Cordavision Music Reviews

American Idol -ass cover. I guess I’d say I’m a fan of Yung Lean. Ever since getting into that Drain Gang circle with Bladee and Ecco2k, I’ve always liked what I’ve heard from Yung Lean’s output, even if his last project Stardust didn’t really live up to the other things I’ve heard. However, I was completely out of the loop on this side project of his, jonatan leandoer96. Out of the other songs I’ve heard from this that I checked out after this project, it has more of an indie folk edge to it. On this album, Sugar World , Lean takes a turn into Bowie-esque glam rock. It’s certainly an interesting experiment that piqued my interest, so let’s ride off into Sugar World . I should start off by saying that I’m a fan of artistic risks, with Lil Yachty’s most recent project being the biggest example in recent memory, and while Sugar World is an overall enjoyable listen, there are just a couple of things holding it back from greatness to me. Lean’s vocals are pretty inconsistent in quality t...

Did you know that King Gizz’s discography is the length of two football fields? How many times have I raved about King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard? Like, I shined praise onto them five times last year alone for all of the projects they dropped. What else can they even do? And yet, they continue to surprise. A huge highlight of not only their 2022 but their careers up to this point is playing three 3-hour shows in a single weekend over at Red Rocks, Colorado. Each of them were completely different sets, and while I was excited to hear about this massive achievement for the group, I’m a broke college student and couldn’t get to Colorado, which I bet I’m not the only one that felt this. However, each show they played has now been released as a massive 86-track, nearly 9-hour box set for the fans to enjoy. It took some time, but I actually listened to the whole thing. Let’s dive into it. I’ve had to edit this review down a couple of times, but I’ve slowly realized that this is just gon...

Loving the Pink Floyd homage, not gonna lie. I think it’s a safe bet to say that Metro Boomin’ is a modern legend. I’ve always liked him and his contributions to rap and trap specifically, and he’s also had a huge hand in some of my favorite albums in trap. His collab albums with 21 Savage, mainly Without Warning with Offset and Savage Mode II , have been the standouts to me. Also, while writing this, I also found out he produced the entirety (sans one track) of Future’s DS2 , one of my favorite Future projects. It may also be a little bit of bias, but he’s also done a good amount with The Weeknd as well, who appears on this album. However, I think his last solo album, NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES , is just fine. I don’t really remember a bunch of it, but I still got pretty excited for this when it got announced. Let’s just cut to the bullshit and see how I felt about HEROES & VILLAINS . I’m just gonna say that I don’t know how he connected with Morgan Freeman, but he always sounds s...

Might as well review an album called The Family on Thanksgiving. Well, happy Thanksgiving. At least on the day I’m writing this, it’s a happy Thanksgiving. Or a year from this post. It doesn’t matter, though, because it’s typically a time where you sit and argue about whatever comes to mind. There’s also food there too. I have no idea how to segue into the next part of this, so… The Family . BROCKHAMPTON, everyone’s favorite boy band, had slowly been falling apart for a couple years now and, as of today, the group is no more. There’s a lot of history there to unpack, but I’ll let you do that yourself if you want because there’s a *lot* of ground to cover there. Last week, the group’s final album titled The Family dropped. They also dropped a second album with it, TM , and if I’m being honest, there’s not a lot to talk about, other than how underwhelming it was, in my opinion. I have much more to say about The Family , though, so let’s not waste any time and get into it. Right off the...

If it’s not blocked in your country, I reacted to this album live on my YouTube channel. Click here to watch it. Okay, let me start off with this. I don’t have to do an intro to Taylor Swift. Whether you like her or not, she’s one of the most recognizable names on the planet. Hell, a testament to this is that this album, Midnights , is set to be the first album in six years to sell over a million copies in its first week. The last time this happened was Swift again. In an age where it’s tough to reach half of a million, it’s really impressive. But I’m not here to talk about sales, I’m here to talk about the music. During the height of the pandemic, she dropped two indie-inspired albums, folklore and evermore . Both of these albums, especially folklore, opened my eyes on how good she was at writing these relatively complex stories into her songs when she teams up with The National. I was blown away by it and, for lack of a better term, I realized I was a Swiftie. Now, in the middle of...

