~ Reviews 💿 ~

Reviews: The Musical Hype

Ah, welcome to the reviews on The Musical Hype! Albums, EPs, and songs [singles + tracks] of various styles are evaluated here – we don’t discriminate! All reviews are also available on the home page. Both album and song reviews are assigned a star rating on a scale of 0 – 5 (½ stars are used as well), that is visible at the beginning and ending of the review.

5 out of 5 stars = Masterpiece 🤩

4.5 out of 5 stars = Near Masterpiece 🤩

4 out of 5 stars = Excellent 😀

3.5 out of 5 stars = Very Good 😀

3 out of 5 stars = Average / Good 🙂 👌

2.5 out of 5 stars = Below Average… it’s giving sus  😏 😑 🫤

2 out of 5 stars = Mediocre 👎 😡

1.5 out of 5 stars, 1 out of 5 stars, 0.5 out of 5 stars, 0 out of 5 stars = BAD… 🤬


~ Album Reviews 💿 ~

Album reviews tend to follow a track-by-track format, commencing with an intro paragraph comprised of background information, and concluding paragraph that wraps things up. Also, GEMS 💎 – the best, highly recommended tracks – are selected at the end of each review. It should not come as a surprise to see the analysis run > 1000 words.


~ Check out the most recent posts ⬇️ in this hyperlinked gallery 😎 🤘 ~


~ Get your fix of album reviews in all their glory, starting from most recent to oldest 😎 🤘 ~

Takeaways from Mary J. Blige’s, ‘The London Sessions’

Maybe it took Mary J. Blige “a whole damn year” to heal from heartache, but 'The London Sessions' is an album listenable beyond that short span of time.

Rick Ross Aims Shallowly On ‘Hood Billionaire’

Rick Ross' 2nd album of 2014 ('Hood Billionaire') is shallow thematically. A conceptual effort, his approach at contrasting the past is mildly successful.

Chrisette Michele, The Lyricists’ Opus (EP) | Album Review 💿

R&B diva Chrisette Michele sounds as if she was free to deliver the kind of project that she wanted to on EP 'The Lyricists’ Opus'.

Big K.R.I.T., Cadillactica | Album Review

With his major-label sophomore album, Cadillactica, Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. constructs an album that goes above and beyond the expectations.

Five Takeaways from Nick Jonas’ ‘Nick Jonas’

Nick Jonas is now a grown man, and 'Nick Jonas' reflects his newfound male hood. Here are five takeaways from the album for your reading pleasure!

Aretha Franklin Is Enthusiastic, Flawed On ‘Great Diva Classics’

Aretha Franklin may be the queen, but even musical royalty falls short sometimes. 'Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics' is a perfect example.

Stevie Nicks, 24 Karat Gold – Songs from the Vault | Album Review

Consistent and enjoyable throughout, Stevie Nicks reminds everyone why she’s such a revered musician on '24 Karat Gold.'

U2 Lack Vintage Magic on ‘Songs of Innocence’ 

All in all, 'Songs of Innocence' is a good U2 album, but not a truly, great U2 album. It has its worthwhile moments nonetheless.

Hoodie Allen Spits Sex, Swag and Pop Culture on ‘People Keep Talking’

'People Keep Talking' proves to be an enjoyable, well-produced and well-conceived album by independent rapper Hoodie Allen.

Macy Gray Stays On the Grind on ‘The Way’

Ultimately,'The Way', the latest album by R&B musician Macy Gray, is what it is – a good, but not a particularly innovative, game-changing album.

~ Song Reviews 🎵 ~

Song Reviews on the site tend to follow a format that includes an intro paragraph with background information, a body, comprised of at least one paragraph of analysis, and a concluding paragraph (older reviews) or statement (more recent reviews) that ‘put a cap’ on things. Song reviews generally run a minimum of 250 words with many running > 300 words.


~ Check out the most recent posts ⬇️ in this hyperlinked gallery 😎 🤘 ~


~ Get your fix of song reviews in all their glory, starting from most recent to oldest 😎 🤘 ~

Romy & Fred again.., “Strong” | Track Review 🎵

Singer Romy and music producer Fred again.. make a formidable team on their incredibly strong single, “Strong.”

PinkPantheress, “Do you miss me?” | Track Review 🎵

Ascending pop artist PinkPantheress strikes again with a short but absolutely and utterly sweet vibe of a single, “Do you miss me?”

Cigarettes After Sex, “Pistol” | Track Review 🎵

Alternative collective Cigarettes After Sex returns after a two-year hiatus with a truly marvelous, relatable single, “Pistol.”

Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott, “Down In Atlanta” | Track Review 🎵

Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott join forces to assemble a truly compelling hip-hop single, “Down in Atlanta.”

Ava Max, “Weapons” | Track Review 🎵

Ava Max brings a heaping dose of empowerment on “Weapons,” the third advance single from her 2023 sophomore album, Diamonds & Dancefloors.

Rod Wave, “Break My Heart” | Track Review 🎵

Melodic rapper Rod Wave continues to ‘ride the wave’ on his enjoyable single, “Break My Heart,” which precedes Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory (EP).

BROCKHAMPTON, “The Ending” | Track Review 🎵

With the release of the second single, “The Ending,” Kevin Abstract provides another piece of the pie on the final BROCKHAMPTON album, THE FAMILY.

Saint Levant, “Very Few Friends” | Track Review 🎵

Saint Levant (Marwan Abdelhamid) serves up a ‘big mood’ on his brief, chilled-out, smooth, romance-vibin’ rap single, “Very Few Friends.”

BROCKHAMPTON, “Big Pu**y” | Track Review 🎵

BROCKHAMPTON drops a wild, unexpected, Kevin Abstract-only track with “Big Pu**y,” which serves as the promo single for their final album.

Luke Bryan, “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand” | Track Review 🎵

Country musician Luke Bryan is back with  “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand,” a single that plays well to his fan base (and southerners), without moving the needle.

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