Album Reviews7/10
Anderson .Paak’s Venice Rewards Patience Over Polish
A review of Anderson .Paak's 2014 album Venice, weighing its live, raw strengths against weaker filler tracks.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: R&B
Album Reviews6.8/10
Bieber’s Believe Turns Teen Pop Into Dance-Pop With Three Hits
A record wherein a young man seeks to leave behind the boy he once was, and finds the voice to do so.
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.
Album Reviews8/10
Marvin Gaye’s Last Studio Album Trades Protest for Pleasure — 8/10
Marvin Gaye's Midnight Love trades protest for pleasure — a sleek, drum-machine funk record about joy, desire, and dancing, and his final studio album.
Album Reviews5.9/10
Drake’s ‘HABIBTI’ Is a Moody Course Correction Undone by Uninspired Writing
Drake's 11th album HABIBTI trades bravado for moody R&B, but uneven writing and filler drag down a cohesive, hazy soundscape. A 5.9/10.
Album Reviews8/10
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U: Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR Deliver a Late-Night R&B Statement — 8/10
PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake's 2025 album delivers late-night R&B with standout tracks like 'GREEDY' and 'NOKIA', despite some filler.
Album Reviews7.8/10
How Take Care Turned Drake’s Late-Night Insecurities Into a Sound Everyone Else Chased
A track-by-track look at Drake's 2011 album Take Care, the genre-defining record that blended rap and R&B and reshaped hip-hop.
Album Reviews9/10
SZA’s ‘SOS’ Is a Sprawling, Risk-Taking Triumph — Even at 23 Tracks
SZA's sprawling 23-track SOS mixes genres and raw honesty. A bold, messy, rewarding follow-up to Ctrl.
Album Reviews8.6/10
Nine Years On, SZA’s ‘Ctrl’ Still Sounds Like the Bravest Debut of Its Decade
A look back at SZA's 2017 debut Ctrl, a raw, honest R&B record about heartbreak, self-esteem, and growing up.
Album Reviews8.9/10
Ten Years On, Solange’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ Still Sounds Like the Conversation America Needed
A look back at Solange's A Seat at the Table, a landmark 2016 concept album on Black identity, pain, and healing.