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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 4/29/2012
Posts: 15,977
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I'd love to do The Suburbs too.
And Ghost Stories from the list
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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^ Don't they need to be from the list?
I'll vote for X and Unorthodox Jukebox.
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Madonna - Rebel Heart
Hooks take the forefront on Madonna's thirteenth album Rebel Heart. On this record, she teams up with producers like Diplo, Avicii, and Billboard to give her sound a frenetic electronic energy that pulses through most of the record, while staying super-catchy.
However, these aren't typical, run-of-the-mill, watered-down EDM tracks; there are some surprises here! On lead single "Living for Love," Madonna sings about the importance of love over a bass drop and gospel choir, and she makes it work. On "Illuminati," she drops a billion celebrities' names, as if she's the only one who knows how to truly get down with the mysterious, fetishized group, and on "Bitch I'm Madonna," she asserts her dominance with a little help from an artist who is just as razor sharp as Madge herself: Nicki Minaj. "Hold Tight" steals a short instrumental break from Gwen Stefani's "Baby Don't Lie" and improves upon it, while "Iconic" (featuring Mike Tyson and Chance the Rapper) is a pulsing, rap-influenced EDM track that fits in with its parent album a bit better than Gaga's "Jewels n' Drugs" did.
She sexes it up on tracks like "Holy Water," an ode to her bodily fluids where she also commands "Bitch, get off my pole" in the verses. Its whack-job lyricism is appreciable for its own self-awareness, as Madonna sings lines like "Kiss it better, make it wetter" and "Bless yourself and genuflect" over seductive moans. However, most other sex tracks fail on here; "Body Shop" is a boring break from the album's electronic playground that is instead more stripped back, utilizing a banjo and hand claps. In it, she compares her body to a car and relates it to sex... Other sexed up cuts like "Best Night" and "S.E.X." are putrid rather than provocative.
On the other hand, though, Madonna can get serious. A love song, "Inside Out" finds Madonna wondering about her man's emotions and inner feelings before letting him taste her holy water. "Joan of Arc" is a slower jam with a pleasant chorus where she reveals her vulnerability, while she mourns a lost relationship on "HeartBreakCity" in a forthright manner ("Cut me down the middle/F*cked me up a little"). The deluxe tracks are skippable for the most part, except the title track "Rebel Heart," where Madonna traces the steps that led her to where she is today over a guitar, some strings, and a nice percussion line, and we're lucky to have her here. She has the pop sensibilities ingrained in her to confidently make a record based on whatever the current trends are; in this case, it's EDM and she easily demolished some of her more recent, upcoming contemporary pop artists who tried their hand at the genre.
Skip to: "Living for Love," "Ghosttown," "Hold Tight," "Holy Water," "Rebel Heart"
Skip: "Unapologetic Bitch," "Body Shop," "Best Night," "S.E.X."
3.5/5
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 2,796
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lucas32
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
There was big speculation in the music community what Kendrick's follow up to his breakout sophomore effort good kid, m.A.A.d. city would sound like. Compared to his debut gkmc was a lot more trendy and had more pop appeal and the lead single of the record i surely supported the idea that Kendrick would stick to the more accesible sound of his last record.
However that is not the case at all as there is nothing trendy on To Pimp A Butterfly at all, instead it sounds like a classic old schoo west coastl hip hop record with elements of Jazz,Funk,Swing and a perfect dose of pop. Lyrically Kendrick mostly discusses racial issues in the United States including white on black violence but also black on black violence and hatred, and he is consistently thoughful and witty and intelligent about it.It never feels like Kendrick is forcing his opinion on you, instead he gives his ideas room for interpretation and it feels like you get a clear insight to Kendrick's vision. But there are also themes similiar to his previous album about his hometown and his struggle to keep in touch with his old life now that he is this prominent figure. But for all the black issues discussed on the record the darkest song is u where Kendrick battles with all his self hatred calling himself a ****ing failure and an all around awful person for neglecting friends and family all while drowning himself in alcohol. This is also why the reworked version of i doesn't live up to the single version because it is an anthem for self love and serves as the counterpart to u and the album version isn't emotionally strong enough to match u. Flow wise Kendrick is at the top of his game as well with consistenly diverse and interesting flows adjusting to the ever changing and unique production. The most unique thing about the record however is the poem Kendrick recites throughout the entire record.
