Summer Walker – “Clear 2: Soft Life”
Summer Walker never lets her fans down. With this newest project, “Clear 2: Soft Life,” she stays true to her smooth r&b roots. This project embodies the mellow harmonies that made her a fan favorite in the first place. I was hooked By the first song, ‘To Summer, From Cole.’ Summer opens the album with a beautiful soft vibe accentuated by a J.Cole feature that sets the mood for a warm summer morning. Summer gives us a poetic and expressive aura throughout the project, putting us all at peace. She also provides social commentary on what it truly means to be cared for and live a peaceful life. She begins by openly acknowledging that this life isn’t always afforded to black women in her song ‘Hardlife.’ Summer asks all the questions worth answering in this project and once again outdoes herself in her little low-key way. The music she drew Donald (Childish Gambino) out of early retirement for is ‘New Type,’ which I believe stands out. It feels reminiscent of the signature Badu-ish neo-soul vibe. She even references Badus’ famous Tyrone in the song’s hook. Summer knows how to pay homage to the greats and again enters the main rotation with this EP.
Kaytranada and Aminé – “Kaytraminé”
In this seamless fusion of Aminé‘s slick wordplay and Kaytranada‘s groovy synth-heavy dance sounds, the album’s first track, ‘Who He Iz,’ has edgy beats and a club vibe from the early 2000s that has somehow managed to stay calm and fresh.
Anyone familiar with Kaytranada’s work can easily fall in love with the seamlessly intermeshed styles of the Portland rapper Aminé and the Canadian DJ. The album is produced mainly by Kaytranada, who’s infamously known for his New York boiler room sets, and this only adds to the combination with rapper Aminé, who is most famously known for his 2016 hit ‘Caroline.’ This project is fun and fresh and defines the vibe for the summer. This is the music you blast out the widows driving down the lakeshore. The house music vibe is undeniably meant for the summer soundtrack. There is just something about the tight lyrical flow and beats that range from mellow synths to bouncy 808s that’s bound to impress the fans of both artists. The album has several cool features, including rapper contemporaries Freddie Gibbs and Big Sean.
Other notable features include hitmakers like Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg. In fact, according to Spotify data, the most popular song so far is 4EVA featuring Pharrell. This is a song that you can picture yourself walking, dancing, riding, or vibing to. It’s just that catchy. The song is the most listened to for a reason! It’s nearly hypnotic. There’s an incredible vibe to this project that is sure to be popular when the rest of you catch on, so be first for once in your life and give it a listen!
Singles Worth Mingling With…
During the ongoing ninth concert tour of our Queen Bey, she had nothing but surprises for us. Dropping the remix of her song ‘AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM‘ with the lyrical genius of a Kendrick Lamar verse! This is the whipped cream on top of a sundae of success. There could not be a better addition to this banger of a song!
The Queen has already added this interpretation to her lineup on tour and decided to give something to the girlies at home. Hopefully, more performances and remixes continue to follow. She’s already performed an interpretation of ‘Sweet Dreams‘ in ‘Alien Superstar‘ that I pray will be released. We’ve got to gag and hand it to her. Beyoncé has been performing for over two decades, and now she’s unbeatable! She’s the moment. She isn’t new to this; she’s TRUE to this because it is blatant to see at this point; she is the greatest performer alive!
Nearly a year after his album ‘Wasteland,’ the bad boy of our dreams has made my day with the musical return. Brent Faiyaz and mastermind DJ Marshmello have blessed listeners with the earworm of an anti-love song. ‘Fell in Love‘ is on constant repeat for me as the newest single from Brent. The tone has an unmistakable sweetness, and the 808s provide the perfect beat for you and your baby in the backseat. The song was recently released, so if you like to be the first to know, consider yourself lucky and add this to your playlist.
