Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

 This latest MC album is pretty good. Sure she's beginning to not be as great a singer as she's been....but she's still great. The opener "Mi" is fun and energetic. "Play This Song" features a good Anderson .Paak feature. She straight up raps on "Type Dangerous" but I think it works. I mean let Mariah brag a little bit lol. "Sugar Sweet" with Kehlani is very smooth. Ironically I matched up Mariah and Kehlani in my R&B tournament. Search for that post. Sheneseea also joins the lady on that song. The album's production is good but nothing amazing. I found myself liking most of these songs. I mean at this point Mariah is a legend for sure. The full ranking of Mariah Carey's albums is coming so look out of that. Lyrics 22 Beats 20 Depth 23 Tilt 22 Verdict 87

So Drake decided to separate his R&B songs and put them on this album. Unfortunately the results are kinda mixed. This album is just lacking in energy for me. Sure it's only 37 minutes but my god does it feel longer than that. The first track, "Rusty Intro" is awful. I'm not sure what Drake was thinking. "WNBA" is decent tho with its smooth execution. "High Fives" is a pretty damn good song too. The biggest problem with this album is Drake just comes off as a little uninspired lyrically. I see what he was going for with "Hurrr Nor Thurrr" but Sexyy Red was probably the wrong artist for this kind of song. "Classic" is a banger tho. Drake still has the chops I guess lol. Overall tho it's not a terrible album just incredibly mid.  Lyrics 17 Beats 20 Depth 19 Tilt 19 Verdict 75

  Ciara’s debut has all the qualities that a debut R&B album should have, and that’s a good and a bad thing. Luckily its mostly a good thing. Ciara never really experiments, and plays it safe on the entire album. The album has a good mix of party/uptempo songs like the lead single Goodies and 1 2 Step. Oh with Ludacris is very good and pretty midtempo. And I is an exceptional ballad song. Theres some other good songs to round it out. The album is simple and effective, and a good way to start a career. Lyrics 20 Beats 22 Depth 21 Tilt 22 Verdict 85

 I've finally bringing you my review for the latest Kehlani album which was released on her 31st bday. This album was kinda like a reset for Kehlani. The album grew on me. "Folded" is the big single here and it's so damn good. There's a huge guest list and for the most part they work. For some reason I wasn't feeling the Lil Wayne feature that much or the Clipse on their respective songs. Missy Elliot does well on "Back and Forth" and Usher is great on "Shoulda Never". I enjoyed the duet with Brandy on "I Need You". T-Pain and Lil Jon bring the energy on "Call Me Back". Cardi B has easily the best feature on "Pocket" which is gonna be a single I bet. "Oooh" and "Out the Window" were other highlights. But how is Kehlani on this album? I feel she's great and versatile.....but maybe not as great as on some past works. This album's beats are pretty solid too. I liked most of these songs,...

 I've got the new Kehlani album but I need to review this one first as its from 2024. Crash is kinda like a new look for Kehlani....you could argue her 2020 and 2022 albums were really similar.(but really great too). "Next 2 U" is a frantic record but it works. "After Hours" is the big smash. I really love that song with its Caribbean  feel. "What I Want" is a great song too. The song "Sucia" is interesting but I wasn't feeling it all that much. "8" was simple but effective.Kehlani is again great here. The production is pretty solid too. Overall tho it doesn't seem to match some of her earlier works. Kehlani is really one of the better R&B divas of this era in my opinion. No debate there. Lyrics 22 Beats 22 Depth 23 Tilt 22 Verdict 89

  4) All I Have (84)- Amerie’s first album isn’t bad but its clear she hadn’t really developed her signature sound yet. I’ll admit I’ve probably listened to this one the least. The first song, “ Why Don’t We Fall in Love” is amazing. Then there’s “ Talkin’ to Me” which is really good too. “I Just Died” is really emotional too. There are some highs here but a lot of mid songs tho….Overall its a good project. 3) Touch (93)-I really like this album. It has Amerie’s huge hit “1 Thing” on it. “All I Need” is a sultry song too. Then there’s her bad girl sound on the “Touch” song. That Lil Jon beat is fire! “Not the Only One” is another highlight as Amerie confronts her lover and says she’s cheating too. You can hear the go-go uptempo sound again on “Talkin’ About”. The production as a whole is just better here than on her debut. “Rolling Down My Face” is another strong deep cut. 2) Because I Love It (96)-This was the album that really made me a fan of Amerie. It’s really stacked. “H...

