"Material Girl" by The Weeknd is in my top three favorite unreleased songs from The Weeknd. This song was recorded a year before he released anything under his current stage name, and is a genuine gem and crazy to think he has been delivering at this level for years.
The true highlights of this song are in the lyrics, some of the best word-play and flow I have heard in any song in general. The chorus and verses are so memorable and I catch myself trying to harmonize with the song whenever it plays. The chorus gets stuck in my head and I tend to mumble it walking around sometimes. The instrumental is pretty chill and typical for Weeknd songs of this era, lots of layering with different percussions and vocals, but I think the simplicity works super well with the already stellar vocal and lyrical delivery you get from The Weeknd.
In general one of my top picks of music in general and heavily in my rotation. Since it is unreleased and not tied to a Spotify song, I linked a SoundCloud link that has been up for years now so hopefully it doesn't get taken down. But I really do recommend giving it a listen:
https://soundcloud.com/user-280980546/the-weeknd-material-girl-1?si=6abfd3014f43487bbe7c8d1c098c925b&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Fakemink continues to deliver, this new single incorporates some of his older sound from 2024 that I can appreciate. And the beat selection is pretty unmatched as well, I know a lot of underground rappers have great taste in beats but I really like the choices fakemink makes for his songs. The bouncy synth in the background makes the instrumental sound super addicting in combination with the chords applied in the background. The slurred flow fakemink goes with throughout this song adds to this drug-infused song in general, and really fits with the vocal effects he puts on the song.
Fête de la Vanille is a beautifully produced project with magical, ethereal sounds. The unique vocal styles make every track different and full of detail. The reason I gave this a 9.2 is because “hot boy” and “mimosa” didn't really land with me, but that’s expected from an experimental EP. Overall, a really solid EP that made me branch out to more of Lucy’s discography.
one of the best albums at Grunge-era’s peak in my opinion
heavier than almost all of their peers.
standing out as true masterpiece.
bit of experimentation, bit of heaviness and a bit of raw power!
"JENNIE" is one of the most popular K-Pop idols in the world, and has currently been on a solo project run that I believe has been pretty respectable and has been my personal favorite out of all the BLACKPINK members. Her newest EP "Fallen Angel" is a pretty decent release, with my personal favorite definitely being "Less than a Lover." I can always appreciate the artists involved in K-Pop verging off into more chill releases and not relying so much on the hit-power of a singular song.
"FALLEN ANGEL" the title track is pretty solid as it has a very chill tone, but can be a vibe at times, although I don't think it's one of her best it's nice to see her go into this type of song. Some of the vocal layering and the mix of guitar throughout the song makes it a pleasant listen.
"HEAVEN" I would definitely say is the weakest track of the three, I don't really like the choices she went with in the chorus area, and the track is not as "epic" as I feel like it was intended to be. I do enjoy the initial verse a bit but I think it's generally boring, although "FALLEN ANGEL" is a bit boring at times as well I think it was handled better than "HEAVEN" which is not a very good song in my opinion.
"Less than a Lover" is the single that released in anticipation of this EP. It is definitely the best track on this EP and not because of the stream count. It has a simple but effective instrumental with a chorus and vocal presence more captivating and catchy than the other tracks. The pre-chorus is one of my favorite aspects of the song and is a genuinely good track to wrap up the E.
"lace" is one of my favorite chill artists and she genuinely delivers on all of her songs. Her new song "sevens" has an amazing dreamy instrumental with the soft drums and chords. The vocal performance is always top notch with her signature whisper which surprisingly has nice vocal range which adds to the aesthetic she builds on in her songs. I would mainly recommend this song to be added to your study playlist if you have one. Looking forward to a full-length album or EP from lace in the future !
Currents one is one of my favorite albums of all time to me because it feels like more than a collection of songs it feels like experiencing change in real time. The entire album flows through heartbreak, jealousy, regret, acceptance, and finally the realization that becoming a “new person” doesn’t mean you completely escape who you used to be. That idea connects everything from “Let It Happen” to “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.”
