Today: Single Reviews
Saturday 7/14: Double Review of Jaden Smith's new EP and Chief Keef's new project
Sunday 7/15: Review of Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers 2
Monday 7/16: Playlist Additions
Tuesday 7/17: Hot Take Tuesday
Wednesday 7/17: Story Time #2 - Rock Band Memories
Thursday 7/18: Possible Revisit
First off, I'd like to apologize for not keeping my word and making a revisit post. I was going to listen to Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers album ahead of the sequel which just got released, but I didn't find the time. The sequel looks incredibly long and I'm not really looking forward to it, but I will do it anyway because some of the features look intriguing. Besides that album, we got another project from Chief Keef which includes a song with Playboi Carti that I absolutely love. Jaden Smith's SYRE: THE ELECTRIC ALBUM EP is finally on streaming services after he made it an IGTV exclusive for a few days. For now, here are my thoughts on 11 singles from Denzel Curry, Juice WRLD, Mac Miller, and many more.
1) Denzel Curry - Clout Cobain
"Clout Cobain" is the third single for Denzel Curry's upcoming album Taboo | TA13OO, which follows "Sumo" and "Percs." It was announced yesterday that the tracklist for the album will be split into 3 parts. Each part of the album will be released every day starting on July 25. I was very excited for this single after how much I loved the previous two, and Denzel definitely delivered. This song is about the lengths that people go for clout, as described by the line "I just wanna feel myself, you want me to kill myself." Each verse deals with a different perspective. The first is the individual dealing with thoughts of suicide and paranoia. The second is the person who wants to sabotage his life so they can gain some clout of their own. Like the other two singles, we get some fantastic production and solid bars. The beat was made by J Gramm, who did a great job. The hook for this song is just as amazing if not better than the hooks on the previous two singles. We also get some more cool references like the line "I'm feeling like Raichu [lightning type Pokemon] cause everything shocking to me."
Verdict: Denzel Curry is 3 for 3 in 2018.
2) Juice WRLD feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Wasted
"Wasted" is the third single from Juice WRLD following his debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance. The song is produced by his go-to beatmaker Nick Mira and CBMIX, who produced Lil Pump's last two singles (Esskeetit, Drug Addicts). I love how the cover has wasted in the same font as the iconic Grand Theft Auto death screen. This song is Juice WRLD's first collaboration on his own work. He was featured on a Yung Bans song a couple weeks back (Round). He and Lil Uzi Vert were rumored to collaborate on the remix to his smash hit "Lucid Dreams," which is looking less like a reality at this point. Juice WRLD once again provides another great hook and has his verses focused on heartbreak and abusing drugs and alcohol. However, this song doesn't sound as tiring as most of his album. Uzi, like on every other feature since "Bad & Boujee," killed it. His verse was covered in distortion, an element of emo-trap that I've come to admire recently. The echoed vocals sound like someone shredding an electric guitar. Uzi, as expected, has great chemistry with Juice.
Verdict: The singles since Juice's debut have been getting better and better.
3) Anderson .Paak feat. Busta Rhymes - Bubblin Remix
The original song, which was released earlier this year, is one of the best, most fun songs Anderson .Paak has ever made. I wasn't sure about handing a guest verse to Busta Rhymes for the remix, but I was curious nonetheless. I thought the transition that leads into Busta's verse was a little awkward. Busta Rhymes' verse once again showcases his fast-paced flows that still sound great to this day. He starts off like he's struggling to stay on beat but adjusts throughout the verse. He doesn't actually sound too out of place. However...
Verdict: ...I prefer the original
4) Mac Miller - Self Care
"Self Care" is the second single for the upcoming album Swimming, which is slated to release August 3. The album will include only one of the three singles he released in June, "Small Worlds." That one was my least favorite of the three singles but going by the tone of this song it will definitely fit the album better. Following his break up with Ariana Grande and her recent proposal to Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live cast member), Mac is going for a more melancholic tone for this album. The song is produced by DJ Dahi, who does an amazing job and even has a great beat switch thrown in the middle. This song is about how Mac Miller will be doing him and dealing with the hardships his way. He doesn't know what the next part of his life, post-Macriana Griller, in this case, will have in store for him. As I said before, the beat switch into the third verse sounds amazing. The third and final verse details how Mac escapes reality into the "oblivion" and how he feels happier there.
Verdict: An amazing single from Mac.
5) Ariana Grande - God Is a Woman
Speaking of Mac Miller's hardships, his ex also came out with a new song today. "God Is a Woman" is the third single for her upcoming album Sweetener, which is expected to drop August 17. I thought that her first single, "No Tears Left to Cry," wasn't great but her second, "The Light Is Coming," was amazing. She was originally going to release this song next Friday since her last two were released on the 20th of each month, but she was so excited about this song that she dropped it a week early. According to a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, this is her grandmother's favorite song. Before listening to this song, I thought that this is an interesting concept. The theory of God existing or not existing has been a debate for a long time, and now she's throwing around the idea that God may not even be a male. Is Ms. Grande about to let the Bible, which insists that it's a male, know that it's wrong? Turns out, this isn't really a conscious song. The line in the chorus where she says "When we're done / You'll believe God is a woman" seems to indicate that this is a song about how she's really good at having sex. The production is very trap influenced and bass-heavy. Once again, her singing sounds amazing and just like her last two singles, her pre-chorus and chorus are both on point. The verses of this song are much longer than "The Light Is Coming," which was the one complaint that I had about that song.
Verdict: God most certainly is a woman and her name is Ariana Grande.
