alexdreamermusicblog-blog

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Hello once again. Back from a very long hiatus is this music blog written by yours truly. Even though it’s been awhile I wanted to come back to this blog, mainly to get some of my thoughts down in a format that I could easily revisit them. The other reason of course being in the hopes that someone reads this and finds something that they can enjoy. My opinions and statements on music are often out there and completely wrong. Regardless, I hope that anyone who comes across this blog will stick around for one reason or another. If there is anything that you would like to see done in regards to this blog that you would like to see, please do let me know. I also wanted to take this blog in a new direction. I wanted to focus on pop music and popular music trends. I’m hoping to eventually get to three posts a week, but realistically, I’ll be lucky to get one in. 

Pop music? Are you serious?

Yes, I am.

For a long time, I listened mostly to hip-hop and not much else. When other 12 and 13 year-olds were jamming out to Metallica and Boston, I was rapping along to Eminem and Nas. It really left me feeling behind a lot of my peers as a got further into my teenage years. All of these classic songs that “everyone knows” were just not on my radar. I didn’t spend my time learning about Freddie Mercury or John Lennon. I instead studied up on Biggie and Dr. Dre. Now that’s not to say that I’m a hip-hop encyclopedia or that I still don’t listen to those classic songs, but it was a different rate for me. When I look at the massive history of music and all that it has to offer, I get easily overwhelmed and end up sticking to what I know. This is a habit that I’ve been trying to break in recent years and it’s something that I still work on. As I went through high school and into my college years, my music taste began to expand, as it does for almost everyone. I was ready to listen to anything! From the most classic of hip-hop to the newest of trap beats. From classic rock to heavy metal. I was even starting to give folk and acoustic songs a try. But there was one big genre that I stayed away from. That genre was of course, pop.

Pop music to me was the lowest form of music. There was no talent. There was no effort. There was only a corporate machine. And maybe all of that holds true. After all, I’m not a business insider nor do I know anyone that is a pop star. Still, I was left under the impression that nothing could change the talentless genre that was pop music. This was all before I joined the new movement of ‘poptimism’ of course. Poptimism is an admittedly silly term used to describe a defense and support of pop music. A clear successor to the idea of rockism, poptimism has changed my life in recent years.

My journey into poptimism actually started with a song that I had heard on the radio. “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo. Quite a lot of people know this song at this point and I’m sure just as many hate it as the amount that love it. In my opinion it is a pretty good song: at least that’s what I think currently. When I first heard “Habits” I was livid.

They’re seriously playing this song on the radio? How could they let this song play like this? It’s all a bunch of garbage telling people to get high to avoid their problems. How is this a positive message for people? This is what’s wrong with music nowadays!

Clearly I had a totally different mind than I do now. I saw this song as the pinnacle of bad modern pop music, and it stayed that way for about a year. During that time however, I kept hearing positive things about Tove Lo and her album. How it was a breath of fresh air and was unique in its presentation. I didn’t believe that any of those claims were true, and I knew that nothing would change my mind. So I figured I’d give it a listen. What’s the worst that could happen, right? Let’s see what all of these people are talking about. After listening through the album the first time, I could see what everyone meant and my life was changed.

My entire world was thrown for a loop. Suddenly there was context to “Habits (Stay High)” and all of the rest of Tove Lo’s songs.Tove Lo’s first album “Queen of the Clouds” is split up into three sections, much like a play or a film. The three sections (The Sex, The Love and The Pain) bring together various songs that touch on the feelings one has at that stage in a relationship. Suddenly a song about doing drugs had the context of an entire album to show why the song was created. From there I dug deeper for anyone else with a similar sound. At that point I re-discovered Lorde and decided to give “Pure Heroine” a listen. The rest is history.

Suddenly I started to revisit artists that I had initially hated only to find a new artist that I enjoyed. Lady Gaga, Carly Rae Jepsen, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and at the end of 2015, Justin Bieber. 14 year-old me, hell even 18 year-old me would have had a heart attack. But there I was, enjoying artists that I had previously considered talentless. But why? What was it about pop music that had drawn me in? After all, not everyone has an interesting sound like Lorde or a conceptual pop album like Tove Lo. What drew me to such a simple form of music? Just that. The simplicity.