And each time he starts on a different song he gets a little further until the finishes it on Mortal Man and the poem ties up all the themes covered on the album and it turns out Kendrick has been telling the poem to 2Pac.
Kendrick took snippets from an old 2Pac interview and came up with questions about life,the music industry and black issues and somehow Kendrick manages to whip up an organic sounding not at all forced conversation between him and 2Pac himself. Definitely something I've never heard on a record before.
Final Say: To Pimp A Butterfly is a difficult record to review in the sense that it is impossible to truly capture what makes this record such a thrilling and instant classic-y sounding album. If one was to write down every single time the production tops itself again,every nuanced thought that Kendrick voices on this record, every sick flow Kendrick pulls out of nowhere the review would be never ending. Instead it is easier to conclude that To Pimp A Butterfly is his most ambitious,best and most unique record yet and for the first time in over a decade, Kanye might not have the best hip hop album of the year.
Favorites songs: Wesley's Theory,These Walls,i,u,The Blacker The Berry,King Kunta,
9,2/10
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![clap3](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/67d90ee8.gif)
There's no way in hell I could have said this any better myself!
What a brilliant album TPAB is!
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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My vote for the throwbacks is x and G I R L.
Make sure to get your votes in by 10pm tomorrow night!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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A great throwback review would be Blackout, just to see the gays going crazy.
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Member Since: 2/24/2012
Posts: 30,779
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Coldplay - Ghost Stories
Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox
These 2 ![Duca](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRL_Smilies_All/atrlers/duca_zps480ab501.gif)
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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The 3 albums will end very late tomorrow night.
Throwback voting ends at 10pm tonight.
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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I'll see if I can get Madonna and Kendrick in by tomorrow night. I haven't listened to Marina yet unfortunately...
For the throwbacks, my vote goes to Bruno and Mariah
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I've extended the throwbacks voting period until tomorrow night to allow for more votes to come in.
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Member Since: 11/18/2011
Posts: 5,396
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Marina and the Diamonds - FROOT
Release Date: March 16, 2014
"From the concrete to the coast I was looking for a holy ghost, like the land joining the sea happiness it followed me."
Naming her album FROOT was risky. Revealing the album’s release date and tracklist 6 months prior to the release date was risky. Releasing one new song a month prior to the album release was risky. Creating an album full of rock and alternative influence coming off of the fanbase-growing album Electra Heart was risky. Basically what I’m saying is that a lot of the album was quite risky and made fans question what exactly Marina had plans for with FROOT. Not to mention the necessary release date bump following the album’s leak in February. However when FROOT finally blossomed and was released the proof was in the pudding, or FROOT I suppose, that Marina made all the right decisions in her third studio album.
Admirably, Marina decided to write the entire album by herself and only work with one producer while helping out in co-producing. David Kosten is the main producer for FROOT and he has worked previously with Bat for Lashes in creating some fantastic indie-pop and synth-pop, which he is able to bring to FROOT while keeping Marina’s identity in the music intact. The album was recorded with a live band through musicians in bands such as The Cure and Everything Everything, which almost makes Marina & the Diamonds a band rather than a solo artist.
The title track for FROOT is by far the best song on the record. It combines the best musical practices that Marina has used for her previous albums with new themes. The vocals are soaring and use Marina’s large register and also uses great metaphors in the fruit and flower imagery. ‘FROOT’ is full of a bass-fueled and arcade game disco production and the lyrics are also much more positive than she has written before. It’s just such a weird and quirky song that sounds ripe 6 months after its release, even with the other songs.
‘Savages’ is another highlight from the album. Written in the wake of the Boston bombings last year, Marina notes the horrors of human nature of murder, war, bombings, and rape over a drum (thanks Jason Cooper) and synth-heavy instrumental. She states that she is not afraid of God, but rather man, and also questions whether we are killing for ourselves or for our savior. The entire song is very deep and makes for fantastic talking points on how humans naturally have some awful qualities and trying to find out why we are this way. ‘Sex Yeah’ was a highlight from Electra Heart so this proves that Marina’s writing on social commentary is very powerful.
