Rebecca Black : "Age of the Exhibitonist"

Not sure why this album has not broken through to the types of audiences that top-tier pop artists like Charli XCX have. I guess it has to do with industry push. Perhaps the production dollars are not as heavilly invested in this as they are in the new Charli XCX, but Ms. Black is bringing some sultry melodies and hyper-sexed lyrics to go with her new and improved vision of hyper pop. The first three songs are pretty flawless; sure, they are more fun than they are breaking any new musical ground, but she has convincing EDM sounds dialed in behind her.

"Miss Delicious" pumps a little harder with its more festival-ready beat being banged. "Pistol" has a lighter, higher vocal apporach, though the beats are also more subtle. "Michael" has a more house-meets-disco feel. I get that she needs dynamics to break things up, but this song, while well-done for what it is, does not measure up against what she has already been doing. This leaves the song feeling more like filler. "Vision Again" is more effective at shifting the dynamic from the high-energy bangers. The vocals are more intersting than the previous song, but it does feel like 90s pop. I like when they switch it up in the breakdown. 

"Waschesalon" has a futuristic bass line that sets it in motion, while the vocal purr holds a steamy tension. It does build into the angry cheerleader chant that can be a staple of this genre. "Metamorphia" has almsot a more Britney Spears-like vibe, but it still works. "Speaker Phone" works pretty well for what it is not the album's strongest chorus. She is obviously going in a more Slayyyter-like direction for this album, and it works for her, so I will give this one a 9.5. 

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MILEY :"Bass Persuades"

 

Her first album as MILEY, in all caps for dramatic effect. Similar to when  Prince changed his name to a symbol, the fundamental sound of what she does did not change with this new persona. We are now 10 albums in so she knows what she is doing.  It opens with the title track that was also the lead single, an 80s synth wave groover. She continues to keep her sound fresh and willing to experiment, as heard on "Different Religion," where she is joined by Model / Actriz, who is also opening for her on the sparse live dates she has booked. It's a little darker than the first track, and more of a steamy and darker. Rather than belt it out at full chest register, she is using more dynamic vocal nuance. 

"Let's Get Married" is a little more like the kind of pop ballads on her previous album in its reflective nature, but it sounds like there is an actual bass player rather than workstation bass samples. There is a hint of dream pop to this one."Orbit" is another ballad, not as vital as the previous song, as this could be anyone except for the fact she has a more distinct voice than even Taylor Swift when it comes to pop music; pound for pound, she has a better voice than Swift is just a songwriting ninja.  

The more atmospheric elements of "Aftermath" are balanced out by the EDM beat. She can read the room when it comes to where pop music is heading. Another difference between her and Swift who makes the market come to her. "Redlight" works as a low-key funky groove that merges many sounds from varied sonic corners, even country music, which is the remote undercurrent she can't escape no matter what name she goes by.

One of the singers from Mike Snow joins her for "Neon Signs," which is extra gay sounding thanks to him. If this is her stab at taking Dolly's place as a gay icon, her application is certainly being considered by the council of queens. This is further hinted at as she implies she's a lesbian on "Innocent Ways," which is a pretty thumping song. "Snow" is carried by a more indie pop groove it's almost more of a ballad until the beat kicks in at the chorus. I like how she twists her phrashing around the programmed drums. The remix of the first song that it ends with is a gay enough house remix to make everyone happy. I will round this one up to a 10 and see how it grows on me, much like all of her albums; chances are it will.

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Gore. : "...Then You Cannot Love Me"

 

I became aware of this band through the YouTube algorithm, as it was like, "Oh, you like pop oriented nu-metal with hot chick singers? have a look at the tits on this one." So I gave the video a watch. Well done, but following the formula currently being pushed. It was memorable enough for me to check out this album. I did, however, get on YouTube and watch the videos they have for this album first, as they are better to take in visually than just listening to or perhaps one complements the other. The first song I heard from this album was "Crucified," which made me think of the band Issues, though there was a more screamed section at the end. Then it was 'Lead Me to the Slaughter' which is the second song. It has an anthemic chorus. 

Their singer Haley has a decent pop voice; when she uses a harsher tone, she sounds like every other metal chick doing this sort of thing, so she needs to place the focus on her singing as she does some intersting things with her melodies. Is she in Courtney LaPlante's league? No. The album sounds good, and they have dialed things in when they went into the studio, for sure. The guitars touch on a little melody and dynamics rather than the more typical nu-metal bouncing chug on the first song. You also get to hear more of her range on this one than the singles. Is it predictable? Yes, but it's a fun listen; not everything has to have Chelsea Wolfe-level depth. 

