Jessie Reyez: A Great One
I first heard of Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez, of Colombian descent, when her raspy voice, sometimes spitting savage Spanish lyrics, blazed through on Eminem’s 2018 album, Kamikaze, on songs she co-wrote, “Good Guy” and “Nice Guy” (pretty big flex to be selected by the iconic MC to write and sing on his album). In an interview promoting the album, Eminem praised her and told Sway Jessie Reyez would blow up—a well-deserved and meaningful compliment coming from a global superstar.
The Yonce Groove
On July 29 Beyoncé graced us all with her highly anticipated seventh solo studio album, act I Renaissance, influenced by the house and dance music of the 70’s through 90’s. The biggest surprise was that she didn’t drop a surprise album; this album received a traditional roll-out which we haven’t seen from Beyoncé since her fourth album, 4. With Renaissance we got the title, album cover, and release date more than a month beforehand. Shocking for an artist who stopped the world with her last two secret projects.
SZA's Ctrl: 2 Yrs L8r
Two years ago, 26-year-old Solana Rowe, known professionally as SZA, released her debut album, Ctrl (pronounced “control”), a conceptual album whose lyrics spanned the gamut of self-love, insecurities, growing up, break-ups and hook-ups, and, generally, being 20-something, figuring life out. After listening to Ctrl for the first time, I felt in my bones that the album was a veritable classic, and how could it not be?
The Gift of Lemonade
After Beyoncé surprised the world with the release of her self-titled fifth album, Beyoncé, without the pomp and circumstance of a traditional roll out, I became a more ecstatic fan of her music as Beyoncé explored, among other things, her insecurities, sexuality, and motherhood, bringing even more honesty and grit to her songs.
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