New Music Friday - 28/02/2025

Albums:

• BANKS - Off With Her Head
• LISA - Alter Ego
  
• Rebecca Black - Salvation
• Shygirl - Club Shy Room 2

Singles:

• ADÉLA - MACHINE GIRL
• Bensone Boone - Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else
• Confidence Man feat. Eliza Rose - I HEART YOU 
• Cynthia Erivo - Replay
• D4vd ft Kali Uchis - Crashing
  
• Dasha - Not At This Party 
• Gigi Perez -  Chemistry
  
• girl in red - confession
• GFOTY - GRWM (eww)
  
• Halsey - safeword 
• Kilo Kish - reprogram
• Malcom Todd (feat. Omar Apollo) - Bleed
  
• Tate McRae - Siren sounds

Rebecca Black - SALVATION

Salvation: Starting strong! I can tell I am definitely going to love this album. This is exactly the sort of cunty pop music I LOVE. Maybe a bit of the pre-chorus is a bit mediocre and too slow in its buildup and the chorus isn't exactly what I would have liked, but the verses are GREAT. I like the more talking like vocals as well as the production in the verses. Unfortunately, it loses some of the energy it has at the start of the song, but it's still a good song. 7/10

TRUST!: First single, and what a song it is. Just a BOP! The chorus is really catchy, and the pre-chorus builds it up so well. I don't really think there's too much to this song, but it's a great song. Some of the vocals do give me more 'hyperpop' type vibes with the vocal effects on them, which makes sense. 8/10

Sugar Water Cyanide: And the SOTY award goes to...this song! This one is the most cunty of them all. Sometimes songs starting with their choruses annoys me, but this song does it so well. And it has a good contrast between the cunty chorus and the chiller and more dreamy verses. The whole song works so well together and it's just so good. 9/10

American Doll: Oh, sorry Sugar Water Cynaide, your SOTY award has already been snatched by the very next song, it's OVER for you. LOVE the production on this one! This is just...perfection honestly. I love the darker, more industrial production. It's just so catchy all the way through.  9/10

Tears In My Pocket: I can tell already it's going to explode in a great way with those production elements in the background. I love the stabbing synths! HELL YEAH THE CHORUS PRODUCTION, INJECT IT! 9/10

Do You Even Think About Me?: Are we having the Mandatory Ballad? Rebecca's vocals are good here. Maybe not actually! Okay miss cunty let's do it again! HELLO BEAT! Again, absolutely fantastic production elements! Like, it's SO FAST AND THE BPM MAKES ME FEEL THINGS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. DO I HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OTHER THAN IT MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE FOREVER. Semi chaotic production, Rebecca's voice is great, and it's a BOP. What's not to like? 10/10

Twist The Knife: And yet another bop. It has more a grand production in the chorus with almost like...organs and stuff? It switches up to be less good but it's still a bop. It does give a bit more of a generic pop bop but there's nothing wrong with them, and it's a nice closer to a lot of chaos. It also allows Rebecca's voice to be showcased more rather than crazy ass production, although both are great! 7/10

Overall Verdict: This is going to be one of my favourite projects of the year, there is no question about it. I feel like it's been quite rare that I connect with a project so immediately and so strongly. It's exactly the type of pop music I love, something a bit more out there, but immensely fun and energetic. Rebecca sings well, and isn't completely lost in the FUN! As Rebecca Black so aptly says, EAT! EAT! EAT! EAT!

Shygirl - Club Shy Room 2

Je M’appelle: I wonder if this project is going to be 'chiller' in a sense than the first Club Shy EP. This song is far too short to start, I get it's probably like an intro song but...hate crime really. Anyway, it's a decent enough song, the production is catchy, and the Je M'appelle hook throughout is actually pretty good. Not going to be a favourite but it's good. 7/10

Flex (feat. BAMBII): Another chiller song. The feature fits very well on this song. Also, again the song is barely 2 minutes long, what the hell is going on here? Stop it! It's not really my favourite song for a lot of it but it's decent. Last part of it is probably my favourite when it feels like it steps up a bit. 7/10

Immaculate (feat. Saweetie): Not really hitting too much for the first part of it. Saweetie fits alright, but not really my favourite part of the song either. Again, the last part of the song is probably my favourite, but it's too short to really leave a lasting impression. We got 2 and a half minutes this time, woo! 7/10

 F*Me (feat. Yseult): I got to see this performed live at the Brat tour, and it was a bop then and it's the bop now. It's definitely the most immediate of the songs for me. Yseult definitely works well on this track. Also, who can relate to a song about wanting to be fucking good? In the name of Shy we trust! 8/10

Wifey Riddim (feat. Jorja Smith & SadBoi): Features here work quite well again, with the rap part a highlight. Production definitely hits more in this one too, it's more of an immediate bop. I don't really have too many thoughts on this song but it's decent. 7/10

True Religion (feat. Isabella Lovestory & PinkPantheress): This is another one of the highlight songs, it sounds great. Features again work really well here. It's another bop! 8/10 

Overall Verdict: I definitely prefer the first Club Shy EP to this. It has banging songs, like mr useless, thicc, and 4eva. This has a few of that level, but I don't think they quite reach that level for the most part. I get that it's supposed to be a different sort of vibe with 'Room 2', but it's not quite a vibe I'm as on board with. It's by no means bad though, it's still pretty decent, and I will be listening more to these tracks I'm sure. 