I’d like to throw this cover into the fray of one of the most recognizable cover arts of the 2010s. Alright, this may be a surprising revelation to some, but I’ve never heard an Arctic Monkeys album in its entirety. Sure, I’ve heard a couple of songs and most of their last album, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino , but never a whole project. The only song I’ve heard from this project, AM , is “R U Mine?,” which I think is a pretty good song. To my knowledge, AM is considered to be the sellout album in Arctic Monkeys’ discography, and that’s mainly why I decided to pick this as my first dive into the group. On top of their first album in four years releasing this Friday, I figured now would be a better time than ever to finally see what this group’s about. Let’s get into AM . I’ll say this off the bat: you can tell that most of these were singles or really wanted to be. Six of these songs were singles, that’s half of the album. It’s not as bad as the last Joyner Lucas album where there w...

 

That’s a small-ass island. I have to admit, I’ve been anticipating this album for a long time. Calvin Harris’s first Funk Wav Bounces album from 2017 is one of my favorite albums of all time, and if I’m being totally honest, I think a second release in this series wasn’t ever going to happen. Either way, here we are. We have a DJ Khaled-esque murderers’ row of features which are Snoop Dogg, Young Thug, Normani, Pharrell Williams, Dua Lipa, Busta Rhymes, Justin Timberlake, Chloe Bailey, 21 Savage, Latto, Charlie Puth, Tinashe, Swae Lee, Stefflon Don, Offset, 6lack, Pusha T, Donae'o, Halsey, Lil Durk, Shenseea, and Jorja Smith. How do I feel about this new entry? Let’s get into it. I went into this not thinking that this was going to top the first one, mainly because it doesn’t come close to hitting the peak that is “Slide” with Frank Ocean and Migos from the first album, but I do think that there are some redeeming qualities here. Of course, the production here is gorgeous. Mixing ...

I see where Drake got his inspiration. Do I need an intro? I feel like I should for the sake of covering Beyoncé for the first time on the site, so I’ll be quick. Beyoncé has essentially built this cult-like fanbase over the years, especially within the past decade with the one-two punch of her self-titled release from 2013 and her last official studio album, 2016’s Lemonade, an event within itself that’s cemented its place in pop culture history. Now, after a semi-productive six years that included an entire album with her husband Jay-Z, starring in and soundtracking the new version of The Lion King , and a film on Disney+, we now have RENAISSANCE , the first release in a trilogy of new projects that will reflect on her mental health during the COVID pandemic. How does RENAISSANCE sound? Let’s get into it. There’s an inevitable comparison to come, so I’m just gonna get it out of the way right now. Earlier this summer, Drake surprise-dropped HONESTLY, NEVERMIND , an R&B album insp...

Yes, we know what the color pink is made of, Uzi. I think it’s safe to say that we’re past the peak popularity of SoundCloud rap, and I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty fun. Now, I’m just curious to see who will try to break free of the mold and find out how much longevity their careers have. Rappers like Playboi Carti and even Denzel Curry to some extent have shown in their own ways how they can stay relevant and even innovative, but one of the bigger names that still has some way to prove himself, at least in my opinion, is Lil Uzi Vert. Their breakout track, “XO Tour Llif3,” is arguably the best song to come from this wave, but it’s been many ups and downs since then. Now, as a prelude to the long-teased PINK TAPE , we have the RED & WHITE EP. How does this little taster sound? Let’s get into it. I’m just gonna cut right to the chase here: This is the best Uzi has sounded since LUV is Rage 2 . Having viewed his last project Eternal Atake as a massive disappointment, I feel like ...

Nas jumpscare. I’m gonna be honest with you guys: Joey Bada$$ has never stood out to me that much. Maybe I was late to that party, but I do like his last studio album, 2015’s All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ . Maybe I was just not in the right mindset for his breakout mixtape 1999 , and his The Light EP from a little while back just came and went. Luckily, his loose single “The Revenge,” which was pretty awful, doesn’t make his new project 2000 , the sequel to the aforementioned mixtape that put him on everyone’s radar. Does this album bring him back to his own standards? Let’s get into it. What I probably like the most about this project is the beat choices. Nearly every beat complimented Joey’s voice and flow pretty well, so it was a very nice combo of the two. I’ve always been critical of his writing, but I really liked it when he got personal like on “Survivors Guilt” and “Eulogy,” which I think were the peaks of this album. Any track with Westside Gunn is also a little bit of a neuron activ...

