Album Reviews8/10
‘Talk That Talk’: Rihanna Trades Subtlety for Confidence
A look back at Rihanna's Talk That Talk, a confident, mixed-bag pop album from 2011.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: pop music
Album Reviews6.2/10
Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce Splits One Personality Into Two — Mostly Without Conviction
A review of Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce, a record that splits itself into two people but fails to bring them together.
Album Reviews8/10
‘4’: Beyoncé Takes Control, and the Peaks Justify the Drift
A review of Beyoncé's 4, an album built on control, with standout tracks and a trio of club remixes.
Album Reviews7/10
Prince Hands the Stage to His Band on Love Symbol — and the Story Drags Him Down
Prince's 1992 album [Love Symbol] showcases his band's brilliance but is weighed down by a convoluted concept and filler tracks. A flawed masterpiece.
Album Reviews3/10
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic Review: Prince’s 1999 Solo Stint Suffers From Overproduction
Prince's 1999 comeback album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic is a stiff, overproduced affair that fails to recapture his magic. Our review explains why.
Album Reviews6/10
Part-Time Lover, Full-Time Synths: In Square Circle Turns 41 as a Snapshot of 1985 Pop Craft
Stevie Wonder's 1985 pop album In Square Circle is a polished, minor work from a major artist — with the standout ballad 'Overjoyed' and a few solid grooves.
Album Reviews9/10
The Beatles Cram a Hook, a Noise Wall and a Glitch Demolition Into Six Minutes on ‘Great Song About Kwakuz’
The Beatles drop a 6-minute, 3-track provocation that mixes pop hooks, noise and glitch — a deliberate prank that rocks and dares you to argue about it.
Album Reviews7.6/10
Sabrina Carpenter Knew Exactly How This Album Would Land — and Made It Anyway
A record of twelve songs and thirty-eight minutes wherein a lady of song grows bolder, and each jest becomes a melody unto itself.
Album Reviews3.4/10
Katy Perry’s 143 Disappears as It Plays
Katy Perry's sixth record, one hundred and forty three, appears a most dull effort, void of that spirit which erst distinguished her art.
Album Reviews7.5/10
Gracie Abrams Goes Bigger Without Losing Herself on ‘The Secret of Us’
A tale of a heart's secret told in thirteen parts, wherein Abrams' voice grows bolder, wounded, and unguarded.