BANKS - Off With Her Head

Guillotine: Goodbye Sabrina Carpen-oh sorry, it's not time for that. Fun intro with sort of choir vocals. Great vocals! It's an intro track so it's quite short, but it builds up well and uses that time well. I do wish it was longer and we had more time with it, but it's still great, especially with the production at the end. 8/10

I Hate Your Ex-Girlfriend (feat. Doechii): Immediate BOP! The production hits really well throughout, I'm a simp for synths like that. The distant screaming like vocals with that production are fun, thanks Doechii! Anyway, it's a great song. 8/10

Love Is Unkind: This is a slower song but it's still great! The love is unkind hook is great with it descending. The repetition towards the end was fun. 7/10

Delulu: Oh my god it's a song for ME! I really feel the delulu vibes with the vocals and the lyrics. It's a bit goofy and somewhat out of place in my eyes so far but I guess for a song called Delulu that makes sense. 7/10

Move (feat. Yseult): Decent song, Yseult fits well on it. More of a mid-tempo and it's good, the Move hook in the chorus is decent. 7/10

Stay: A slower song. The vocals are more of a focus here, and they work well. It definitely feels like a slower and more vulnerable song, which is exactly what this is. 7/10

Best Friends: Another slower song, and you can definitely feel that. It's still an interesting song, and it has more of a focus on the vocals again, and it works well. F to BANKS's best friend, they're gone! 7/10

Meddle In The Mold: Interesting start! It kinda seems a bit more goofy again with the vocals, the production and the choir vocals in the background. I'm not sure it's my favourite song because of that. The song does improve a lot later on. 7/10

Direction: It's a decent mid-tempo song again. Not really more to say than that. 7/10

Make It Up (feat. Sampha): I thought that I didn't like the feature at first, but he fits well actually. The production is good though throughout. 7/10

River: You'd be the best...WHAT? Well okay then! It's a chiller song but I like it, the vocals and production are decent here. Good song. 7/10

Off With Her Head: Title track time! It feels quite like the end track of an album, which I appreciate. It's a bit more expansive and grand with how it's being sung and the vocals. 7/10

Overall Verdict: This is a decent album! I'd say a lot of it fits into mid-tempo songs, but they are done very effectively. The BOPS where they happen are BOPS, and nothing really feels like filler, or out of place. I enjoyed listening to the album and could definitely see myself doing so again. The features where they happen are good too. Vocals and production are both pretty good.

LISA - Alter Ego:

Born Again (feat. Doja Cat & RAYE): As I posted before, RAYE is the highlight of the song. She eats up the whole time she's on the song. Doja also works well, but LISA honestly falls off behind those legends. She just doesn't feel like she's as much a part of the song, and kinda blends into the background too much. It's a bop though! 8/10

 

Rockstar: Well, sorta kinda? The production is somewhat annoying and...yeah. I don't want you to teach me Japanese, but maybe you can teach me how to make a better song. Or can you? Anyway, it's alright, but it's not my favourite. 6/10

Elastigirl: I'm honestly not sure I see LISA's voice on these sorts of tracks? Something about it feels like it doesn't quite fit to me. Again, not really my favourite production either. The chorus is probably the best part, but it's not out of this world stunning. 6/10

 

Thunder: Me when I've got that uh-huh. It's a bit generic and it's going nothing really special going on with it. I guess I enjoy the production more on this one? The lyrics in places are a bit...nothing, shall we say. 6/10

 

New Woman (feat. ROSALIA): Okay, I wasn't expecting that. I just...don't really see the rapping honestly. I just don't feel it fits. It's kinda hard to not see LISA getting eaten up by the features on all her own songs honestly. 7/10

 

FXCK UP THE WORLD (feat. Future): Well, no? Future fits alright I guess, but this is just a bit repetitive and I'm really not feeling it honestly. Production rescues it a bit but...yeah. 6/10

Rapunzel (feat. Megan Thee Stallion): It's hard not to think of these songs as annoying hooks, alright production, repetitive rap parts and you just have songs that are honestly...not that good. Megan does well here, but when does she not? It's not enough to save the song, however. 6/10

 

Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me): Definitely one of the better songs. Feels like it fits LISA, the production is good, and the hook isn't annoying or grating. If there were more songs that were like this, it would be a good project, but unfortunately it isn't. 7/10