Having a live band in recording the album really made a difference in the punch of the production. From the airy piano-led disco-pop track ‘Blue’ to the ABBA-inspired ‘Gold’ to the heavy rock and funk production in ‘Better Than That’ FROOTfeels extremely cohesive while not sounding like 12 versions of the same song. A small issue I have in the production is the vocal production being too murky, like on ‘Can’t Pin Me Down,’ although I don’t believe it detracts from the quality too much.
Lyrically, Marina is about as strong as ever with FROOT. As said before with the title track, it’s really nice to hear Marina singing some genuinely empowering songs with ‘Happy’ covering the fantastic feeling of when happiness finally enters one’s life and ‘Forget’ covering the want and eventual ability to forgive and forget. Marina also sings on the not-often-discussed apologetic side of the “heartbreaker” on ‘I’m a Ruin’ and ‘Blue,’ the frustration of being pigeonholed on ‘Can’t Pin Me Down,’ and a scathing call-out track to an unknown woman on ‘Better Than That.’
The only low point in the album is the song ‘Weeds’ which does have a killer guitar solo on the bridge, but the lyrics aren’t the best and the song seems to go no where. It also follows the potentially irritating pattern of just saying the name of the song over and over on the chorus. ‘Immortal’ is rather weak as well, at least in comparison to previous closing tracks like ‘Numb’ and ‘Fear and Loathing.’ I’ve seen some flack on ‘Solitaire’ but the lyrics are so clever so I think people don’t like it because it’s downtempo.
In summary, Marina has vastly improved on literally everything from Electra Heart and it’s a treat to see. Marina seems to change up her style every era, so it’s interesting to think where she’ll go for her next album. But until then I’ll be enjoying the juicy froots that FROOT has to offer, and I’m sure these froots won’t rot for quite some time.
9.5/10
★★★★★★★★★✩
Top Tracks: ‘FROOT,’ ‘Blue,’ ‘Better Than That,’ ‘Savages’
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
![](http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/3/11/1426099817173/f1efb3f4-9a6d-4f78-8ca8-594ab646d198-bestSizeAvailable.jpeg)
Review archive
Madonna - Rebel Heart
Florence + The Machine - What Kind of Man
Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You
Taylor Swift - Style
Rihanna - FourFiveSeconds
Nick Jonas - Jealous
Nicki Minaj - The PinkPrint
Beyoncé - 7/11
Kanye West - Yeezus
Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste |
After the poignant didacticism of Real on the seminal good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar chose to end the album with Compton, a celebration of his city. A collaboration with Dr. Dre, the optimistic and high profile nature of the piece was a symbol for the wider society into which Lamar progresses following his emancipation from the cloying, gang warfare into which so many are born and are never freed. The highly-anticipated follow-up album, To Pimp A Butterfly, directly connotes a sense of metamorphosis from the title alone, yet there are many elements which intrinsically link Butterfly to good kid, with the latter's themes of self-love, oppression and family expanded into a wider social and political scope.
The album is brash and direct in its intent to tackle racial issues, the first thing heard being a sample of Boris Gardiner's Every ****** Is A Star which serves to contextualise the racial subtext which pervades the album throughout. On opener Wesley's Theory, Kendrick adopts different personae much in a schizophrenic and paranoid way which serves to amplify his plight to avoid having his success taken from him. Dr. Dre assumes a small role here, but nonetheless remains that as a mentor, ominously warning 'But remember, anybody can get it / The hard part is keeping it, mother****er'. Whereas good kid voiced Kendrick's struggles to avoid the vicious system that births people into depravity and then criminalises them for it, Butterfly begins by establishing the next obstacle in the Lamar narrative, where Kendrick has broken away from the cocoon of gang warfare and even still has to avoid prison, as underscored by the reference to Wesley Snipes in the song's title.
What tends to propel Butterfly's narrative is something which reiterates the troubles voiced on good kid but magnified within a wider sociopolitical context. As such, there is something far more tangible and pertinent here, the 'real world' becoming the main catalyst for drama. Whereas good kid was literally signed as 'A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar', there is something much more implicitly cinematic here. Take u, the somewhat cathartic release where Kendrick becomes the reflection in the mirror voicing his own failures, where at one point the narrative slips into a barrage of drunk slurs and lips smacking against bottles. It's a moment which instantly recalls good kid's Swimming Pools. Whereas Pools was tactfully masqueraded as a nonchalant drinking anthem - or the very thing against which it spoke - on u we see a much more vivid portrayal of substance abuse, one which is more more frank and direct. Even on Institutionalized, a track which voices the racial injustice Kendrick still faces even after escaping the ghetto - with the title aptly connoting insanity -, we hear Bilal's hook '**** don't change until you get up and wash your ass'. It's a short warning which instantly resonates with the didactic words spoken by Kendrick's grandmother on good kid. However, instead of directly using her voice, we hear someone else saying them. It's as if they're being reiterated, and it creates a sense of urgency around Kendrick's message.
