“The Real Me” – Future
Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, better known as Future, is one of the most prominent figures in the current rap genre. Future released his album “The Real Me” on July 10. None of the songs feature other artists. Even with the lack of collaboration, Future shows why he is one of the greatest rappers on songs like “Tank Top Pluto” and “Snow in Skyami,” where his flow seems to be unstoppable.In “Konnichiwa,” Future’s rapping, backed by a bass heavy beat makes it a clear standout in the album. “The Real Me” is truly outstanding in Future’s already impressive discography, bringing raw emotion to a genre that rarely sees it in a way listeners can listen and relate to.
“Oh yeah?” – Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy made headlines in 2022 with his singles “Bad Habit” and “Dark Red” as his alternative and indie blend grew in popularity. The Compton-born 28 year old released his album “Oh yeah?” on July 17. Songs feature R&B artists SZA, Erykah Badu, and Cecile Believe. SZA and Lacy collaborate on the second song on the album, “is it cool?,” one of the highlights of the entire project, as they question their own trust issues. Lacy repeats “You ain’t gotta trust me to love me ‘cause I don’t even trust myself.” Lacy is well known for his avant-garde music, but even with continuing his regular creativity, he has made some absolute bangers in “Oh yeah?.” The first song, “oh yeah?,” recently appeared in the recent blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Lacy will perform the album in the Arizona Financial Theatre on November 17.
“you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” – Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo was first famous for her appearance in Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” before making waves in the music industry with her first single, “driver’s license.” Since then, she has dropped hit albums “SOUR” which earned her three Grammy Awards, and “GUTS.” “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” is Rodrigo’s most recent addition to her discography, which she put out on June 12. . The angsty teen vibes seen in her past two albums have somewhat faded away, but her exceptional tone and usual pop rock sound have remained intact. In “expectations,” Rodrigo tells the story of why she has expectations for her partner and proceeds to list a couple: “I won’t settle for a guy for a fake job” and “I’m not kissing any boy that is passive.” Rodrigo’s world tour will not make a stop in Arizona, but she will visit nearby cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas throughout December 2026 and January 2027.
“NO ME ARREPIENTO DE SENTIR TANTO” – Karol G
Karol G has been spreading the Latin genre around the world recently, winning International Artist Award of Excellence in May at the American Music Awards, the first to do so since Whitney Houston in 2009, and headlining the Coachella music festival as the first Latina to do so in April. On August 7, she released “NO ME ARREPIENTO DE SENTIR TANTO,” which drew much attention after it was revealed Canadian rapper Drake would be featured on one of the songs titled “Ahí.” While Drake’s performance was a bit underwhelming, features from Bruno Mars, Judeline, and Greg Gonzalez made up for it. “Alguien que te amaba” was the highlight of the album, similar to her song “MI EX TENIA RAZON” with her deep dive into the ranchero genre.
