MUSIC

These amazing records are all passing 30 years old in the 2020s! If you've heard them before, it's time for a revisit. If you haven't, you are overdue to check them out!

March's new rap tracks add to an already intriguing list for the year. Check out the high-profile recent releases of early 2022.

With a constant stream of new music every week, the occasional record ranks below the others. Some albums seemed destined to be critical failures (the new Machine Gun Kelly album, for example); however, records from promising artists that take a sharp downturn can be even more disappointing. Here are some of those albums from 2022, not necessarily as bad as Machine Gun Kelly, but disappointing that they somewhat tarnish a promising artist’s reputation.

The R&B singer Summer Walker broke numerous records at the end of 2021 with her sophomore album Still Over It. Not only did it debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, but the album also received the most single-day full-length streams on Apple Music to date. After the release of Still Over It, she had 18 tracks simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While the album is a good collection of songs, this record is also much more significant. Still Over It represents Walker’s journey through the two years leading up to the album’s release, her tumultuous personal life flooding the record with raw emotion and coherent album flow.

Four years after her last set of original music, Cat Power (Chan Marshall) returns with a collection of unique covers, each played in her signature style. Though Marshall previously showed the world her prowess as a vital musical interpreter, Covers draws from the widest variety of backgrounds yet, from Frank Ocean to Billie Holiday. Though it will never hold up to her recent career-defining records like Sun and Wanderer, this new covers album is arguably her best non-original package.

With March 2022’s “Spicy Fish Diss Track,” Pusha T might have just left his most indelible mark on rap history. In the first fish sandwich diss track, the new Arby’s ad campaign worked with the Virginian rapper to daringly throw aside the competition, with Pusha T remarkably turning in a strong performance. His Drake diss track “Story of Adidon” took the hip-hop world by storm in 2018, but the story and personal connection to this new release easily top his past feuds.

The legends are back! Arcade Fire, the alternative/indie rock giants from the 2000s, have returned after five years with an epic two-part single. Along with this new release, a new record entitled We will follow! The music comes with its fair share of headline news, though the band is relatively private and not known for behind-the-scenes drama. Here is all the information needed about this incredible group leading up to their 2022 album.

An artist's motivations can sometimes be elusive, and the actions of temperamental rapper/producer Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) have always ridden the line between genuine emotional reaction and publicity stunt. In this case, there seems to be no other explanation; he has become increasingly unhinged since his wife, Kim Kardashian, left him. Kanye West is so distraught that it seems he is willing to ruin his career with hardly even a thought. These events led to many high-profile censures in mid-March 2022, the aftermath of which is still undetermined.

For every Grammy ceremony, the organizers choose some of the nominees to perform. This year, the Grammys have announced six performances so far, though there will likely be more. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these artists, or just need to do some extra exploring, here is some of the new and old music of the performers to get excited about.

As part of the 'Hip Hop 50' slate of releases for 2022 on Showtime, the network will release three documentaries in April, including one on Californian rap group Cypress Hill.

On March 8th, 2022, the Australian polymorphs King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard announced the release of their 20th album, entitled Omnium Gatherum, as the second studio album of 2022. With the announcement, King Gizzard released the first single from the album, an 18-minute progressive rock epic called “The Dripping Tap.” Always venturing into a more expansive territory, this incredible group culminates all their compositional traits into this one career-defining work.

With so much praise for the late-80s records that defined the explosion of the popularity of rap music, sometimes the earlier formative records of hip-hop are left forgotten. Since all these records are available for streaming, you can listen to these historical documents today!

With an ambitious concept album as her debut, English singer/songwriter Nilüfer Yanya set herself up for a sophomore slump due to the high expectations for the eclectic young artist. The dynamic thrills of 2019’s Miss Universe understandably overshadow PAINLESS, which sustains its mood throughout rather than ride the rollercoaster of emotions she is known to convey in her music. In an attempt to focus herself, Yanya gets bogged down in the details and loses the depth and excitement of her early music in favor of music that is easier to consume.

Yet another excellent rap track graces the already killer list of singles of 2022. In March, British singer Dua Lipa and American rapper Megan Thee Stallion released “Sweetest Pie,” a solid first-time collaboration that showcases the strengths of both performers in equal capacity. This pair-up is long overdue, so don’t miss out on this new exciting track.

2022 has musically started strong, especially with a torrent of singles leading up to the promise of exciting releases to come. Amid the notable tracks are a handful of exceptional records that will surely be on many best-of-the-year lists. #1 will particularly surprise you!