The closest thing we hear that resonates with good kid's cinematic element is on lead single, i. Deceptive as a lead single, the distinct pop appeal of i is numbed on the album version where the track plays as a live performance, abruptly halted when a fight breaks out in Kendrick's audience. It's a stylistic change which moves the song from a personal to a social context, presenting the development of self-love and esteem in a way which is analogous to the development of a black community who can work together and overcome rather than be victims of the system. The live accent with which the song is treated underscores the pertinent and real nature of its social message, however the fight underlines a deeper social issue where racial pride and self-love fall on deaf ears. It's a stark reminder of the cyclic nature of gang culture which Kendrick learned to realise on good kid, yet this time we see Kendrick call out people within a wider social context rather than within a familial one. He asks people to work together, not fight for personal gain. This idea of stunted progress is something carried throughout, usually delivered by the recurring theme of contradiction - as showcased by track titles i and u, For Sale and For Free. As in Wesley's Theory, it's an idea that seeks to expose the blindness of rappers exploited by the very industries to which they are complicit and owe their fame, whereas on i it represents an oppressed community who can't learn to love themselves, let alone each other. It's a device with which Kendrick panoramically assesses the wider scope of his community and the two adverse sides which prevent its growth, the contradictions ultimately used used to an effect which seeks to engage everyone within the political narrative. Racism is not binary, but more so Kendrick presents it as a wider social disease which underpins everyone's lives.
While being heavily didactic, not once does Butterfly manifest as force-fed diatribe. The record is constantly underpinned between the symbiotic balance between politics, personality and wit, as perfectly exemplified by the voice-switching humour on For Free. The humour is probably at its best when Kendrick subverts the classic stylings of Hip Hop and presents them anew with his own message. Notable is the reference to Kendrick's own verse on Big Sean's Control on King Kunta, a track which celebrates Kendrick's unwavering ascent to becoming a powerful voice in Hip Hop, using the name of Kunta Kinte as a symbol of the resolute fight against oppression. To even self-reference is audacious in itself, but it's the exact conviction which evokes Kunta's refusal to be emasculated, choosing to have his foot cut off rather than be castrated when given the choice. As Kendrick raps 'I was gonna kill a couple rappers but they did it to themselves / Everybody's suicidal they don't even need my help', it's a jest and subversion of the prevalent gang warfare of classic Hip Hop, now used in a way in which Kendrick calls out and provokes his fellow rappers to start speaking about issues more pertinent than introspection.
Not only is it here where Kendrick refers to old school styles, but throughout the record there is an eclectic blend of old school hip hop, smooth funk on These Walls and jazz. It's a huge stylistic u-turn from his pursuing of contemporary and trendy sounds on good kid, but it presents the record as something which is more determined to fit in within the rap narrative. The distinct cohesive sound of the record, harking back to classic styles, is also a stark reminder of the place from where Kendrick emerged, listening to his idols - eminently, Tupac - and being determined to evolve into the voice he is today. This reminder of his beginnings also voices his struggle to stay in touch with his home, as strongly alluded to on For Sale? - (Interlude), where Kendrick recounts 'The evils of Lucy was all around me / So I went runnin' for answers / Until I came home.' As opposed to the carnal temptation of Sherane on good kid, Kendrick's new figure of temptation is Lucy, a name aptly similar to 'Lucifer', or the devil. Once again, it presents the wider perspective into which his troubles on good kid evolve, showing his temptation as something with a spiritual - religious, even - resonance. It's a battle which sees Kendrick having to fight the system and avoid the demons of fame, but also stay in touch with the place from which he came, instantly recalling his mother's words on good kid's Real: 'Let 'em know you was just like them, but you still rose from that dark place of violence, becoming a positive person.'