What makes it special is how beautiful all of those uncomfortable emotions sound. Kevin Parker surrounds some of his most vulnerable writing with huge synths, psychedelic effects, incredible basslines, distorted drums, and melodies that somehow feel nostalgic even when you’re hearing them for the first time. “Let It Happen” feels like surrendering control, “Eventually” is the pain of knowing you have to leave someone, “The Less I Know the Better” turns jealousy into one of the catchiest songs ever made, and “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” is the perfect ending because it questions whether we ever truly change. An album you can listen too over and over and never get tired
Ten years later, it still sounds futuristic, but somehow nostalgic at the same time. You can play it when you’re happy, heartbroken, driving at night, at a party, or completely alone and get something different from it. Very few albums can sound this good while also capturing something so human. Currents isn’t just my favorite album—it’s one of those albums that makes me remember exactly why I love music in the first place. 10/10.
I would say that "Royal" by fakemink is the greatest underground rap song of all time and probably my favorite song ever from a British artist. This song has one of the most heavenly instrumentals I have ever heard, I would compare it to the vibe that "Resonance" by Home gives off, except it's on a rap song. I don't think he has ever performed the song either, which is unfortunate because I really believe it is his best song. I also think that the vocals and lyrics he brings on this song is one of his best as well, having a flow that works well with such an angelic beat. Even if you are not a fan of fakemink you should still give this absolute masterpiece a listen.
First off, Drake’s most recognizable songs came from this one album. "Headlines," "Crew Love," "Take Care," "Marvins Room," "HYFR," and "The Motto" are all here. Most albums stick to one main mood, but Take Care has different moods and vibes in every song.. If you’re trying to get hyped, there’s "The Motto" and "HYFR." If you’re driving at night sad as f**k, you got "Marvins Room," "Doing It Wrong," and "The Ride." If you want something more personal, there’s "Look What You’ve Done."
That variety is probably the best thing about the album. Drake switches between flexing, relationship problems, fame, family, and being depressed over a girl without the album feeling completely random. Some of it is corny, especially when he leans too hard into the emotional stuff, but that’s also kind of what people listen to Drake for.
The production carries a lot of the album too. Most of it has this dark, slow, late-night sound that fits the lyrics. "Crew Love" is probably the clearest example, especially with The Weeknd on it. At the same time, the production can start blending together after a while. There are definitely parts of the album where it feels like you’ve been listening to the same cloudy beat for 20 minutes.
Drake also gets more personal than he does on a lot of his more commercial songs. "Look What You’ve Done" is one of the better tracks because it feels less like he’s trying to make something catchy and more like he’s just talking about his family and how his life changed. "The Ride" and headlines does something similar with fame and success. Those songs make the album feel more complete instead of just being a collection of hits.
The deluxe version has "The Motto," which is funny because it ended up becoming one of the biggest songs from the entire project. It doesn’t really match the darker tone of the album, but it’s still one of the most replayable songs on it.
My biggest issue with Take Care is that it’s long. There are 20 tracks on the deluxe version, and they are definitely not all on the same level. Some songs feel like they could have been cut without losing much, and the slower tracks can drag if you’re listening to the album front to back.
Despite this, the quality of the songs is what highlights the entire album, so many tracks are just beautifully produced and rapped, whether Drake has a ghost writer or not.
"Discovery" is my favorite disco house album of all time. Daft Punk were the visionaries that created the iconic sound that we know and love for all modern releases of EDM music today. My favorite songs being Voyager and Veridis Quo, they are some of my favorite songs to listen to when I'm studying, driving around, or just listening to on my free time. Also if you have ever flown on AirFrance they play Veridis Quo when you land. Daft Punk are French and dance music icons, hopefully they can come back to make more music in the future! Lastly I would like to point out other songs that aren't in my personal favorites but are still amazing and worth a listen are Nightvision and Face to Face.
I would say that "Echoes Of Silence" is one of The Weeknd's most underappreciated works. I feel like it dives into a more somber tone compared to House Of Balloons and Thursday, this mixtape was literally made to drive at night or listen to in the rain. The transitions between songs are also not talked about enough as it wasn't as mainstream back in 2011 as it is now, and it feels like a real fluid experience. There are a lot of underrated gems on this mixtape that provide entirely new experiences if you are a Weeknd fan and never checked it out.
To start out with "D.D." I feel like The Weeknd was the most successful at creating a true homage to Michael Jackson, and I would say it might even be better than the original if The Weeknd had the same electric guitar Michael had on Dirty Diana.
"Montreal," one of my personal favorites, is an amazing song and incorporated the catchy French lyrics really well. The entire atmosphere is rich with the harmonization of The Weeknd's voice on multiple layers adds on to the already expressive lyrics.
