B.o.B Gets Hip Hop On New Album

B.o.B has always been a rapper with more pop sensibilities than most. Only he can work with such mainstream artists such as Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams of Paramore and still keep the respect of the streets.
On Underground Luxury, B.o.B's third album he stays away from mainstream guest appearances. Aside from Chris Brown, T.I. and Priscilla Renea the guests are far more, well, underground. While  this is definitely his worst album, it's still a good record. Some of his solo songs blend together, but most of the songs are memorable.
The two best songs are the singles "John Doe" which features Priscilla Renea and "Headband" which features 2 Chainz. "John Doe" is by far the best song though. It features Renea singing a chorus of sadness playing John Doe's love interest While B.o.B  plays the addict.
"John Doe, I just want the John I know/ Once you put the drinks on hold/ Maybe you could come back home/ John Doe," Renea sings sadly during the chorus.
This is the best song and with a song this good it makes the other songs sound like filler. Most of the songs blend together and are broken up by the memorable songs like "Ready" which features Future, "Coastline," "Wide Open" which features Esther Dean and  "We Still In This Bitch" which features T.I. and Juicy J.
Without these songs the record would be nothing more than filler and background music. The problem is that B.o.B is that he works better with a guest appearance on the song. He works better with a Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj or Rivers Cuomo like on is first two albums. For his next record he would do good to have more guest appearances to help him hold his own.

Ciara Releases Her Best Album

Last week Ciara dropped her self-titled fifth album. The album is a bumping, sexy R&B album with lyrics that exude confidence and sex appeal.
From the album's opening, the breakup anthem "I'm Out" which features killer raps from Nicki Minaj to the closer "Body Party Remix" which features Future and B.O.B.
The album's sexy side is shown on cuts like the banger "Sophomore" and the album's best song "Read My Lips" and the first single "Body Party" and it's remix. The lyrics show speak of the singer's sexual prowess and brag about how hot her body is.
"Keep On Lookin'" is an answer to all of the haters out there trying to keep Ciara down. After two failed albums the press tore Ciara apart when she didn't match the success of her first two albums.
"I done told you haters to fuck off/ But I’m still such a lady," Ciara sings during the second verse.
"Where You Go" is a duet with Ciara's real life boyfriend Future. One of the few slower songs on the album, the song features lyrics about the two being there for each other and going wherever the other goes.
"Super Turnt Up" is a thumping, electro song with lyrics about being in love with somebody. The song "features" Ciara, meaning that she raps on the song. "DUI" is about getting freaky while driving. "I might have to pull over," Ciara sings.
"Livin' It Up" features another appearance by Nicki Minaj and is one of the album's best songs. The 80s inspired, synth-filled song is an ode to feeling good and getting through the bad times. The song is an ode to confidence and Minaj's rap only adds to the message. "Overdose" is another synthpop song about a great lover, we clearly know who Ciara is talking about. The disc then ends with the remix to the single "Body Party." The new version has a faster beat and raps from Future and B.O.B which only improve on the original.
Ciara is definitely a great album and it's Ciara's opus. It gets her back to the greatness of her debut and it shows the world that Ciara isn't done just yet.

Rihanna disappoints on seventh album

Last month Rihanna came out with her seventh album in seven years. And while those albums have ranged from decent (Loud, A Girl Like Me, Music in the Sun) to great (Rated R, Good Girl Gone Bad, Talk That Talk) but her latest album Unapologetic is very disappointing. While Loud was also overrated at least there were some memorable songs. Unapologetic has a few great songs but they are overshadowed by the bad songs.
The album starts out okay on "Fresh out the Runway." This hip hop number is Rihanna's bragging song. While the song isn't bad to listen to  it's not as memorable as past hits like "Umbrella" or "S&M." The album then slows it down for the hit single "Diamonds." The single is a good move for Rihanna but it's in no way a classic. The album then goes into three songs that lack any spark. "Numb" featuring Eminem, "Pour it Up" and "Loveeeeee Song" featuring Future are just filler and aren't memorable at all.
The album then goes into three great songs. "Jump," "Right Now" which features French DJ David Guetta and "What Now." The latter being a very emotionally charged song with soul and rock elements. "Jump" is a dubstep song that samples "Pony" by Ginuine. The club ready anthem should be a single at some point.
Then the album goes into the forgettable second single. This if followed by the album's most talked about track, "Nobody's Business" which features Rihanna's exboyfriend Chris Brown. The song features the two singing about how their love is nobody's business. While the song is catchy, it's more shocking than it is good.
The album then goes into one of the best songs, "Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary." The song is a six minute, two song combination that is nothing short or great. The song, even though not written by Rihanna, is her most personal to date. The song itself starts out like an 1980s pop song and then goes into a slower second half. "I'm from the left side of an island, never thought this many people would even know my name," Rihanna sings on "Mother Mary."
Then the album goes into two boring songs and closes with "Lost in Paradise." This dubstep laced ballad features emotional vocals from Rihanna. One of the turns of off this album is the presence of so much filler.
While this album isn't anything special, Rihanna has had bad albums in the past and come out with classics the next year. Here's to 2012 Rihanna.