"Bones in the Garden" has more of an electronic thump before the djent-gone nu-metal guitars come in. I like how her vocals are produced on the verse. It's more of an Amy Lee-style turn on the chorus. But their riffs are more intersting and there is less piano here.I already forgot what "Crucified" sounds like, and I just listened to it for songs ago, so that tells me something. I forgot the bass line had a groove to it; there is the thing about making deals with the devil, which comes back to me once it kicks in again.

"Walk on the Moon" is less experimental and more formulaic, which does not capitalize on their strengths thus far, but it doesn't suck either; it just feels very middle of the road. All the screaming won't make it any heavier either. This is where self-awareness goes a long way; I am unsure wha tthey think there is to prove if they are better at pop than trying to be metal.  In This Moment, who are better at this alreaddy put out an album this year.

 It lets you know Spiritbox is doing something right when you have bands trying to jump on their bandwagon with "Hallowed Ground". They almost pull it off. Starting to get bored with this one, but I only have one more song to get through. It starts off more like a power, then they throw an almost gospel clap into the chorus, which feels too hopeful for me. They do a melodic breakdown in the middle that adds to it though it does not have the same hooky bump as the other songs. Though I get that they need to have a range of dynamics. I will give this one an 8.5; they have potential. Let's just hope they find themselves before this trend washes over, as she could take her singing to the next level with the right songs. 

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-PRESIDENT : "Blood of Your Empire"

I like the brand of pop music these guys craft. This is their full-length, so fans, or "citizens, " as the band refers to them in their universe, might be curious to see how they pull off a full 10 songs. They open this album with the lead single "Angel Wings," which plays it pretty safe.  And "Doom Loop" incorporates more electronic elements and builds things into a more nu-metal-tinged, loud dynamic. I wouldn't call this aggressive, as I am not feeling that kind of energy from them. There is a more metallic crunch leading into "dark heaven" but this is quickly offset by trap elements. The hook is pretty strong in this one.It does carry that anthemic Myspace feel.

They try to get a little rowdier on"Pink Noise," but their electronic pop side feels more authentic rather than than they are trying to live up to their marketing scheme. At times it makes me think of 30 Seconds to Mars, "Mercy" was apparently another single from this album, but I never heard any of these songs before listening to the album as a whole; it kind of feels like a Deftones power ballad. There is a raspier tone in his singing voice in places on this album. You can tell he takes influence from a few different singers from the 90s. This song is pretty well written, and they sell me on it. I think if this album were darker, it would not lean so heavilly in the pop direction.

"Sleepwalker" is more of a mainstream, middle-of-the-road, radio-ready pop-rock song that kinda bores me. The drumming helps to shift the groove and modulate it in places and salavages the song from being too bland..Production-wise, there is more of a djent sound than where they go sonically. "Dionysus" could be Post Malone when it comes to the first verse; the chorus is more Breaking Benjamin. But at least it's hooky. They go pop ballad on "This Will Divide Us". The vocals are layered more like Sleep Token. Of course the band calls these comparisons lazy, but it's not as lazy as sounding like another band.

"Hate Figure" features Ando San helping them out. This makes things sound much more nu-metal with the hip-hop elements dialed up. "White Devil" closes the album. It is another pop song, with intersting keyboards. This album sounds great, even though it might be more accessible than the previous EP, I think they pull off the full length well by showing a balanced picture of who they are, and the songs grew on me even though I went skeptical. I will give it a 9.5. 

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Colorblind : "Who Sold You This Truth - Was It Yours To Hold"

If you wanted to know what Justin Bieber might sound like if he made Myspace Metal, this is the answer. With that out of the way, we can focus on how hooky these songs are, even if it means compromising what you might expect as heaviness. But not every band needs to be heavy, so if they want to lean into the pop side of things, that is fine if it is who they are. They are not a metal band, so with that expectation taken care we can enjoy this album as "Car Crash "is pretty catchy. These guys would have worked well on one of those "Pop Goes Punk" cover albums.  They get moodier andd more melodic on "Needle Eye," which has a pretty anthemic chorus. They follow the path left by bands like Issues. Though they have less attitude. 

"Chemical Warfare" is another moody anthem, with less of a hip hop undertone and more of the metal pop punk feel. It begins to sound like they need to break from their formula a bit by the time we get to this one. When he screams, I am not much of a believer, as he looks like he weighs 130 lbs, but when it comes to his almsot androgynous emo whine, I am a believer. Almost everything I said about the previous song could be applied to "Let Down".  There is, however, a lower-tuned angular djent riff at one point.  Things begin to stall by the time we get to "Misery Loves Company".

They switch it up not in the direction I suspected, as it's a synth wave-like pop-power ballad,  on "Incomplete," but it works for me. Vocally, this one is sugary but more impressive than his screaming.  Then they are back to the more middle-of-the-road formula. "The Countdown" finds strummed guitar taking over as they go about as hard as Taylor Swift, unless we are talking about "Look What You Made Me Do," then she's going harder. It's pushing the boundaries of how much sappiness I can take. "God Complex" approaches this from a different angle. It's more rock for sure. 