Next up is "Outside," genuinely one of the most underrated songs of The Weeknd's entire discography and lots of long-time fans give much praise to this song. Forget what you knowwwwww, make yourself at homeeeee. Man listening to it right now there aren't many songs like it, it's a shame he hasn't performed it in years. The hypnotizing beat, everything is amazing.
"XO / The Host" was the first song I immediately liked when I first listened to this mixtape a few years ago, the rap-esc flow with the super percussion-heavy beat has a fast-paced melodic tune that I had in heavy rotation, and has some lyrics referencing songs from House Of Balloons as well. Although it is not my favorite on the mixtape anymore it still is amazing.
"Initiation" unfortunately would be my least favorite track on the mixtape. It is definitely a very different melody many would be used to from The Weeknd with his voice-deepening effects and creepy instrumental, I know many big fans may not be happy to hear it but yea it has never made it in my rotation like the rest of the songs on this mixtape.
"Same Old Song" was a song I did not like at first, and after some time I grew to understand the song more, it is very simple and doesn't really have much super crazy vocal expression compared to other songs of this era. But the pre-chorus and chorus I fell in love with over time and I think works well with the relatively simple instrumental, and has since become one of my go-to's on the mixtape. Juicy J's cameo at the end is cool as well.
"The Fall" is another underrated gem of The Weeknd's discography, the super epic build-up starts in the first verse, with the fast paced flow going into the pre-chorus is pretty good, and the chorus has some amazing symbolization relating to The Weeknd's past, saying he has been at rock bottom before and isn't phased of it happening again, his career either takes off or it doesn't. The rest of the song is amazing until the Outro as well.
"Next" is a pretty lowkey song, still a song I enjoy a lot, the dark piano and humming sets the tone nicely, the percussions are similar to the build up with XO / The Host, but I feel like first verse was better, and the general build-up to the chorus is the best part of the song. I love the outro parts as well.
"Echoes Of Silence" the self-titled song of the mixtape is the slowest song and one of the more somber songs of The Weeknd's entire discography, I love the soft piano, and the slow flow he follows. Although it may not have some of the most memorable moments, some of the slow parts that include pauses in the middle of the song are one of the best verses on The Weeknd's discography, rounding out this masterpiece very well.
I did not forget about "Till Dawn," although it is not on the original mixtape, but it is one of the better songs, with a super addicting flow, and a great instrumental. The manipulative aspect of The Weeknd's music really shines in this song, he really tries to get inside of the head of the person he's talking to/about, and has some really clever lyrics that I come back to a lot.
Overall with "Till Dawn" I give the final mixtape of the Trilogy a 9.5, one of the most consistent projects The Weeknd has released, with only one song I don't really revisit, if you haven't already and are a big Weeknd fan, this one has lots of moments you will fall in love with, although it took some time for some of the songs to click for me as well.
Unfortunately this song will probably never be released since Danielle is on this song and after all of the drama with their label, she is no longer a part of NewJeans, but if you ever get the chance give this song a listen on either YouTube or SoundCloud as it is based off of a live performance a few years back. This is one of the best songs NewJeans has made and has a very catchy chorus and rap section, if you are a NewJeans fan you need to hear it! Genuinely might be the greatest unreleased K-Pop song of all time.
MF DOOM’s MM..FOOD is genuinely one of his most creative albums. The whole album is built around food, which sounds kinda random at first, but DOOM somehow turns meals, snacks, and drinks into bars about life, rap, and his whole supervillain persona.
The production is probably one of my favorite parts. It has this old-school comic book energy with weird samples, random dialogue, and gritty beats that make the album feel like its own little universe.
What I respect most is how committed DOOM is to the concept. A whole album about food should get repetitive fast, but he keeps finding new ways to flip the idea. I’d give MM..FOOD a 9.6/10. The only thing stopping it from being a 10 is some of the skit tracks feel like filler when you just want to hear the actual songs. At the same time, they add to the album’s identity because of how DOOM mixes dialogue and samples into the whole experience.
An extremely underrated masterpeice of a song, fakemink has so many unknown songs that don't get the recognition they deserve. Due to "tiktok popularity" a lot of his best works get drowned out by songs like music and me or easter pink, but his greatest works are hidden deep within his discography. The production of this song is absolutely amazing, the beat has an almost familiar heavenly feel. However good you think fakemink is as a main artist, he's a 5x better producer, truly a musical genius.
rated this release
