SWAG II – Justin Bieber 

Justin Bieber has solidified himself as one of the most iconic pop stars of the 21st century, releasing his first album, “My World”, when he was just 15 years old, which contained the hit song Baby. Since then, he has released smash hit albums and songs like Sorry and Ghost, but he has been absent from music for a considerable amount of time. On September 5, Bieber surprised all of his fans by posting an image of an album cover for “SWAG II”, a double album sequel to his previously released album, “SWAG”. The album was released that night with sounds similar to “SWAG”, but with a completely different meaning, featuring artists like Tems, Bakar, and Lil B. The second edition reflects on his relationship with his wife, Hailey Bieber, and his experience of fatherhood for the first time. Overall, the album is well done, but Bieber doesn’t have the voice for a heavily centered R&B album. The best song is I DO, a catchy tune with a nice message about love. 

Am I the Drama? – Cardi B

Cardi B has become a popular rapper: originally from The Bronx, her fame rose exponentially in the 2010s, spawning hits like I Like It and Bodak Yellow. Her straightforward and raunchy rap lyrics have left some listeners aghast, while others enjoy her down-to-earth nature and funny personality. Both her lyrics and her voice make her music highly distinguishable from other artists. Recently, the artist has been at the center of a court case filed against her, which you can read about here. On September 19, Cardi dropped “Am I the Drama?”, her first album in 7 years, featuring artists such as Selena Gomez, Janet Jackson, and Summer Walker. Every single song failed to remain non-explicit, which, if you are a fan of the artist, you would know is Cardi B. The best song on the album is arguably Hello, a song calling out haters, which is done repetitively, making the song somewhat memorable. Overall, the album was not my favorite, with every song being extremely braggadocious and not that catchy. You can go see Cardi B on March 1, 2026, when she stops by on her LITTLE MISS DRAMA tour at the PHX Arena. 

Here for It All – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey has become one of the biggest pop artists of all time, starting her massive career in the early ’90s, releasing hits like Fantasy and We Belong Together. Moreover, along with being dubbed “Songbird Supreme” due to her praised vocal ability, she is also known as the “Queen of Christmas”, due to her extremely popular song All I Want For Christmas Is You, which charts in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 every December, as it has become to most played Christmas song of all time. On September 26, she released her newest album, “Here for It All”, an R&B album featuring artists like Kehlani, Anderson .Paak, and Shenseea. The album surprised music critics across the world because of its high quality, especially after years and years of Carey making music. While the album was not successful, it was a great project, with the best song being Play This Song due to the incredible harmonization of both .Paak and Carey. 

Vie – Doja Cat

Doja Cat has had a smash-hit success when it comes to her music, launching multiple songs into the Top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 like Say So, Kiss Me More, and Paint the Town Red. She released her first song on SoundCloud when she was 14, slowly evolving her music style. Her excellent rapping flow and singing skills are woven together on almost every song she has released, with her discography being praised by tons of music critics. Her newest album, “Vie”, was released on September 26, produced with 80s-like rhythms and mostly synthesized backtracks. The overall project is excellent, showcasing Doja Cat’s musical ability and superior flow. In particular, Gorgeous is an excellent song, leaving the listener perfectly satisfied with every single beat joined with Doja’s voice. Gorgeous is tied for best song on the album with Take Me Dancing, where Doja is accompanied by R&B artist SZA for the first time since their hit Kiss Me More, and their musical chemistry just simply works. Doja Cat has scheduled her Tour Ma Vie World Tour, which is set to come to Phoenix on October 29, 2026, at the PHX Arena.