It’s the most wonderful time of the year for music! I’m not talking about the holiday season, of course, although it feels like I’m tempted every day to open up Mariah Carey’s Spotify page (better wait ‘til November, AT LEAST). This is a special season because the GRAMMY cutoff date is approaching on Sept. 30, so in the coming weeks you’ll probably realize a wealth of last-minute new releases. Ironically, the holiday season is also relevant to the increasing frequency of music expected each autumn; music sales always boom around Christmas time, so it’s no surprise that mainstream and record-seeking artists like Adele and Taylor Swift have released their most recent albums in November (in fact, all six of Swift’s albums have been released in October or November). All these factors add up into one stunning result: a triple album review! I couldn’t decide whether to review one of three interesting new albums from rapper Noname, R&B-trap artist 6LACK, and pop-turned-gospel vocalist Tori Kelly, so I will attempt to give you my opinion on all three albums and spread some of the new music I’m most excited about.
Noname, Room 25
I was introduced in Noname, a rapper and poet from Chicago, during Chance the Rapper’s performance of “Finish Line/Drown” on SNL. This lively girl with big, hopeful eyes walked onto the stage and began rapping with a beautifully unmelodic voice. Just as quickly as she started, though, did she dance to the other side of the stage and leave. I was instantly hooked to something about her presence and voice, and after hearing her mixtape Telefone, I was stunned. Her colorful blend of R&B, poetry, and hip-hop has kept Telefone on my rotation for the two years since.
Room 25, Noname’s official debut album, is mind-blowing. Her lyricism and rhyming are endlessly inventive, and she shows more variety in delivery than on Telefone, exploring speeds beyond her usual casual pacing but retaining her clarity. Additionally, the musical arrangements on Room 25 are explorative, often either venturing into jazz or using orchestras to brilliant proportions, like on “Window.” Musically, Room 25 is definitely one of the most rewarding rap albums of the year.
Another standout is “Don’t Forget About Me,” a heart-wrenching song about purpose and death. While “Don’t Forget About Me” is an emotional low, Room 25 spends most of the remaining time spreading hope and allowing Noname to show her prowess on upbeat songs. She is comfortable on any kind of track, surpassing any featured artist on the album, and even serving some laugh-out-loud moments with confidence and ease. Noname knows that she’s talented, but Room 25 is extremely good, unfathomably so. If you’re a fan of Chance the Rapper, you’ll love this album. If you aren’t, it would still be a huge shame if you missed out on Room 25.
6LACK, East Atlanta Love Letter
After making a splash with 2016’s hit “Prblms” and album Free 6LACK, Ricardo Valentine has been steadily gaining traction and hype for his urban, downbeat take on contemporary R&B and hip-hop.
On East Atlanta Love Letter, 6LACK doubles down on his established style and cements himself as a strikingly modern R&B artist. Like many of his peers, he is committed to creating a muted, dark tone that hangs over his album. He occasionally shows that he can better his peers emotionally and musically, but the album’s tone eventually wears down listeners, and cohesivity of sound bleeds into similarity as many songs are hardly discernible from each other even after several album listens. A smooth transition between album opener “Unfair” and second song “Loaded Gun” is exciting, but it is the only such transition, and the album eventually molds into successive similar-sounding songs.
I have no doubt, though, that this album will bring 6LACK much-increased exposure and hype. Lead single “Switch” is a standout, and the album has qualities of much of popular R&B and hip-hop today. Expect to be hearing a lot from 6LACK soon.
Tori Kelly, Hiding Place
Pop vocalist and songwriter Tori Kelly started on YouTube, gaining a loyal fanbase which supported her bare, handmade, acoustic style, and undeniable vocal talent. With an enormous range and superhuman agility, Kelly’s voice steps to the front of any recording, unfortunately dwarfing the emphasis on her instrumentation and songwriting. This pattern was clear on her debut album, Unbreakable Smile, which without her voice would have been a dangerously bland pop album.
However, Kelly flips her formula on Hiding Place, presenting a Christian-centered album closer to gospel than pop. Since Kelly hinted at a new style months ago via Twitter, fans had been expecting a gospel album, but not until the lead single, “Never Alone,” featuring prolific producer and gospel legend Kirk Franklin, dropped, did fans have a real look into what she had been working on since her pop debut. A gospel transition is no surprise from Kelly, as much of her earlier music, especially “Hollow,” stated her disinterest in material wealth and showed her finding fulfillment with God.
Infused with her trademark sounds of pop and R&B, Tori Kelly’s Hiding Place is just a minor departure from her earlier repertoire. Although starkly contrasting from her pop debut, Hiding Place contains the focus on vocal production and familiar lyricism that fans will recognize as uniquely Tori Kelly’s. Unsurprisingly, her voice remains at the center of focus, especially when the album drags towards its middle. Kelly will have to step up her songwriting if she wants to land on the map for anything other than her voice, but Hiding Place remains an enjoyable listen and a snapshot of Kelly’s worldview, full of hope in the face of uncertainty.
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