Faith in the Future, Louis Tomlinson

So this is my first attempt at review a brand new album on the day of it's release-- let me tell you, Louis Tomlinson made it easy with Faith in the Future. Post-One Direction looks really good on Louis, who has gone with a more pop-rock sound than One Direction ever did. (Dare I say the teacher has become the student and Louis was influenced by 5 Seconds of Summer? Louis was the member of 1D to originally discover 5SOS way back when.)

Louis natural vocal talent shines through as much on Faith in the Future as it did back on the One Direction albums, but operating solo allows the listener to appreciate it all the more, especially when coupled with a deeper instrumental sound.

Stand out tracks: "The Greatest" "Common People"

My favorites: "Lucky Again" "Angels Fly"

The album opens in such a way that catches your attention with "The Greatest"-- if Louis doesn't open his tour with this song, he's missed an opportunity, because it just screams tour opener to me. "Face the Music" is a little simplistic in comparison to other tracks, but at worst, it serves as a filler track that doesn't detract from the rest of the album. As a person from Chicago, "Chicago" does a pretty good job of illustrating what it might feel like to cope with heartbreak by walking around the city at night. "Out of My System" is a guitar-heavy, dark pop song that perks up the listener mid-way through listening to the full album. "Saturdays" sounds just like it would fit in on One Direction's last studio album, Made in the A.M., which was one of my favorites-- it's gentle, full of harmonies, with a vibey drum-centered bridge. "Common People" is arguably one of the best written songs on the album, depicting the contrast between the feeling of star-power stage persona and the humanity of just feeling like a regular person.

While I feel like Louis's 1D bandmates Harry Styles and Niall Horan have branched out from the sound they left behind when One Direction parted ways with their solo albums, Louis has leaned into that sound and matured it with Faith in the Future. Louis likely won't make the waves solo as he did with One Direction with this album, but Faith in the Future is an easy, enjoyable listen that is a great step in the right direction of moving him towards that 1D-level of success at a solo level.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED

Spice, Spice Girls

With a debut album like Spice, it's no wonder the Spice Girls solidified themselves as one of the most iconic and bestselling girl groups. Spice has all those delightful 90s pop qualities: the drum machines, the anthem lyrics, the electropop production. But I have to say, Spice has a lot more substance to it than I expected it to.

The album starts with a bang with "Wannabe"-- no surprise that this song remains as popular as it is. It stays strong with boppy, witty "Say You'll Be There." Emotion pours out of tracks like "2 Become 1" and "Mama". Fun theatrical edits in songs like "Naked" and "Last Time Lover" add attitude and fun to tracks that would otherwise be looked over as filler tracks. The album closes with one last upbeat, hip-hop inspired track with "If U Can't Dance."

Stand out tracks: "Wannabe" "Who Do You Think You Are"

My favorite tracks: "Say You'll Be There" "Love Thing"

This is a feel-good album, no doubt about it. It seems like it would be best paired with a feather boa, platform boots,

rhinestone hair clips, lip gloss, and a strut. Spice deserves every bit of hype it comes with. It's is catchy, dancy, clever, sassy-- all the exact right things a 90s pop girl group album should be.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED

If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, Halsey

So full disclosure, I have been a fan of Halsey since their debut EP Room 93 back in 2014. She caught my attention early on with songs like "Is There Somewhere" and "Ghost." She came out of the gate strong with their debut album Badlands in 2015, and for me, If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power is their best album since that debut.

If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power was one of my favorite albums of 2021, but I seemed to forget about it after I stopped listening to it on repeat (I blame the release Red (Taylor's Version) for that). I'm so glad I got back to this album because, it has a lot of good songs on it and it's stunning as a cohesive album.

Stand out tracks: "I am not a woman, I'm a god" "Easier Than Lying" "Ya'aburnee"

My favorites: "The Lighthouse" "Girl is a Gun" "You asked for this"

If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power is Halsey's furthest dive into pop-rock that she's ever gone-- and it suits them. The medieval theming of the album artwork carries through in the gorgeous, ethereal sounds of songs like "The Tradition" "1121" and "Whispers" and then crosses into the songs depicting strength, darkness, and unrelenting power like "Easier Than Lying" "I am not a woman, I'm a god" and "The Lighthouse." Weaved between ethereal and power are the relatively lighter songs that could be easily looked over, like "Lilith" "Darling" and "Ya'aburnee;" these are the songs that truly showcase Halsey's natural vocal talent and her ability to write a truly poetic love song. So ultimately, Halsey delivered on both love and power on this album.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

FULLY OBSESSED