ANTI

Rihanna

Rihanna has an excellent voice, but the heavy bass and instrumentals on songs like “Kiss it Better,” “Work” and “Woo” take the focus away from her vocals. Instead of the clear and strong voice that she typically displays in her songs, these titles feature

choppy and repetitive sounds, which are more annoying than catchy. Some of the pieces, like “Yeah, I said it,” and “Desperado,” still show off her voice, and these were by far my favorites of the album. Additionally, the album has a few noteworthy cameos, including one by Drake.

Recommended: “Yeah, I Said It”

This track is more catchy than the rest of the songs on the album. Rihanna shows off her beautiful voice with less background noise and puts more focus on her lyrics. The song is slower than her classic karaoke-style songs like “Umbrella” and “Disturbia.” However, it still boasts a similar vibe to those songs, as her voice is clearly audible, which fans of her old music may enjoy.

Khalifa

Wiz Khalifa

This album displays Khalifa’s musical versatility, though none of the songs are entirely appropriate to listen to with your grandma. The songs are all highly explicit. The album includes guest artists

like Ty Dolla Sign and Travis $cott, who bring their own personal styles to the songs. Overall, the album’s beat and lyrics are very catchy however the album gets old quickly, marking it as an album which cannot be listened to in one sitting.  However, some of the songs are truly good but I felt they were few and far between. Like the popular hip hop songs of today, the rapping style is loud with a heavy bass.

Recommended: “Elevated”

With layered vocals and a light and dynamic melody, this song easily stands out against the rest of the album. The chorus keeps the song upbeat and intriguing, and the fast pace of Khalifa’s lyrics stay true to his trademark style. The song is powerful and personal, as it features stories from his rise to success and his reactions to “fake” rappers with whom he works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slGCi7yQifI

Wonderful Crazy Night

Elton John

Elton John’s signature clear vocals and crisp sound are on display in this new album. It uses acoustic instruments instead of the synthetic sounds made popular in hip hop and pop songs.

Listeners can easily understand John’s words, making his personal lyrics much more important to the sound and themes in the album. John sings, “I brought blessings from the above, I was here and I was gone, just a heartbeat from the past,” in his song “I’ve Got 2 Wings.”  The lyrics are about how John perceives his life and how he finds death increasingly inevitable as he grows older. Catchy choruses and an upbeat tempo keep the album exciting and consistent with John’s past successful albums.

Recommended: Claw Hammer

With positive lyrics and quick melodies, this song is a highlight of the album. The memorable chorus and instruments add to the general sound of the song and share similarities to John’s earlier hits. Frequent instrumental interludes add depth and variety to the song.

Feel Like Cappin

2 Chainz

“Feel Like Cappin,” released on January 27, is quite short for an album, with only six songs. The album seems even shorter because the songs share a similar sound. However, the songs are similar to 2 Chainz’s old hits, with loud electronic instruments, strong bass

and an intense rapping style. Old fans of 2 Chainz and similar artists may enjoy the album but may feel it leaves something to be desired.  Despite the short length of the album it still features Lil Wayne on “Back On The Bullsh**.”

Recommended: Not Invited

Though this song lacks meaningful lyrics, the simple word choices and repetition of lyrics makes it easy to listen to and even sing along. However the song is highly explicit.  The fast beat changes pace multiple times throughout the song, keeping it interesting.  However, the song lacks a compelling message and will likely lose popularity with time because it doesn’t have enough sustenance.