Hip hop dies, Wambop rises: A review of five 31 March music releases

Hip hop is dying. A new genre, ‘wambop’, is being born from the fusion of hip hop, pop, and regional musical forms such as ‘K-Pop’ and Latin music (one need look no further than Young Miko’s excellent recent work). Today, on March 31st, five albums dropped. I would like to echo Pitchfork in giving them … Continue reading Hip hop dies, Wambop rises: A review of five 31 March music releases →

‘Expérgo’ (EP) by NMIXX: Ingenious, exhilarating pop — with signs of something new

I have reviewed NMIXX’s music before. Contrasting with (G)-ILDE’s dark themes and BLACKPINK’s balanced approach to the musical world and its palette of human emotions, NMIXX is unflinchingly positive. The opening song samples the folk tune ‘Frère Jacques’, with both cheek and respect for the original. The whole approach of K-Pop these days feels like … Continue reading ‘Expérgo’ (EP) by NMIXX: Ingenious, exhilarating pop — with signs of something new →

Blackpink in Dallas Day 2: Brilliance redefined from the greatest show on Earth

Blackpink has returned to Dallas, Texas, for a second day of its magnificent American leg of the Born Pink world tour. To skip songs one to seven, ‘Playing With Fire’ is predictably fantastic, and the crowd is surprisingly enthusiastic compared with night one of the tour. The instrumental prelude to ‘Tally’ is beautifully underlaid to … Continue reading Blackpink in Dallas Day 2: Brilliance redefined from the greatest show on Earth →

Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review

What a show. Blackpink’s solid and surprising debut to 20,000 fans at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea, has been matched by an extremely competent and at times riveting performance to thousands more fans at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The opening ‘How You Like That’ is a perfect way to introduce … Continue reading Blackpink in Dallas, Texas: Dancing in the Moonlight — a Comprehensive Concert Review →

Jennie is the Kanye of Blackpink

First published on 18 October 2022. Blackpink’s announced leader is often said to be Jennie, who like overlooked member Jisoo is older than the younger prominent members Rosé and Lisa. Jennie also has a new song, played at the Seoul debut of the world tour for Blackpink’s second LP, Born Pink. And it got me … Continue reading Jennie is the Kanye of Blackpink →

Nicki Minaj’s MTV Awards Show: A more complete review of the queen of hip hop’s compelling performance

First published on 30 August 2022. I have already reviewed the MTV Awards in general, but I did not give enough time to its indisputable victor: Nicki Minaj, winner of the Michael Jackson Vanguard award. Nicki Minaj, crowned. Minaj’s reputation as queen of rap, and therefore as successor to Lauryn Hill, was solidified by her … Continue reading Nicki Minaj’s MTV Awards Show: A more complete review of the queen of hip hop’s compelling performance →

TwoSetViolin’s ‘Sell Out’ misses the point of Blackpink’s ‘Shut Down’

Indeed, I want to argue that TwoSetViolin’s satirical critique ‘Sell Out’ of Blackpink’s ‘Shut Down’ masks the ways in which the latter is itself a critique of the former. Moreover, ‘Shut Down’ is about moving beyond commercial pop towards a new classical artistry, while abandoning the narrow technicality of some classical music — itself a … Continue reading TwoSetViolin’s ‘Sell Out’ misses the point of Blackpink’s ‘Shut Down’ →

The counterrevolution to Blackpink is here, and it’s a little bit awful

So, Blackpink is the revolution. Why? Because the counterrevolution is already here. After Blackpink followed the trailblazing artistry of Kanye West, now K-Pop bands are taking after Jacob Collier’s neo-jazz counterrevolution to the romantic excesses of hip hop in Drake. But alas, the course correction is tired and the jazz/romantic era is over. Blackpink is … Continue reading The counterrevolution to Blackpink is here, and it’s a little bit awful →

(G)I-LDE – ‘I love’ (EP): Music Review

Fourth Wave K-Pop is already confronting and surpassing its third-wave heritage. As Blackpink goes on tour with second LP Born Pink, the ‘self-made’ group (G)I-LDE takes steps towards new musical heights for the global genre. The EP ‘I love’ was co-written with three of the six members of the group, with Soyeon writing each song … Continue reading (G)I-LDE – ‘I love’ (EP): Music Review →

The old ends so that the new can begin: Why Jacob Collier has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about

A lot of people like Jacob Collier, not because they like his music, but because they think he’s an intelligent person. This makes no logical sense. Think about it: if Jacob Collier really were the ‘second coming of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’, to condense the review of Collier in the New York Times and countless other … Continue reading The old ends so that the new can begin: Why Jacob Collier has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about →