This cover just reminds me of Vespertine . Rico Nasty has been an artist I’ve been keeping my eye on for a while. The mixtape she released with Kenny Beats was really the first time I had even heard of her, and it was great. Her debut album from a couple years back, Nightmare Vacation , was also very enjoyable, and it even got her that mainstream appeal that I think she’s been deserving for a while now. After Nightmare Vacation , I was wondering if she’d stick with the more mainstream sound or not. After announcing her next mixtape Las Ruinas and some of the singles, it seemed like it was going to get much more experimental, which really excited me. So, let’s not waste any time and get into Las Ruinas . I’d say that the biggest change when it comes to Rico herself is her lyrics. They’re much more vulnerable than the other stuff I’ve heard, and this gives the mixtape a whole new layer that I like to hear. Alongside that, the turn to a more experimental sound helps make Las Ruinas a pr...

First off, Tinker Bell isn’t overrated. Honestly, I’ve always liked the sound of beabadoobee. The first time I’d even heard of her, like most of us, was being sampled on that one Tik Tok song about a cup of coffee or something. I’m not even bothered to look up what that song is because I’m not even a fan of it. Either way, it helped me discover bea, and her debut album, 2020’s Fake It Flowers , is actually pretty good, so I’d be tuning in to whatever she did next. Lo and behold, we now have Beatopia in our grasp, so let’s just get into it. What I like the most about this is the production and overall vibe of the album. It reminds me a lot of the radio hits of the late 90s and early 2000s, and quite frankly, the rose-colored nostalgia glasses are on for that era. The use of genres like folk, indie pop, singer-songwriter, and dream pop keep the sound of this album evolving throughout to keep the listener on their toes. Combining that with the impressive vocals from Bea makes for a dream...

CAPRISONGS vs. Gemini Rights . Fight. I’ve always enjoyed Steve Lacy’s work with a catch. Oddly enough, his first solo album Apollo XXI really didn’t do anything for me at all, but his work with Odd Future-adjacent R&B group The Internet has always stood out to me more than his solo work. I am a sucker for some good neo-soul though, so why Apollo XXI didn’t click for me is beyond me. Either way, I’ve been pretty excited about his next release, Gemini Rights . How does it sound? Let’s get into it. In a weird way, there was an immediate comparison that I made a little bit after my first listen of this, and it was André 3000’s The Love Below , the second half of Outkast’s iconic double album. There’s no deep comparison on it like a similar theme or Lacy sounding like 3 Stacks at all, that’s just the vibe I felt while listening to this. Another thing about this is that this is beautifully produced across the board. Lacy’s voice, the beats, everything just comes together so smoothly. H...

There are three different people with the name Chris involved in one song, it’s basically the Marvel movies now. It’s no secret that Lizzo is a star at this point. While I appreciate her social media game about positivity (even if it’s not necessarily for me), I thought her last album, Cuz I Love You , is quite good. Some songs from that project are still in my rotation, and “Boys” is one of my favorite pop hits from the past decade. That being said, whatever Lizzo did next from a music standpoint would have my attention. While “About Damn Time” was certainly a fine song, it just didn’t do anything. Either way, we have Special now, so let’s just get into it. Right off the bat, I’m very happy that the song she did with Cardi B isn’t on this because it’s one of her worst songs. That’s a good start. Like on her past music, her voice is honestly what hits it out of the park for me, and while it doesn’t hit the same heights as her last album, it’s still very good. Where this project lacks,...

