Hollywood's Bleeding- Post Malone

If you ask me, I'd say Post Malone is definitely "better now". I've always been a big fan but it seems that he just keeps on getting stronger which each album. Malone started his career off in 2015 with the release of his first single "White Iverson" but later gained more traction with his most memorable song "Congratulations" which was released in 2016. Since then, Malone has blown up across the world and has made his statement through music. His latest album Hollywood's Bleeding has the typical Post Malone mix of upbeat and also dark songs that we all know and love.

Hollywood's Bleeding gave us a great mix of new material while still keeping some of the old Post Malone songs we know and love. Post Malone has a very interesting style that sounds like a mix of pop and R&B. Some of my favorites from his new album would have to include, "Saint-Tropez," "Enemies," "On The Road," "Staring At The Sun," "Goodbyes" "A Thousand Bad Times" and "Wow.".  All of these songs have a catchy, inviting tone that give off similar sounds from his previous albums while keeping it refreshing. "Saint-Tropez" reminded me of an older song of his called "Fall Apart" in the beginning because it had a very similar beginning that brought me back to his older work. The rest of the song has a great energy with a very catchy beat that keeps the listener invested. "Enemies" was another great song that grabbed my attention immediately. The music throughout the song has a fun and lively energy that I don't want to turn off. "On The Road" had the same Post Malone vibe that we all know but it was still so great to me. I especially liked the song "Staring At The Sun" because it was a little different than most Post Malone songs. This song had a pop tone to it and SZA really helped to elevate that throughout the song. Although this isn't typical of Post Malone, it works really well. "Goodbyes" is one of the singles off his album and it gave a great depiction of what the album was going to be like. The song talks about Post Malone's struggle with relationships and his drug/alcohol infused lifestyle which is the theme of most of his songs. "A Thousand Bad Times" was a really catchy song that I could see myself listening to on loop. It has a fun energy that pulls you in. "Wow." is another classic Post Malone hit that we all expect from his albums. It gives off the same theme about girls and his rich lifestyle.

Although this album had a lot of typical Post Malone songs, he did change things up a bit. A really surprising addition to this album was "Take What You Want" featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott. It was a very shocking crossover between rock, trap, and hip hop. I didn't love it at first but after a while, it grows on you. We saw this in my last blog on Ed Sheeran's album No. 6 where there's been in a major shift in crossover genres in the music industry. If Post keeps this up in his next album, he could really grab our attention. Another song I thought was a little out of the box for Post was “Allergic”. This song is definitely different from his usual songs. It starts out slow and within seconds it's almost like a new song. I think it's an interesting addition to the album but it probably wasn't necessary. 

All in all, Hollywood's Bleeding is basically the same Post Malone songs we've heard before. It had a few fun additions that elevated the album and I can see his style going in more of a pop direction. Although it still works for me, he might need to start bringing in some new elements to his music to keep us interested. However, this album was fun and carefree, just like Post Malone.

Hollywood's Bleeding: released September 6, 2019

Happiness Begins- Jonas Brothers

The Jonas Brothers are back, this is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! The Jonas Brothers were so iconic for girls that are now in their early-to-late twenties. When they broke up, it left the entire teenage girl population in shambles. When they announced their reunion, they came back with a bang with the release of their new album Happiness Begins. I can confirm that my happiness truly began the moment I heard this album. Not only did they mend our broken hearts over their breakup, but they proved to the world that they are capable of much more than we gave them credit for.

For almost 10 years, the Jonas Brothers went on separate paths as artists. Nick Jonas was the most successful with the release of his hit song "Jealous" following Joe Jonas with his hit "Cake by the Ocean" in his new band DNCE. Kevin Jonas, on the other hand, took this time to spend it with his family. They officially announced their reunion at the "Late Late Show with James Corden" and shortly after they released their single "Sucker". Sucker was a phenomenal start to the album and gave a great sneak peek as to what the rest of the album would hold. It had a fun, modern beat with the voices of my beloved teenage heartthrobs. It has a relatable message and a catchy beat that grabbed everyone's attention. After listening to this song once, we could all see their growth over the past few years. The entire album shows a tremendous evolution of their music which is different in the best way. The album is almost all revolved around love and holding onto that special someone. Some of my favorite love songs from the album would have to be, "Love Her," "I Believe," and "Hesitate". "Love Her" and "Hesitate" are both beautiful love ballads that bring us back to their old songs like "Love Bug" and "Hello Beautiful". "Love Her" talks about the compromises we take when we're in a relationship and how we are able to look past our differences when we're in love. "Hesitate" is a sweet sentiment about wanting to take away some of the pain from a partner. The song is a gentle reminder that if asked, they wouldn't even hesitate to help ease the pain. "I Believe" shifts gear a bit with its high energy and great beat. This feel-good song puts a smile on my face immediately because it instantly makes me think about someone special to me. It has a really soft start and slowly rises into a fun and upbeat song.

