The Music Cypher

"Middle of Nowhere" by Kacey Musgraves album cover " Now you're lifting me up, 'stead of holding me down Stealing my heart, 'stead of stealing my crown Untangled all the strings, round my wings, that were tied I didn't know him and I didn't know me Cloud nine, was always out of reach Now I remember what it feels like to fly You give me butterflies " Lyrics taken from  Kacey Musgraves- Butterflies Lyrics AZLyrics.com Avid readers of this blog knows that as much as I adore music that there are few genres of music that I enjoy less than others. Two of those genres include Hip-Hop and Country music! However, there are still artist without those genres whose music I quite enjoy. For example, in terms of Rap music I enjoy J Cole, Kendrick, earlier Drake, Doechii, Nicki Minaj, Eve etc. In terms of Country music, there is Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and the subject of this album review, Kacey Musgraves. Does this mean that I know her catalog like t...

"Kehlani" by Kehlani album cover " So can you come pick up your clothes? I have them folded Meet me at the door while it's still open I know it's getting cold out, but it's not frozen So come pick up your clothes I have them folded " Lyrics taken from  Kehlani- Folded Lyrics AZLyrics.com I have been a big fan of Kehlani ever since she debuted on the music scene. My introduction to her came via Twitter when she dropped her second mixtape titled "You Should Be Here" and it set Beyonce's Internet ablaze. To my embarrassment, while I instantly fell in love with her music on the first listen that remained until a couple of weeks ago her only body of work that I have listened to in its entirety. Do not get me wrong, I was still there for singles such as "Crzy", "Distraction", "After Hours" etc. (I am not just come fan because of the success of "Folded", although nothing is wrong with that) but I just never ...

"Femme Fatale" by Britney Spears album cover The next album retrospective is " Femme Fatale " by Britney Spears. On Wednesday 25th March 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records, and was her last album with the label before they dissolved in October of the same year, and she was moved to RCA Records. Musically, Spears wanted to make a "fresh-sounding" and "fierce dance album", thus incorporating dance-pop, electropop, EDM and synth-pop styles with elements of dubstep, techno and electro in its sound. Spears began working on the album during the second leg of her tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), while also contributing to her second greatest hits album The Singles Collection (2009). Spears collaborated with various producers including Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Fraser T. Smith, Rodney Jerkins, Bloodshy, wi...

  "I Remember Me" by Jennifer Hudson album cover The next album retrospective is " I Remember Me " by Jennifer Hudson. On Sunday 22nd March 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. I Remember Me is the second studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, released on March 22, 2011, by Arista Records. Hudson worked with a variety of producers and writers on the album, including Alicia Keys, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo, R. Kelly, Harvey Mason Jr., Ryan Tedder, Diane Warren, and among others. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in its first week and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States. It received positive reviews from music critics. Hudson herself announced on Twitter in September 2009 that she would begin the process of her second studio album. Hudson mentioned to Billboard that she wanted her second album to be more personal than her debut and expre...

"Survivor" by Destiny's Child album cover The next album retrospective is " Survivor " by Destiny's Child. On Saturday 25th April 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old. Survivor is the third studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on April 25, 2001, by Columbia Records. As their breakthrough second studio album The Writing's on the Wall (1999) became a rising commercial success, Destiny's Child faced the controversial departure of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who were replaced with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams, in February 2000. Soon afterwards, they commenced production of their third studio album, tentatively titled Independent Women. Mere five months after joining, Franklin departed from the group in July 2000, and "Independent Women Part I" was subsequently released as a single from the accompanying soundtrack for the film Charlie's Angels (2000). The so...

"All for You" by Janet Jackson album cover The next album retrospective is " All for You " by Janet Jackson. On Thursday 16th April 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old. All for You is the seventh studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. It was first released on April 16, 2001, by Virgin Records. Contrary to The Velvet Rope, which saw Jackson tackling darker themes such as domestic violence and depression, All for You showcased a mix of upbeat dance-pop and slow R&B sounds, incorporating rock, disco, and funk, as well as soft rock and East Asian music. Its lyrics focus on passion, romance, and intercourse, while also discussing themes of betrayal and deceit. The explicit language and sexual content of several songs sparked controversy, causing the album to be banned in several countries. All for You received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended on its upbeat nature. It was also considered one of her sexiest albums and ...

"Scorpion" by Eve album cover The next album retrospective is " Scorpion " by Eve. On Friday 6th March 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old. Scorpion is the second studio album by American rapper Eve. It was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on March 6, 2001, in the United States. The album's title is a reference to Eve's zodiac sign, Scorpio. It features the hit single "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", a duet with Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, which won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, a new category at the time. Scorpion was a critical and commercial success, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 162,000 copies and became her second consecutive number-one album on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Scorpion was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on May 10, 2001, for shipments of one million copies. Scorpion was also...

Every year people with varying hobbies have their own catered events that allows them to showcase and indulge in said interest. Film nerds have the Oscars, theater geeks have the TONYS, television lovers have the EMMYs, watchers of adult content have their own award shows and even streamers have the STREAMYs. So it is only fair that music enthusiasts have their own events to curse, debate and celebrate their love of the craft. These events for music nerds usually come in the form of several award shows such as the GRAMMYs, Video Music Awards (VMAs), American Music Awards (AMAs) and other genre centered shows like Country Music Awards (CMAs) or BET Awards etc. Lately, another event has joined the pantheon of music entertainment juggernauts and that is the Superbowl. That is right! The pinnacle of the American football season has become a home for music lovers specifically the Halftime Superbowl Show. That is due to the fact that the presentation of the show has changed dramatically....

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 26th April to the 2nd May, 2026. 1.  Hypnotico by Jennifer Lopez  (27 ▶️) 2. Sauna by Jessie Ware  (26 ▶️) 3. Only You by Ebony Riley  (25 ▶️) 4.  Twisted by Patti LaBelle  (22 ▶️) 5. Girls Like by Tinie Tempah featuring Zara Larsson  (20 ▶️) 6. Video by India Arie  (17 ▶️) 7. Nobody by Wizkid  (15 ▶️) 8.  There's A Winner In You by Patti LaBelle  (14 ▶️) 9. Don't Hurt Yourself by Beyoncé  (11 ▶️) 10. I'm Into You by Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil Wayne  (9 ▶️) What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!