Hey!

Well, we’re just steamrolling right into 2022 aren’t we? The Weeknd gave everyone a little kick in the butt the first week of the year with an early album of the year contender. Obviously we’re only a week into the year, but it’s pretty safe to say that it’ll at least be up there on a lot of people’s lists when the end of the year comes around.

There’s a little something for everyone this week though. There’s the new album Earl for the hardcore hip-hop lovers. An FKA Twigs album for our alternative fans. And a Cordae project for more mainstream rap fans. And a collection of singles across genres. 

Enjoy the drops this week!:

From A Birds Eye View by Cordae – Cordae comes back with the follow-up to his big debut project The Lost Boy that dropped back in 2019. He took two and half years to come back, and at least off of my first listen for good reason. Nice flows and you can tell he wanted to tell stories and create moments with the songs. I feel like storytelling has gone underappreciated in mainstream hip-hop, so that was dope to see. A good amount of singing on this project as well, which I liked a lot. Also, he got a STEVIE WONDER feature?? Sick. Definitely check this out if you’re a hip-hop fan.

CAPRISONGS by FKA Twigs – FKA Twigs drops off a mixtape, which she said she was going in a happier direction than her previous music. To be honest, I haven’t gone too far into Twigs discography, but I listened to a couple of songs and liked them a lot! So I’d imagine if you’re a Twigs fan you’ll probably like it a lot too. “careless” with Daniel Caesar is beautiful, and “jealousy” with rema is really great too. Check out those tracks and the mixtape as well!

Sick! by Earl Sweatshirt – It’s kinda crazy Earl Sweatshirt’s been around for ten years. This might be a full-circle moment. When the two styles he’s dabbled with come together. The exciting raps of the early days of Doris and woozy, dreary lines and production of SRS. He has a feature out with Mixed Mag about the album, growing up, and his current life, so definitely check that out if you want a more in-depth look at the album and what it means to him. But it seems to be a full-circle moment for him in his career, not just sonically but also just as a person, so that’s great.

“Surround Sound” by JID (featuring 21 Savage & Baby Tate) – First single for his new album The Forever Story. It’s been so long. He’s dropped loosie singles here and there, but this is the real deal. The album’s gone through leaks, teases and all the rest. So hopefully it’s coming out soon. But in terms of the song. Damn! The beat switch! His flow is wild. Love the little nods to it being a television show or movie. Whenever the album drops it’s gonna be wild, and this is awesome for the time being.

“Love Me More” by Mitski – Great song! She drops her new album Laurel Hell on February 4th as well. There are four other singles she’s teased with this release as well, so check those out as well. Definitely recommend it for any fans of alternative/indie.

“Cowboys Don’t Cry” by Oliver Tree – Really dope to see a different side of him on this one. It’s a pretty sad song, but very catchy and easy to sing along with. But it is cool to see the artistic development, and a more downtempo and a bit stripped back song from him. Worth a listen for sure.

“Little Brother” by King Princess (featuring Fousheé) – Awesome alt-pop banger. Very nostalgic sounding. The Fousheé feature is great too. They kill it together. Another one for the alternative fans.

“THE REV3NGE” by Joey Bada$$ – It’s a banger. To be honest, I feel like there’s has to be something more. It’s been too long. It’s his comeback single, so I think he was going for a banger moreso than conceptual, but I was a little let down. It’s definitely worth giving a listen but was a tad confusing to me given he’s been gone for so long. I wouldn’t take this as too much of an indicator of how the album will be though.

That’s all for today, there are some more drops too I included on the playlist. Also, expect an update on the magazine soon!

Have a good one!