NEW MUSIC MONDAY (11/20)
ALBUMS & EPS
NEW BLUE SUN, ANDRÉ 3000
On the 4 train headed to Brooklyn, amongst a packed train car, I listened to New Blue Sun—André 3000’s first album in seventeen years. Immersing myself in this musical journey foregrounded by the flute, I found it to be a remarkably transcendent experience. New Blue Sun is not the rap album most expected, marking a bold departure from the work André 3000 produced as half of the hip-hop music duo OutKast; instead, it is an entirely instrumental project. Fully aware of this shift and its possible reception, André 3000 apologetically and ironically titles the first track, “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time.” Indeed in lieu of lyrics, André 3000 situates all 8 tracks with a long and rousing title. The album, foreshadowed by a series of sporadic appearances across the globe where he brandished his flute, sees 3000 elevating this musical exploration with digital wind instruments, Mayan, Bamboo, and Contrabass flutes. Alongside him is the instrumental improvisational work of Carlos Niño, Nate Mercereau, and Surya Botofasina, who are credited with playing synthesizers, gongs, plants, etc. Only two of the tracks on the 87-minute-long project run under ten minutes as listeners enter an encompassing and serene soundscape where each track, reminiscent at times of Ethiopiques and of Mort Garrison’s Plantasia, bleeds into the next. – BETEL TADESSE
Standout Song: “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control . . . Sh¥t Was Wild”
WELCOME 2 COLLEGROVE, LIL WAYNE & 2 CHAINZ
Welcome 2 Collegrove, a continuation of Lil Wayne’s and 2Chainz’s 2016 project Collegrove, is a portmanteau of the two rappers’ hometowns: College Park, Georgia and Hollygrove, Louisiana. The album takes on a storytelling structure reminiscent of Brent Faiyaz’s WASTELAND, where tracks are interpolated with narration by 50 Cent. Chainz and Wayne begin at the start of their careers and first meeting, eventually blossoming into a long-term friendship.
The first standout feature listeners will recognize is the project’s strong presence of lyricism. On “Long Story Short”, Wayne exhibits the masterful wordplay that has maintained his high status and longevity in the rap game. With a cadence that accentuates the rhyming elements of the chorus, he engages the listener in soothing, warm sounds. Best described as the musical embodiment of his famous grin, one can’t help but smile as they hang on his every word. 2Chainz provides supporting verses, which together play off one another and create seamless transitions melodically smooth to the ear. On “Presha”, previously released as a single, the artists exercise their trademark flows that fans have come to love, creating a song that epitomizes the two’s artistic collaboration. Conversely, on “Crazy Thick”, Chainz and Wayne create a song built for the club. Featuring strong vocals and simple lyrics atop of a pumped-up beat, the song has universal appeal for casual listeners and fans alike.
The album finishes with the track “Moonlight”, which highlights the vocals of Marsha Ambrosius on an R&B-style track that contrasts the rest of the album. The artists reminisce over the adversity they faced before fame and the release that rap has provided them, serving as a somewhat somber conclusion to the album. Overall, Welcome 2 Collegrove highlights a mixture of experimentation with a refreshing return to previous sounds that many listeners will enjoy. – IAN MARTIS
FRUITCAKE– EP, SABRINA CARPENTER
While many artists who dabble in the holiday music genre stick to covering classics like “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night”, Sabrina Carpenter took a step further, releasing five original tunes along with a twist on a classic on her new EP, fruitcake. Carpenter’s distinctive tongue-in-cheek lyrics bring a fresh sense of personality to the otherwise traditional holiday music genre. Such revitalization is evident in the opening track of fruitcake, “A Nonsense Christmas”, a holiday-themed remix of her breakout single, “Nonsense”. This track, originally released last December, is brimming with teasing puns guaranteed to make listeners blush in classic Carpenter fashion, like “I might change your contact to ‘has a huge North Pole’” and “I need that Charles Dickens”.
The second track, “buy me presents”, draws from the nostalgia of classic ‘90s holiday tunes through the soulful saxophone solo, the holiday bell-esque synth sounds, and the stunning vocal harmonies. “buy me presents” also functions as the obligatory Santa Claus-focused track on fruitcake, as she romanticizes the character with lines like “From a city that’s colder / But damn it, he’s so hot”. The following track, “santa doesn’t know you like i do”, masks sullen lyrics in a catchy tune with twinkling bells and harmonies, much like the Wham! classic, “Last Christmas”.
