All articles tagged with #music review
Defector’s Listening Habits columnist Israel Daramola reviews Drake’s three new albums—Iceman, Habibti, and Maid of Honour—totaling 43 tracks and about 2.5 hours, delivering a mostly objective take on the comeback amid backlash and related legal and sponsorship drama.
Drake's Iceman trilogy (three albums totaling 43 tracks) lands as a massive, momentum-driven rollout that creates buzz but lacks lasting artistic cohesion. The review argues the project showcases Drake’s mastery of engagement in the streaming era—big hits, oversized tracklists, and moments designed for social media—yet feels formulaic, risk-averse, and ultimately more about extraction than lasting art, leaving a memory of the moment rather than a durable artistic statement.
Drake’s Iceman is arguably his strongest solo outing in a decade, thanks to inventive production, sharper flows, and a surprisingly cohesive visual rollout. The album relitigates old beef with Kendrick, Future, and more, threading bragging rights with moments of introspection, and it often lands on songs that push Drake into new vocal territory. It isn’t flawless—some lines and transitions feel forced, and the relentless beef-talk weighs it down at times—but overall Iceman marks a bold, technically skilled comeback that reconnects Drake with his best rap instincts.
The review frames Drop Dead as a bold pivot into a euphoric, time-stopping romance, driven by lush, maximalist production, sky‑high vocals, and a wild momentum that signals a new era for Rodrigo after Guts, complete with a Versailles-set video that amplifies its feverish mood.
Kacey Musgraves releases Dry Spell as the lead single from her upcoming album Middle of Nowhere, delivering a witty, innuendo-laced take on sexual boredom set to a Western-noir vibe with a minor-key Spanish guitar. Pitchfork's Lily Goldberg frames it as playful and unapologetic rather than seductive, highlighting its light, bloodless energy.
Pitchfork's review frames Gorillaz's ninth album The Mountain as an ambitious, grief-soaked, India-inspired concept record that threads unreleased material with a star-studded roster of living and deceased collaborators, including Proof, Black Thought, Asha Puthli, and Omar Souleyman. While the global, cross-cultural scope yields bold moments of memory and fusion, some tracks lean into bombast and treat guests as ornaments. Overall, it's a bold meditation on memory and loss from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett.
Pitchfork hails Lana Del Rey's new single 'White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter' as a moody, horror-film-inspired track that deepens her signature vernacular, with co-writing by husband Jeremy Dufrene, signaling a fresh album direction after Norman Fucking Rockwell! era and drawing on influences from Buffy Saint‑Marie to vintage Disney.
Pitchfork’s review of Two Shell’s bonus remix album revisiting their 2024 self-titled LP is mixed: several remixes offer energy and texture (notably Ship Sket, SWARMM, Facta, Tamaranamen), and the updated version of “Everybody Worldwide” stands out; however, many new tracks feel inconsistent when heard track-by-track, with some relying on lightweight or AI-like hooks and older material like “levitate” from 2023. The opener “<initialize> ᵛⁱⁿʸˡ” hints at the duo’s playful humanity amid the uneven batch.
This article reviews the author's top discoveries in old music from the year, highlighting a range of genres and eras, from the eerie depths of The Mamas and the Papas' 'Mansions' to the eclectic sounds of Ulver and the nostalgic charm of Badly Drawn Boy's 'Once Around the Block,' emphasizing how these tracks and artists offered new insights and emotional connections.
Rob Sheffield's list highlights his 25 favorite songs of 2025, showcasing a diverse range of genres and artists, from rap and pop to indie and rock, with notable mentions including Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Wet Leg, and others, reflecting a vibrant and eclectic musical year.
The article lists Pitchfork's 100 best songs of 2025, highlighting a diverse range of genres including electronic, rap, country, indie, and more, with a focus on songs that explore love and human connection, featuring artists like gyrofield, Tortoise, Morgan Wallen, and Kelela.
The article reviews the top albums of 2025, highlighting a diverse range of music from electronic, pop, rock, country, and experimental genres, emphasizing emotional depth, innovation, and the evolving landscape of music amidst technological and cultural shifts.
Lily Allen's 'West End Girl' is a compelling and emotionally raw divorce album that combines candid storytelling with high-level pop craftsmanship, likening it to a stage drama that keeps listeners riveted from start to finish, and is considered an album of the year contender.
Ed Sheeran's eighth album 'Play' aims to be colorful and nostalgic, blending South and West Asian rhythms with his signature singer-songwriter style. While it features some experimental cross-cultural tracks, the album largely revisits familiar, radio-friendly ballads, indicating a lack of significant musical evolution despite Sheeran's ambitions to move beyond his past work.
Camila Cabello delivered an outstanding concert in Sydney, showcasing her powerful vocals, impressive choreography, and engaging stage presence, culminating in a memorable night that left fans eager for her return.