GRAMMY Nominees: The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monaé

Stand-out tracks: "Float (feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80" "A Dry Red"

My favorites: "The Rush (feat. Nia Long & Amaarae)" "Only Have Eyes 42"

The album opens with "Float (feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80)," which serves as a lighthearted introduction to the album. This track is confident and carefree, which sets the tone for the next 32 minutes of music on The Age of Pleasure. The theme of this album is summed up perfectly in one simple line:"I had to protect all my energy/I'm feelin' much lighter, now I float."

"Champagne Shit" keeps up the tone of confidence while introducing a cool and bold aura. This one transitions seamlessly into its outro, "Black Sugar Beach," before the album switches gears a little bit with "Phenomenal (feat. Doechii)." This one is a pared back from the dance-y and inviting first few tracks of the album. Instrumentally, "Phenomenal (feat. Doechii)" is fascinating, with trumpets and synth-y pianos paired with jazzy percussion and sultry lyrics.

Another pair of tracks that fade seamlessly from one to another are "Haute" and "Oooh La La (feat. Grace Jones)." These two with "Lipstick Lover" make up the sexiest part of the album, where Janelle holds nothing back about what she means by entering The Age of Pleasure.

The album pulls back again instrumentally, ironically, with "The Rush (feat. Nia Long & Amaarae)." This one has a nice reggae-style production with a romantic guitar that sings along in the background, complementing Janelle's soft-spoken, supple vocals. Again, this one transitions seamlessly into the interlude "The French 75 (feat. Sister Nancy)."

"Paid in Pleasure" is the pick-up track we need to spark interest going into the conclusion of the album. The Age of Pleasure ends on a strong foot with the most truly romantic track on the album, "Only Have Eyes 42." This one is lighthearted and sweet, with lyrics like "Cause you're the one, you're the one/Double the fun, triple the time for love." The album concludes with an acoustic guitar-led "A Dry Red," which beautifully layers Janelle Monaé's floaty and resounding melodic vocals and a simple drum pattern. This one wraps up the feel of the full project in a soft, satisfying-yet-open-ended conclusion.

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

As a concept album that presents as a complete, thorough project, The Age of Pleasure is extremely well executed. However, in terms of theming, lyricism, and production, there really isn't anything that makes this album stand out as something truly great. When compared to other nominees in the Album of the Year categories, others have also mastered the seamless concept album with greater success. Instrumentally, lyrically, and emotionally, The Age of Pleasure falls short across the board to really pack a punch. This album is jammed full of lusty references, simplistic production, and solid instrumentation that make it sensual, melodious, and seamless, but is that really enough to earn a nomination, much less a win, for Album of the Year? I'm all for representation of Black female artists at the GRAMMYs, but honestly, I'm not even sure The Age of Pleasure deserved its nomination in this category.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: PROBABLY NOT LISTENING AGAIN

GRAMMY Nominees: Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus

There were few songs bigger in 2023 than the lead single, "Flowers," from Miley Cyrus's eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation. After 18 years of releasing music, Miley Cyrus has finally garnered her first nomination for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs (along with seven other nominations). Coming off of years of media chaos, marriage and divorce, and a new record label, Miley Cyrus has re-entered the music world more confidently than ever with her longest running chart hit of her career and her eighth Billboard 200 top-five album release.

Stand-out tracks: "Flowers" "Wildcard" "Wonder Woman"

My favorites: "Jaded" "You" "River"

The album opens with Miley's smash-hit "Flowers," the self-love anthem that took the radio waves by storm for it's cheeky "I can love me better than you can" theme and strut-worthy, boppy beat. The follow up tracks are groovy "Jaded" and "Rose Colored Glasses." The former leans back into the Malibu-rock sound that we've heard from Miley on past albums like Breakout and Younger Now. Lyrically, "Jaded" reflects on someone being the instigator of a relationship ending without fully realizing it: "And it's a fucking shame that it ended like that/You broke your own heart, but you'd never say that/We went to hell, but we never came back." These two tracks are classic Miley reinvented for a new era.

We all know and love Miley's 2009 hit "The Climb," and track four "Used to Be Young" is the grown-up version of "The Climb." The production is a little simplistic, but the vocal and lyric components of the song are able to shine, as they reflect on the messy years of young adulthood. Interestingly, "Thousand Miles (feat. Brandi Carlile)" melodically sounds parallel to Miley's own "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" from 2010's Can't Be Tamed. I wish the Brandi Carlile feature on this one was a little more prominent, but the harmonies she provides complement Miley's beautifully.

"You" is Miley's take on the piano ballad; it's rustic and brutally honest, but stunningly romantic in it's own way: "You know I'm savage, but you're looking past it/I want that late-night sweet magic, that forever-lasting love/But only if it's with you."