It's by "Lost in Translation" that things begin to sound the same, though a solid listen finds this song is not like "Heavy Heart' that follows, though it is more inspired sounding than "Heavy Heart. Then with "Paradox" there is more of an electronic groove taking over.  , Though this and the last song find themselves drowning in their own sugar when they would have worked better with a marginally darker atmosphere. Whelp, this album eventually kind of became background music for me, but I appreciate their willingness to fully commit to emo pop hooks. I will give it an 8. 

pst375

A Colf Paradise : "s/t"

The opening track of this project's self-titled debut was deceptive, as it led me to believe this album would be paying tribute to an era of industrial music I was waiting to hear make a comeback, as it blends hooky 90s elements to recall bands like God Lives Underwater and Stabbing Westward, who were always more rock-coded. This is much slicker, production-wise, and finds an electronic bounce that moves the song. There are crunching dub-step elements, and truth be told if you ask AI to make industrial, that is what happens, so it raises a suspicious eyebrow, but letting it slide til prvoen different. 'Are You Holding Me Back" feels more like a BTS ni- netal power ballad. The vocals do manage to soar a bit.

"The Prettiest Girl in the World" is pretty stupid lyrically and feels like another K-pop anthem. Even nailing the falsetto notes and ripping guitar solos do not make up for this.  Their brand of power-metal is too happy for me, as the more electronic-tinged guise slips away. "Once Upon a Dream' relies too much on pop and country sounds, as the album begins to lose focus. The electronic elements creep back on "Is it Really Over".This feels more true to who they are, as it does not feel like they are trying too hard. The chorus is too anthemic as it loses the needed edge. 

"Kill U Sofly" proves that just because you bring in harsher vocals does not make it metal. Especially if things are too bright and not aggressive enough. They want to bring metalcore into the equation on "Impatient," but it does not take.  More in-your-face pop aspiration combats the palm-muted chugs on "Talking to the Moon" / The chord progression continues to be too bright. The bass line drives"Waking Up," which could be the entrance music for a briging good guy on Monday Night Raw. The last song, "Your Lullaby," literally put me to sleep, so I guess it was a success. I will give this a 7; I think they could have more conceptual continuity, but it sounds good, just too happy and not aggressive neough to be metal.  

pst362

Charli XCX : "Music, Fashion, Film"

She is wise not to take her Brat Girl Summer head-on. She eluded it on the "Wuthering Heights" soundtrack. Now she knows it's time to step up and see where it goes. Of course there have to be guitars on a song called " Rock Music". It feels like she is pivoting from hyper-pop and has an eye on what Oliva Rodrigo is doing. She knows what she is doing, and the stakes could not be higher for her. The first two songs have not been a Brat-sized banger, but are solid songs, more of a bop, as the kids would say. Then things get weird.

Weird in the best way for "Card Declined," that comes across like some oddball indie rock from the late 90s. This album is really well produced, but it is not big and in your face like her last two. There is more of an indie rock strum to "Camera' that works off a jangle that is remixed. These are good songs; they are just not going to be what you expect or knew you wanted from her. It feels like a change she had to make to not recycle herself creatively. '2007" is another weird one that grows on me, with its danced-out jangle.

"I'm Afraid" and "Yeah" feel like companion pieces, working off the energy in a subtle way that underlines the genius of this album. "Wink Wink" feels like a more organic 90s inspired version of what you might expect from her. "Persona" has an overdriven bass line and woozy shoegaze-like guitars. It's got more pop hooks than the bulk of the record. "Magic Metal Montana" is experimental but works in the context presented well. It is fitting that David Croenberg's voice is used on the last song, as this sums up what kind of pop album this is. If it is a pop album, you could just as easily call this one an indie rock album. I hope Taylor Swift doesn't try to release an album this year, as it's hard to compete with this. 

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pst341

Eartheater : " Heavenly Body: If I'm The Bottle You’re The Message'

 

The sixth album by the once experimental singer who now finds herself matured by the birth of her first child. This album starts off heavily atmospheric with ethereal vocals drifting without as much direction as "Practical Amnesia," whih almost feels more like Lana Del Rey than what we have heard from her before which is more transgressive pop music that is industrial adjacent. More electronic elements begin to bubble up in a more recognizable fashion for 'Crown Jewel". It also finds her lyrics almost as abstract as the music behind her light, flowing voice. Thi is even catchier than the previous song whih is a trend I hope this album follows.