Having struggled with mental health issues for the better part of a decade had made me cynical. It made me angry and expectant of rough times. But with pop music, all I can drown all of that out in a catchy Max Martin written chorus. I don’t need to worry that Carly Rae Jepsen is more bubblegum than Wrigley’s or that Taylor Swift has flipped between genres like her name was Bjork. I can simply sit back and drown in the music. Sometimes it’s good to not have any socially conscious lyrics. Sometimes it’s good to not have the most complex metaphors or the most impressive guitar riffs. Sometimes, it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy music as simply music. Even more somber songs like “Ribs” by Lorde can still provide a sense of uplifting joy. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel it everytime I listen to the track. Or my sense of deep nostalgia whenever I listen to “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande. I couldn’t tell you what I’m nostalgic for, but I really don’t care. The feeling I’m left with is all I need. And with all of the crazy things happening in the world today, sometimes it’s nice to just get away from it all and feel some joy.

If I have convinced you to check out more pop music, I have some suggestions of lesser known pop artists. You may not enjoy them all but they’re all worth a shot.

-Banks

-Grimes

-Marina and the Diamonds

-Cashmere Cat

-Purity Ring

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you and have a great day!

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Update

Sorry for my long absence, I’ve been busy. I’ll be hitting the posts again starting tomorrow. Look out for the following artists that will be touched on:

Kendrick Lamar

The Chainsmokers

Sylar

Carly Rae Jepsen

Frank Ocean

The XXL 2016 Freshman Class

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

The Next Big Thing

August 12, 2016

I think it’s fairly safe to say that Drake is on top of the world right now. He’s currently the most successful hip-hop artist in the mainstream and will be for the remainder of 2016. Drake has literally been inescapable this year. No matter what, you’re bound to hear a song by or featuring Drake every single day. And it makes sense. Drake is a perfect example of how to make it to the top. But that begs the question of, who is next? Who will be the next big star in the world of hip-hop? That’s what we’re here to find out. 

So the obvious first choice is Kendrick Lamar. Massive fanbase, creative albums and well constructed songs and hooks. But Kendrick suffers from one major thing: a lack of accessibility. Kendrick Lamar is a very lyrical rapper with a strong message behind most of his songs. I’m not saying that people don’t enjoy it as Kendrick Lamar has seen plenty of mainstream success, but it’s different when you’re talking about being in Drake’s spot. Drake’s biggest hits have always been easier to chew love songs. And that isn’t me trying to belittle Drake, his music or his success, but it’s the truth. The biggest song from each of Drake’s albums to date has been a love song where he is mostly singing. These are the type of songs that get big, at least in America. Love songs or songs we can sing and dance to. Just look at Drake’s latest smash hit, “One Dance”. It’s a very simple chorus that you can easily remember and sing along to. It also has an absolutely infectious beat that makes you want to get up and move. But this infectious love song is what people are often looking for and I think it eliminates a lot of candidates for that top spot. 

Aside from Kendrick Lamar, I feel that this also eliminates artists like J. Cole, Chance the Rapper and ScHoolboy Q. You do of course have other newer artists who make singy-songy rap songs about love like Fetty Wap and Kent Jones. But neither of these two have what it takes either. Say what you will about Drake but he has a way of putting himself out there. For a man whose lyrics are written for him, he always finds a way to make you feel connected to him. It’s almost as if you’re meeting Drake and learning about his personality as you listen to his songs. Fetty Wap and Kent Jones don’t really give that vibe. 

So what about older guys? You know, the OGs. While Eminem, Jay Z and Kanye West are massive names in music and sellout shows, do you really see them being the biggest names on the radio again? I don’t know about you but I think it’s past their time. That isn’t to say that they will not continue to be successful, but they aren’t the artists I see getting a sudden resurgence back to their old days of mainstream domination. It’s also not good for hip-hop or music as a whole to step back like that. 

So who then? Who will take Drake’s place? Well, there’s a strong chance that the artist isn’t even big yet and is currently hidden under the surface waiting to blow up. But I don’t think so. I think we’ve seen the next big thing already. Who?

