Album Review: K. Michelle Solidifies 'Queen of R&B' Title on 3rd Studio Album "More Issues Than Vogue"

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(Atlantic Records) 

K. Michelle dropped her new album More Issues Than Vogue earlier today. It cover art accurately represents the overall mood of the album. Its fun, abstract art displaying pink and black-and-white writing represents the sassy, upbeat music that K. Michelle has created for her fans. K. Michelle is blowing up a pink bubblegum bubble on the cover with a man trapped inside of it; behind the zoomed-up scene are words describing the “issues” that the album title hints at. It’s ballsy while also maintaining a girly vibe. Much like the attitude that K. Michelle displays in the album, More Issues Than Vogue displays a strong, feminine front to the R&B world.

“Make the Bed” featuring Jason Derulo is a potential breakout radio hit off of the album. First, Jason Derulo is famous for creating fun, catchy hits much like rapper Flo Rida. The chorus repeats, “Why do we, why do we, why do we make the bed when we know we’re going to mess it up again?” It’s very flirty; it certainly is a love story or hook up story between Derule and Michelle. The fun and flirty lyrics match quick and upbeat tones that together create a perfect spring radio hit. Look out for the song on the mainstream stations. 

“These Men” demonstrate a more serious, sensual side to K. Michelle than “Make the Bed.” Though this song does not carry the radio sound that “Make the Bed” does, it better demonstrates her vocal ability in the R&B realm. The tempo is slower accompanied by snaps in the background. Her vocal range is prevalent. She sings, “These men, they don’t know nothin’ ‘bout love.” It is a plea for a man to step up and save her from her cynicism that she sings throughout the song. Her tone is adamant; it matches the emotion in the lyrics. The listener gets a hint of the Jennifer Hudson qualities in her voice. In addition, later in the song, Michelle gives a speech that emphasizes are sassy attitude that is part of her artistic identity. 

More Issues Than Vogue shows a well-rounded portrayal of the R&B artist. It includes upbeat, quick songs in addition to slower ballads that demonstrate her vocal qualities. K. Michelle is not an artist to take lightly; expect to hear hits from this album on mainstream radio as she continues to grow upwards. 

Album Review: ZAYN Showcases Unique Artistry on Solo Debut

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(RCA Records)

ZAYN released his debut solo album Mind of Mine today. There are a whopping eighteen songs on the Deluxe Edition, including the singles he has released leading up to the release: “PILLOWTALK,” “LIKE I WOULD,” “iT’s You” and “BeFoUr.” Though “PILLOWTALK” is by far the most successful of the singles, ZAYN does not hold back with the rest of the album. The album is sensual, dark, mysterious, and very indicative to what the artist ZAYN stands for. There are not doubts that ZAYN has left his bubblegum boy-band image behind with his absence from One Direction, and he demonstrates to the music industry and fans that his talent delves much deeper than a boy-band image. His maturity ebbs through Mind of Mine due to its subject matter but also the artistic choices that create a metamorphosis effect to ZAYN’s image.

“wRoNg” featuring Kehlani is an example of a song that shows ZAYN’s artistry while collaborating with a big name such as Kehlani. The chorus states, “You’re looking in the wrong place for my love.” The whole vibe of the song is mysterious and sexual; it is an offbeat love song between two people, as Kehlani sings, “We’re only good for the nighttime.” The lyrics combined with the slow, continuous backbeats create the perfect turn-on song. Their voices mix well together, as ZAYN is able to reach a high register, and Kehlani has a beautiful R&B-esque tone to her voice that create a promiscuous feel when combined together.

ZAYN also turns away from his sensual song vibes with songs such as “fOoL fOr YoU” that is a love song. It demonstrates his skills as a pianist, and his skills as a male singer who has a wide vocal range. It’s a beautiful song filled with dedication towards another; this opens the door to a cutesy, upbeat song on the album in contrast to the dark, sexual side the listeners also hear on the album. He sings, “I just love being a fool for you… I’m a fool for you and the things, the things you do.” The song’s pace is one that could be turned into a slow dance, which further expresses its lovesick sentiments.

However, the mature tracks on the album outweigh the upbeat ones. One of the more underrated songs on the album is “TiO,” which stands for Take It Off. ZAYN sings, “I just want to watch you take it off; take off all your makeup baby take it off; I just want to watch you take it off; take off all your clothes and watch you take them off.” It’s song explicitly about sex, and how ZAYN and the woman he’s referring to, like it, habits and all. From his One Direction days, this is a huge plunge into a different direction that much more raw and enticing. With ZAYN’s vocal range of falsettos and high-pitched notes, the R&B subject content fit the vocal renditions. The song is dangerous, fun, and catchy. This could possibly be the dark knight for his next radio hit off the album.