Miley herself has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to Los Angeles, and interlude-style "Handstand" production-wise perfectly captures the vibe of late-night LA. Distorted whisper-y vocals paired with a jazzy-synth backing track make this one a nice change of pace from the more pop-rock opening of the album. The dance-pop production style continues into "River," which production-wise would have sounded right at home on Can't Be Tamed or Miley's 2009 EP Time of our Lives, and "Violet Chemistry," which sounds like a mellowed-out version of songs like "Drive" from Miley's 2013 album Bangerz.

The next pair of tracks, again, remind me of many of the tracks on Miley's 2020 album Plastic Hearts. The shortest track on the album is the second track on the album with a feature,"Muddy Feet (feat. Sia)," which is followed by "Wildcard," which showcases, dare I say, Miley's best vocal performance in years. If you've forgotten amongst the tabloid drama she's found herself caught up in that she's an incomparable vocalist, "Wildcard" is your not-so-subtle reminder that no other recording artist out there sounds like Miley Cyrus.

The album conclusion is something completely unique to the Endless Summer Vacation album. "Island" and "Wonder Woman" are among the most auditorily immersive tracks on the album, with the former having that classic reggae-style production paired with softly sung lyrics like "I can paint my toenails while I'm soaking up the sea/The only thing that's missing here is you and our TV" and "Am I stranded on an island?/Or have I landed in paradise?/I hear your voice like a song on the radio/All day long 'cause, boy, I be missing ya." "Wonder Woman" is pared back to Miley's soaring vocals and a simple piano accompaniment, illustrating the strength in vulnerability of women. Some of my favorite lyrics on the entirety of Endless Summer Vacation come at the very end: "All her pain is polished/All her tears are planned/But when her favorite record's on and she's dancin' in the dark/She can't stop her eyes from wellin' up/She makes sure that no one's 'round to see her fall apart/She wants to be the one that never does."

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

Although Miley has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to LA and the self-discovery journey she's found herself on in the decade and a half that she's lived in the Malibu area, this album more feels like a celebration of every era of Miley's musical past. It alludes to almost every single one of her previous albums either lyrically or production-wise. The fact that the GRAMMYs chose to specifically nominate this particular album of Miley's for Album of the Year is an astronomical achievement for her, as it seems that the album itself honors her entire career thus far.

Compared to other nominees in the Album of the Year category, Endless Summer Vacation doesn't quite have the finesse, cohesion, or volume of massive hits as compared to some of its competition. Quite simply, it's an incredible pop album. It showcases Miley Cyrus's achievements and growth as an artist over the last almost-two decades. As a complete project, Endless Summer Vacation earns its spot in the pool of nominees for Album of the Year, but I can pretty confidently predict that it won't be taking the title.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS

SONG SPOTLIGHT: Definitely Maybe Masters the Adult Rendition of Teen Angst on "Are We Having Fun Yet?"

This article is cross-posted on Rock Insider Press (https://www.rockinsiderpress.com/p/definitely-maybe-masters-the-adult-rendition-of-teen-angst-with-new-single).

Chicago-based pop-punk band Definitely Maybe first emerged in 2023, with their EP Better Off Undone and TikTok-viral single "One More Night." Now they're back and better than ever with their new single, "Are We Having Fun Yet?." For fans of artists like The Veronicas, Charlotte Sands, Hey Violet, and Paramore, Definitely Maybe has penned your next favorite hit.

Led by singer Courtney Clinkert's vibrant vocals, and full-toned instrumentals from guitarist Ian Harsh and bassist Sawyer Bengston, the gritty anthem covers, as the band puts it, "a relentless exploration of the toll ambition takes on the soul."

While we all know and love pop-punk teen angst, "Are We Having Fun Yet?" is the angst of your early adult years. From touching on imposter syndrome, the exhaustion of ambition, and professional and social burnout, Definitely Maybe is unafraid to strip away the kiddie fantasy of becoming an adult. Instead of romanticizing success, Definitely Maybe deglamorizes the facade of acting like you having it all: "So close to where I wanted to be/sabotage, I do that in my sleep."

The band makes it clear that they're no stranger to rejection, and they want us to know that the reason we're being held back isn't us, it's that the system is rigged. There's a "Are We Having Fun Yet?" lyric for that too: "They say too much of a good thing is a bad thing/well I think that's bullshit!/Tell me to feel guilty for existing."

The song culminates at the decrescendo into the final chorus, when the instrumental pulls back and the band asks the ever-important question: "When does going after what you wanted/become worth it?" and in shameless pop-punk fashion, close out the pre-chorus with "Cause I'm fucking exhausted/pretty sure I've lost it."

With a refreshing female vocalist, classic sound, and enlightened lyrics, Definitely Maybe is a band with the potential to be the next big thing in the world of pop-punk. With "Are We Having Fun Yet?," the band shows that they're just getting started and they're here to be taken seriously – and maybe they'll have a little fun while they're at it.

Stream "Are We Having Fun Yet?" here, and keep up with Definitely Maybe here.