The Music Cypher

"That's Showbiz Baby!" by Jade Thirlwall album cover Mixers all around the globe were distraught when the iconic girl group announced their hiatus in December 2021. Although the band members Leigh-Anne, Jade and Perrie made it crystal clear that the group was not disbanding and that they were taking time to focus on solo projects, it did nothing to sooth their fans aching hearts. Eventually after going through the seven (7) stages of grief, they turned their sights on anxiously anticipating what each girl would offer with their solo work. Leigh-Anne got the ball rolling being the first one to drop her official debut solo song "Don't Say Love" then Perrie and Jade followed. Yet, while she may have been last to release her debut solo song, Jade is the first member from the group to drop her debut solo studio album titled "That's Showbiz Baby!". Her debut album is preceded by four (4) official singles "Angel of My Dreams", "Fantasy...

"Don't Try This At Home" by Boondawg album cover The last few post has mentioned the many ways an artist can capture the attention of an audience. The main way that was expounded upon in those post was sex appeal and how male and even female artist can use their good looks to get people interested in their music. Therefore, this post will not be stressing that point but rather introduce another way artist can gain a fanbase and that is by using captivating artwork. This is the way I was introduced to the German rapper, Boondawg! As I searching through a music site trying to find out what albums were released that week, the cover for his new album piqued my interest. Why was my interest piqued? The cover was familiar but different! It had elements that have been used before but the way they were presented just seemed fresh and innovative. The matter was immediately settled, I had to give his most recent album a listen. So with that in mind, let us see what he has in store ...

Can you believe that her record label did not believe in her signature song "Promise"? Yes label heads told Ciara that the song was not a hit but little did they know that the record would become one of the defining songs of 2000s R&B. This revelation and more were discussed by Ciara as she made her media rounds to promote her seventh studio album simply titled "Cici". Back to the shocking news mentioned before, Ciara told of how she went against the wishes of the label, released "Promise" and even paid for the video out of her own pocket. This story highlights her determination to do what she loves which is to make music and entertain the world. It is such a passion for her that she has decided to forgo the support of a major record label and release her music independently and has had major success even with all the naysayers and obstacles that has been placed in her way. Let us be real! Ciara is an icon and does not need to prove anything especially...

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 21st September to the 27th September, 2025. 1. Midnight Cowboy by Jade 2.  Girlie-Pop! by Amaarae 3. IT girl by Jade 4. Obsessed by Mariah Carey 5. Shooter by Johnny Venus 6. Ready Now by Truth Hurts 7. Head in a Jar by Khamari 8. Ass Like That by Victoria Monét 9. Can't Believe by Kranium featuring Ty Dolla $ign & WizKid 10. I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

Isn't this legend just full of surprises? The Queen of Dance shocked the entire world when it was announced that she would a be feature on Cardi B's new album "Am I The Drama?" (review coming soon) . This was astonishing because it marked the first time Ms .Jackson (cause WE ARE  nasty!) would be featured on another female artist album in her long illustrious career. Her career has been a rollercoaster rides filled with euphoric highs and depressing lows yet Damita Jo with her Velvet Rope has shown that with Discipline , Control and Rhythm Nation by her side that she is truly Unbreakable . (see what I did there?) She has defied the odds time and time again from coming out of her brother's shadow to craft a name for herself and bouncing back after powerful heads of industry sought to blackball her for the Superbowl incident, Janet and her iconic 8 counts are not going anyway soon especially as she announces sold out tour after tour and collecting awards that reco...

"Man’s Best Friend" by Sabrina Carpenter album cover That was quick! Last year was a breakout year for the former Disney Channel superstar. After releasing five (5) studio albums between 2015 and 2022, she finally made it to the mainstream with massive hits "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" followed by her sixth studio album "Short n Sweet". That was followed up by the deluxe version which Carpenter released on Valentine's Day this year which featured five new tracks including a collaboration from the legendary Queen of Country, Dolly Parton. One can assume that Sabrina was overjoyed about her new found success as just mere months after dropping the deluxe version of Short n Sweet she released the lead single "Manchild" and announced her seventh studio album entitled "Man's Best Friend". Attached to this announcement was a controversial album cover that stirred up quite a few conversations about women's right, ...

"Love Is Like Deluxe" by Maroon 5 album tracklist Maroon 5 has been a staple in pop culture and some may even say a leading voice in pop not only for bands but pop music as a whole. Ever since bursting on to the scene with hits like "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved", Maroon 5 has been a steady force in the turbulent scene that is pop music. Yet, I have never listened to an entire project by the band. That's quite shameful but I have probably listened to more albums in 2023, 2024 and 2025 than I would have had in my late teens and throughout my 20s. Well, that has changed in 2025 as I continue to exceed the music goal I set for myself and Maroon 5 has came along for the journey. So let us see what the pop band has in store for us with their newest album titled "Love Is Like"! Here's my review of each track on the album! 1. Hideaway  🌟🌟🌟 2. Love Is Like featuring Lil Wayne  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / ❤️‍🔥 3. All Night  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 4. Yes I Did ...

