Justin Bieber gains more artistic clarity on Justice, as he tries to express a complex emotional state — focused on the happiness of marriage, but interested in the outer edges of that joy — over the course of an album instead of jamming it into three minutes. There have been countless iterations of Justin Bieber The Pop Superstar, but this one is spending the time to help fans understand who he is and where he’s going, and the result is his strongest front-to-back listen to date. (Click here to read the full review of Justin Bieber’s Justice.)
Lana Del Rey, Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Two years after 2019’s Norman F–king Rockwell! became Lana Del Rey’s critical breakthrough, earning her best career reviews and multiple Big Four Grammy nominations, follow-up Chemtrails Over The Country Club finds the singer-songwriter continuing to challenge herself as a conduit of American narratives. The album criss-crosses the country, with images of natural beauty, material wealth and religious uncertainty flickering to the forefront; Del Rey’s voice has been hypnotizing audiences for nearly a decade, but her latest songs are worth returning to for the trinkets and turns of phrase buried in her words.
Paloma Mami, Sueños de Dalí
Paloma Rocío Castillo Astorga, the 21-year-old better known as Paloma Mami, has a crystal-clear vision of her artistry: she can sing and rap, flow in and out of Spanish and English, bounce around genres but commits wholeheartedly to the sound in which she’s operating. Sueños de Dalí is such an exciting debut thanks to that mix of identity and dexterity, with songs like “I Love Her,” “Traumada” and “For Ya” showing off the width of Paloma Mami’s palette without ever spreading her skills too thin.
Lil Tjay feat. Polo G & Fivio Foreign, “Headshot”
Although Polo G and Lil Tjay combined for one of the catchiest hip-hop hits of 2019 in “Pop Out,” their latest collaboration, also featuring Fivio Foreign, forgoes a hook entirely, instead functioning as a showcase for the trio’s respective flows much like Polo G’s “Go Stupid” did last year. “Headshot” opens with Polo G’s charismatic storytelling and closes with Tjay’s airborne delivery, with Fivio Foreign providing heaps of braggadocio in between.
J Balvin, “Tu Veneno”
After releasing the crackling “Ma’ G” as the first taste to his next album, J Balvin has showcased his range by following the single up with a meditative reggaeton single. “Tu Veneno” (“Your Poison”) provides the listener with a rhythm that makes for easy head-nodding, but Balvin, crooning about a toxic relationship, is more concerned with delivering an emotional impact here.
Addison Rae, “Obsessed”
As TikTok staple Addison Rae begins her transition from social media star to full-fledged recording artist, she’s recruited some heavy hitters for her first step, as debut single “Obsessed” was produced by Benny Blanco, Blake Slatkin and Ryan McMahon. The spacious pop track allows Rae, who co-wrote “Obsessed,” the opportunity to ease into the new role — while also providing a few killer lines, like “When you say that you’re obsessed with me? Me too,” pristine for 10-second excerpts.
