Album Reviews

In a world where collective confidence is currently fragile, Pamela Hopkins’ new single ‘Givin’ A Damn (Don’t Go With My Outfit)’ offers a welcome injection of positivity by simply not giving a damn about negative naysayers. A fierce firebrand of a singer from Little Rock, Arkansas, Hopkins’ new path sees …

Collaborations have become a new standard in pop music today, inviting us into the artistry of two equally skilled players (hopefully) working to create a presence in the spotlight on one level or another. On occasion, they give us a chance to see another side of a musician we might …

Psyche is the debut album of Olivia Royal, a singer/songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Conceptualized by a “trio” of sorts, Royal’s project doesn’t revolve around three separate members, but rather, three distinct representations of her identity, each with its own name. Her heart is called Isabela, her brain, Cassie, and her …

Romance is gripping Feriano JX’s heart and mind in the new single “Night Fall,” and despite the ultra-personal nature of the poeticisms he unfurls in this two-minute slow jam, the narrative here is anything but inaccessible. It’s hard to tell a story in a song as short and simple as …

Size matters on the sonic spectrum, and the three guys behind the magic in StreetSmartz101 don’t need to be told as much. Their new single “Queen’s Anthem” is intentionally indulgent and polished with a hook reminiscent of a more excess-friendly time in American hip-hop ala the mid-2000s, and though it …

Valton Jackson is a singer, actor, and model from Columbus, Georgia. In 2009, Jackson’s move to New York City would increase his proficiency and presence in these areas. He would spend two years as a cruise ship singer and continue along the theater festival circuit, most notably, a stint at …

Subtle but fierce. Melodic but charged. Stunningly soft and slow-paced in one verse, uncompromisingly nimble and heavy-handed in the next. Ugotaya isn’t giving us a run-of-the-mill rap performance in his debut single “No Dey Lie,” but instead cutting into the beat with the kind of breathtaking ease that usually comes …

On paper, The Never List seems like one of those things that’s really hard to sell to an audience. Following the story of Eva who growing up alongside her best friend Liz, have lived under the scrutiny of overprotective parents causing the two to create their titular “Never List” of …

I wouldn’t say that Pierre Porter’s singing in the new single and music video “Marry Me” is the lone excuse for checking out his latest release, but if you think it isn’t enough to carry a track all by itself, this song is going to change your mind. Porter’s vocal …

See Your Shadow has earned a reputation for good music with its distinct writing style, powerful lyricism, and colorful melodies. In “It Starts with Hello”, the band sticks with this similar style that has given them two chart-toppers in their previous two single releases. See Your Shadow is a music-writing …

Regina Madre isn’t a typical singer, and her sophomore single “Never Be the Same” isn’t a typical song. Strutting through the silence with a swaggering control over the lyrics that only comes with a lifelong passion for music, Madre has the presence of a roaring classic jazz singer, dominating the …

Stinging with a countrified swing but not quite like anything you’ve heard in the Nashville scene over the past thirty years, the pastoral elements beneath the surface cosmetics of Lindsay Kent’s “Burning Bridges” are absolutely a factor in how we interpret her soulful performance in this all-new single, but they’re …