 

When I'm With You (feat. Tyla): Piss off annoying like child vocals in the background, DIE! Tyla once again showed up LISA on her own track, and I'm not really surprised. I just...don't see it honestly. This solo work just doesn't seem like it to me. 6/10

 

BADGRRRL: LA LA LA LA LA! Anyway, it's alright I suppose. Somewhat annoying, the production is alright, but the hook is just annoying once again. 6/10

 

Lifestyle: Okay this could be another pretty decent song. The production eats here, LISA fits well, and it's just a bop of a song. Nothing special but it kinda stands out among songs that aren't that special. 7/10

 

Chill: It's a chiller song, as the title suggests, but it's another decent song actually. I'm not annoyed it exists which is a win. Again, these are the sorts of tracks that I would want from LISA. 7/10

 

Dream: Again, another slower song. It's a bit boring, but okay. There's not really that much to it. 6/10

 

Overall Verdict: I'm afraid I just don't see the vision here. LISA consistently gets overperformed by the features she has on her tracks. To be fair to her, it's a stacked cast, but I think it ends up overshadowing her and showing how they are better artists than she is. Although there's a few tracks here and there that are genuinely quite good, most of them fall into the territory of mediocrity or lacking that something to make them genuinely good.

Singles:

Halsey - safeword: This is a lot more of a rock vibe than a lot of Halsey's most recent album, so it's immediately more up my street. It does have some of the annoying vocal effects that make things kinda child-like which I often HATE! Anyway, it's a cute enough song, despite the annoying ass vocals through most of it. 7/10

Benson Boone - Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else: I'm such a simp for synths. Maybe not as much for Benson Boone, but I'll get back to you on that. Anyway, it's kind of a simple bop but it works. Better than more sad boy music. 7/10

Dasha - Not At This Party: It's a cute little country song I suppose? It sounds decent. The chorus is a lot more catchy than the rest of it, so that's good! 7/10

Confidence Man feat. Eliza Rose - I HEART YOU: Is this going to be a sucky generic dance/club song? I feel like these are the sort of generic ass songs I don't actually want to hear at the club because there's not actually that much to them and a lot of them are somewhat interchangeable. I mean, I can't lie, it's kinda a bop, but at the same time, I don't know. 7/10

D4vd ft Kali Uchis - Crashing: It's kinda just a sad man song idk, I don't super get the appeal of this genre really. It's fine? Kali is fine in it? 6/10

Cynthia Erivo - Replay: Move over Wicked, your time is done! The background vocals are kinda...not it. "Daddy trauma has emasculated all my common sense". I'm not sure that's as much of an eat as you think it is. Some of the lyrics are truly cringe to me, sorry. The production does step up a notch though so we love that, and Cynthia sounds good! Looking past some of the cringiest lyrics, the song is actually quite good. 7/10

Kilo Kish - reprogram: It does have some fun electronic and kinda darker vibes with the synths and the production, as well as those distorted vocals in the background. Imagine being both anxious and avoidant, crazy! It's a decent song, it gets a bit repetitive I feel but it's still decent. 7/10

girl in red - confession: Well this looks depresso based on the cover art. It was about 2 seconds long so I didn't get much time to think about it at all. Like, not even 1m30? I get it's supposed to be a short song but yikes, okay. It was okay I guess? I guess it makes sense it would be more like some of her older work, which is fine, but LENGTH IS A CRIME! 6/10

Gigi Perez -  Chemistry: This is alright I guess? I don't know if it's really for me but. Vocals are good. But even though it's fast paced I'm not sure I like it too much? 6/10

GFOTY - GRWM (eww): Okay, the production is the highlight here, especially with the dumb monologue going on. Oh, did we need the wacky guitar? I don't know actually. Do I need it? Okay, that is NOT where I thought this was going. Weird distorted screamy vocals. The glitch bit, nice! I'm not sure I'm as much of a fan of the rockier bits, but it's chaotic and fun! Anyway, hyperpop type fun. End his nose! 7/10

Malcom Todd (feat. Omar Apollo) - Bleed: Well, sorta kinda! It's alright, but I'm not really feeling anything too special from me it honestly. Omar sounds fine I suppose. 6/10

ADÉLA - MACHINE GIRL: I was kinda sceptical but I'm afraid to report it's pretty good! Well, it eats except that annoying "mean girl" hook when it's by itself. It's annoying enough to knock it down a peg. 7/10

Tate McRae - Siren sounds: Artists that mess with albums post-release in this way deserve death. Don't mess with the track order, add songs, change album covers! Albums are supposed to be a finished body of work, what the hell are you doing? Anyway, I suppose it sounds a bit different to the rest of the songs on the album, which is a positive, because it doesn't get lost in the monotony of the rest of it. It's a decent song. 7/10