Shania Twain Owns Herself on ‘Queen of Me’
Queen of Me is not as dominating as Shania Twain’s existing body of work, but it highlights a beloved household name getting to know herself better.
republic records
Florence + the Machine Are Free on ‘Dance Fever’
Creating their most conceptual, theatrical work, Florence + the Machine air out their lockdown grievances and ugly feelings by reminding us all to dance it out.
Eddie Vedder Contends with Loss on the Generational ‘Earthling’
Earthling is a panoramic listen of all things Eddie Vedder, a showcase of defiance and loss, and above all, of acceptance, forgiveness, and perseverance.
Taylor Swift Re-Immortalizes Classic ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’
Red (Taylor’s Version) is both an Intellectual Property strategy tool, and a prolepsis of the status that the 2012 album will uphold in the future.
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ Makes Even More Sense in 2021
To hear rookie Nicki Minaj and seasoned Minaj in the same record feels different now that we testified her dreams and predictions coming true.
Ben Howard Becomes More Abstract on ‘Collections from the Whiteout’
Ben Howard’s Collections from the Whiteout, produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, presents a refracted take on the singer-songwriter album.
Greta Van Fleet Are Unaware and Unexciting on ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’
Greta Van Fleet seem to lack even a passing familiarity with the last four decades of recorded music on The Battle at Garden’s Gate.
Ariana Grande ‘s ‘Positions’ Is Pure Pop Sugar
Ariana Grande's Positions is a perfect pop album in a very conservative sense of the term.
The Weeknd Gets Lost in Vegas on ‘After Hours’
Despite After Hours' infectious blend of '80s synthpop and dark, alternative R&B, the story's beginning to get old on the Weeknd's fourth studio album.
The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours’ Sets Cinematic Vignettes of Hollywood and Las Vegas Nights
The Weeknd's After Hours naturally weaves together cinematic vignettes of debauched Hollywood and Las Vegas nights, following a new filmic tie to Uncut Gems and a prior decade of character building.
Pearl Jam Liberate Themselves From the Past on ‘Gigaton’
Gigaton sounds like Pearl Jam convincingly doing their very best to not sound like Pearl Jam.
Mika Delivers Undeniably Catchy Hooks on ‘My Name Is Michael Holbrook’
Mika's My Name Is Michael Holbrook contains some of his sharpest lyrical conceits and catchiest hooks, but is often undercut by its too-glossy production.