Ultimately, we see Kendrick survive, the ending to Butterfly, Mortal Man, being something as equally cathartic as Compton, the celebration of his ascent on his previous album. The last six minutes of Mortal Man are reserved for an interview with Tupac, where Kendrick rearranges an old interview and interposes his own questions. A final skit, often reserved on rap albums as a thank-you to all the producers, label mates and the ilk, now used for this purpose is once again indicative of the subversive style Kendrick throws on classic hip hop, but more importantly it serves as a connection to the past. It shows Kendrick's metamorphosis from quoting Young Jeezy in the back of a van in his first album to interviewing his idol on the next, demonstrating an acute awareness of the place from where he emerged to now where he is going.
To Pimp a Butterfly is the natural evolution from good kid, m.A.A.d city. It's a true affirmation of Kendrick's own movement from a consumer of the system - a caterpillar - to a symbol of freedom, a butterfly. It's ambitious but effective in it's way of presenting personal progress. Instead of good kid's highly familial aspect, here we see Kendrick tackle broad issues from a wider sociopolitical spectrum through a smaller channel of light which is much more resonant with his own personal struggles. It's ambitious, mature, and a robust continuation from the album on which many couldn't see room for improvement. In fact, if there were any doubts as to whether Kendrick could ever top good kid m.A.A.d city, To Pimp A Butterfly would certainly be able to dispel them.10.0 out of 10 |
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
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if i were to vote for those throwbacks, maybe 20/20 part 1
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 17,161
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are we gonna rate American Oxygen soon ?
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Member Since: 10/18/2010
Posts: 29,224
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I vote for 20/20 Experience & G I R L.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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In approximately 4-6 hours, I will end all 3 of the albums up for review right now (To Pimp A Butterfly, Rebel Heart, and Froot) and also close the window for throwback votes.
Tomorrow, both throwback albums will start- they will continue until April 21.
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Madonna - Rebel Heart
Portions of Rebel Heart make one of best mainstream contemporary pop albums released within the past couple years by a pop girl (in atrl's terms of course). All things considered, Rebel Heart should be one of the best albums released in the past couple years; afterall, this is Madonna's 13th album and she arguably has the experience to write, craft, and really sell a catchy dance-pop song in her sleep. Listening to Rebel Heart is never boring, the production is top notch and of the moment, the songs are varied enough in style to not get boring, and Madonna sounds in fine form throughout (that familiar voice remains as polished as ever). Yet, something about the album feels off on the first couple listens, it's an odd and hard to pinpoint feeling that hangs over the album; it's a strange feeling as there really are no obvious faults to the album (even over the long 14 track length of the standard edition, things never really dull down and momentum rarely sags and the album remains interesting even on the more misguided tracks like Illuminati which aims for mysterious but just ends up misguided).
The problem with Rebel Heart is that it's a little too sleek and polished that it almost removes Madonna as we know her from the album in favor of a slightly anonymous pop star at the center of a great pop album. In fact, the album almost plays like a debut album, a possibly conscious decision designed to (re-)introduce Madonna as a pop star to the world. It has the varied songs of a debut: Unapologetic Bitch has a reggae bounce, Hold Tight gets by on One Republicesque uplifting electronics, Illuminati is the dance banger that calls out Madonna's peers like Beyonce and Lady Gaga. The album also finds Madonna constantly name-dropping herself and her status with the enthusiasm of an upstart; and even the cover art finds Madonna, photoshopped in a way that recalls her self-titled debut album.
Unfortunately, Madonna is Madonna and as much as she may wish to reboot her image and persona to compete with the pop stars of today (and some of these Rebel Heart pop songs could go toe-to-toe with some of the best recent pop singles) she is bound to her image and public perception in a way similarly to how those cords bind her her face on the album's cover. Listening to Rebel Heart, you can't help but to wonder if an artist such as Madonna who has achieved so much during her career should be making just a pop album, one that compares her nether-regions to holy water in a way that is less provocative and more baiting someone to call her on it, an album that has a silly dance song about illuminati that subconsciously puts her on the same level as the Beyonce's and Gaga's of the world by relating them to her, one that basically just says "Bitch I'm Madonna." We already know she's Madonna, there's no reason to remind us of this and we know she has more interesting things to say.
