Think about Ellie Goulding having a baby with Tinashe, that’s what Terror Jr. could be compared to. High pitched vocals, with saucy lyrics. A steady beat keeps the song on a slick train into pop land. “Down for one night, like I got three strikes,” sings Jr. as the inaudible backup vocals and thudding beat pop back in making you tap your feet along. The song appears in Kylie Jenner’s “Gloss” video where her girlfriends are seen getting into some money troubles at a beat up motel in the desert (totally badass.) Jenner nonchalantly waits in the car, applying her lip gloss as “3 Strikes” echoes in the background. Putting the perfect sexy pop punch in the video. But, who is Terror Jr.? People are suspecting it’s Jenner under this alias, considering no social media accounts existed until after the video. Hmm…..
After what feels like forever, Iggy Azalea is back on the radio waves with her latest single, “Team.” Harsh beats, and more on the electronic side this time, Azalea raps about being her own team, bringing powerful themes in every verse. “Me, baby, no way, watch me while I do my thing…are you f*****g with the team?” Azalea smoothly yells. The music video highlights her bad-assness as she swerves and spins in a fancy sports car, boards a private plane, and breaks out in some dope choreo on the tarmac. “Team” keeps Azalea’s darker tone while incorporating more electronic elements that bring the song to a higher quality. Her new album, Digital Distortion is said to deal with the world of technology that we live in and how it distorts our version of reality. I’m interested to hear more from the sassy and confident Iggy.
Friday was not only April Fools Day. It was the day we got introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Twenty88 -AKA- Rapper Big Sean and flowerchild R&B princess Jhene Aiko. After listening to this album, you’ll WISH and PRAY that they someday get together. The two have collabed in the past with “Beware” off Sean’s 2013’s Hall of Fame and “I Know” off of his 2015 album Dark Sky Paradise. But Twenty88 is different. Both Aiko and Sean turned 28 in March of this year and both were born in 1988, which is why 88 makes so much sense.
Each song is smooth, clear, addicting, and just plain beautiful. Even a song with such a harsh title; “Selfish” keeps a dance-y tropical vibe that leaves romantic notions in your head. Aiko’s vocals remain as pure as ever, convincing you that she’s an angel on Earth. “Late night, texting, phone off, no stressing, how could you be so selfish?” the two harmonize as they deal with real-life 2016 problems.
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I didn’t know how much I needed this duo until I heard this album. Aiko can rap and curse just like the best of them, she’s just prettier at it. Sean keeps his rhythmic flow and respects the chill element Aiko needs in her music. Both have a sultry musical quality that brings hip-hop and R&B together in a cohesive way. Think about drinking hard liquor in a floral dress, that’s Twenty88. Heavy bass on “Push It” brings sexy to the forefront. Elements of a classic R&B song is heard in Aiko’s subtle backup vocals, while Sean raps about his plans with his lady later…
Aiko recently told Flaunt magazine, “Music now doesn’t really cater to the feelings of a real relationship, It’s all about trapping and bragging. I feel like this project is something that’s needed right now. The whole idea of the man and woman duet, especially a whole project, is just good for people to see. That duality is a perfect combination.”
Now let me go grab some wine and take a bubble bath while I listen to this on repeat.
Rexha gives you a Saturday night anthem you can sing to your friend who’s crying in the bathroom over her ex-boyfriend who’s out in the club grinding on another nasty girl. “No broken hearts in the club, no tears in the club, cause we gon get it poppin’ tonight…more drinks pour it up,” she sings in her edgy pop voice. Electronic synths guide this song into everyone’s heads. A pounding chorus with repetitive lyrics is all you need to get hooked. Rexha maintains her bad girl image as we’ve heard on her other hits, like “Me, Myself, and I,” (with G Eazy) and “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You.” Minaj’s rap flare adds the essential hip-hop element this song needs. After first listen, you know it’s a banger.
He co-wrote Bieber’s hit, “Boyfriend” which pretty much means he’s destined for success, right? Blackbear’s sound is different from most. He mixes hip-hop influences with R&B crooning vocals that make you weak in the knees. He spits pretty notes on “Oh Lord” and sings you to sleep with “idfc.”
His latest album, titled Help features some of the best cruising songs you can think of. Opening track, “Don’t Stop” sounds like a Bryson Tiller sample, as he talks about living life in excess and being successful. Blackbear’s falsetto makes a sultry appearance, proving his vocal quality is something we don’t often hear much of in the hip-hop world. Each song has an intoxicating beat with nasty lyrics you can’t help but sing to (not with your mom in the car though…)
Blackbear builds a bridge between love songs and grimey hip-hop. His voice can curse out your ex or make you fall in love. The musical range is epic. There’s no doubt that 2016 will be Blackbear’s year.
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