Bryson Tiller.  “Bryson Tiller?” you may say. “But he’s a singer!”

No, he sings AND he raps. Much like Drake, Bryson Tiller is known for combining the two and switching between them. You can sit here and tell me that Drake is a rapper first, and that may be true, but the population has been shown to like his singing much more. Check out the biggest hit from each of Drake’s four mainstream studio albums:

Find Your Love from “Thank Me Later”

Take Care feat. Rihanna from “Take Care”

Hold On, We’re Going Home from “Nothing Was The Same”

One Dance feat. WizKid and Kyla from “Views”

All of these songs are by and large R&B songs from Drake which just shows that the R&B songs have much more mainstream appeal than the others.

Now you may be saying “There’s no way a kid from Louisville is going to take over hip-hop.”

Just like a kid from Toronto would never take over hip-hop back in 2009.

“Well, no one even knows Bryson Tiller. He’s not that big.”

Wrong again. “T R A P S O U L” reached #8 on Billboard’s 200 and has been certified platinum. Bryson Tiller has also received support and endorsement from Drake similar to how Lil Wayne has supported Drake. 

“Okay, but either way Bryson Tiller isn’t as good as Drake is.”

I can see no way that Bryson Tiller does not improve on what Drake has done. Bryson Tiller is a much better singer than Drake is and if we compare “Views” to “T R A P S O U L”, it’s no question that Bryson Tiller is better lyrically than Drake. Bryson Tiller also makes catchy love songs with well constructed hooks. The one true advantage that Drake has in this battle is his production. 40 remains one of the best producers in hip-hop and Drake thrives off of that great production. 

It isn’t a guarantee of course, and anything can happen in the music world. But how I see it, give him a few more years to improve and have some more albums under his belt and we could be seeing Bryson Tiller as the new face of the hip-hop world.

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Boys Don’t Cry....Maybe (Cont.)

August 8, 2016

Now that I have had an entire weekend to sit in my disappointment over yet another fake out from R&B superstar Frank Ocean, let’s discuss more artists that have held out in recent years with their albums.

The big one from this year of course came from Mr. Kanye West. Fans had to wait a few days longer than previously expected to finally get “The Life of Pablo”. And when it finally came out, BAM, Tidal exclusive. While it had only been three years since the previous Kanye album, “TLOP” meant a lot more to me. See, I was on the side of the fanbase that did not enjoy “Yeezus” in the slightest, so for me, it had been 5 years without new Kanye. Luckily for all of us, “The Life of Pablo” turned out to be a great album. 

Adele was another artist who had remained dormant for quite some time before releasing her new album. I feel like most people had just assumed that Adele had retired from music when all of a sudden “Hello” exploded. Another artist with a similar hiatus was Mike Posner. While absolutely no one was itching for a new Mike Posner record in 2016, he came back with a huge song in “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” and had a pretty decent album. I seriously recommend “At Night, Alone.” to everyone. If you are able to separate the music from your existing thoughts about the artist, then you’ll most likely find something to enjoy on the album.

But at the end of the day all of these fail in comparison to the biggest hiatus in music (next to Frank Ocean). That’s right, where in the hell is the new Lorde album? Many of my friends laugh at me for being such a big fan of Lorde, or more specifically Pure Heroine. An album that reached #3 in the US, with TWO singles in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Yeah, I guess I really was the only one to listen to it. But in all seriousness, Lorde has been absolutely dormant from the music world since her debut album. Aside from working on a Hunger Games soundtrack and a song with Disclosure, she has not done anything music wise. Lorde shifted the entire world of pop music when she reached #1, and unless I really am the only Lorde fan in a 50 mile radius, there will be huge expectations of her sophomore effort. 

But that’s the big question of the day isn’t it? Will these expectations be met? Sure a lot is expected of Lorde but she is after all a 19 year old making only her second complete piece of work. Frank Ocean is undoubtedly going to have massive expectations and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that “Boys Don’t Cry” will be great. But will it reach the expectations of fans? I say yes. For a similar situation, let’s look at another singer you may know: Michael Jackson. After making the Grammy nominated album “Off The Wall”, Michael Jackson was expected to lose steam with his music.  His next two albums were “Thriller” and “Bad”.