It's perfectly ok for an artist to make whatever album he or she wants to, especially if that artist has a career as storied as Madonna, but that artist has to recognize that he or she can not escape his or her past image and one has to question the intent of Rebel Heart somewhat. The album plays like a debut pop album (or a reboot), but it also references Madonna's iconic status (and even references songs like Lucky Star and Vogue on Bitch I'm Madonna and Holy Water) and doesn't add much new to the conversation. In addition, although the album has some very good pop songs, they are often highly processed with auto-tune or other production elements that can give the album a cold artificial feeling that can make the album difficult to connect to beyond the dance beats. It's an album that runs the risk of alienating fans who have been with her in the long run, fans that may not be interested in the pop music of today, and the album is unlikely to catch any new listeners.
Context shouldn't really matter as long as the music is fine, but pop thrives so much on personality and the album really doesn't seem to have much of it besides the singer is named Madonna, and she's more or less Unapologetic. There are interesting moments here that hint at a more interesting album like Joan Of Arc which talks about how Madonna deals with fame, but songs like that are rare and the album is unapologetically almost all (admittedly enjoyable at the moment) surface style with little substance. It's a confusing album with a muddled intent but listenable enough if you're a pop fan.
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Grade: C
My Reviews
Looks like I'm not going to get Kendrick in, but others said how I feel about the album already. I'll come back and make this post look nicer in a bit.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I've made the executive decision to again extend everything by one day.
I've bee quite busy studying for midterms lately, and I also would like to see some more throwback votes.
Meanwhile, if you've rushed your review in, you have some time to revise it now.
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Member Since: 5/9/2009
Posts: 6,397
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THE Z000 REVIEW
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f6/Kendrick_Lamar_-_To_Pimp_a_Butterfly.png/220px-Kendrick_Lamar_-_To_Pimp_a_Butterfly.png)
I’m here again reviewing another album. Last time, I reviewed Imagine Dragons’ Smoke + Mirrors and this time, I reviewing an artist that performed together with them at the Grammy last year and I’m talking about Kendrick Lamar and his album, To Pimp a Butterfly. Funny that I reviewing the Radioactive (Remix) artists, which by the way was a good performance. Anyway, K-Dot has come far. From the young boy in Compton where it was tough to live in. During his time, he has seen people killing each other, dead bodies, and people selling cocaine to get money especially during the crack epidemic back in the 80s and early 90s. To this day, Compton still has bad neighborhoods. Recently, they have been racial intensions in the USA such as with Ferguson and the news of unarmed young black men shot by the police. The basis of the album comes from Kendrick being tired of the racial intensions and all the violence that exist in the world especially in his hometown.
Something to know about Kendrick is that he is known for his storytelling, imagery and lyricism and it is evident in this album along with the theme. There’s also wordplay and interpretation. “Wesley’s Theory” is named after the actor Wesley Snipes, who got in trouble and was send to jail for 3 years for tax evasion. The verses basically tell us how easily successful black artists are influenced by money in different perspectives. The first verse is the braggadocious of any successful black entertainer about spending that cash and not giving a damn to anyone else. In the second, that Uncle Sam, the representation of white capitalism America, tries to convince Lamar to spend and spend all that money he earned from rapping until Uncle Sam comes in again and “snipe” his ass as in hunt him down when he gets into financial problems like Lauryn Hill and Michael Jackson did. Basically, Lamar attacks the taxation in the United States. Metaphorically, Lamar is getting pimped by the rap industry and successful black artists are getting pimped by the entertainment industry. The title of the album comes in play in this as the butterflies are the African-Americans that made it as successful people as they started as struggling caterpillars. Lamar himself started as a caterpillar trying to make it big and he did just that and broke out of his cocoon (hood) and now deals with the price of fame and staying true to himself.
“For Free? (Interlude)” has both the story and the theme continued here. We got some girl talking down to Lamar for not buying her a lot of superficial, materialistic objects and is off to find a new man that spend all that cash on her and get Uncle Sam to pay Lamar a visit. Lamar basically raps about not letting temptations of fame and fortune get to him and not letting anyone take advantage of him and pimp him out. Also “This dick ain’t free.” In addition, the interlude mentions a racial history that back in the old days, black Americans were slaves that were forced to pick up cotton in the fields, which the United States gain profit from it. “King Kunta”, the recently released single, is named after Kunta Kinte, who was a runaway slave that choose to get his foot cut off when he was caught. He is a symbol of black resistance against the oppressive institutions, which is the continuous theme in this album. The interpretation of calling Kunta a king can be seen as he is king to his people that struggled like him. He is a voice to his people like how Lamar is a voice and influencer to his people in Compton. Since Lamar is now running the game and got the whole world taking, he has to watch out for people that might want to “cut his leg” and bring him down. He gotta watch out for them fake friends and any pretenders. He has this question to them: “Bitch where you when I was walkin'?" Also, this song starts the poem that Lamar recites at the last track. The first line of the poem can be heard at the end of this track: "I remember you was conflicted, misusing your influence.”
