one. you did not call say something LIMP tho set my heart on fire tho i very much prefer no shape sawayama an ALBUM
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