With 2019 coming to an end, we at The Concordian wants to share our favourite albums from the past year, before Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey (rightfully so) take over playlists for the month.
In an age where hip hop is divided between conscious rap and shallow, catchy content, Roddy provides for a unique combination of catchy flows and meaningful lyrics, all while maintaining an underlying theme of motivation.
Paid In Full” is just one example of the fiery chemistry the rapper and producer have on the album; Greedo sounds at home. This is especially true on “Brad Pitt” where the entire song references the actor and his various roles. It certainly makes for some of the most creative lyrical content this year.
The 2019 American Music Awards (AMAs) continued to prove that they don’t understand what "genre" means either. Apparently, Taylor Swift’s Lover is a rock album. Apparently, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding is a hip hop album. Both of them are definitely pop.
Cameron is comfortable as he finishes his sound check, sporting a pair of black track pants, slicked jet black hair, his Miami Memory merchandise necklace and a retro City Ford Sydney Roosters jersey to commemorate his hometown. Molloy opts for a more done-up look as he sits alongside us in a black corduroy suit with a bag of Sour Patch watermelon candies in hand.
There are many standout moments on this album. Songs like “It’s Torn” and “The Goal” are Cohen’s gorgeous, ominous reflections on mortality. “The Night of Santiago” strongly displays his penchant for poetic storytelling, over lush, layered instrumentation. It’s moments like these that make this album feel like such a gift.
Born 2 Rap is a perfect blend of the classic west-coast hip hop sound with a more laid back, jazz-influenced twist. The Game’s consistently well thought-out bars are an ideal addition to the diverse collection of truly musical production throughout the album.
After highschool, Raven travelled the globe before returning home and beginning work on her first EP Illusions with her childhood best friend, Moneo. Although she did not have the ability to record while moving from country to country, Raven believes that the experiences heavily influenced her songwriting and helped her find her voice. After three years of country-hopping, Raven found herself back in Invermere, unsure what to do next. This is when she and Moneo decided to put those emotions and experiences into Illusions. This gave her insight into the writing and recording process – insight which would be used to improve her songwriting and enabled her to hone her craft before heading east.
On Chixtape 5, Lanez and producer Play Picasso have put a tremendous amount of care into updating these classics to fit contemporary R&B conventions, while maintaining what makes them classics. The instrumentals range from slightly enhanced versions of the originals to completely new songs based around the samples. This is the first installment to include the original artists on a majority of these tracks, and it helps to take the series to the next level.
Clairo is, like her music, timid, caring, calm, and quite reserved; her lyrics melting in with the melody. She put forth a new, currently untitled song, created on tour in Oregon. She sang alone on stage, with her guitar, without her band. I was disappointed I couldn't keep watching Kim Tee wiggle.
Now with no leashes or boundaries, Tinashe has released Songs for You, her best work in three years. She seems at home, bouncing from sultry R&B, to club bangers, and even genre-bending tracks such as “Die a Little Bit.”