Eleven Years On, Adele’s ’25’ Still Earns Its Emotions Through Loss and Acceptance
Adele's 25 balances grief and growth across eleven tracks, anchored by 'Hello,' 'I Miss You,' and 'All I Ask.'
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: pop music
Halsey’s BADLANDS Announces a Pop Star Without Always Delivering One
Halsey's BADLANDS builds castles and ghosts alike, a competent record whose best songs earn their keep while the rest drift.
Album Reviews6.6/10
Halsey’s ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’: Ambition Exceeds Execution
A young woman leaves her hometown, loses her father, and finds love again in the wake of loss — a concept album reviewed.
Album Reviews7/10
Selena Gomez and benny blanco open up on ‘I Said I Love You First’, a tight 34-minute pop record
A record of fourteen tracks wherein Selena Gomez and benny blanco speak of love first given, fear, and the songs that bear that weight.
Album Reviews6.7/10
Ten Years On, The Weeknd’s Starboy Still Sounds Like a Man Who Has Made Peace With Fame
The Weeknd's Starboy blends old hooks with glossy synth-pop, a deliberate, conservative record about fame and excess.
Album Reviews7.4/10
The Weeknd Refines His Haunted R&B on Beauty Behind the Madness
A dark, polished R&B victory lap from the Weeknd, settling old scores while building a brighter future.
Eighteen Years On, Lady Gaga’s Debut Still Plays Like a Pop Star’s Coronation
A record of fame and confession, wherein a girl becomes a star and sings of a boy she loved and lost.
Album Reviews6.7/10
Ten Years On, Lady Gaga’s ‘Joanne’ Still Rewards Its Rock Bet
A review of Lady Gaga's rock-leaning album Joanne, weighing its hits against its misses amid grief and genre-shifting.
Album Reviews6.1/10
Thirteen Years On, Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP Still Struggles to Fuse Fine Art With Pop Culture
A review of Lady Gaga's ARTPOP, weighing its pop ambition against its artifice, track by track.
Album Reviews8/10
Carly Rae Jepsen’s Day and Night Balances Bright Summer Pop With Dark Dance Tracks
A double record of day and night, Carly Rae Jepsen's bold ambition across 24 tracks, reviewed.