Tag: Pop

‘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 →

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 →

Pop Album of 2022: ‘emails i can’t send’ by Sabrina Carpenter

I mean, as they say in Chicago, he had it coming. — Sabrina Carpenter, ‘emails i can’t send’ song outro It’s that time of year. Musical round-up of 2022 … So, the pop album (LP) of the year — drumroll — is: emails i can’t send by Sabrina Carpenter. An astonishing record in many ways, … Continue reading Pop Album of 2022: ‘emails i can’t send’ by Sabrina Carpenter →

From technique to artistry: The theory of music in ‘Whiplash’

Tropes of ‘music theory’ are as oft trotted out as are their counterparts in the department of ‘practice makes perfect’. But in the philosophy of Mozart’s time, Immanuel Kant already bridged these polar opposites of musical weather reports: the faculty of judgement, specifically concerned with aesthetic concepts of beauty and the sublime, bridged between abstract … Continue reading From technique to artistry: The theory of music in ‘Whiplash’ →

Crown by Eric Gales: Blues but for the grace of Bach

‘Is this the beginning or the end of time?’ — Jimi Hendrix. Eric Gales is back with a blues record to compete with contentions to foundation of a new genre of music, along the lines of Bach’s foundation of classical music in the baroque period. The opening track of Gales’ record ‘Death of Me’ echoes … Continue reading Crown by Eric Gales: Blues but for the grace of Bach →

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 →

Lil Simz, 90s hip hop, Lauryn Hill, and where Nas, Jay-Z and Eminem went

First published on 14 August 2022. Something is missing in contemporary popular music. Male pop stars have left the scene, or are leaving it rapidly, while most male rappers who aren’t direct descendants of the Kanye/Kendrick golden age of hop hop are returning either to 50 Cent’s brand of earth-bound hip hop (the UK’s Aitch) … Continue reading Lil Simz, 90s hip hop, Lauryn Hill, and where Nas, Jay-Z and Eminem went →

(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 →