Multi-Song Review (Yerin, Kendrick Lamar, Astro, Seventeen, Everything Everything)

Yerin - Aria

The last thing I expected back when Gfriend disbanded was that Yerin would have the best debut EP. Believer is fantastic, but I prefer the single Aria, and its quirky IZ*ONE-Esque electro-pop. Like many other great songs, Aria snowballs its chorus, slowly building its percussion till the finale. The real highlight here is the lyrics (the second former-Gfriend member whose debut single was a diss at HYBE), and Yerin's performance, with the vocal filtering working great over the electronic yet flowery production.

Rating: 8.25/10

Kendrick Lamar - N95

Kendrick Lamar's new album is a massive release, a little too big to navigate on its own, but with several individual cuts that work great on their own. The first single, N95 is one of those. It has some great lines ("Take off the fake deep take off the fake woke take off the I'm broke I'm care"), and some that aren't as good, but the intention is still there. I love the production here, and Kendrick's rapping is as good as ever.

Rating: 8.5/10

Astro - Candy Sugar Pop

From the deep and dark to the fun and saccharine Candy Sugar Pop is literally what is advertised on the label; a light and funky track that recalls Astro's debut days. The verses don't do much, but I love the chorus, with its production and mixing blending together like a well-swirled bowl of caramel. The raps are quite fun, and the hook is actually really solid. Overall, what is not to love?

Rating: 8.5/10

Seventeen - Hot

After the group's incredible 2021, Hot is certainly disappointing. It is not as bad as it could be; the pre-chorus is quite fun, and the autotune is occasionally bearable. Unfortunately, the whistle at the back of the production continues Woozi's love of strange background instrumentals that don't work after the squiggles in Rock With You. Oh, and a functional chorus wouldn't hurt either. The album is pretty strong though.

Rating: 6.75/10

Everything Everything - Cut UP!

Everything Everything's Raw Data Feel is probably one of the year's best albums so far. I am still trying to understand the lyrics, but Jonathan Higgs is at his all-time best. Cut UP! is probably my favorite "cut" (hehe) of the album so far. I am still not sure what the lyrics mean, but it seems to tie into the existential themes of the album, with references to the album's single Pizza Boy and the album's antagonistic theme, the AI Kevin. I love the vocal layering here, probably the best on the album with the exception of Pizza Boy. The groovy chorus is one of the album's best moments, recalling early Michael Jackson while distinctly sounding like Everything Everything.

Rating: 8.75/10

Image Source: NME