First, let me wish everyone a Happy Friday the 13th. Where the hell has this year gone? I swear it seems like it was just last week when Ariana Grande’s Thank You Next was dropped. Well, here we are with 2020 approaching and Christmas just days away. As you’re wrapping presents and working diligently on your New Year’s Eve playlist, check out some new music and push play.
Azizi Gibson Chimera Act
HIp-hop in 2019 is ending on a dark swing as upcoming emcee Azizi Gibson releases his Chimera Act album. The Frankfurt, Germany native is ready to tackle his demons and fantasies on his latest effort. Current single “5 Page Letter” narrates his hatred for meaningless relationships and his desire to never look back from them while on “No Phucks Given” Azizi tells a former partner that he has moved on after being done wrong.
Chimera Act feels a lot darker than 2017s Memoirs of the Reaper. In Reaper, Azizi raps about turning Mario Party into a game of strip poker on “Nintendo King.” Regardless of the album’s theme, the eccentric rapper is ready to make strides going into a new year and decade. @AziziGibson
Free Nationals Free Nationals
Some artists make their fans wait years in between releases, but I can’t say I remember a band making fans wait two years for their debut. That’s just what Anderson .Paak’s backing band Free Nationals have done and by first listen, it seems the wait was worth it. The album is dominated with features including T.I., Chronixx, Syd and of course .Paak, but it’s “Time” that features the departed Mac Miller that will bring a lot of ears to the album.
This debut album just makes me wish I could fast forward to spring or summer when I could drive around with the windows down while blasting it through the speakers. Early album favorite is the instrumental track “Lester Diamond.” @freenationalsXX
Harry Styles Fine Line
I often say to my wife “I hate how much I like this” while watching a movie or TV show that we both know shouldn’t be as good as it is. I found myself saying just that in 2017 when Harry Styles dropped his debut solo album and especially the massive hit “Sign of the Times.” I was never a One Direction fan and could maybe name two songs of their’s, but Harry Styles has definitely made me a fan of his solo work.
Fine Line explores the recent heartache that Harry went through with ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe and Harry even said the album is “all about having sex and feeling sad” in an interview with Variety. Harry recently debuted “Watermelon Sugar” on Saturday Night Live and it is a fun tongue-in-cheek song about exploring the down under of a female partner. One can only wonder who the lucky lady he is singing about is.
The album is full of ups and downs. “Sunflower, Vol. 6” is destined to fill dance floors while “Falling” finds Harry exploring low moments and questioning who he is. You can catch Harry Styles and opening act Jenny Lewis when his world tour hits the Bridgestone Arena July 28, 2020. @Harry_Styles
Stormzy Heavy Is The Head
I am a huge fan of British pop and have been for decades. From Take That to All Saints to Duffy and everything in between I love British pop music. My love for the British hip-hop has grown over the years as well and I’ve always wished that UK rappers would get some love and attention here in the states. Yes, everyone knows who M.I.A. is but for every M.I.A. there’s a Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah.
British rapper, singer and songwriter Stormzy releases Heavy Is The Head, his follow up to his 2017 debut Gang Signs & Prayer, as he is willing to fight for the number one perch his debut earned him. Stormzy is more than happy to tell you about the successes he’s found in the last two years on Heavy is The Head including his festival stealing headlining set at this year’s Glastonbury. The UK rapper is honest on the album when rapping about his recent come-up.
We’ve seen it multiple times throughout the years with new foreign artists when they have a huge debut album. The follow-up almost always shows that they have their sights set on the U.S.. This isn’t the case for Stormzy as all of the features on the new album are European artists except for one. Grammy Award winning Amercian artist H.E.R. is featured on “One Second” and Stormzy gives her time to shine on the track as he does all of his collaborators on the album. Stormzy is actually playing a handful of dates in the US next year. You can catch him at the Buckhead Theater in Atlanta on May 30th. @stormzy
Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
