LATE NIGHT. REVIEWS. FILM. MUSIC. TV.
Ariana Grande, aka the Human Cupcake, is quite firmly America’s Popstar at the moment. But sometimes – especially with her latest singles – it’s been hard to tell whether she wants to be Disney-dream-girl or radio hit-chaser. If you thought of her as either, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by Sweetener. With a huge helping hand from Pharrell Williams, she’s crafted a sugary-sweet, constantly-exciting album that makes her sound like some sort of new-age Aaliyah.
Aminé’s debut album Good For You was surprising only for how great it was last year. In a rap world full of rage, despair and mystery, he was surprisingly cheery and honest. His new album/mixtape/EP OnePointFive proves it wasn’t a fluke. It’s full of all that goofy energy that made him interesting in the first place, and a couple moments that show he’ll probably be a star sooner rather than later.
— 16 Aug 2018 —
Written by Mia Rodriguez
Despite feeling like she is fucking everywhere, it’s been four years since we’ve received an actual album from Nicki Minaj. It’s crazy to write this… but in that time she’s sat and watched former reality star/stripper Cardi B become the biggest female rapper in the world. In response, she brings all the artillery on Queen. It’s a monster of an album, showcasing Minaj’s well-known versatility as a rapper and singer. And that’s largely a good thing, because most of what she tries on this project comes naturally to her. But will it take the throne back from fellow New Yorkian Cardi B? Probably not.
Trippie Redd sounds every bit the derivative of his elders, Lil Uzi Vert and the late XXXTentacion, on his debut album Life’s A Trip. Where those two are bursting with personality and star-quality, Redd feels like he’s still desperately clinging to the Soundcloud-rap wave. The creative, interesting production on this LP feels wasted on him as an MC. You’ll just wish it went into other rappers’ hands.
YG has flown the gangsta-rap flag high since his out-of-nowhere breakthrough album My Krazy Life. On that LP, he burst into the mainstream with a huge help from the chunky, house-y synths of DJ Mustard. He ditched his right-hand man after a feud and came up with Still Brazy, a more ambitious effort steeped in all-eyes-on-me paranoia. It’s hard to not feel like Stay Dangerous is a step back. It’s not weird enough to feel exciting, but more importantly, it’s sorely lacking the urgency that put YG on the map in the first place.
It’s not hard to see why Travi$ Scott has very quickly become a big deal in hip-hop. Much like his sonic father, Kid Cudi, his songs hover like glowing magnets – you don’t quite know how they work but you can’t look away. It’s why, ten years after Cudi’s debut mixtape, the Lonely Stoner still has a fervent following.
But just like Cudi, Scott isn’t as good as everyone wants him to be. Astroworld is nothing if not fascinating. Its title is actually remarkably accurate; this project sounds like it could soundtrack a stroll through a half-abandoned carnival at midnight on LSD. Scott gives it everything he’s got, stacking a truly gobsmacking amount of talent together across 17 tracks. When it’s great, it’s really fucking impressive. But a lot of the time it just feels like a tease.
Only 26 years old, it’s already felt like Mac Miller has been around for two lifetimes. On Swimming, you can tell he feels the same way. Where he was once a giddy faux- prodigy who made college frat-boys jizz in their pants, these days he sounds like a burnt-out child actor – think Robert Pattinson after his eighth Twilight film. Swimming sounds like his attempt to admit that it’s OK that he’s not OK. To anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t have a grip on life, they’ll be able to relate. In these moments, he creates an album that’s weirdly poignant and oddly beautiful.
— 03 Aug 2018 —
Written by Cyrus Bennett
G Herbo (once Lil Herb) has become something of a Chicago rap stalwart in recent years. He burst onto the scene in 2014 with the cold, assaulting mixtape Welcome To Fazoland. That tape introduced a rough-nosed, frosty rapper with an understated storytelling ability. Little has changed in the years since. Swervo, his latest joint-effort with 808 Mafia producer Southside, draws upon that same unrelenting energy and talent. It’s a satisfying if unambitious affair, and it might leave you wondering whether Herb could do with a bit more creative focus.
— 01 Aug 2018 —
Written by Charlie Harver
Every now and then, a new artist emerges from seemingly nowhere, feeling completely disconnected from everything else hovering around the current sonic landscape. So goes Channel Tres, former songwriter for the likes of Duckworth and Kehlani. The difference here is rarely has an artist arrived so fully-formed. After his cult-hit ‘Controller’, Tres drops his self-produced EP. It’s glorious summertime driving music, but it also announces an artist with an uncommonly magnetic confidence. You’ve only just discovered him, but he knows he’s been good for a while.
Denzel Curry has been on the verge of stardom for a while now. He first came into the rap consciousness with Nostalgic 64 in 2013; a raw, out-of-nowhere debut that signalled a white-knuckled rapper who actually had a bit to say. His next work, Imperial, condensed that talent into a range of brilliant thumping bangers. But it’s very clear that TA13OO is meant to be his moment. It shows the progression of a truly great artist – one who keeps constantly proving he’s infinitely better than the Soundcloud rappers he’s often bunched up with. With this record, he’s crafted one of the best rap albums of 2018.
THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL 