Jean Dawson's Pixel Bath Is Some of the Most Fun I've Had With an Album in a Long Time

Several weeks ago, a great friend of mine and The Circuitry Might documentary director, German Lomeli, and I caught up over a tennis match. When we were talking about music, I told him about my end of the year list and asked what he had been listening to as of late. He recommended that I check out Jean Dawson's 2020 record, Pixel Bath. It was a title that instantly caught my attention, so I added the vibrantly colored cover art (pictured below) to my Apple Music library, where it sat dormant for awhile.

It wasn't until I started driving around for DoorDash that I really had the opportunity to listen to this project. Let me tell you, shuttling around people's orders all over the place has never been more fun. Pixel Bath just sort of puts you in a good mood whenever it's on. I've received many strange looks from other drivers on the road as I've grooved and danced to this like nobody's watching. It's infectious in all the right areas of the brain.

Pixel Bath feels like a 40 minute sugar rush. The iridescent fusions of indie, pop rock, bubblegum bass, hip/glitch hop, EDM, and a bunch of other genres all come together with a freaking chef's kiss here. Dawson is so aggressively rebellious sounding on almost every track that it will awake your inner teenage self, which appears to be his intent with this project. His delivery can best be characterized as powerful, raspy, and violently melodic. It's almost to the point where a Denzel Curry vocal sample on the track, "Pegasus" just sounds like Dawson again. Curry is a pretty accurate comparison for how Dawson approaches his vocals, but maybe with an occasional softer singing voice. I've also heard many other critics note the similarity that Dawson's music holds with the earlier days of Kevin Abstract with American Boyfriend (2016), and I can definitely see that, too.

Many of the tracks feature a jumpy guitar backing that works alongside glitchy synths and vintage instrumentation to create a bridge between old and new sounds. It seems like a total project of this generation and feels both futuristic and retro at the same time. Sure, it sounds like an homage to the music of yesterday's generation, but there is also this captivating present-day appeal to the recent trend of emo/trap rappers running rampant through the music industry. Fusing punk and contemporary rap into other genres isn't a new idea, but it's one that is executed in a supremely creative fashion on every minute of this album. Let's take a closer look at the track by track:

1. Devilish: This is the exact type of prodigious opening that most records need. Dawson comes down on a sky wire in diamond studded boots with a single spotlight on him and immediately commands the atmosphere of the track with his reverberating vocal melodies. Eventually, he unleashes one glittery wave of instrumentation after another and proceeds to brings the house down. Fantastic introduction.

2. Triple Double: As of right now, this is definitely my favorite song on the album. It's probably my favorite song I have heard all year, too. The jubilation that I experience when the chorus kicks in is such an "ooo" moment every time. This song is Dawson driving on all cylinders. Not to mention, there is a great A$AP Rocky feature that just fits like a glove and pushes the song to the ultimate level. This track is pure happiness. God, I hope it never gets old to me. It hasn't yet, and I'm already probably well past 100 streams of it. So much joy.

3. Shiner: An 80's sounding jam session that has all of the slick and shiny sheen you could ask for. It also has a booming chorus that could fire just about anybody up. I get ready to scream "The sharks in the water, please partner, watch your Prada. Hangin' on the left side, right side, give me all of that!" every time "Triple Double" ends.

4. Dummy: A smooth-sounding and glimmering track with wistful but still somewhat abrasive production. Dawson's pitched vocals just sort of glide around and sweep you up with the persistent percussion.

5. Bruiseboy: Another song that's impossible not to feel good listening to. It sounds like waking up in a dark room and opening the blinds to a beautiful summer's day. Either that, or floating up to the surface of a pool on a hot and sunny afternoon. Again, grade A music.

6. Pegasus: This one feels like Dawson is still trying to keep the party going after hours. The track is more grungier than others but still has this neat switch up at about the halfway point where everything slows down and the guitars come out. It's not my favorite track of the bunch, but it is enjoyable.

7. Poster Child: An interlude type of moment that also manages to bring some chaos. That's not to say that the ideas jam packed into this minute and a half collage aren't all pretty great, though. In that span, we go from soft nostalgic piano to a shouty and turbulent Dawson. It's a reminder that he's not taking any breaks on the genre-blending anytime soon.

8. 06 Burst: Oh, man. What a ride. This is one of those tracks I wish I could experience for the first time again. It made me do the Kanye on an airplane at one point and then the BIGQUINT stank face the next. It’s a laser light show in your ears and a nice change of pace, too. It’s a heel turn at exactly the right moment for me. This track coupled with poster child keeps a listener on their toes with a whole smorgasbord of sounds.

9. Starface*: Another contender for one of the best on the album. The subtle and almost cinematic progression helps to gather some emotional weight behind the lyrics about fear, anxiety, and the seductiveness of engaging in increasingly antisocial behavior. There is a beautiful harmony toward the end of the song that I just want to hear over and over. This is just an awesome effort overall.

10. Policia: Probably the noisiest track on the whole LP. As you can surmise from the title, it is an anti-police anthem that incorporates some Spanish verses and influence into the mix. Everything works well here. The song has these speaker-tearing guitars and blaring vocals that smash through everything. There's sheer angst at every turn.

11. Clear Bones: Dawson's singing is softer and more pillow-y here as he laments the idea of death in the context of his bubbly spirit and fleeting youth. Despite the bleaker subject matter, he goes about it in such an exuberant way. There are these bright and wiggly guitar leads that come out toward the back half of the song that give off so much warmth. Plus, the playful lyrics give off a confidence in the face of fading out of existence. I actually find it to be a fairly positive track when all is said and done.

12. Power Freaks: As the sun goes down, this feels like one last hoorah. It might be one of the more satisfying late-night anthems that I've heard in recent memory. The track's progression from a twinkly trance-like ballad to a garage crashing rager is just Jean Dawson pulling out the punches before the curtain closes.

13. Pyrotechnics: Any song that uses the "you ain't got the answers" clip as a sample is already a W in my book. I see what others say when they mention how this track just sort of drones on, but I don't mind it as much if you treat this outro for what it is. For me, the ending moments where every familiar aspect of the production drifts away into a cosmic, dreamy, and shimmering cyberspace is an extremely fitting ending to Pixel Bath.

I feel like I'm thirteen again when I listen to Pixel Bath, but in the best way possible. It's got this youthful energy to it that just makes you want to hop in a car with the top down and drive to Santa Cruz or something. At times, all of the different noises flying around in the tornado that is this album can seem a little all over the place, chaotically messy, and unpredictable, which is probably a fair criticism to make. That only seems bound to happen on most genre-blending and ambitious records that focus on such heavy combinations of sound. This is a challenge that I would put good money on Dawson facing again with the music that he puts together in his promising future. That is, if he continues to refine his approach in this direction.

This record is mostly all gas and no brakes. Occasionally, the abrasive cuts start to drown one another out as each song goes by. The loud raspiness of it all can admittedly get to you at times and more moderation to make the hard hitters hit harder would be a welcome addition. It's usually around "Pegasus" or "Policia" that I start to feel like I need to turn the volume down for a bit and let my ears breathe. It's hard to explain, but that's the best I can put it. Maybe it's the cynical adult in me, but an intermission or break within the driving get-up-and-go track list would have been welcome. The closest we get is "Poster Child," which just feels like a transition to the second part of the record. A few moments like that come and go a little too fast for me to get the most out of the album experience.

Still, the absolutely impeccable creativity, imagination, and vigorous pizzazz on this record will get me smiling like no other album does. You get the gist that Dawson still isn't in his final form here. This is one of the most promising releases from an artist that I have heard. I would immediately buy tickets to a show of his if I'm presented the opportunity.

Final Score: 8/10

If I were to add this to my 2020 list, I would likely place it in the spots around 2-3, but I'll make that decision as time goes on, though. Just know that I'm definitely adding Pixel Bath to that article at some point. If you haven't listened to it before reading this, OR want to listen to it again, follow any of the links below to do so. Also, check out Jean Dawson's other work. His music videos are nothing but more downright awesomeness, so you won't regret that decision.

Listen to Pixel Bath on:

Apple Music

Spotify

YouTube

Go visit:

Jean Dawson's Website

Jean Dawson's Instagram

Riley's Top 15 Albums of 2020

Hi, everybody. Long time no talk.

I’m here to write about something that everyone TOTALLY cares about: my opinion on music. 2020 was a rough year for music, but that’s not on the fault of any artist (except maybe Tory Lanez). The pandemic f***ed everything up. A good number of projects came out sounding disappointingly half-baked and an even better portion of them didn’t even come out at all because the studio time would be hard to book, collaborations would all need to be done electronically, and basic promo wouldn’t even be able to happen since live shows were completely taken out of the picture. The industry took a huge hit in almost every facet, so that makes the albums put out in 2020's musical landscape all the more commendable. I respect the artists that put things out this year for still making it happen a million times more now. The conditions to release anything sucks right now and I bet you it’s even harder to find inspiration when you’re locked up. Anyways, with that, I want to present the best musical projects that I’ve listened to. I want to give a brief disclaimer before I begin that these are my favorites. I don’t have the broadest scope ever and I don’t consider myself an expert in all areas of music. This is straight-up opinion...which also happens to be the most important thing. Obviously, everyone should stop what they’re doing to care about it. Okay, seriously, let’s go! These are my top 15 albums of 2020:

Honorable Mention: Slauson Malone – Vergangenheitsbewältigung (crater speak)

Slauson Malone is the mastermind behind one of my favorite albums from last year, A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (2019). So, I was obviously pretty hyped to hear that he would be releasing a follow up project. Admittedly, at first, I was a little disappointed when I realized that some of the tracks were renditions, extensions, or reprises of tracks from that last record, but I came to love this thing as a sister project instead of a standalone one. This time around, you’re getting the same heavy sampling and distorted production, but with more acoustics and strings. Slauson Malone provides yet another noisy and despondent collage of sounds that definitely challenge you, but still feel like a thrilling sonic trip all the way through. For me, it’s just more good stuff from one of the best breakout experimental innovators in music. I would still listen to its predecessor first, but you’re going to get an insane car-crash of sounds regardless. I could write pages about this guy’s music, so I’ll leave it at that. This is surreal art at its finest.

Favorite tracks: Simile #7, Smile #5, My feet’s tired

15. Ka – Descendants of Cain

You’ll find that 2020 has been my first experience with many artists on this list and that’s true with this Ka record. I’ve been recommended this album by a good number of friends and music publications and I’m impressed with what’s on display here. Ka has a mastery of lyricism and extended metaphor. That coupled with his darker and grimy voice sort of reminds me of MF DOOM. The story references told through his rhymes are more evident than ever with the album title and biblical artwork. I love how he uses the allegory of Cain as a reference to his advantage in building that theme around the haunting quality that ancestral mistakes can have on generations like a domino effect. I recently found out that he uses various mythological stories as a framework for some of his other projects, which is an interesting musical concept to play with. I’ll definitely be going back and checking out more of his work in 2021 when I have the time.

Favorite tracks: Every Now and Then, Patron Saints, Old Justice

14. Mac Miller - Circles

I don’t have a deep attachment or emotional connection to Mac Miller’s music like many fans do, but there were some songs of his that I always liked. I thought that Swimming (2018) was pretty good and I really appreciated the artistry behind Watching Movies With the Sound Off (2013). Miller’s death in late 2018 was pretty depressing to hear about, though. His metamorphosis as an artist was probably one of the most interesting transformations that a music fan can witness as he went from making trashy, white-boy, party rap to some of the most emotionally vulnerable music that many in the music community had ever heard. That being said, Circles is great. A lot of that is due to composer, Jon Brion, who I’ve been a fan of for years now. This record is heartbreaking as hell but super touching. Fans have every right to love this album. It’s a rare posthumous piece that actually does its due diligence on an incredible artist that’ll be missed for years to come.

Favorite tracks: Blue World, Good News, Hand Me Downs

13. JPEGMAFIA- EP!

Alright, alright. I know this is an EP and I said Top 15 albums, but we’re kind of doing top 15 projects here. Besides, the modern day interpretation of what that even IS has changed so much over the years that it’s hard to say what something definitely is anymore. Artists are releasing 15-25 minute collections of songs and calling it an album so I’m gonna treat them like they’re on MOSTLY level playing field. Also what is this, Pitchfork? I’m just a dude. Anyways...Peggy released an awesome set of singles this year. There were so many good ones that it would almost warrant putting them together into a collection. And a few weeks ago, my dude did just that. I won’t say much other than that these are mostly great songs. I felt like it was necessary to include JPEGMAFIA on my list this year anyways since the guy keeps getting more and more untouchable in the hip-hop landscape. NO ONE is doing what he’s doing. He’s a straight innovator.

Favorite tracks: BALD! BODYGUARD! ROUGH 7

12. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - UNLOCKED

This is a short little collaboration that just made sense to make. Both of these guys are finally getting more attention for their contributions to music and it only seems right that one of the best producers out there right now works with one of the best rappers. This project was coupled with a fun animated short film about Denzel and Kenny going into what’s basically the matrix to retrieve some lost tracks. The story behind it all is an amusing aesthetic to play with. The music itself is just consistently quality. Word is that the record took about 72 hours to make and that many (if not all) of Denzel’s verses were freestyles. That’s impressive, sure, but you definitely get that vibe regardless of the purposefully unfinished style. It’s a great time but leaves me wondering how much harder it could go if both guys really took their time on something.

Favorite tracks: Take_it_Back_v2, DIET_, ‘Cosmic’.m4a

11. Armand Hammer - Shrines

The New York duo of underground MCs Billy Woods and Elucid team up for a dark, but dreamy, sample-heavy record. I like Billy Woods a lot. His critically acclaimed album, Hiding Places (2019) narrowly missed out on my top albums list from last year. I know a little less about Elucid but love what he brings to the table on this project. While the album takes a bit to really get rolling, it picks up pace and it’s a great ride to be on once you're there. Much of the abstract production that often feels like it’s coming from somewhere in a poorly lit NYC apartment hallway lends super well to both rapper’s voices. As a bonus, the features all give high quality performances; A few of them even show up on this list with Quelle Chris and R.A.P Ferreira. I feel obligated to mention that this album also wins my cover art of the year trophy. Amazing. Don’t skip over this one. It’s an enjoyable listen that I come back to frequently. I hope to hear more from this pairing in the future and it has me ready to listen to whatever either artist puts out next for their solo work.

Favorite tracks: Charms, Frida, Slew Foot

10. Quelle Chris and Chris Keys - Innocent Country 2

This album is a vacation. I have to show some love to Detroit, and Quelle Chris has been making consistent waves out of there for years now. His lyrics are often filled with social commentary and thoughtful meditations on the self, the latter being even more true on this record. Innocent Country 2 is the sequel to Innocent Country (2015), a collaboration with producer, Chris Keys. This is basically melodic flows meeting even more melodic beats. The piano-filled production is glittery and smooth and Quelle Chris is just so effortless with his delivery and wordplay. It’s just beautiful and soulful music. With that being said, I find myself wishing it was slightly better paced. This isn’t a huge complaint, especially if you’re sliding back the blinds on a Sunday afternoon and turning this on, but the skits aren’t my favorite, either. These are minor flaws in the larger scale of a great collection of songs. This is music for the SOUL, man.

Favorite tracks: Honest, Living Happy, Mirage

9. R.A.P Ferreira – Purple Moonlight Pages

What’s good about this? A lot, really. The thoughtful yet playful poetic license utilized by Ferreira against the backdrop of a jazzy yet ever-evolving instrumental mix fosters a uniquely whimsical listening experience. Many of the vocals on this sound like poetry or spoken word, but other tracks become raps songs that incorporate choruses, melodies, etc. This eclectic set of vocal approaches always keep you on your toes, but the production also has you venture into different regions with more atmospheric and abstract sounds mixed in. Sometimes those measures take away from a feeling of structure, but they still cultivate a more open-minded approach because your expectations always seem to be getting subverted by what’s next. The real shining moments on this record are when the beauty of the poetry joins with the beauty of the production to harmonize with one another; That’s when this album is at its most special. There’s definitely magic on this project. Some of that spirit is almost reminiscent of a more mature and contemplative approach to one of those earlier Chance the Rapper mixtapes (Ferreira even references Chance in a bar on this which may have triggered this observation). The lyrics are all mostly purposeful as they discuss the power of art and injustice. When they’re not, though, they’re mostly entertaining. Overall, great piece of artwork that encourages multiple listens to better digest it.

Favorite tracks: U.D.I.G, Cycles, An Idea is a Work of Art

8. Clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned

I’ll be honest with you, man. Up until recently, I didn’t really care for clipping. Last year, they released There Existed an Addiction to Blood (2019) which I noticed got a lot of praise around the board. So, while I was compiling my end of the year list, I checked it out and respected the artistry but just couldn’t connect with it. Enter this album, a sequel. It got even MORE positive critical attention than the last one. It still didn’t resonate with me all that much and I really just began to think something was wrong with my brain. Horror-flick inspired, experimental, avant-garde rap music? I thought “what the hell, dude? This shit is made for you.” I persisted through it and finally, just a month ago, BAM, it clicked. This is a great freaking album. Super dark, heavy, and distorted sounding tracks with chilling lyrical stories to back the eerie production up. Vocalist Daveed Diggs goes OFF on some of the tracks. His flows sometimes even get a little too nuts, especially on high energy tracks. All in all, I love this project. I still don’t know how often I’d listen to this album, though. It requires a mood that I have less frequently than usual. Still, for what it is, this is definitely one of the best constructed albums this year.

Favorite tracks: Say the Name, ‘96 Neve Campbell, Enlacing

7. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

El-P and Killer Mike are back yet again. That’s right. Yet another duo makes this list. I’m so glad they decided to break away from any confines of a trilogy and keep making music together because Run the Jewels is becoming one of the greatest rap duos of all time. They just keep releasing consistently good projects. I really don’t know if they have a bad one yet. This one sounds bigger and better than ever with booming stadium-style anthems and smooth but club-rocking cuts. Run the Jewels is more than just a certified banger factory, though. These two are always putting together some really conscious bars about systemic racism, corporate corruption, and police brutality. It’s like they’re making diss tracks about humanity. They even dropped this record a few days early in support of the widespread protests happening in early June. These were in response to the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey, and the many others helplessly killed. Run the Jewels never feels disingenuous, though. The pair is just good for everybody, whether it's the message, the mosh-worthy tracks, or both. I hope they don’t stop making albums. This world is a better place with RTJ rolling out quality, definitive hip-hop every few years.

Favorite tracks: ooh la la, JU$T, a few words for the firing squad

6. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon III: The Chosen

This one was difficult to place because it came out more recently. Still, I have listened to the ever-loving shit out of this album since its release. It’s by no means perfect, but it may very well be the best album EXPERIENCE I’ve had in 2020. The epic, psychedelic, spacy, atmospheric vibe of the production really takes you on the journey that Kid Cudi intended. His vocals and bars are vintage, and every feature from another artist is super welcome. The first half feels a little bit like newer territory for Cudi as one after another trap-inspired banger flies in. But the second half of the project feels much more like the first Man on the Moon records with more personal reflection, emotion, and grandeur. A lot of people agree that Scott just was not completely right on his recent solo work until the 2018 joint effort with frequent collaborator, Kanye West dropped. I went into this thing just hoping that some of that magic from Kids See Ghosts (2018) would carry over and it’s safe to say that it did. The “Reborn” Cudi is totally in form on this one. This album is by far his best solo release in years. I think it will resonate with a lot of people for years to come.

Favorite tracks: Mr Solo Dolo III, Lovin’ Me, Rockstar Knights

5. Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist - Alfredo

Freddie and the Alchemist have both been killing it in their respective areas for years now. I don’t think there were many people who thought that this wouldn’t be great. These two got the long overdue attention they deserve a Grammy nomination for best rap album, which was an awesome surprise considering how celebrated these two guys are in the hip hop community. Freddie picks right back up where he left off on Bandana with the same level of lyricism, flow, and rhythm that we’ve seen from him countless times before. With each consistent record like this, I feel like he’s slowing solidifying himself in the top rappers of all time conversation. As for the Alchemist, his beats are crisp, elegant, and smooth enough to lay down on. Mostly every feature fits right in with guest spots from Rick Ross, Tyler the Creator, and more. Just good stuff all around here. If you’re a rap fan then this is a must listen.

Favorite tracks: Scottie Beam, Look At Me, Baby $Hit,

4. Mike - Weight of the World

If you’ve heard me talk about music this year, then you’ve probably heard me express my relatively newfound love for the New York rapper, Mike. I wrote an article earlier this year about his breakout tape, May God Bless Your Hustle (2017) and how much it means to me. Weight of the World is just more of everything that I love about Mike. A few of the songs on this thing are some of the most hypnotic things that I’ve ever listened to. The samples used on the beats are creative as hell. And, of course, Mike just spits over them casually but somehow keeps a lot of heat. The album is full of the classic lines that you want to yell right along with him on cue. Mike has this commendable talent to tap into raw emotion and express his thoughts and feelings honestly in his lyrics like almost nobody else in rap does. He has the introspective ability to write meaningful meditations on internal struggle and still make it slap. It’s just super cool. Everything about this album is cool. Weight of the World gets my coolest album of the year award.

Favorite tracks: More Gifts, No, no, weight of the word*

3. Jean Dawson - Pixel Bath

Personally, this is one of my favorite albums in a long time. Jean Dawson is so talented, and it's hard to believe that this is his sophomore project considering how sharp it is. This placement actually comes as an edit after this article was published because I hadn't heard it yet. Check out the review I posted about it, though. Since I did talk about this album at length already in that capacity, I'll keep this entry short. All I have rest to say is that much like actual gold, the value of this thing will increase as time goes on. It's rare that I've been in love with an artist after listening to just about one album of theirs THIS quickly. Dawson is a name to keep your eye on, because this guy is going to continue to musically scorch the earth. You won't find fresher products than this, really.

2. Tkay Maidza - Last Year Was Weird Volume 2

If last year was weird then I don’t know what you’d call this year, Tkay. Okay, so, I’m not sure if this is an EP or an album...but whatever. If Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs (2018) is an album in 25 minutes, then this can be too. It’s 27 minutes. But it’s classified as an EP for some reason. Maidza put out a handful of singles last year that absolutely blew me away. I knew I had to keep my eye out for her next project and WOW was it worth it. MORE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS. In 8 tracks, Maidza shows that she is capable of being one of the most versatile artists in music right now. I seriously think she could blow up into a mega-star one day. She dominates whatever stylistic direction she decides to go in and can take you from a hard as nails, heavy, semi-industrial banger to a sunny and funky jam session with ease. The talent on display here is seriously ridiculous. It’s like a rainbow of sound. This is an exceptional project that feels like just the beginning for a brilliant artist with an already advanced skillset. Go listen to this immediately if you haven’t. Actually, go listen to it regardless. You’re welcome.

Favorite tracks: literally all of them

1. Charli XCX - how I’m feeling now

First, I just quickly want to say that this pick also exists to acknowledge her EXCELLENT, nearly GOAT tier album from last year, simply titled, Charli (2019). I listened to that this year just as much as I listened to this album, and they’re sort of siblings in a way. Ok, so, phew. What can I say? Charli XCX is making the most innovative pop music out there. She’s not afraid to embrace new, boundary pushing, and eclectic sounds to lead the genre into a more liberating and individualistic future. She went from making solid but regular radio hits to ushering in a wave of musical freedom. When she released Pop 2 (2017), it was like she made the conscious switch to become more of a boundary pusher. It was an ironic statement that it’s time to take the genre up a level. No one has a better ear for a hook than Charli does. NO ONE. It’s legendary how she can fuse old elements of Britney Spears with totally wacked out crazy electro boom-bap sounding stuff like 100 gecs. So, why is this my number one? Well, because it’s spectacular, yeah, but also because this album is SO 2020. Towards the beginning of the pandemic, Charli announced that she would be working on an album ENTIRELY in quarantine. What came out of that time is a captivating meditation on what life has been this year. Isolation from most of the world, the reconnection and rebirth of love with the people that you’ve had to share a bubble with, the desperate desire to have things go back to normal, the weird trials of the technological age, and so on. All of it’s right here in how I’m feeling now. It’s literally how we’re feeling now… This is the best piece of art that aims to document current times that I’ve exposed myself to. It’s a snapshot of a time period, yeah, but the themes go way past that anyways. I never thought I'd give a pop record album of the year, but this deserves it. This is my album of the year!

Favorite tracks: Forever, Claws, Enemy

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Thanks for reading! Seriously, if you got this far, thank you so much. If you take a listen to any of these because of me then I’m honored that you trust any of my recommendations. I might follow up with a list of my favorite songs/singles of the year. Maybe that will be a separate article next week. Expect me to be posting on here more often. I've departed from my writing position at All Talk No Balk, so you could easily see more stuff on here now. Also, I may easily come back and add in some projects since 2021 technically hasn’t started yet. Playboi Carti is set to drop Whole Lotta Red on Christmas, but I’m not waiting around for him, especially if he pulls a Kanye and does a no-show. This list is subject to change, of course. I will most likely move things around or add projects since I always seem to discover something a year or two late. If you want to see my other lists from the past few years, click here to be taken to the album rankings page.

Happy Holidays everyone! Be safe out there. Here’s to a better all-around life in 2021.