 Another review that I meant to do earlier. This was Usher's album that came out with his Super Bowl performance. The album gets off to a good start with the title track and single "Good Good". Both Summer Walker and 21 Savage do very well on that track. "A-Town Girl" featuring Latto really works well too. Overall the album is pretty well rounded. I did feel it had one or too many tracks that didn't stand out in the latter half of the album. The song "BIG" is kinda comical as Usher sings he always gets the big combo at fast food places. Overall though its a solid album from Usher. The production is good. Unfortunately there just aren't really any amazing songs like Usher usually has on his albums. Lyrics 22 Beats 22 Depth 21 Tilt 22 Verdict 87

I meant to review this album a while back. This is a really solid mixtape by Kehlani. "Too Deep" is a really great song. She's really in her bag on "Nunya" feat. Dom Kennedy. I really enjoyed "Nights Like This" feat. Ty Dolla $ign also. The mixtape is really short but it left me wanting more. In fact I'd say this was about as good as the next 2 albums she released. The lyrics were really on point. I liked most of these songs. I'll get around to her 2024 projects she released. Be on the lookout for that.   Lyrics 24 Beats 22 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 93

 Who knew we'd finally get a new Keri Hilson album after almost 15 years. I gotta say its short and sweet! In the intro she kinda talks about how she's felt over the years. The first song "Naked (Love)" kinda has a weird tempo to it. "Searchin" feat Method Man is a true banger. The album features really good singing and songwriting from Keri....but that's what you'd expect. The production is pretty good too. I liked the song "Bae" too...kinda felt right out of the late 2000s. The album is just pretty well balanced as you can see from the scores. Overall I think this is a good album from Keri...no its not her best but I think it's about as good as her No Boys Allowed album. Lyrics 22 Beats 22 Depth 22 Tilt 22 Verdict 88

Keyshia Cole’s first album is really quite superb. She is a vocal powerhouse and the lyrics are really good. The first few songs are great; starting with “(I Just Want It) To Be Over” all the way to “Love”. The latter being a beautiful ballad. The production is decent but it could have been better. “Down and Dirty” is another highlight…as is the album closer “Never”. I like most of these songs, and its aged well. Even though she’d top this album with her 2 nd album, this is a gem in Keyshia’s discography. Lyrics 25 Beats 19 Depth 23 Tilt 24 Verdict 91

  - Usher returns to his old style with R v R, which is a very good album. The album’s first half is its better half, but you can’t help but feel the album runs a tad bit long. I think Foolin Around is too sappy, and does nothing but sound like a very watered down Confessions song. With that aside, this album has Usher returning to the types of songs that made him popular in the first place. Lil Freak with Nicki Minaj is excellent, as is OMG with will.i.am. Some really effective Slow songs are Mars vs. Venus and There Goes my Baby. Overall I was very impressed with the album, even though its not as original as Confessions. However this album beats Here I Stand, and thus it’s a progression. Lyrics 23 Beats 22 Depth 23 Tilt 21 Verdict 89 This is actually an old review I had in the vault. I will review Usher's 2024 album at some point. Also this is my 900th blog post. Let's get it!

 My opinion on this album has changed from when I first got it. There's over 20 songs and for the most part it doesn't really feel bloated. I'd say only near the end do things kinda drag. Most of the album however is really dope. "I Can't Wait to Get There" was a nice smooth song. "Cry for Me" and "Timeless" are bangers...but my favorite song has got to be "São Paulo". That song is just amazing. Overall I'd say his singing performance is pretty consistent with the last 2 albums. The production was great too. I had to knock some points off the depth for some of the last songs. The reparability (tilt) was good tho. I don't agree this is his best album but it honestly adds a lot to his legacy to have 3 great albums back to back like this. Lyrics 24 Beats 23 Depth 22 Tilt 23 Verdict 92

 Tinashe dropped another great album in 2024. This one is short like its predecessor. These songs are good, but, as a huge Tinashe fan I kinda wanted more. She's kinda playing it safe on most of these songs. The first song "No Stimulation" is really catchy. "Nasty" the lead single is fire but far a top 10 song from her imo. "No Broke Boys" is a female anthem that is guaranteed to bring the energy. The production is really cohesive....and Tinashe puts on a good performance even if the last album I felt she was a tad bit better. Ultimately its a great album, and I'm curious to see where she goes next. Lyrics 22 Beats 23 Depth 22 Tilt 23 Verdict 90