The album also has a few songs about the struggles of love and some miscellaneous hits as well. "Don't Throw it Away" is a high energy song about not wanting to throw away a great relationship. It's a very passionate melody about two people breaking up and asking that they give it another chance before walking away. Similarly, "Used to be" is about the pain of seeing someone move on after a breakup and that they will always know them in a way that others don't. There are a few outliers including "Happy When I'm Sad," "Rollercoaster," and "Cool". Things take a slightly darker turn with "Happy When I'm Sad". It seems that they are expressing how sad it is to look back on the good days and for the most part, they're putting on a fake smile for everyone. "Rollercoaster" lightens the mood with an inspiring song that reflects the brothers coming back together. The song looks back on their time together over the years and how they'd do it all over again if they could. The "rollercoaster" was their journey together as a band because it truly had plenty of highs and lows. "Cool" really stood out in this album because it was very different compared to the rest of the album. The title is exactly what it sounds like it's about. The entire song is literally about how 'cool' they all feel. It's a slightly over dramatic and sarcastic story of how glamorous they are which actually comes off as funny rather than pretentious. It brings out their personality a lot because at the end of the day, they're just brothers who like to joke around.

If you haven't put in the time to listen to Happiness Begins then I'd highly recommend going for a long drive and going through the whole album. It has a great mixture of love songs, heart break, and general songs about life that we can all enjoy. I can promise you that they are much more than just a band for teenage girls.

Happiness Begins: released June 7, 2019

No. 6 Collaborations Project- Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran took us all by surprise when he returned to the music world after a two-year break with the release of No. 6 Collaborations Project (No. 6). I’m not sure what happened during that time, but he left us as the singer of the #1 heart throb, “Perfect” and returned as a hip-hop singer. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy the album, because overall it’s great but I don’t think I was ready for this transition.

Ed Sheeran brought us something very unique by creating an album with 15 collaborations. He was always known as the cheesy love song artist in all his fan’s eyes, so it was very shocking to hear this album. For the most part, the collaborations were very well done and flowed really nice. I really enjoyed “Beautiful People” featuring Khalid, “I Don’t Care” featuring Justin Bieber, “South of the border” featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B, “Best Part of Me” featuring YEBBA, and “Take Me Back to London” featuring Stormzy. Although these songs brought out a very different style in Sheeran, it still had elements of his old work that made the songs really come together nicely. “Beautiful People” and “I Don’t Care” were more like his old work with the familiar catchy pop style. I especially heard his old style in “Best Part of Me”. This song was everything I use to think of when I heard the name Ed Sheeran. It is his very stereotypical love song with the guitar and passionate lyrics. This song brings me right back to the Ed Sheeran and I’ve loved since “The A Team”. “South of the Border” pushed his style just enough where it was different yet refreshing. It was a nice transition from his last album which included the song “Barcelona” where he was pushing a Spanish style into his music. The song has a great energy to it with the unique beat and diverse singers. He really showed a range of styles with the song “Take Me Back to London”. The beginning had a really exciting and strong start that enticed me to keep listening. When Stormzy enters the song, it took a bit of a weird turn for me but overall, I really enjoyed the song.

