LIL UZI VERT – “Pink Tape”
Lil Uzi Vert, a rapper and singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, first gained attention after the release of their single “Money Longer” in 2016. Their second studio album, “Eternal Atake,” was released in 2020. Uzi spent the next three years teasing the release of their next album, “Pink Tape.”
“Pink Tape” was released on June 30, featuring artists such as Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and Don Toliver. It became the first hip-hop album of 2023 to land at the top of the Billboard 200.
However, the album wasn’t well received by everyone. Pitchfork, a music publication known for its music reviews, referred to “Pink Tape” as “bloated and messy.”
Metacritic, which scores albums based on ratings from publications, scored the album a 64 out of 100.
TAYLOR SWIFT – “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” was released July 7 as the third re-recorded album following the 2019 masters dispute, where all of Taylor Swift’s old songs were sold to manager Scooter Braun, according to USA Today. This meant that anyone who wanted to license Swift’s music had to receive permission from Braun and pay a licensing fee.
The album includes 22 songs, 16 from the original “Speak Now” deluxe album and six previously unreleased songs.
Metacritic rated the album 81 out of 100, making the album universally acclaimed.
Along with its impressive rating from critics, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” sat at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks following its release.
LANA DEL REY – “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd”
Released March 24, “Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey.
In this album, Del Rey expresses problems regarding mental health and family struggles through her lyrics. The album explores darker topics, yet still holds a lighter sense of optimism.
“Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” was received well by critics, with over 500 million streams, according to Kworb, a radio archive.
Metacritic scored the album an 80 out of 100, enough to be considered universally acclaimed.
LIL YACHTY – “Let’s Start Here.”
Released on January 27, “Let’s Start Here.” by American musician Lil Yachty strays from Yachty’s usual trap sound and is heavily influenced by psychedelic rock.
The album had many mixed reviews, including Pitchfork’s claim that the album “runs aground.”
On the other hand, the album also received a 73 out of 100 on Metacritic, a favorable score. “Let’s Start Here.” also debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 within its first week of being released.
TRAVIS SCOTT – “UTOPIA”
“UTOPIA,” the fourth studio album by Travis Scott, was released July 28 and features several artists including Drake, Playboi Carti, SZA, Future and more.
All 19 songs on the album debuted in the Billboard 100, with the album as a whole debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a month straight.
Despite the album’s raging popularity, reviews from critics were mixed, with Rolling Stone calling the album an “empty paradise,” and Variety referring to “UTOPIA” as “worth the wait.”
KALI UCHIS – “Red Moon In Venus”
Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis released her third studio album “Red Moon In Venus” March 3, immediately debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 the following week.
Uchis describes “Red Moon In Venus” as a representation of all love – drawing people into your life with love and releasing people with love.
The album is universally acclaimed, with a score on Metacritic of 84 out of 100.
“Red Moon In Venus” proved to be yet another successful album by Uchis, with a Pitchfork critic describing the album as “lush and captivating.”
Results of last week’s poll: What social media platform impacts students the most?
Instagram – 50%
TikTok – 50%
Snapchat – 0%
X – 0%
Facebook – 0%