 Tinashe is getting much more exposure in 2024 and I'm so happy for her. Before I get to her latest album, I thought I'd review this album. This album is short at only 7 songs. The album gets off to a beautiful start with "Treason". "Talk To Me Nice" has a really nice bounce to it. "Needs" might be the best song. I love its chorus. The production on this album is pretty uniform. Her singing is great as usual too. Ultimately this is a terrific album but not quite as good as her album 333. I liked every song...even "Uh Huh" which is kinda slow but still executed well.  Lyrics 23 Beats 22 Depth 25 Tilt 23 Verdict 93

This debut album by Victoria Monet definitely grew on me. This is a short but great album. It kinda has an old school kinda feel to it. The first song, "Smoke", is really up tempo. The big single "On My Mama" is so smooth. Victoria is good singer and songwriter. The production on the album is good but nothing amazing. I like most all these songs however. The song "Hollywood" which features Earth,WInd and Fire is also a highlight. Overall you have a really consistent album here. I can't wait for more music from her.  Lyrics 23 Beats 21 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 91

 This latest K. Michelle album is good....but its a firm step down from the other albums of hers I've reviewed. K's singing is great as usual. The production is pretty good too. However I found a few songs to be a little average. There are some highlights here tho like "No Pain", "Wherever the D May Land", and "Hurt Shit". "Scooch" is another high tempo banger. The album ends with the country song "Tennessee" which ins't bad. Overall its a good album but I expected more from such a stellar artist. Lyrics 23 Beats 22 Depth 22 Tilt 22 Verdict 89

Here are my favorite R&B albums. I'm not gonna do the countdown....I'm just going to list them. The last time I did a list like this was 2013. 1.       Rihanna-Good Girl Gone Bad- As her best album and the album that made her a star…it’s only right that as my favorite singer Rihanna takes the title. GGGB isn’t a perfect album but I love it. There’s a little something for everyone here. The smooth “Lemme Get That”, the party anthem “Don’t Stop the Music”, and the jam “Umbrella” featuring Jay-Z. “Hate that I love You” featuring Ne-Yo is really good too. This album is just always a blast to listen to. 2.       Amerie-In Love & War- When I made this list about 10 years ago, this was the number one album. I love this album so much. I was considering her “Because I Love it” album for this list too, but I don’t really go back to that one that much. This album is just a flamethrower of R&B execution. That first half is great with son...

Are of Pleasure continues down the path that her last album went. This time however the album is purely about sex and pleasure. Janelle's singing and rapping is very on point here. This is evident from the first song "Float" which is a major banger. There is a strong reggae sound on this album as well. The production is pretty good, but its not amazing like on previous works. "Lipstick Lover" and "Water Slide"are infectious singles as well. "Phenomenal" is a smooth song too. Overall this is a great album but its not quite on the same level as her previous works. Some of that is due to the fact the album is short...only 30 some minutes. Some of the songs are really short too. Complaints aside tho I liked most all the songs. Janelle continues to prove she's one of the best artists of the century. Lyrics 24 Beats 23 Depth 23 Tilt 23 Verdict 93

 SZA returns finally with a really great long album. The album gets off to a great start with the title track into, "Kill Bill", "Seek & Destory" and my favorite song "Low" which features Travis Scott. This album features masterful singing and lyrics from SZA. She's in top form here. I felt the production however was a firm step back from Ctrl album. Overall tho there's a lot to like here like "Smoking on my Ex Pack" which features more good rapping from the songstress. The bonus cuts like "I Hate U" and "Shirt" are winners too. Ultimately this is a great album from SZA but you cant help but wonder if she really will retire after this. Let's hope not. Pick this album up if you haven't already. Lyrics 25 Beats 20 Depth 24 Tilt 24 Verdict 93

 Weeknd returns with a really solid 80's sounding album. Well you could say he did that already with After Hours, but this one sounds even better to me. For one there's less filler here. I enjoyed pretty much every song which may be a first for a Weeknd album. "Gasoline" and "Take My Breath" are certified bangers. The production on the album is really flashy yet cohesive. The guest spots are pretty good like Tyler the Creator on "Here We Go...Again". However I felt Lil Wayne wasn't very good on "I Heard You're Married". "Don't Break My Heart" may be the best song. Overall this album is really an improvement to me over After Hours. Even if its not a huge one. Lyrics 24 Beats 23 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 94