Dec 13, 2011
Artist: Rihanna Album: Talk That Talk Release Date: 11.21.11 One year after the release of her mega-successful, Grammy-nominated album Loud (click to read the review), Rihanna returns with an even more confident swagger on her sixth album Talk That Talk. This project veers slightly away from the international pop sound and themes of its predecessor to...
Dec 1, 2011
Artist: Mary J. Blige Album: My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act I) Release Date: 11.21.11 Throughout her 20-year career, Mary J. Blige has brought some undeniable classics and changed the face of hip-hop music with songs that continually prosper years after their release. But even a living legend has to learn a valuable lesson: you don’t mess with a...
Nov 23, 2011
Artist: Kelly Clarkson Album: Stronger Release Date: 10.21.11 Kelly Clarkson is one of very few artists without a bum album in her entire catalog, and that’s saying a lot when you’re five albums deep in a career born from a televised singing competition. It took me a while to really get into Stronger but the American Idol inaugural winner does not...
Aug 10, 2011
Artist: The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) Album: Watch The Throne Release Date: 8.8.11 (digital)/ 8.12.11 (physical) Jay-Z and Kanye West have joined forces to form The Throne, ushering in what could be a historical era in hip-hop kicked off by the release of their debut collaborative album Watch The Throne. The album is already in digital retailers, with a...
Jul 26, 2011
Artist: Kelly Rowland Album: Here I Am Release Date: 7.26.11 So it’s her third solo album and like many fans of Kelly Rowland, I’ve expected each album to be her breakout: something to really show the world what an underrated talent she truly is. And every time, I’ve been disappointed. Here I Am is an album plagued with elementary lyrics and,...
Jun 22, 2011
Artist: Big Sean Album: Finally Famous Release Date 6.28.11 CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF FINALLY FAMOUS – EXCLUSIVE FROM SOUND-SAVVY!!! I won’t blame you if you don’t know about Big Sean. I mean, let’s face it: Hip-hop has been oversaturated with new artists dropping mixtapes every day of the week so it’s hard to get to the...
Jun 13, 2011
Artist: Beyonce Album: 4 Release Date: 6.28.11 After taking some time off to let her previous successes marinate throughout the music industry, Beyonce has returned with her 4th studio album, aptly-titled 4. Sonically this album is most similar to her debut project Dangerously In Love as there’s a very strong R&B presence in much of the music. In terms of...
May 23, 2011
Artist: Lady Gaga Album: Born This Way (Special Edition) Release Date: 5.23.11 Lady Gaga has easily made a name for herself in the past two years, striking a chord with her messages of self-acceptance and equality for all through her public stunts, activism and her music. It was during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the 2010 MTV Video Music...
May 3, 2011
Artist: Musiq Soulchild Album: MusiqInTheMagiq Release Date: 5.3.2011 There’s a reason Musiq Soulchild wins with every album. He has a unique way of giving voice to real-life love situations and connecting with his audience. “MusiqInTheMagiq” is an album all about relationships, the ups-and-downs, the fears and triumphs and the outcomes. It’s not that...
Apr 22, 2011
Artist: Jessie J Album: Who You Are Release Date: 4.12.11 (U.S.) She might ‘Do It Like A Dude’, but she definitely sings like a lady. After touring with Chris Brown and co-penning major songs like Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party In The USA’, English singer/songwriter Jessie J steps into her own shine with her debut album Who You Are. Conceptually, it’s mostly...