'Wasp in the Fig" finds a less whimsical tone taking over. It almost feels like chamber music to some extent. Thankfully, a beat came in to anchor it. Her creative approach reminds me of Bjork. She uses her voice like an instrument as well.  "Glowing Guts" benefits from her vocals, taking one on a more moving cadence. It gives the vocal melody a droning but catchy flow. The best is more minimal than some of the songs, but it is enough to keep things grounded. "Hers Before Hers" is almsot more like Imogen Heap, whih works for me. The music is a little more minimalist, but enough to give her melodies something to work with. 

"Don't Look Back" flirts with 80s sounds, creating a more dream pop vibe. "Favorite" takes its time dancing to life, but is effective once it gets moving. "Fast Asleep" is more of a lullaby, which makes sense given the theme of this album. "Nova" closes the album; it is more of a ballad. Despite this album not being as beat-driven, you can hear how she has matured as a songwriter, so I will give this one a   9.5 and see how it grows on me.

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Motionless in White : " Decades"

 

If these guys did not do Rhea Ripley's entrance music, I would probably not review this album, as I have been less than impressed with their arena-ready nu-metal dressed up as goth. So here ya go, Rhea, I'm doing this for you. The title track is what I expect from them, but it does have a groove and the massive sound that finds them headlining at festivals. The sung vocal hook is predictable but works for what they do. It has the big breakdown that is heavier than you might guess these guys get, unless you are a fan, then you know what to expect here. The second song has more electronic elements in play, but when the verse really kicks in, it's along the lines of Linkin Park, but with a more emotive vocal that goth kids might like. However, the anthemic chorus jsut sucks. It's kind of a crucial thing to go too commercial with, as it shits on the other cool stuff going on. 

Eminem's frequent collaborator Skylar Gray shows up on "R.I.P". She does what she does for Slim Shady, so that is not a surprise. Chris Motionless' voice sounds better than what I have heard from him in the past. "Fight Like Hell" sounds like all the rock festival metalcore bands. To their credit, he sings more often than not, though the chorBut it cerus is kinda dumb; the rapped second verse is better than what I assumed him to be capable of. Though it paints them into the nu-metal corner. Cory Taylor shows up for "Playing God," so there is another nu-metal point on the board. His vocals are pretty dominant, and Chris does a good job of blending with him. They do have a predictable songwriting formula in place. But the masses are stupid and won't notice. Hey, I never said Rhea had the best taste in music.

"All That I've Ever Known" has more of that Linkin Park feel I picked up on earlier.. It also has another big dumb chorus. The singer of Dark Divine shows up on "Blood Rave". This is a more modern take on nu-metal run through a synth wave filter. The hooks are poppy but work for what they are doing. Some elements seem to draw inspiration from the Faint that is very subtle. "Love at First Bite" tries to play into the vampire imagery, but is not far from what a synth wave band like "Gunship" does. Singing by vampires does not mean this is not pop, but lucky for them, I like pop music. "Count Back From Zero" sounds like they are drawing inspiration from Strvngers who were doing this sort of thing almsot a decade ago, ironic that is what this album is called. But Strvngers have not done anything new in a while. 

"Blood Pact" is on the more predictable side of metalcore when it's in its heaviest moments, as it sounds like they are more inspired by synth pop. At times, this finds them sounding more like Korn. "Afraid of the Dark" blends the synth wave sounds with the more metal core past of the band. When they try to play heavy, it feels like they are trying too hard and just touching on the most expected tropes/ As expected, they pull off a convincing cover of Cory Hart's "Sunglasses at Night". Motionless does not have the greatest falsetto, but the song works. This album is better than expected. I will give it a 9, feels like Spirit Halloween." If you are a teenager, I can see how this might get you pumped for Halloween, but it's not a goth album. 

Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below, and  please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

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pst316

SLAYYYTER : "WORST GIRL IN AMERICA"

 NO, I did not misspell Slayer. This pop artist has been grinding her hips online for a minute now. This is her 3rd album. If any of these songs sound familiar. It's because over the past year, Catherine Grace Garner has been dropping these bangers like breadcrumbs for you to follow her to this moment. "BEAT UP CHANEL$" is the most notable calling card that embodies her vibe the best. She celebrates all the drugs and swags with confidence and embraces the trashiness of it all. 

"CANNIBALISM" is more of an organic apporach in poppy funk. She does not possess the most stunning set of pipes; I would say she is more on par with Charli XCX in this regard, but with a chaos grounded in trailer park fab. She does throw her voice into the mic more aggressively than the average pop singer, though is not marketing herself to a rock audience like Poppy. There is a very 2026 groove to "Old Technology," which embraces drug use in a manner not commonly heard outside of hip hop. "CRANK" is another high-energy declaration of her manic coping skills set against a dirty backdrop of beats that divert from a safe, radio-friendly approach. 

'GAS STATION' finds her backing off into a more ambient synth drone, and the beat lingers on for dynamic effect. I think her in-your-face approach works best, but you need these moments to create dynamic variance. I think "Yes Goddd" achieves this in a manner that retains her edge better, though, willing to go to more intense extremes. It highlights how her approach is half-rapped, half-sung, without trying to be anyone but herself. You could even mix this into an industrial set. 

