Barbie’s message of female empowerment and how corporate greed can corrupt even the purest of sentiments (i.e. sexism is detrimental to society) is what we're all walking away with. But an underlining reading of the text points to a more transcendent and possibly darker meaning.
In celebration of Rihanna's comeback to music via the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, here's what I think are her 10 Best Songs - and WHY.
My overall feelings on Taylor Swift's "Midnights" release, what my Ticketmaster experience was like, and a track by track review 2 month's later. How does it hold up?
Icelandic musician Björk has launched her new podcast Sonic Symbolism which will traverse and expound on each of her 10 studio albums throughout the years. Here are 5 takeaways from what we’ve heard so far.
Madonna's daughter has released a single under the name Lolahol. Of all the routes her career can take, having this be a one-off single and never hearing from her again would be most unfortunate. Here's my review of her song and thoughts on her potential as an artist.
Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE is a reappraisal of dance music history that attempts to intersect all of its sub-genres to create what she calls "disco trap." Here's my review of the full album, from start to finish.
Urban latin music is making more and more money every year, with its artists becoming more visible in the US mainstream. Is it set to become the decade's predominant genre?
Kanye West claims his company Yeezy Tech was producing 3,000 Stem Players per day towards the start of March, which only sounds like a waste of production for those who haven’t been aware of the gradual boom in physical music media sales over the last decade. Here's why Ye's Stem Player is ripe for this moment in time in music production.
“Tryna starve my kids and give my money to his firstborn,” read some of the lyrics on the newly released diss track by 90s rapper Mase, a diatribe towards media mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Mase publicized his struggle to obtain his music publishing rights from Combs, and though financial compensation may be the tangible end goal Mase is pursuing, what seems to be the driving force of his vengeance is the need to be respected as a legendary hit-maker by his former mentor and the rest of the world.
Lana Del Rey is one of the greats, but she’s been that way for at least 10 years now. Her influence is insidious because no one ever sees her coming or going, but her fingerprints are left everywhere. Here are a few examples.
Mariah Carey uses a surgical eye on her songwriting, producing and even on her manicured image. That same meticulousness is utilized to tell her life story in The Meaning of Mariah, a deftly crafted memoir showing us the hows and whys of her artistry and womanhood, then and now. Here's my review.
Koda Kumi's career is still kicking after 20 years, and to celebrate, here are 6 reasons why her career is special. I've also ranked her 10 Best Songs Ever at retrospectiveperpsective.com.
Discussing all the reasons critics and fans honor "All Too Well" as Taylor Swift's best song. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com for more info.
Olivia Rodrigo is facing criticism for having to retroactively credit various songwriters on three of her songs for what looks to be a case of plagiarism. But upon closer inspection, we can see that accidentally borrowing songwriting elements from other songs isn't a new phenomenon and isn't as malicious as some may assume it out to be.
The Original Doll sessions began over four years before Britney would find herself in a conservatorship, but the lyrics in the songs convey a desire for freedom and a need for protection from those around her. Here is a link to a playlist with songs from The Original Doll sessions. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com/blog to view the sources used in this episode.
A love letter to Mariah's underrated hit "Breakdown (feat. Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone)". I provide a retrospective analysis on how her label and ex-husband suppressed the song's success, explain why the song is beloved by Mariah and her fans, and I even give a little anecdote on my own personal history with the song. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com/blog for sources used.
On this episode, I speculate what routes music will take in this decade by analyzing music history's trends. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com for more info.
“God In the Grooves” is a series of episodes that analyze an album born from an artist’s spiritual rebirth or existential curiosity. This episode focuses on Madonna's Like a Prayer: her dive into the more uncomfortable parts of her existentialism, posing questions about God, sex, love and family that got her excommunicated by the Vatican. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com to view the sources referenced in this episode.
"Lost Tapes of the 27 Club" is a project that uses computer generated music in the likeness of a deceased artist to bring awareness to mental health issues. What does this technology say of music's future? Plus, I reveal to you my own similar music pet project and how you can win an Amazon gift card. Visit retrospectiveperspective.com for more info.
Link to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club site.
My Soundcloud Link
A follow up to Episode #5 - "What's the Conspiracy Behind Artists Selling Their Rights in 2021?" I give a summary on how artists make money through streaming compared to other formats to give context as to why they may want to sell their rights. Plus, I give an overview of the history of music consumption - from vinyls to 8-tracks to LimeWire.
Visit retrospectiveperspective.com/blog to view the sources I used as references.