But what do you think? Will “Boys Don’t Cry” be Frank Ocean’s “Thriller” or will it be a sophomore slump? 

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Boys Don’t Cry....Maybe

August 4, 2016

Have I been gone for a while? Well not as long as Frank Ocean. Let’s just cut to the chase here. The most talked about thing in the music world this week has been the rumored release of Frank Ocean’s sophomore album “Boys Don’t Cry”. So here I am, at 10 pm on a Thursday waiting in anticipation to hear anything from Frank. 

Let me start off by honestly saying that I, like so many others, am a huge Frank Ocean fan. The summer of 2011 I started to really get into Frank Ocean and the rest of Odd Future. I am an avid fan of Odd Future’s members, and their impact on me and my way of thinking in high school was clear. Frank Ocean is more than just great music to me, he’s a part of my adolescence. He’s one of the few R&B artists that I can listen to religiously without ever losing interest. 

Now personally, I don’t think “Boys Don’t Cry” will be released tonight, tomorrow or anytime soon. The rumblings came from an anonymous source that stated the album would be released this Friday. And while there has been a lot of activity on Frank Ocean’s site, this means nothing. As Frank himself once sang, there’s “no church in the wild” and right now we’re in the safari. The music world is on hold, waiting, hoping that this will finally be the day. But why is today so different?

It’s not that Frank Ocean has lost me or others as fans, but he has lost some of my trust. So many times over the last 4 years there has been rumors of the album being released. Frank Ocean has announced coming release dates as have various sources. But there’s never been anything. Excluding a couple of very selective features, there’s been nothing from Frank Ocean. Very few interviews, no new songs of his own. To put it simply, Frank Ocean is mysterious and that’s part of his aura. He’s an amazing musician with an amazing mystique about him that leaves you always wanting more. Part of his appeal is knowing so little about him, and when compared to the rest of Odd Future, Frank Ocean really seems hidden in shadows. We often see Tyler and Earl doing something exciting and in your face. Something that you can’t avoid noticing because that’s just what they do. But Frank stays quiet, only making statements or lending his voice in the rarest of situations. 

But with all the fake outs, are people losing faith in Frank Ocean? Will we ever even get this new album? And perhaps the most important question of all, with all this hype, will “Boys Don’t Cry” EVER be able to live up to its insane amounts of hype? I think we can all expect the album to make fans happy, but will it truly live up to the pedestal it has been placed on? I will continue this post following the release (or not) of “Boys Don’t Cry” as I continue to look back on the last 4 years and this album’s influence on Frank Ocean and his career.

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Top Ten Albums of 2016 (So Far)

July 10, 2016

We’re just about half way done with 2016, a very strange year for music. Just look at songs like “Panda” if you want a better example. Now this list by no means is the end all be all for the year. There’s many albums that I may change opinions on as the year goes on. There’s also plenty of albums that have come out this year that I haven’t even heard yet. With that said, here is my current Top Ten Albums of 2016:

Honorable Mentions:

Asking Alexandria-The Black Death Grips-Bottomless Pit Domo Genesis-Genesis Flatbush Zombies-3001: A Laced Odessy  Miike Snow-iii YG-Still Brazy

10) Ariana Grande-Dangerous Woman 

This is probably my favorite pop album of 2016. Ariana’s vocals are as clean as ever and this time she has great production to back her up. “Into You” is one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. It is the song that finally combines a cool, laid back beat with Ariana’s smooth yet booming voice. “Greedy” is another track where Ariana’s vocals really come through. The title track “Dangerous Woman” also deserves a shout out. While the album is the first of Ariana’s that I’d call great, it still has its flaws. Mainly the lackluster features and the awkwardness of some of the lyrics. This is Ariana Grande’s transition album. Where she tells the world, “I am no longer a Nickelodeon kid but a grown woman who is ready to be a pop star.” Despite the flaws I really enjoyed the album and look forward to the direction Ariana Grande will go from here.