There is no doubt that ZAYN’s boy-band days are left far behind him. He not only experiments with maturity in his lyrics, but ZAYN also demonstrates his vocal and artistic talent through slower songs, as well. Mind of Mine shows a rainbow of whom the artist ZAYN is, as his solo career is birthed in the music industry. His transition resembles Nick Jonas stemming from the Jonas Brothers. Both artists leaned towards an R&B sound in progression from their limited scope in a band. Expect to see much more from ZAYN as he continues to progress solo.  

Ty Dolla Sign Releases New Music, Prepares Deluxe Edition of Album

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"Free TC" album cover (atlantic records)

Ty Dolla $ign released a new song "Long Time" featuring Quavo and Metro Boomin following his album Free TC that was released late last year. Though the beat of the song is quick, the general vibe is easy going and flows easily with the lyrics. He raps, "And I don't fuck any new n----- We've been humble for a long long time... I've been on my mothaf------ grind for a very very long long time." It's a cocky explanation of how far Ty Dolla $ign has come in his career. The themes are girls and money, typical for rap lyrics. It's a fun, easy song to listen to and makes for a great addition to Free TC's upcoming re-release with additional bonus tracks.

Tink Goes Hard in "Circle The Block" Video

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Nicki Minaj's protege appears as Tink, a bad ass female rapper who dropped her music video for "Circle the Block" earlier today. Much like Minaj, Tink's verses are tight and quick, laying on lyric after lyric as the rapper stands against cars and other dark backgrounds to bring an intense vibe to the video. Her dancers range in look; some adorning the long braids that fashion icons such as Khloe Kardashian has recently incorporated into her wardrobe. The entire set of the video leans towards darker colors that make a nighttime mood prevalent in the video. Tink's talent is unarguable; her swagger is evident. "Circle the Block" embodies Tink's artistic spirit in a video and song that suits the artist.

New Music From Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Kygo, & Zayn Malik

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Iggy Azalea "Team" Cover Art (Def Jam Recordings) 

This past week has been filled with hot singles dropped by some of the industry’s brightest stars. ZAYN, who left One Direction behind in 2015, has been on fire with his first solo album, dropping “LIKE I WOULD” this past week. Though the song is quicker than “PILLOWTALK”’s sensual, slow rhythm, its energy demonstrates another side to the solo artist as he steps out of the shadow of One Direction. ZAYN has always been evidently talented, but his release of the singles from his upcoming album, “Mind of Mine,” coming out March 25th has validated his talent to awaiting fans. In addition, ZAYN has released two other singles, “BeFoUr” and and “iT’s YoU” that do not carry the punch that “PILLOWTALK” or “LIKE I WOULD” do, but they are still heavy contenders in demonstrating ZAYN’s new pop artistic identity.

Another recently single lighting the charts on fire is Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman.” This single carries the same name as the title of her new album, dropping mid-May. The vibe of the song is extremely sexual and slow, creating a more mature image to the young artist as she breaks into her newest album since “My Everything” from 2014 when her star originally exploded. The single is the perfect demonstration of her growth and maturity since “Problem” and “Love Me Harder,” two hits from her original album that carry a more pop-typical feeling. “Dangerous Woman” unveils Grande’s voice as a powerful, dangerous seductress. She has also released “Be Alright” that holds a beat good for an upbeat shopping venture or jog. It is enjoyably lighthearted and fun in contrast to “Dangerous Woman.” 

Kygo also released a new single, “Fragile,” today. It is slow and includes many unique backbeats that compliment that pop/R&B genre that “Fragile” falls into. Kygo’s beautiful vocal range is shown off in the song, as well; he hits the high notes that many male singers cannot reach, which adds a level of talent to Kygo’s resume. The song is relative to what listeners hear from bands like OneRepublic. 

Iggy Azalea dropped “Team;” she also is building her next album since releasing music around the time of Ariana Grande’s last musical climax. The song’s sound is similar to the Iggy listeners hear in “Black Widow.” Her unique rap tone in combination with a pop chorus is typical to the hip-hop artist’s repertoire. “Team” is a catchy tune that could easily land a common listen on the radio, but it does not have much depth to climb out of the box of Iggy’s music that first landed her a rising star a few years ago.