“Institutionalized” talks about how anyone can be institutionalized by the idea of getting rich and wealth and its corruptive powers-such as chain snatching. Also the struggle of no longer living in the hood, but the hood is still in you like how Compton is still in Kendrick. It goes into a perspective where you are influenced by the environment you were raised. “These Walls” has the poem that is started from King Kunta continued in the intro and again in the outro. The song itself is the exploration of the human mind, the good and bad. “If these walls could talk.” What would they say? Hmm. “u” is the complete contrast of the lead single, “i". This is one of the darkest moments of the album to the point where Lamar calls himself “a f**king failure.” Even with the fame he gain from his first studio album, he battles with depression as evident in this song as the dark thoughts are heard. Talking to himself and his conscience. Feeling guilty for himself. This is the self-loathing song right here, which Kendrick is eating himself alive. “Loving you is complicated.” That line sinks in when we heard from the album so far. “Alright” is where he will be telling himself that everything will be alright and hoping that he is still in God’s plans. Also in this song, the character Lucy (Lucifer) is trying to corrupt the soul of Lamar and trying to steer away from God, which Lamar raps in his/her perspective. In addition, the poem is continued here. In “For Sale? (Interlude)”, Lamar continues to talk to himself so the listeners will know what’s going on his mind. In this case, it’s a conversation between him and Lucy where Lucy is getting Lamar to sell his soul, which is Lamar against doing. Lucy is dominant in the conversation. The poem is continued here.
“Momma” is to get away from Lucy and the evil around Lamar, he went looking for answers until he came home. This is where interpretation comes to play. “Coming home” can be interpreted as either going back to Compton, Africa (which is where inspiration of the album came from), or to his pre-fame self. Mostly likely Africa because of verse 3 when he talks about a boy he met. He also raps about his journey as a rapper, realizing the answers is to come home, and the realization of how America pimped his mind and soul with all the success and fame and money Lamar gain. Basically, this is where he find his roots again as he forgot about them. “Hood Politics” is the perspective of Lamar’s younger self at the time when the only thing he knows is the hood and the problems he face in the hood and its “politics.” Also rapping about just rapping for the hell of it for his friends, American politics, and the rap industry. In “How Much A Dollar Cost”, Lamar raps the story of being asked by a poor man to give him like a dollar. Lamar refuses and then, feels guilty after the man asked Lamar if he read Exodus 14 lately. At the end of the song, it turns out the man was God himself and he was testing to see if Lamar really knew the value of a dollar. Lamar failed as he was selfish and unwilling and cost him a place in heaven and Lamar asks for forgiveness.
In “Complexion (A Zulu Love)”, Lamar raps about no matter the complexion of your skin, we feel love the same way whenever you’re light-skinned or dark-skinned and complexion doesn’t define a person. Also, Universal Zulu Nation is an “organization of individuals in search of success, peace, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the righteous way of life.” “The Blacker the Berry”, the second single, talks about the self-hate in the African-American community as well as institutionalized racism, white on black violence, black on black violence, and black pride. Lamar raps this in a much angry tone. “You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)” is basically talking about how certain people have to act certain way since this is what people are accustomed too. However, you don’t have to lie to get respect and just be yourself. That’s what Momma said aka the voice of reason in Lamar’s mind from Real off of his first studio album, good kid, m.A.A.d city. “i" is the self-love, peace and positive anthem. “Mortal Man”, the final track on the album, mentions influential leaders such Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela. In this song, Lamar finally realized that he’s the new voice of his generation that hopes to reach out to the young ones and change the world through his music. The outro is where it all goes deep as Lamar recites his poem including his perspective of a caterpillar and a butterfly that has been explored throughout the album to 2Pac and has a conversation with him. The 2Pac parts comes from his 1994 interview. Tupac Shakur himself is an influential rapper from his time and his story is continued to be told in Lamar’s own music just like in this album. Damn.