 Sheeran’s album also included some collaborations that just didn’t really work at all. When I saw the names Eminem, Travis Scott, Young Thug, 50 Cent, Meek Mill, Boogie Wit da Hoodie, and Chance the Rapper, I was immediately unsure. I tried my best to be open-minded, but it really wasn’t working for me. His leap from a romantic, acoustic guitar player to a rapper was too drastic. As I mentioned before, some of his songs pushed the boundaries just enough to work but some of these songs were just too far. If I didn’t know beforehand, I would’ve never imagined that Ed Sheeran was the artist of "Antisocial" featuring Travis Scott. From the moment the song starts, I know its rap and when Sheeran starts singing, it’s just not working. If this song came on the radio and I didn’t know what it was, I would’ve been very thrown off. “Feels” had so much potential at the beginning. It has a great rhythm to it that could’ve flowed nicely with some of the other songs but then Young Thug enters and ruins something that was so great. It almost sounds like someone tried to make a remix of two different songs and it just didn’t go as planned. The statement pretty much goes for the other songs that include a rapper such as “Remember the Name”, “1000 Nights”, and “Cross Me”. They really just don’t make sense together. There’s been a big movement lately for crossover hits including songs like “Old Town Road” featuring Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus or “Meant to be” featuring Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line. It seems that Ed Sheeran’s whole purpose of this album was to push the boundaries but unfortunately, he really overdid it.

Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed by this album. There were definitely a few songs that I really enjoyed and would listen to again. Unfortunately, Sheeran took his album a little too far with the rap crossovers. Maybe it was just me, but I guess I just wasn’t ready for Sheeran to make this type of change.

No. 6 Collaborations Project: released July 12th, 2019

Free Spirit- Khalid

Although Khalid has only been in the music industry since 2017, he has quickly transformed into a widely loved artist. His most recent album Free Spirit has definitely proved that he's more than just your average "American Teen". His voice is powerful yet somehow soft all at the same time which consumes us with an overwhelming sense of joy. His album is a perfect blend of R&B, pop, and soul, with a song for basically any mood. Although the album is a bit contradictory with its themes of love and heartbreak, I still find myself listening to it over and over. 

Comparing this album to his last, Khalid seems to be carrying over his soulful and passionate style with a few more upbeat songs as well. We can still see hints of his previous work in songs such as "Heaven," "Bluffin," "Alive," and "Saturday Nights". These songs all have a sad theme that I could find myself curled up in a blanket listening to on a rainy Sunday. "Heaven" really stood out to me because of how dark and powerful his words are. The line, "Heaven make me an offer. Lord, there's nothing for me that I'll get" was such a emotional and impactful statement. Throughout the song, you can hear the heartbreak not only in the words themself, but in his voice as well. "Alive" has a very similar darkness but this time, it almost sounds like he's calling out for help in a time of loneliness.  His message is pretty grim yet relatable because we all go through phases in life when we feel alone. "Bluffin" and "Saturday Nights" have some overlap about relationships and the struggles that come with it. "Bluffin" focuses mostly on Khalid wanting to know if the girl he's with is all in or if she's just "bluffing". "Saturday Nights", one of the singles from the album, is a sweet but sad sentiment in which he is shares the story of a poor girl who comes from a tough homelife. He makes it clear to his listeners that he really cares and wants good things for her. This song makes me of "How to Love" by Lil Wayne with its similar storyline and R&B style. All of these songs send out an influential message that many listeners can connect to. 

It was nice to see Khalid bring in some upbeat songs to balance things out. "Hundred" and "Outta my Head" ft John Mayer are both the perfect summertime, windows down type of jams. There's something about the beat in each song that is so uplifting and creates a great sense of joy in me. "Outta my Head" can immediately make you think of that special someone that gives you butterflies. Every lyric elevates these good feelings inside, and you honestly can't help but smile throughout the whole song. "Hundred" is a fun song that almost negates the entire meaning of "Alive". Throughout the song, he shares how he continues to get up and work hard, regardless of how many roadblocks that may come his way. Between the fun rhythm and motivating lyrics, it's hard not to love this song. Some other songs worth listening to include "Twenty one" and "Right Back". It's clear throughout the entire album that there is a very consistent beat so it's impossible not to enjoy it if you're an r&b lover such as myself. "Twenty one" appears to be a fun song about a girl who just turned 21 but if you take a close look at the lyrics, you'll find that it's more about the struggles within their relationship. "Right Back" creates that excitement of flirting with someone new. This song is that sweet innocence of wanting to take things to the next level without moving too fast. He perfectly captures those thoughts we have in our head at the beginning stages of a relationship. 

Khalid has shown major growth from American Teen to Free Spirit. His passion and emotions really shine through his music and in an authentic way that makes listeners feel his words. The album did have a bit of back and forth with finding and losing love, but overall, it's truly worth your time. If you are having a bad day, consider throwing on "Alive" and if you're looking for a song that matches your great mood, "Outta my Head" will take you even higher. This album has something for just about everyone. 

Free Spirit: released April 5, 2019