“The Roster” is a series created by Aneesh Batchu. Each week, a tier list of the best, most average, and worst new releases is published alongside blistering hot takes. The best of the best receive a trophy, and the worst of the worst are tossed in the bin. First, Batchu & Mihm tackle the latest singles. Then, the team comments on the most recent albums.
Singles
Good
🏆 The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” will be timeless. Abel’s unmistakable tenor tones and Carti’s distinctive ad-libs overlay the track’s chunky & funky synth lead & bass in bloom under the care of Pharrell’s overall production.
Lil Durk – “Turn Up A Notch” with the latest Chicago hip-hop top release. This new single reaffirms Durk’s gained fame: the catchy chorus and simplistic, tinny drums are tailored to suit his stripped-back, conversational lyricism.
Rod Wave – “Fall Fast in Love” with Rod Wave’s vocal talents and this accelerated, modern version of a classic 90s RnB beat. The track reminisces on falling in love, a perfectly timed lyrical decision for the opening of the melancholic fall season.
Sasha Keable, 6LACK – “Take Your Time” is a sweeping, synth ballad reminiscent of Daniel Caesar’s style. The song brings out the best of Keable and 6LACK’s respectively soulful and sensual voices.
iann dior – “Melrose” is a grounded, poppy reflection on dior’s recent career and emotional growth, painting the artist once seen as an edgy child musician in a mature, new light.
BigXthaPlug – “Change Me” stands out. It combines distant, nostalgic horns, chiming synths, alternating through-the-landline vocals / rich choral adlibs, and flute earworm melodies. The instrumentals pair intriguingly well with the artist’s bassy voice & beat compositions.
Mid
Linkin Park – “Heavy Is the Crown” with its heavy, gritty guitar’s ever-building presence, is like watching a Michael Bay movie suit-up montage in the best way possible.
Kygo, Imagine Dragons – “Stars Will Align” would have garnered incredible popularity in 2016, both Kygo and Imagine’s fanbases were at their zenith. Approximately a decade later, this song’s release is just a forced reminiscence.
Tee Grizzley, J. Cole – “Blow for Blow” does not have a sense of bar-for-bar equality between Grizzley and J. Cole’s lyricism. While J. Cole’s feature is far more dextrous, Grizzley adds little to nothing with his verse.
Meek Mill – “WHO DECIDES WAR,” lyrically, is tragically raw; yet, the ambient vocal backings allow it to also be hopeful. Unfortunately, the protest rap ballad loses some credibility with the title line’s in-poor-taste autotuned tail.
BIA, Lil Yachty – “PISSED OFF,” pretty damn pissed off, that Yachty’s original, less psychedelic timbre returns on a repetitive song that fails to do him justice.
Bad
🚮 Hunxho – “Part Of The Plan + Hold Me Down” or “Poorly Planned + Please Sedate Me…” These songs are both auto-tuned and reverbed beyond creative choice and into oblivion. The backing tracks sound ripped off a royalty-free site; they were ready outro from their beginnings.
Young Thug, Nigo – “Dope Boy” is not dope, boy (all-inclusive); fortunately it was the shortest release of the wee. This done-before, bland piece thankfully lasted for no longer than 1’30”.
Sheff G – “Bless Ha” plays like a gag song. I could not help but laugh as the chorus and title obsess over a love interest’s sneeze.
The Kid LAROI, Gunna – “BABY I’M BACK – Remix” detracts from the original track’s strength. Only a few short weeks later, this remix was released with an unneeded, stunt-for-streams verse from Gunna.
Albums
Good
🏆Lady Gaga – Harlequin is no joke. As Gaga rotates through accompaniment by massive ensembles and barbershop quartets, doo-bop, big band, and cinematic jazz in addition to numerous Broadway references radiate warmth and comfort throughout the record. Quite unlike anything we’ve heard from Lady Gaga previously, Harlequin is a companion album of covers and originals to the new Joker film, Folie a Deux. – T. Millenson-Willens
Mid
Mustafa – Dunya fulfills the Poet’s aspirations for a profound and glorious tribute to faith, history, home, protest, and love. Unfortunately, the eloquent songwriting and beautiful folk instrumentation did little to counteract the uniformly slow pace. The album blurs into one tempo, each song almost an echo of the last. – R. Ho
Moneybagg Yo – [DELUXE] SPEAK NOW OR adds seven new — yet, indistinguishable as such — tracks to Yo’s most recent release. Were the total 24 redundant and similar songs between the deluxe and original all that necessary? – A. Batchu
Bad
🚮 NLE Choppa – SLUT SZN is the most recent installment in NLE’s journey to sexual sagehood in rap, which was initially instated with the success of “Slut Me Out.” Unfortunately, the album is redundant. The three different remix attempts to curry renewed favor for “Slut Me Out,” milk a source of popularity that has long since lost novelty. – L. Avelar
Tommy Richman – COYOTE indicates that Richman’s tricks for acclaim are getting old, and it’s only a matter of time before they lose appeal. While there is definitely a sense of novelty and excitement for this classically trained tenor’s desire to sing outside of his vocal range, maybe he should save it for the karaoke bars. – W. Yuk
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