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 tackles the latest singles. Then, the team comments on the most recent albums.
SINGLES…
Good
🏆Amine – “Familiar” is both fresh and filled with déjà vu; familiar and novel. Amine’s otherwise solidified style is extrapolated upon here, with new techniques of experimental distortion, splicing, and a peppy 4-on-the-floor kickin’ beat. The song is the perfect precursor to the coming summer.
$NOT – “DRESScode” is yet another $NOT success in its implentation of a booming mix and ear-worm of a beat. This artist regularly pushes the envelope for innovative production that excites. This song specifically uses a trap sound as its percussive element to back $NOT’s typical relaxed flow.
Lil Tecca – “Dark Thoughts” has its audience feeling peppy, giving vibes of anything but dark thoughts. With an upbeat background that meshes well with its overwhelmingly positive lyricism, Tecca brings osmething new to the table. He manages to avoid his typical pitfall of resorting to the same old flow, instead experimenting more with rhythm and finding success.
Freddie Gibbs – “Nobody” is a gorgeous rap song enveloped in flowery instrumentals. The music underlying Gibbs’ bars feels like it shouldn’t match his more direct and blunt vocal delivery, but it somehow does, and so well.
4batz – “MORTAL KOMBAT” is “like a breath of fresh air,” reading like anything but ckombative. With remixed orchestral hits and string sections underscoring 4batz’s easily recognizable singing, this makes for a striking R&B track. 4batz also seems to have finally begun exploring outside his niche, trying and succeeding at a new, more powerful delivery.
Bon Iver – “If Only I Could Wait b/w Walk Home” is a beautiful double-sided release of songs from Iver in advance of their upcoming album. Both tracks feature strong, resounding bass lines that back melodious vocals lamenting past lovers.
Mid
Chappell Roan – “The Giver” is Roan’s entry into a country style of instrumentation, theme, and energy. Although an impressive start with lyrics that poke fun at archetypal country tropes, the song reads more like a parody than an authentic attempt to create an entertaining and engaging piece.
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd” is the final lead single for the upcoming collaboration album from this couple. The message of this song feels extremely rudimentary, barely scratching the surface of love and desire themes. While Gomez retains her powerful vocals and blanco his production talent, the song is tedious.
Calvin Harris – “SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY,” while listening to this confusing mashup of identity. Harris continues the pervasive shift towards country that’s plaguing the music industry for the past couple of years. Paired with a goofy sounding harmonica, his techno beats feel mismatched with the thematic elements and the instrumentation.
Key Glock – “No Sweat” is a cookie-cutter Glock song: egotistical lyricism backed by a trappy, bass-heavy sound. It continues his current trend of opening a track with a punchy, joyful sample before transitioning to a more minor modal identity.
Armani White – “CUT THE LIGHTS.” is as intense as the title alludes. With a cinematic backtrack to typical Armani White lyricism, everything combines for a heightened sense of his signature viciousness. It’s an intriguing listen, if not for the repetitive and moderately underwhelming chorus.
Bad
🚮 Lizzo – “Still Bad” is how I’d put it, too, in most respects. The song is far from a negative sonic experience, but it seems to be yet another “for the radio” Lizzo hit with its vague themes of empowerment. Though backed by an upbeat, strong musical background, the vocals fall flat.
ALBUMS…
Mid
Lil Nas X – “DREAMBOY” & consecutive singles take a drastically different approach music than Nas X’s previous works, many of which have been focused on applying his talents to pop. These new songs instead highlight his self-proclaimed hip-hop identity, each backing the works with unique and melodic samples that allow focus to be narrowed in on his rap performance.s
Playboi Carti – MUSIC is the long awaited, yet bloated album. True, it has its peaks and its valleys. While saved from a horrible ratings by a few definite hits, there are plenty of songs on this album that waste features (*cough cough* Kendrick); incorporate unnecessary and annoying elements (the gunshot in “EVIL JORDAN”) or just get annoying… so quickly (“POP OUT”).