Of course, fruitcake wouldn’t be complete without a heartbreaking emotional ballad. This manifests in the track “cindy lou who”, which could’ve easily fit on Carpenter’s last album, emails i can’t send, with its lamenting lyrics and gloomy stripped-back piano. The penultimate track “is it new years yet?” proves that fruitcake offers something for everyone, even those who dread the holiday season. Carpenter’s signature sassiness and nonchalant humor are infectious on this track with lines like “Never, never get what’s on my list / Fruitcake just makes me sick”. Carpenter’s version of the classic, “White Christmas” (here titled “white xmas”), is the sparkling red bow that ties fruitcake together. Carpenter’s voice manifests as delicate snowflakes as she uses this track to showcase her stunning vocal range through intricate runs and catchy background vocals. After her hugely successful emails i can’t send tour and current gig as an opener for the Latin American leg of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, fruitcake further proves that Carpenter is coming into her own as the newest pop princess. – HAILEY KHETAN
SINGLES
“BONITA”, DADDY YANKEE
Daddy Yankee is back from retirement? After announcing his “departure” on Instagram in March of 2022, it seemed to audiences that the reggaeton icon would be done with music at the conclusion of his “La Ultima Vuelta” tour. Though he’s enjoyed an illustrious, twenty-nine year career, many fans have sensed that the 46-year-old still has more in him. Those people may be right, as Daddy Yankee released a surprise single titled “Bonita” this past Friday, November 17th. Upon the release, some supporters commented that they never thought his “retirement” meant he would stop releasing new music, but rather that he was done with touring; this single may serve as further confirmation of that being true. “Bonita” itself contains a very bouncy feel to it, with bright vocals and a beachy single cover; Daddy Yankee transports listeners back to beachy summers, even in the middle of fall. While we will have to wait and see whether this is a hint towards a bigger project or a one-time occurrence, audiences should feel relieved that the “King of Reggaeton” may not be done just yet. – ERIKA BAHENA
“GET CLOSE,” ARI LENNOX
“Get Close” marks Ari Lennox’s first solo project of the year after the release of her sophomore studio album age/sex/location in September 2022. Produced by Wu10 and DZL, this intimate, chill, neo-soul single describes the irresistible temptation Lennox feels to “get close” to her partner, despite their differences. She sings, “You like Tupac, I like Janet / So damn stubborn, I won’t have it,” conveying brief moments of tension which quickly release as Lennox continues, “I laugh at it… take a road trip, screw the planning.” This line guides back into the refrain where she repeatedly sings, “Get close… need you close, so close” almost expressed as an involuntary, incessant impulse within her.
Lennox always knows how to illustrate the complex layers embedded in romantic relationships. Alongside her effortless sultry, raspy tone, her music never fails to feel authentic. Even amid insecurity, Lennox continually trusts her intuition and prioritizes self-love. In the song’s music video, she confidently sings to the camera as her lover gazes at her and her powerful aura. At the same time, the video is entrancing, characterized by her easy-going sensuality.
It is still unclear whether or not this single is part of a greater project Lennox plans to release soon. However, it seems as though she is transitioning into a more laid-back and simplified approach to conveying the difficult, and sometimes inexplicable, emotions in relationships. On “Get Close”, Lennox sustains the warm, chill, and sensual ambiance to her music that her fans know and love. – OLIVIA PARK
“EXES”, TATE McRAE
Tate McRae is bringing back the beloved pop stardom that the music industry has recently missed. Her new song “exes” doesn’t just ride the wave of catchiness; it cements her position as a burgeoning pop star. The track’s infectious quality, along with her other songs like “Greedy”, showcases McRae’s knack for crafting tunes that stick in the listener’s mind.
McRae’s “exes” is a manifestation of authentic, raw energy that has propelled her meteoric rise, fueled in part by her savvy use of social media platforms like TikTok. By teasing the song online, she not only garnered millions of views but also established a palpable connection with her audience. Despite the song’s undeniably catchy nature, I question its depth—it feels more like a vessel for the bouncing beat rather than conveying any profound meaning, which isn’t necessarily a negative. Nonetheless, the track explores her flaws within a relationship, laying bare moments of “self-deprecation and self-sabotage,” McRae explained in an interview with DIY Magazine.
As anticipation builds for her forthcoming album (Think Later, out December 8th), which will undoubtedly find fame on TikTok, “exes”, stands as a dynamic piece that captures the essence of McRae’s personal songwriting and style, while showing her intricate knowledge of the current music landscape. – MOKSHA AKIL