One small constant in life is that new music comes out at the end of every week. Being a music review blog, the mere sight of seeing all of the scheduled releases is enough to make me wonder how there’s ever time to review it all. The simple answer to that question is that there’s simply not enough time. So I decided to start a mini review series, entitled ‘Sound Bites,’ so that I could write smaller reviews of albums and music that were submitted through email or social media.
John Legend - Bigger Love
John Legend is no stranger to the music scene with his seventh studio album Bigger Love. On this release, he blends old and new styles of music together to create a unique sound. I haven’t listened to a full John Legend album before; I really only heard “All of Me” if I’m recalling correctly. Bursting with positive energy, this album also serves as a love letter to his wife and his life. While the inspiration or production is nothing new for Legend, it’s a fun album nonetheless.
Stream Bigger Love here and make sure to let me know what you think!
Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour
Chloe x Halle avoided the sophomore slump with their second album, Ungodly Hour. The two sisters have voices that complement each other on their harmonies and really help each other shine. Even though Chloe and Halle Bailey -- who were 13 and 15, respectively -- were discovered when they were younger, they have certainly grown up. Songs like “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” and “Tipsy” explore more mature topics than their first release. Overall, this was a spectacular showing and I am excited to follow their career.
Haven’t listened to Ungodly Hour yet? Stream it here.
Lucky Iris - Turns Out We Should’ve Stayed at Home EP
Lucky Iris are an alt pop duo putting a new spin on electro-pop music. Maeve and Jasper recently released a concept EP entitled “Turns Out We Should’ve Stayed at Home” based around a night on the town and if it was really worth it to go out. The vocals on this project are very clean and sound really good! My favorite part is the production though, since each song sounds so different, but is also cohesive. A mix of pop songs and ballads, the concept Lucky Iris is aiming for is clear and a compelling listen.
Peaked your interest? Stream Turns Out We Should’ve Stayed at Home here.
Lui$a - “Gemstones”
Lui$a is a 16 year old artist from New York, but is currently living in Kosovo. Her single “Gemstones” was released earlier this year and is a blend of 2000s R&B and today’s trap music. What really struck me about this song is Lui$a’s voice -- it seems to glide over the song and mixes beautifully with the production. Her style is unique and the synths add to the overall vibe of the song. Overall, I really liked this release and I’m excited to hear the EP that she is currently working on.
Listen to “Gemstones” on Youtube here.
CAROLINE - “We Should Break Up”
CAROLINE is another young singer, but she is breaking into the pop scene. She is 16 years old and has released four singles so far, one of which (“Already There”) went viral on Tik Tok. Her latest release is entitled “We Should Break Up” and was pretty good. The song explores the feeling of knowing the situation you’re in isn’t right and needing a change. Musically, it’s very catchy and the vocals are captivating.
Listen to “We Should Break Up” on Youtube here.
Be sure to let me know what you think about any of these releases and let me know on social media!