"UNKNOWN LOVERZ" is another one where she lowers the intensity level. Not sure how much of this is influenced by a producer trying to steer her in a Sabrina Carpenter direction. There is a better club thump to "I'm Actually Kinda Famous".  "St. Loser" is another gritty hyper pop thumper. She takes a more radio-ready approach on "What it is Like to be Liked?", on this song and previous one there is an album Lords of Acid feel. "Brittany Murphy" is almost a commentary on her lifestyle in a more self-aware manner. Though sonically falling into a more accessible pop lens, aside from the lyrics. Overall, I think this is a great pop album. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me; some of the more mellowed-out moments might need time to click with me. 

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A$AP ROCKY : "Don't Be Dumb"

 When it comes to this guy, musically is a little more experimental than most mainstream rappers. The second song has a little more interesting thump than the opening song. The overall sonic backdrop on the opening track is more sonically diverse. 'STOLE YA FLOW'  finds the stage set by furutistic synths. It finds an effective groove that compensates for the lack of lyrical depth. He does remind you that Rhianna i his baby momma, which is worth something. 

His vocal accents on "Stay Here 4 Life." feel more like warmed-up Snoop Dogg from the 90s with a Weeknd wanna-be bringing the vocal hook. Lyrially it is more of a vapid pop love song. When it comes to "PLAYA" the problem with this more streamlined r&b approach is it lacks any of the staples that make him unique as a rapper and sound like everyone else on the radio, right down to the beat.  "Stop Snitching " breaks the more bland hip-hop trend that the previous song "No Tresspassing" had not been convincing enough to break from. 

Then the album gets the creative breakthrough it needs with two solid songs "STFU" and "Punk Rocky" , the latter has a more rock feel, but "STFU' is aggressive neough to open new doors sonically and break from the middle-of-the-road feel the album was getting stuck in. "Air Force" experiments, but is not all that focused or hooky. The Gorillaz appear on "Whiskey". There is a dreamier haze over the backing track. I am just going to write off "Robbery" as a skit/ interlude. 

The title is more of a neo-soul track. It works well enough and is the product of heavy THC use. The last song is darker but more fitting subject matter. I will give this album an 8.5. There are a few strong songs, but he is caught in a tug of war of what the record label wants him to do, what it takes to be on the limited diversity of "urban radio", and what he wants to do creatively, so it is the sound of compromise, which is why I rounded it down to an 8.5 as hip-hop should not compromise or it becomes pop music. 

pst96

Lost Hollywood : "s/t"

 

Theres guys play a pop infused brand of Myspace metal that takes you back to 2004. Vocally, there is some depth despite the emo grooves not being the most original thing you have ever heard, but they pull it off in an anthemic enough manner to at least make the opening song work. Who knows, they could have blown their wad on the first song. This is the kind of music Pierce the Veil and Bad Omens emerged from, perhaps to a lesser extent, Sleep Token. There is a formula already in place by the time we get to "Pretty Skin". In some ways, it';s like if a dude fronted Spiritbox, as when they try to go more metalcore, they dig into a djent like stomp. Courtney has more balls to her harsher vocals than this guy. 

The groove to 'Pieces" works. If almsot feels like I am listening to one of the Punk Goes Pop albums. "Like A River' features a collaboration with Of Virtue, who I have not heard either to who know which part is which . it is more of a pop song, and that feels like the direction their heart is really in. Metal is like funk; you can't fake it. There needs to be an inner darkness and aggression that is released, and I am not feeling it here. This song is well done, Myspace era Emo. Pop artist Phillip Strand joins them to really flex their pop vaginas on "Love us Dying". It is color by numbers, and if you told me AI wrote this, I would believe you. 

By the time we get to "Ghost in the Water," it begins to feel like I have heard it all before. The tempo picking up only makes it seem more like pop punk. The harsher vocals are never going to convince we they are hard; they sound like they are coming from someone who struggles to bucnh 135lbs. "Can You Feel Pain" has a little more potential, and works more often than not. I like how it is produced; it's a good pop song. Some of these sounds feel like they are from a K-pop soundtrack, then when they try too hard to get heavy, it falls flat on "the Art of Being Torn in Half"

I like "Chasing Dreams," which sounds like it is about how Justin Bieber likes rough sex. I think this is how he processes trauma from Diddy baby oiling him up. 'the Fire" is the kind of slow jam I wanted from them all along. and why I kept listening. Fans of Sleep Token can also masturbate to this one. I will give this album a 7.5, based on the fact it is really well produced and there is some decent pop songs in the mix here, they jsut need to come out ot hte closet and try not to jsut metal as the beard for their pop desirres as I do not believe it. 

pst94

Cobrah : "Torn"

 Some artists blend their image with their music in a way that maximizes entertainment value. Cobrah is one of those. The Swedish understands what she has to work with and makes the most of her physical gifts from her vocal cords to her curvy figure and fairytale blond locks. Before a feminist jumps in the comments and says

"If this were a male singer, you would not be talking about his looks; you are objectifying her and sexualizing her."