9) KAYTRANDA-99.9% 

What “In Colour” was in 2015, “99.9%” is in 2016. That is the best Electronic album of the year. I had never heard of KAYTRANDA before this album, but I’m very glad I gave it a try. With great features like Vic Mensa, BADBADNOT GOOD and Anderson .Paak, this album was more than I could have expected. Speaking of Anderson .Paak, his feature on “Glowed Up” is the go to track from this album. If you can listen to it and not enjoy it, then I don’t quite know what to tell you.

8) NF-Therapy Session 

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a pretty avid fan of Christian hip-hop. And every year there tends to be a Christian hip-hop album that blows me away. This year, it’s NF’s turn. In one of the most raw albums’ I’ve heard in a long time in terms of emotion, NF connects on a very emotional level with a willingness to being upfront that you don’t always see in hip-hop,let alone Christian hip-hop. He speaks on topics from his mother to having a broken heart to his relationship with God. This album won’t be for everyone as it has a religious message, but if you can listen to “Intro 2″ and then say that NF isn’t a great rapper then you may need a therapy session yourself.

7) Kanye West-The Life of Pablo 

Kanye West is back. I’m not going to lie, I did not enjoy “Yeezus” at all and had pretty low expectations going into this album. But from the first track, “Ultra Light Beam”, you are prepared for an experience. Though there are some strange tracks like “Famous” and Pt. 2, the album is all over the place in a good way. The difference in sound from song to song really benefits the album. There’s also a Frank Ocean appearance. The stretch in the middle of the album from Waves-FML-Real Friends-Wolves is absolutely stellar. Personally, I’m just glad that Kanye is back.

6) Kendrick Lamar-untitled unmastered. 

He already had my personal Top Album of the year in 2012 with “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” and again last year in 2015 with “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Now Kendrick Lamar is back in my Top Ten and it’s from an album composed of throwaway tracks. Even this collection though is one of the best of the year. Each track has clear traces of “To Pimp A Butterfly” and Kendrick’s great lyricism works well with unique, heavy hitting production. I’m just glad that we have this album. Tracks 2, 3 and 7 are the standouts, but the entire project really does deliver. What does it mean when your throwaways are better than most other rappers entire albums?

5) Anderson .Paak-Malibu 

There’s not a whole lot to say about this album. It’s damn near perfect. Just do yourself a favor and listen to it. Anderson .Paak is a sorta-kinda-not really rapper who also sings and has great instrumentals. He came out of nowhere last year on Dr. Dre’s return album “Compton” and has taken the world by storm since. Great features, funky beats and a unique sound. Listen to “Malibu” as soon as possible. 

4) Pierce the Veil-Misadventures 

Pierce the Veil is one of my favorite bands, so it’s no surprise that they would find their way onto this list. I must say though that with how much I enjoyed their previous project “Collide with the Sky”, I was a little nervous about how “Misadventures” would come across. While I didn’t enjoy “Misadventures” as much as their previous album, it was still what I expected. Pierce the Veil delivered on the sound that made them and made it bigger. The first five songs on this thing are just breath taking with how much energy they bring. We start with the track “Dive In” which is exactly what it does. The next two songs, “Texas is Forever” and “The Divine Zero” were the first two singles off this album and they deliver. After that, comes two of my favorites off the album, “Floral & Fading” and “Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed”. The only downside on this entire album for me is “Circles” which has become the big song off the album. While I may not enjoy it very much I am happy to see them getting some well deserved success.

3) James Blake-The Colour in Anything 

Hip-hop influenced production. Writing from Frank Ocean. A haunting voice. Grab some tissues and listen to this album.

2) Issues-Headspace 

Issues is a band that has always found a way to evolve their sound from project to project and on this album they sound more in sync than ever before. unclean vocalist Michael Bohn actually sings on this album while guitarist AJ gets his chance to do some screaming. This is not your typical metalcore album. From the first track “The Realest” you get a funky bass solo that isn’t very often seen in this genre. You also find influence from country music, most notably in “Yung & Dum”. Lyrically Issues is at their best. Songs like “COMA” and “Someone Who Does” strike a cord with how well written they are. The balance between Tyler Carter (clean vocals) and Michael Bohn (unclean vocals) perfectly combines to make a smooth balance. The album’s subject matter is also great. From youth to heartache to parents to police violence. “Blue Wall” is a very important track and would earn this album a spot on its own. A political statement calling for the end of police brutality is not something I expected going in to this album. Despite your opinions on the matter, Issues delivered a well received surprise. The album ends with the instrumental “I Always Knew” into the final track “Slow Me Down” which gives me chills every time I hear it. I’m very excited to see where Issues goes from here but if their history is any indication it will only be up.

