This week’s picks include many talented acts. Yaeji and Kiana both dropped debut albums, Rod Wave sings his soul out on his sophomore effort “Pray 4 Love” plus other drops that we’ve been listening to recently.
BOSCO – Some Day This Will All Make Sense
BOSCO’s “Some Day This Will Make Sense” is a sensual journey of self-discovery. The Atlanta-born singer takes us through a series of moments throughout her life. While every track is a sliver of what the multi-disciplinary artist is capable of, BOSCO doesn’t hold back with her latest release. With futuristic production and reassuring lyrics, BOSCO uses “Some Day This Will Make Sense” to help with life’s uncertainty.
Best tracks: Champagne, Take Off, Paid In Full
Yaeji – What We Drew
Yaeji’s follow up to her 2017 sampler EP, aptly titled “EP2,” is finally here. “What We Drew” marks Yaeji’s first release under the revered XL Recordings. The singer/producer carefully guides us to her favorite parts of her musical identity with her most rounded body of work yet. Yaeji builds us up just to break us back down with “What We Drew” and I freaking love it.
Best tracks: MONEY CAN’T BUY, IN THE MIRROR 거울, NEVER SETTLING DOWN
Kiana Ledé – KIKI
Kiana Ledé celebrated her 23rd birthday by releasing her debut studio album “KIKI.” Throughout the 17-track album Lede shows her effortlessly gorgeous vocal inflections. The best moments come when she sways around the lush instrumentals. “Feel A Way” is a perfect example of this. Her soaring vocals are rich with texture, every lyric is heartfelt, and every song is definitive, proof by Ledé ending each title with a period. And that’s what makes her debut album worth listening to.
Best tracks: Feel A Way, Protection, Plenty More
Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love
After the success of his hit song, “Heart on Ice,” and co-signs from Meek Mill and 21 Savage, Rod Wave has returned with his sophomore album, “Pray 4 Love.” Although only 21 years old, Wave is wise for his age, he vehemently sings and raps about his life. He often reflects on when he struggled with his inner demons and trauma over dense, heavy beats. His unique ability to easily transition from intense vigor to a beautiful falsetto is something magical. Wave is multi-talented, his singing is just as good as his rapping, using his music to heal his scars, both internal and external. His big heart shows through; his passion for being vulnerable in his music is refreshing. At 14 tracks and roughly 40 minutes, “Pray 4 Love” is an intimate glimpse into the rapper’s poignant life and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Best tracks: The Greatest, Roaming, Thief in the Night
Yves Tumor – Heaven to a Tortured Mind
Yves Tumor’s latest album is fantastic, through twisted songwriting and occasionally heavy distortion, the songs on “Heaven to a Tortured Mind” are layered with care. Trading out their experimental ambient drones for gritty rock textures that are concrete and funky, the blend of grunge and warp with a pinch of soul and psychedelic rock is complex and surreal. Yves Tumor’s soundscape is one that is both disturbing and beautiful. Tumor’s performance throughout the album is visceral, truly embodying a rockstar with their intense vocals and vigorous guitar riffs. If you’re in the mood to rock out in your room, break out the velvet suit jacket cause this is an album for you.
Best tracks: Kerosene!, Folie Imposée, Gospel For A New Century