She is objectifying herself and using it to her benefit, which is reflected in the sensual throb of the beats pulsing under her breathy voice. If you combined the otherworldly alien nature of Poppy and mixed it with the hyper sex of Slayyyter, the results would be similar. Musically close to Poppy, with the electronic throb keeping the songs together. This is also an apt description of the title track that opens this album. On the second song, which is about Instagram is seductively lures you to check out her Instagram. There is a bit of a Charli XCX attitude involved in what goes down here as well. 

From a porduction stand point, this album sounds great through headphones. "Platinum" finds dance grooves flexing their basslines, as she chants over it in her sultry style."Hush" was the first video I saw from her, where she is basically some kind of aline stripper, and it drew me in, so it's pretty effective. 'Charming " is a down-tempo ballad, which could use more of a beat to create the dynamic contrast neededto keep my attention. "Dpg' might be the album's best track as the beat goes so hard it is almost industrial.

The songs are all around the three-minute mark or less, so she knows how long she has your attention for. "Hit Girl" finds the beats percolating around the purr of her vocals. "Excusez Moi"  works really well, for it does as the beat keeps things moving in the right direction for the mood. Variations of horny and speculating her self-worth seem to be the dominant moods explored on this album. "Snow White" is more ambient, but the beat keeps things in motion, allowing hte ambiance more balance. The last song, " Really Hard," is not about an erection but how she wants to be hit by your car. Even with her vocal limitations, she makes this work, so I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me., 

pst93

Qveen Herby : "Isle of Qveen"

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This is the pop artist's second full-length. She combines a catchy blend of rapping and singing. The wheel is not being re-invented, but what she doe ha a smart streak of creativity and perhaps more attitude now than when I first heard her. For someone from Nebraska, her approach is rather racially ambiguous, which plays to her favor when it comes to the more hip-hop elements. Her approach to rapping is fresh as she has plenty of hooks and an effective voice and lyrics that are almsot equal parts ghetto and whimsical. One of the lead singles, "The Fool"  features Thot Squad, which helped pique my interest, though this is not the first time she has been reviewed here. 

The more sexual elements do not feel like she is exploiting it any more than any other female rapper. But image-wise, she is not flaunting it, and her look is fairly conservative for rap. Almost more of a refined Lady GaGa thing going on. Why am I talking about her look rather than her music, ok go ahead and complain how if it wa a male artist, I wouldn ot do the same thing, which I would then refer you to reviews of bands like Ghost, Sleep Token, and President, who are selling image in equal proportion. 

By the time we get to "High Priestess," it feels like the formula is well in place, even though it leans in a more melodic direction. "Medicine Woman" feels more like a song Shanin Blake would do. "Hacky Sack" is more in her wheelhouse, but this syncopated style of singing she employs is less varied than the first half of the album, so it kind of sounds like something we have heard from her already. I will give this a 9 as she understood the assignment and made a fun pop album that grooveswith enough hooks. 

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Charli XCX : "Wuthering Heights"

Not a typical Charli XCX album, as she is making a soundtrack for the movie 'Wurthering Heights". It is more experimental than you might expect from John Cale on the first song, which was also a lead single from the album. It feels more like an intro than a song, so for the purpose of this review, I am using "Wall of Sound" as the first song. It's more atmospheric for sure, and the club classics don't kick in until "Dyning For You." String sounds are coloring the sounds to stick with the tone of the movie. 

"Always Everywhere" is a light ballad that just floats off without the benefits of experimentation and dynamics like 'Chains of Love" which pits 80s sounds against a modern approach to pop. You are also reminded that she can actually sing. "Out of Myself" sounds the most like what we are used to from her. 

"Seeing Things" is more likea quirky ballad that gives a different slant to what we have heard from her before. "Altars" is another ballad that has a dramatic build. Some of the vocal colors she employs here have more of a rock edge to them. Sky Ferreira joins her for "Eyes of the World". Her lower indie rock indifference provides a fitting contrast. "My Reminder" has an urgency that recalls the more new wave-minded pop of the 80s. The last song is "Funny Mouth," which is almost like an ambient Björk-style ballad. I will give this a 9.5 for taking chances and being what it is. Her voice sounds great, so that is a bonus. 