If you wanna know my thoughts on the movie itself, click here ! If you anything about director Baz Luhrmann, he’s always used music in his movies in relatively weird ways, whether you like it or not. A prominent example is his adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby , which has heavy involvement from Jay-Z, serving as an executive producer for the film and its soundtrack. Oddly enough, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in a movie recently is Tobey Maguire narrating over “No Church in the Wild” from Watch the Throne . We now have a similar soundtrack for Luhrmann’s latest film, a biopic of music icon Elvis Presley. The movie’s fantastic, but since the music is so tied to it, it’s gotta be judged on its own. Let’s see how the ELVIS soundtrack does. There are a few distinct categories for the tracks: 1. Recordings of Elvis repurposed for the movie, 2. Austin Butler actually singing Elvis songs taken from the movie, and 3. Existing Elvis tracks being remixed by artist...

Sometimes? Forever? What’s the difference? I’ve always liked Soccer Mommy’s brand of lo-fi, indie rock and what she’s gone for in terms of her content. I like all of her albums, but my personal favorite is 2020’s color theory, mainly because I think that it took her biggest strengths and concentrated it into a project. Now, we have Sometimes, Forever , a new album with a pretty big shake-up behind the scenes. Producing the album in its entirety is Daniel Lopatin, better known as Oneohtrix Point Never, who’s essentially a pioneer in electronic music and has currently found a second wind in his career with film scores and producing nearly the entirety of The Weeknd’s last project, Dawn FM . How does this clash sound? Let’s get into Sometimes, Forever . I still think Soccer Mommy’s writing and vocals are just as good here as in her past projects, and she has a way to capturing sadness into a song that’s unmatched by anyone else in the genre right now. I already think that this is her most...

It's kinda crazy that this is so divisive, to be honest. You knew this was coming, right? You know who Drake is, so there’s no reason to give an intro. Drake’s been dropping a project a year since 2015, and that period has had Drake’s highs and lows of his career. Personally, I’ve been wanting a full album of R&B tracks like “Passionfruit” for a very long time, and I hoped for that in last year’s Certified Lover Boy , but even if we didn’t get that, I still didn’t mind it. For once, I seemed to be in the minority on a positive opinion. Now, we have HONESTLY, NEVERMIND , and while I’m hyped for it, we really don’t have a lot of things to go over. It’s a new Drake album. Let’s get into HONESTLY, NEVERMIND . Right off the bat, this has been dividing not just the critics, but the fans. I’ve been seeing both positive and negative responses from quite literally everyone. As I’ve stated above, an R&B album from Drake is best-case scenario for me, and at some point, I figured that ...

The Apple Music animated cover goes hard, not gonna lie. One of the biggest bands in the world, BTS, with adoring fans around the world, and I guess the music I’ve heard of theirs is okay for the most part. I’m relatively newer to the scene, joining in with 2019’s Map of the Soul: Persona EP, which is honestly pretty good. I haven’t heard most of their earlier works, which goes back to Wings. Personally, I think the best project I’ve heard from them is BE , but that’s just me. PROOF is a compilation album. I know, I know, but I honestly figured that this should be a good way to get more into their discography, alongside three new tracks. Let’s get into it. Since it’s a compilation album, this is a two-and-a-half-hour project we have here. Then again, I’m not complaining because I enjoyed what I heard for the most part. It was nice to hear a solo version of “Boy With Luv” that I didn’t know existed since the Halsey-featuring version was one of their first big radio hits in the U.S.. I...

Legitimately gorgeous cover art, by the way. It pains me that I’m late to the party when it comes to 070 Shake. Like a good amount of people, the first time I heard her was during Kanye West’s series of mini-albums in 2018, featured on both Pusha T’s DAYTONA and West’s own ye , and being a highlight on both releases. I thought her debut album Modus Vivendi was pretty nice, and I’ve been looking forward to whatever she’d do next. Looking at You Can’t Kill Me , with an oddly bone-chilling cover, I’m pretty excited about this. Let’s get into how I felt about it. We’ll start off with the production first, and even without looking at the credits, I knew Mike Dean had his hands on this. This is definitely a contender for one of the most sonically-beautiful releases of the year so far, mainly because of its very futuristic vibe and how well it blends with Shake’s vocals. Speaking of her vocals, they’re absolutely hypnotic and is the best part of the album to me. They’re very alluring and th...