Donda, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, and the sonic revolution of the 2020s

Music since the year 2000 has gone through three phases, which can be bracketed by the most prominent popular song at the turn of each decade. 1. … Baby One More Time by Britney Spears (1999) 2. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (2009) 3. bad guy by Billie Eilish (2019) While the first and second … Continue reading Donda, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, and the sonic revolution of the 2020s →

Donda: A track-by-track review

See also: my review of Kendrick Lamar’s latest album. I’ve decided to write up a complete review of Donda, the tenth studio album by Ye, the musical artist/producer/rapper formerly known as Kanye West. I’m going to open with my basic claim: this album is enormously influential but also extremely competent and creative on its own … Continue reading Donda: A track-by-track review →

Time of Miracles: The Shadow and the Sun

I feel like a broken record these days. It is said that one position or another is correct, when it seems obvious to me all stated positions are, taken as they appear to us, incorrect. That being said, I cannot help but take a side, or forfeit my own role in the political economy of … Continue reading Time of Miracles: The Shadow and the Sun →

Why 2000s music is coming back

In the 1990s, a new genre was being born. Hip hop emerged from New York, Chicago, and LA to comment on the chaos of globalising capitalism. Money, power, and luxury were the themes of early hip hop, themes which began to be substantially critiqued in Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill towards the end … Continue reading Why 2000s music is coming back →

DJ Khaled’s remix of Use This Gospel, featuring Eminem: A musical review

Jesus Is King by Kanye West is a remarkable album. ‘Closed On Sunday’ stands out as a striking statement for a music artist: ‘Stand up for my home / Even if I take this walk alone.’ — Kanye, Closed On Sunday Echoing the JIK follow-up Donda, which drew on the urban rock sounds of Yeezus, … Continue reading DJ Khaled’s remix of Use This Gospel, featuring Eminem: A musical review →