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Joji : "Piss in the Wind"

It's been a minute since we've gotten an album from Mr Miller. I guess he has been busy with Sleep Token. Part of the pop machine, there are 15 producers and 25 songwriters on the album, 21 tracks,
and one of the strongest songs, the lead single "Pixleated Kisses" he created as he was left to his own devices. I appreciate the hip-hop cadance to "Cigarette" that keeps it from being the James Blake school of balladry. There is a little more of a drum n bass beat going through."Last of a Dying Breed". 

"LOVE YOU LESS" has shoegazey guitars ringing out with their woozy haze in the background. An entire album of this sort of thing with instruments plugged into amps might be intersting though at this juncture it could just as easily be AI, as there are no instruments or musicians in the credits,s just engineers and producers. At a minute in length, "If it only gets better" is more of an interlude than a song. The moving beat to "Love Me Better" works well and he offers more vocal contrast, dropping down into a lower register and going up into his head rgister. 

By the time we get to "Piece of You" we are beginning to get into the ballads. Giveon appears on the track, and it's really stereotypical millennial R&B. "Hotel California" is not a cover of the Eagles song but a moody pop song. which works better than the previous song. "Tarmac' is also effective with its slight hip-hop influence coloring the beat. "Forehead Touch the Ground" is more experimental and less focused. The 3rd single from the album"Past Won't Leave My Bed" is a ballad, but at least there is more going on dynamically, so it works. 4batz might be on "Fade to Black ' but it's a minute long and is more of an idea than a fully-realized song, so writing it off as an interlude. First exposed to 4batz, and he sounds like a child. 

"Can't see shit in the club" is a down-tempo, chill ballad. I like it when he picks up the pace of his melodies to keep the song moving, which really saves the song, as it's pretty minimal otherwise. The beat to 'Sojourn" goes harder and is more of what I want from him. Dylan Brady from 100 GECs lent a hand on that one. "DYKILY" has an uptempo beat that is balanced by ambience as his vocals sit back in the mix. "Rose Colored" finds Yeat joining him, who is trying to make the most of using FUTURE's auto-tune tactics. Joji keeps his head in the game and works around this. 

Don Toliver is on "Fragments" and is just a different shade of what is already being done here, so not much in terms of a dynamic shift. Joji works better on his own with "Horses to Water". "Strange Home" is both a work of the more tradmark Joji sound, which is a more melancholy pop ballad style. They work best when the beat is offering more support. The last song took an additional listen to sink in and carried a very familiar sound for him. I'll give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, but one of the better pop offerings so far this year. 

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Mothica : "Somewhere In Between "

In a shift from the dark synth pop of "Kissing Death," Mothica is shifting into a more modern metal sound that is not unlike what artists like Poppy and Spiritbox are doing. Heavier guitars are just being pushed more to the forefront, so it's not a huge leap from her previous sound, and it does not feel like she is jumping on a bandwagon. The pop sound that she toyed with on her last album is being refined and brought to a larger-than-life cinematic magnitude. Lyrically, it is not as conceptual, but it deals with themes of inner struggle. 

With the slicker production comes more epic layers of vocals as well as huge electronic sounds crashing down. She has played big rock fests like Welcome to Rockville before so this is not far removed from the nu-metal anthems bands there normally pump out. The chorus to "Save Your Roses" is more dramatic. They brought out a great vocal performance that finds her belting it out when the dynamics call for it. "Bullet" has more groove and more emotional dynamic. McKenzie tugs feelings from her guts on this performance. 

The title track closes the album, the opening verse almsot presents it as more of a ballad until the chorus kicks in and the down-tuned chug of guitar churns it up into something of more epic sonic proportions. Even with the larger-than-life production value this time around, the message she carried on the last album is conveyed here as well, just without the romnacing a personifcation of death motif this time around. Some of the more hushed vocal refrains remind me a little of Taylor Swift. I will go ahead and round this up to a 9.5, so it did not grab me as much as the last album. Perhaps some of this is just getting used to the more radio-ready mixing choices and streamlined elements, but it does show growth.  

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Lights : "A6EXTENDED"

 Canadian pop songwriter Lights released an extended version of her "A6" album with 8 new songs, which is a whole ass album, so those are the songs I am going to cover for this review. It opens with the vibrant bounce of "Education". Her lilting vocals soar over the choruses, where she sings the verses more in her alto register. It works well for what it is, putting her on the tier of songwriters like Halsey and Billie Eilish who are not on Taylor Swift's level. Lead single "Come Get Your Girl" does show she is capable of punching above her weight class as it's a banger that rivals even that top tier I jsut spoke of. 

There is a weird element in play that feels like a weird element of the industry's Lolita fixation, where we have a 38 year old woman sounding like a teenager. She has some effects on her voice, but the singsong qualities possess a sexualized innocence, for better or worse, but the song works. "The City is Falling" has some Cure influence in the single-note guitar melodies as it cruises along an 80s synth-wave groove. There is a more introspective emotion on" This Time TMRW". Similar sounds are employed as in the previous song.