6 & 7) Childish Gambino - Summer Pack
It's been known since his Saturday Night Live episode that Childish Gambino's next, and possibly last, album is coming soon. RCA announced that "Feels Like Summer" will be the lead single, which means "This Is America" and "Summertime Magic" will not be on it. Releasing two new songs was a great move since "This Is America" has been falling down the Billboard charts week after week. For these two new songs, he reunited with his go-to producer Ludwig Goransson, who most recently produced "Redbone" and composed the score for the Black Panther movie.
6) Summertime Magic
Well, this certainly sounds like a summer song. The first thing that popped into my head was that this sounds like a leftover from Kauai. Donald Glover's singing continues to sound amazing. However, I wish there was more substance to this song. I thought the chorus was a bit long and it shows up more often than the verses. The pre-chorus is definitely on point. The song has one verse, which isn't too short but I wish there were a second.
Verdict: Other than a couple minor complaints, this is a really good, fun song.
7) Feels Like Summer
This song blends together with "Summertime Magic" very well and it seems to pick up from where that song left off. This one sounds a little like his duet with Jhene Aiko, "Pink Toes," from Becuase the Internet. This one is a bit more substantial than "Summertime Magic." It has two verses and the chorus doesn't go on for too long. This song is going for a more chill vibe than the last one. If these two singles are any indication, it seems like the next Gambino album will have more singing.
Verdict: Not as fun as "Summertime Magic" but isn't bad at all.
8) YBN Cordae - Kung Fu
YBN Cordae is the third member of the Young Boss Ni**as clan to gain attention. YBN Nahmir is the most popular YBN and is currently a XXL Freshman. YBN Almighty Jay is rumored to be on Rich The Kid's Rich Forever label. Cordae blew up when he released two singles on the same day. The first was a freestyle over "My Name Is" by Eminem. The second was a response to J. Cole's "1985 - Intro to The Fall Off" called "Old Ni**as." In my opinion, Cordae is the most talented of the three YBNs from a lyrical perspective. This song is produced by Take a Daytrip, who made the beats for Juice WRLD's two singles following the death of XXXTentacion and most notably, "Mo Bamba" by Sheck Wes (amazing song by the way). I really like his tag, which says "Daytrip took it to 10" and I really enjoy his beats. He delivered another great one here and I think his beat fits Cordae very well. Cordae's flow is amazing throughout. The hook, while long, is very good and I love that he's constantly switching his flows throughout both verses.
Verdict: I hope YBN Cordae gets even bigger after this song.
9) BROCKHAMPTON - 1999 WILDFIRE
So this is the first time that I've mentioned BH on this site. I haven't listened to any of their albums (I probably should) but I know enough to fill you in. BROCKHAMPTON is a huge hip-hop group who made some waves in 2017 with their Saturation album trilogy. The group has 13 members, most of which who met on the Kanye West fan forum KanyeToThe. They still aren't a big group, but they have gained a lot of popularity and a cult following on the internet throughout 2017. They seemed to take a lot of influence from Odd Future, which was a group that specialized in wacky songs and featured artists like Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Frank Ocean. BROCKHAMPTON is more progressive than most artists who were popping in 2017. One of their songs included anti-rape lyrics and the most prominent member, Kevin Abstract, is gay. The Saturation Trilogy was praised by various critics and each was praised more and sold more than the last. In 2018, they had their first television appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC and will be coming out with their latest album, PUPPY, later this year. However, 2018 hasn't been a great year for them. One of their most prominent members, Ameer Vann, whose face can be seen on the cover of the Saturation albums, was accused of sexual assault and statutory rape by various women. Soon after, he was kicked out of the group. This has led to much debate and backlash among fans. This song is the first official release since the scandal. The production on this track is very smooth and every member did a great job throughout the song. Kevin Abstract's hook is catchy, Matt Champion's first verse is short and sweet, Joba shows off some great flows on the second verse, and Bearface's singing sounded great on the fourth.
Verdict: Great summer anthem.
10) Rich The Kid - Leave Me
No, I wasn't looking forward to this song. The last single, "Bring It Back," was hot garbage, and this being another solo song is a bad sign. I never really liked Rich The Kid. The only reason I liked his 2018 album was that the production and features were great. What really brought that project down was Rich The Kid himself. The one exception I have for Rich The Kid being terrible on his own is "Plug Walk." Like that song, this one is also produced by TheLabCook. I like his production on this song. It sounds a bit kooky. Once again, TheLabCook's production is ruined by Affluent the Child, who keeps using the same boring flows and subject matter and continues to be nothing special whatsoever.
Verdict: You're not doing too good on these post-The World Is Yours singles, buddy.
11) Fabolous feat. Ty Dolla $ign - Ooh Yeah
Fabolous is the next artist on Ty Dolla $ign's list of rappers he hasn't collaborated with in 2018. Despite the high volume of features, I think Dolla is a great guest artist and he hasn't gotten stale yet. This track is produced by Hitmaka, who seems to be Ty Dolla $ign's go-to producer recently so he fits really well on this track. As for Fabolous, I've always been a little iffy with him. I think he's a good rapper and has some decent lyrics. However, I find most of his music to be pretty average. It looks like Fab is trying to gain back some mainstream popularity with this single. Ty Dolla $ign does a good job with a decent hook and verse. I thought Fabolous was okay, but I always hated his softer songs.
Verdict: It's pretty average.
This was a pretty great week for singles. Here are this week's awards:
Best of the Week: Denzel Curry - Clout Cobain
Honorable Mention: Mac Miller - Self Care
Worst of the Week: Rich The Kid - Leave Me
Dishonorable Mention: Fabolous feat. Ty Dolla $ign - Ooh Yeah
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