What made this album stand out more is that Lamar uses accents and high-pitched his voice to let the listeners know that it’s not Lamar rapping to the listeners, but one of his inner voices speaking to him such as with Lucy and Lamar’s guilty conscience. It actually makes you feel that you’re inside Lamar’s mind and understanding his internal struggle and the world around him. Lamar made sure to sound different when he is rapping from a certain perspective whatever is the positive one from “i" or the angry, vindictive side of “u”. It makes the listeners think what they have heard and interpret their own meaning from different perspectives from the album. Featured artists in the album includes George Clinton, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy and much more did their parts right when they speak from perspective of the songs they were featured in.
The music from this album is lively. I love the mix of music in this album. It consists of Jazz, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, and Spoken Word. One of the themes of the album is never forgetting your roots. This could apply to the musical aspect of the album. All of these genres started with black people and “We want the funk” from King Kunta can be interpreted as wanting our music as in not letting people forget the roots of funk came from black artists. This album as a whole is valuing and validating black culture and its roots including black music. I love how in “Institutionalized”, there was a direct nod to “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa, one of the pioneers of Hip-Hop and its culture along being the founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, when right before the first verse starts, someone was singing “zih zih zih zih". This further support the theme of never forgetting your roots and how it carries on through music to this day. I do like the live version of “i.”
Lamar really has come far. As an underground artist when releasing his 2010 mixtape O(verly) D(edicated) and his 2011 album, Section.80. Of course, he gain mainstream audiences with his successful major label debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city. He recently won two Grammys for "i" and To Pimp a Butterfly gain widespread acclaim. Though, he was criticized for his views on Ferguson notably by Azealia Banks and Kid Cudi and might get accused of sufferings from schizophrenia, which is understandable given that he has seen violence at an early age. It just that Lamar got tired of seeing violence especially in his hometown so I don’t blame him what he said about how it starts within the community. Though, it just got me thinking about that ordeal especially what I heard on “The Black the Berry” when Lamar proclaimed himself the biggest hypocrite of 2015 because gangbanging made him responsible of a death of a young black man yet he weeps on the murder of Trayvon Martin and others. It’s something to think about as this is a complicated topic that one has to go deeper to think about the morals of it all. A revelation.
Overall, I had a blast listening to the album with all the music I heard and feeling well as well as thinking about all the perspective heard in the album where interpretation is the main thing to think about. Reading Rap Genius and their connotations on this album was fun while listening to the album. I have more respect for Kendrick for being true to myself and finding himself. No doubt this album could not only get nominated for a Grammy, but win one for Best Rap Album and maybe even Album of the Year. This album last time I checked got an overall score of 97 on Metacritic, but what’s my personal overall score? I give it 95/100! King Kendrick is not a generic black rapper who released a generic album. He is more than that and it is evident in this album and he can only get better. Slightly overrated? Yeah, one can say that, but he has proven himself in the rap game that that he has fuel in the tank and no doubt that he can get bigger and continue to be himself as one of the greatest rappers today as he carries on the dead sprits of legendary rappers such as 2Pac through his music. Who knows? He can be consider a legend already, but I digress. West Coast love here.
Rankings:
1 How Much A Dollar Cost
2 Wesley's Theory
3 i
4 The Blacker the Berry
5 Moral Man
6 These Walls
7 Hood Politics
8 u
9 You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)
10 Complexion (A Zulu Love)
11 Momma
12 For Sale? (Interlude)
13 King Kunta
14 Institutionalized
15 For Free? (Interlude)
16 Alright
Overall Score: 95/100
Phew! What an album review that got me tired. I could’ve organized the review a bit better, but what’s important is that I wanted to get my thoughts in. That’s it for me and album reviewing. I had fun doing this, but it took a lot of me. Woo!
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Good luck on the exams alex! I've been way too busy myself
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What made this album stand out more is that Lamar uses accents and high-pitched his voice to let the listeners know that it’s not Lamar rapping to the listeners, but one of his inner voices speaking to him such as with Lucy and Lamar’s guilty conscience
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Great point Flame. Your whole review was really good! ![flame](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ccd10a8e.gif) Maybe with the extension I can listen to the album once more and get a review in
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