1) Chance the Rapper-Coloring Book 

I understand why people don’t like this album. It’s religious. It’s happy. It sounds nothing like “Acid Rap”. But I think that what Chance has done is genius. He has evolved his sound while still being him. With a good blend of exciting, trap songs like “Mixtape” to hymn songs like “How Great”, Chance takes great production and great features and puts together a fantastic album. Chance gets more personal than ever on “Coloring Book”. He opens up about his battle with drugs, his daughter, and fame. No, this album is not “Acid Rap”, and I may be alone in thinking it but I’m glad that it’s not. Chance sounds more at peace than ever before and in a way, more comfortable on the mic than ever. Maybe it is my already stated love of Christian hip-hop, but I personally didn’t find the flaws in this album. Each track is a gem itself. There’s a little something for everyone and while it may be different from the Chance of old, it is a new and exciting chapter. I have no idea where Chance and the Social Experiment will go from here but I continue to hope that it is as unique as this album is. 

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Rock n’ Roll Will Never Die

July 7, 2016    

     It is no question that rock music has taken a backseat in the mainstream to other genres such as hip-hop, EDM and synth-pop. While many fans of rock will point to countless big name bands to say that “Rock n’ Roll will never die!”, it’s clear that rock isn’t what it was even 10 years ago. Only 4 rock albums have reached #1 on the Billboard 200 this year. And while that number may be impressive to some, let’s look deeper.

     First of all, each album only lasted one week atop the charts before falling. That sudden spike definitely shows public interest, but not an overall attention. Secondly, depending on who you ask, none of the 4 rock albums would even be considered rock. The 4 albums are “Blackstar” by David Bowie, “Death of a Bachelor” by Panic! at the Disco, “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” by The 1975 and “Cleopatra” by The Lumineers. Many people would consider the first 3 albums pop albums while many would just call The Lumineers “some weird indie-folk shit”. But for me, there seems to be an even bigger issue at hand. 

     Of those 4 artists, half of them have been around for over 10 years. Panic! having released their first album in 2005 and the late David Bowie having made music since the 1960s. For being a genre all about defying authority and being about youthful angst, many rock fans sure do have troubles accepting younger bands. Many rock fans seem to disregard many young bands for being too edgy and angsty right before they turn up their copy of “Hybrid Theory”. And this is not to insult the older fans of rock music or the music itself. I simply think that it’s odd for a rock fan to not find something new they like. There are plenty of softer rock bands for those who like that kind of sound. Bands like The Neighborhood and Tame Impala. Then you also have the heavy bands for metal-heads to enjoy. Bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Asking Alexandria. It seems that older rock fans have become their parents, ridiculing the newer generation of rock instead of finding what works for them.

     So you may be saying “What’s it matter? Rock music has always been about the DIY attitude and the screw a label mentality.” And while that may be true, there’s still a big factor people forget about: the future. When was the last time you saw a new jazz album get mainstream attention? How about that new soul singer that you just gotta hear? The reason that rock’s mainstream success matters is because eventually it will become a job without a paycheck. As rock continues to disappear from the pubic’s eye, so will its bands. Young kids will see no money in being a rock star. And what about the kids that do it for the love of music? Fair argument, but does anyone want to tour the country strumming on their guitar while a bunch of 40 year olds laugh at them for “not having the heart of rock n’ roll”? Eventually these same young kids will move on to different genres or quit making music all together. Personally, I want my children and my children’s children to love rock music. But the lack of a willingness to adapt from the fans will soon leave rock music as relevant as jazz. So, what do you believe? Will Rock n’ Roll die?