"Learning to Let Go" carries some of the album's msot perfected grooves with an airtight vocal line gliding between the cracks. "Final Round" relaxes into a smoother 80s chill vibe that sounds like Miami after midnight. "Angelina" is a dramatic breakup ballad. I'll round this up to a 10 as there is only one song that needs to grow, and some songs that go above and beyond enough to tip the balance into top-tier pop excellence. She takes what artists like Halsey do and does it better. 

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ghostbells : " Catacoture"

This duo blends various sub-genres of dark electronic music into a moody but buoyant pop that feels like it is haunted by the 90s. The female vocals offer a childlike sing song cadance to their chant. Repetition is king here and works. The alluring singer makes watching the videos for this album more of an immersive experience than not having the visuals there; they seem to have videos for the bulk of the songs on this album. Though despite the lead single "Darkness Saves" not being the msot dynamic song of the album, it still works for what they are doing, and the entire album, even moments of more droning introspection, prove better the louder this is played. 

"Ghosts' falls on the more pop side of the the equation. While the nuance is effective, the best song of the album might be the more energetic churn of 'Immortal Lovers' that finds her singing more aggressively from her higher register to create an almost Charli XCX feel to things. "the Color" is the first song I did not find a video for, it's a shame as this has perhaps the albums most punchy beat. Still, it is also stepped pretty deep in an 80s synth sound while moving like the more atmospheric strains of 90s techno. Her vocals float like a texture of it. She breaks it up on the chorus by going into the higher, more shouted vocals approach applied to the previous song. You can hear a slight Grimes influence in some of the vocal phrashing. 

The last song finds what worked on the previous songs in motion here. Overall, this album fills a gap on the darker left-hand side of what Chvrches does, being more aware that they are purposefully going for a more goth sound. It is not over produced, in fact , underproduced as far as pop goes. I will round it up to a 10 and see how it grows on me.

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The Needle Drops on Sleep Token

Anthony Fantano of the Needle Drop rated Sleep Token as one of his top 5 worst albums of the year. He gave it a 2 in his original review and called it metal for Disney adults, which is a fair take. Then the Guardian named it the worst album of the year. I can foresee the band getting dogpiled by critics. There are positives and negatives to this. I have said a lot about this; most recently, they came up in my piece on the industry plant theory. This is going to be my last entry on here about them until they put out a new album. 2027 would be the most likely album cycle, and by then, some of the hype will have waned. But the problem is not Sleep Token's new album. It scored well here and took the number 4 spot on the top 10 Pop albums of 2025 list. So if your expectations are for a metal album, it will fail to meet those; if you uare expecting a pop album it will meet those. I think it's a great pop album.

However, I support any kind of quality control that arises, as it is desperately needed. Critics have pandered to the industry's sacred cows for too long and are not speaking up when the emperor wears no clothes. But this kind of energy needs to be directed at more deserving targets like Baby Metal, Ghost, the Hu, Blackbraid, and many other acts that are working off a gimmick. To some extent, Castle Rat is slipping under the radar here, as they are just doing a great job at ripping off Rainbow and creating traditional metal. Would they be as noted without their gimmick?

There are a ton of acts that slip by due to the press wanting to be inclusive. If a band is not your typical white male heshers, then they are getting industry points. There are plenty of great bands with female members, and it's nothing new: Fear of God, the Gathering, White Zombie, Bolt Thrower, Sigh, Kylesa, etc. It should not even be a focal point of the conversation; writing good music is all that matters. If you want to dress like spooky things, fine, but have the music to back it up. When any band uses this to thrust themselves into the spotlight, there is going to be a cost to be paid at some point in time. In 2025, this is just an issue of marketing.

To be honest, I am surprised more of these gimmick-heavy bands are not being called out. I think most critics are trying to earn clout in the industry and just play nice, not to ruffle the feathers of someone they are going to need to give them promos, but they need us more than we need them, and it's a diserve to your brand to not call it like it is. So I support not playing nice, but speaking a blunt truth when needed, since that is what I do here. 

Critics only began regarding metal as hip over the past 15 years. When nu-metal, hair-metal, and even death metal were at their peaks, they were seen as being contrived. In some cases, they were right, then bands like Deftones proved themselves more capable, and success was the best revenge, which is how it should be. Metal is for outsiders, not to be adored by critics. Typically, music snobs leaned in the direction of punk rock, and anything prog or metal was pretentious. Sometimes this is fair, as sometimes it is. King Diamond was at one time reviled. The same can be said of Slayer, Type O Negative, and Black Sabbath. It was not for the cool kids, but things change. At the end of the day, good pop music is good pop music; it's not good metal, so it's the cup by which we measure these things. But if it tightens the reins at forces substance over style, I support it. 

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