[alexdreamermusicblog-blog]

Flipping the 6 to a 9

July 6, 2016     

     Hello, my name for the purposes of this blog is Alex Dreamer. This blog will be centered around music that I enjoy or find interesting topics in. I’m not a great writer but I hope anyone who reads these little blog posts gets something out of it. With that out of the way, let me start on my first article.

     There is no question that 2016 has belonged to Drake. Coming off of a Grammy nomination and a good 2015, Drake released his extremely successful album “Views” back in April. “Views” was met with instant success as it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has remained there for 9 weeks as of me writing this. Not only that, but the lead single “One Dance” has also been sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 since June 4 and has been in the top 3 songs since May 5. Needless to say it has been a great summer to be Drake. 

     But this begs the question as to why this album has stuck around with the strength that it has had. “Views” has been considered by many, myself included, to be a very disappointing album and possibly the worst of Drake’s career. Yet somehow, “Views” has been Drake’s most successful album to date. Now a large part of that is the hype behind this album for sure. Drake had been talking about his “Views From the 6″ album for what feels like an eternity and there was a lot of anticipation as to what Drake would do with this album. I was one of the people that waited up until midnight to purchase “Views” from iTunes and I know many, many people did the same. After thinking about it for some time, I figured out what my problem was with Drake and “Views” as a whole.

     There are certain artists that could release anything and it would sell. We’ve seen it in recent years with artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and to a lesser extent J. Cole. There are just some artists that can release an album with little to no build-up and absolutely crush the competition around them. Drake has become one of those artists. However, with artists like this, there tends to be two camps. In one camp you have artists who do what they do and make a smash hit album. Then you have the other camp of artists who try new, unique things with their album, knowing that their fans will purchase them. While there is nothing wrong with an artist doing their style well, there’s something to be said about the artists that take risks. 

     So where does Drake fall in this? Did he stick to his style or take risks? If you’ve been following Drake’s career for years like I have then you know that he absolutely falls into the first category. “But Alex,” I can hear you saying, “What’s so bad about sticking to what you’re good at?” Normally there is nothing wrong with it, but in this instance, it hurt hip-hop as a genre. Now I know that sounds a bit over the top but hear me out. 

    I want to start by looking at some of the massive artists I mentioned above. First, let’s start with Queen Bey. Beyonce is without a doubt one of the most recognizable singer of all-time. She has had classic album after classic album and classic single after classic single. Beyonce could literally do anything with her music and it would debut at #1 without fail. Now I am a firm believer that Beyonce is overrated, though I do absolutely enjoy her work. But let’s take a moment to look at Beyonce’s new album “Lemonade”. I’ve seen many people call “Lemonade” a boring album that did nothing for them, and that’s fine. Let’s ignore personal opinions on how good it is musically and focus on the album itself for a moment. Now as big as Beyonce is, she could have just thrown together anything, released it, done a world tour and bam, she’d be set. But instead what did she do? She created a concept album filled with stories from a young girl about topics ranging from love to heart break to racism to being a daughter. The album itself has been shrouded in controversy and is the most talked about album of the year. In this album as well, Beyonce incorporated sounds from many different genres, including R&B, soul, trap, and even country. Now whether you enjoy Beyonce’s music or “Lemonade” at all, Beyonce still went out of her way to create something unique. 

    So what does Beyonce have to do with Drake? It’s more about what they don’t have in common in this instance. Drake is the biggest rapper in the world in terms of commercial success. This means that whatever Drake releases will reach millions and millions of ears. Imagine if Drake had put forth the effort to create a unique album. “Views” could have not only been less of a disappointment, but it could have set the trend for hip-hop moving forward. Now the argument can be made that Drake has already set the trend for hip-hop today. How many Drake impersonators do you hear on the radio? But doesn’t the idea of the man who set the current trend starting the next one excite you? It is a shame that Drake is happily complacent while his peers are finding new sounds and topics each album. 

     By not releasing the groundbreaking album that “Views” was hyped up to be, Drake kept hip-hop from evolving. And sure, rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper are doing unique things with their sounds and are seeing large amounts of success, but they’re still not Drake. One can only hope that Drake can get it together before his spot belongs to someone else.