"To Dry A Tear" by Khamari album cover In a previous album review of Xian Bell's album  "Album Review: "Electria" by Xian Bell  I mentioned the various ways an artist can get an audience to pay attention to their art. One of the ways mentioned was just pure unfiltered lust because of the undeniable sex appeal of said artist. So it's time to add another artist to this ever growing list and the latest addition is the one and only beyond fine Khamari. Just like Xian, I followed Khamari because I saw a gorgeous man on my Instagram feed and I instantly followed as we all do. Shortly after thirst following, he posted a reel that my inquisitiveness had to watch and am I glad I did. All I heard was his voice smoothly, calmly singing "'Cause you keep my head in a jar" repeatedly and I knew that I had to give his newest album an listening hear. So let us see what Khamari has in store for us today! Here's my review of each track on the album! 1. ...

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 14th September to the 20th September, 2025. 1. Girlie-Pop! by Amaarae 2. Run Up (Remixes) by Major Lazer, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Nicki Minaj 3. Bad Boys by Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida 4. Rolly Polly by Mr. Killa 5. Back It Up by Prince Royce featuring Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull 6. One Wine by Machel Montano & Sean Paul featuring Major Lazer 7. Whenever Wherever by Shakira 8. Gal a Bubble by Konshens 9. Shooter by Johnny Venus 10. I Got You by Shaggy featuring Jovi Rockwell What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

There are two (2) hotly debated conversations that were popular amongst music Twitter over the past few weeks in which the subject of this week  Rewind  has been a focal point. The first debate was about who was the premier vocalist of the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s and the other was a conservation about why newer artist cannot be as daring and shocking as previous icons. The first debate was a ferocious battle between The Hive (Beyoncé stans) and The Fighters (Christina Aguilera's stans) about which artist was THEE vocalist of the 2000s and in the next dispute fans were using Xtina's iconic "Stripped" Era as an example of an artist shaking up the music industry and shifting culture and that younger artist are not living up to their predecessors. Whatever the discussion are surrounding her artistry one thing that cannot be denied is that Christina has always been ahead of the curve throughout her career. She was at the forefront of the late 90s and early 2000s bubblegum t...

  "Electria" by Xian Bell album cover There are many ways an artist can get people to listen to their music. There's being sponsored by a big label to market your music, going viral on social media and building an audience and there is just being extremely sexy. WOW! This week has been a titillating week on this blog! Anyway, Xian Bell falls into the extremely sexy bracket. I discovered him on Instagram as I was shamelessly thirst following many accounts of fine men of all races and ethnicities. Therefore, given that my first impression of Xian was pure, unfiltered lust I had not paid much attention to the fact that he was a recording artist. How can you blame me? I got distracted by his beautiful black skin, gorgeous smile, aesthetically pleasing tattoos, lean body and seductive aura. So as I scrolling through my IG feed a few weeks ago, I saw he posted a sexy picture and after doubling tapping it to show my appreciation for such a  fine specimen I just happened to read ...

"Black Star" by Amaarae album cover "Call me when the money Come come come come come Call me when the money Come come come come come To the money Imma run run run run run To the money Imma run run run run run" Lyrics taken from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/amaarae/recklesssweet.html I was late to the Amaarae train! An entire year had passed before I listened to her breakthrough album "Fountain Baby". Amaarae has been the topic of discussion on social media in particular Twitter as people were expressing their love for the album. Then, as I kept seeing most of the people whose music opinions I respect on the social media raving about the album I had to give it a listen. That was one of the best music decisions I made in 2024 as I instantly fell in love with the entire album. "Reckless & Sweet" became one of my most listened songs of the year and it is still in my 2025 rotation. So, when I learned that her next album titled "Black Star...

"Beloved" by Givēon album cover Full disclosure! The only thing I knew about Givēon is that he dated the stunning Justine Skye and that he cheated on her which she exposed in a fiery Instagram live stream. I had not even heard this smash hit "Heartbreak Anniversary" and those viral clips of his unflattering vocal moments did not really encourage me to give his music a chance. However, as a part of my 2025 music goal of listening to newer artist and listening to artist that I did not care for such as The Weeknd, I decided to give his newest album titled "Beloved" a chance. Also, the fact that many of the people whose music opinions I trust were giving his album stellar reviews did assist in giving me that push I needed. So with all that in mind, let us see what the British crooner has in store for us with his latest release. Here's my review of each track on the album! 1. MUD  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 2. RATHER BE  🌟🌟🌟 3. TWENTIES  🌟🌟🌟 4. STRANGERS  🌟🌟🌟...

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 7th September to the 13th September, 2025. 1. Shooter by Johnny Venus 2. Instructions by Mahalia 3. Afterbody by Jae Stephens 4. Pressure Points by Mahalia featuring Lila Iké 5. Good Love by Destra 6. SMH by Jae Stephens 7. Pity by Mahalia featuring Tanya Stephens 8. Hot Body by Ayra Starr 9. Ms. Jackson by OutKast 10. Break Up by Mario featuring Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

"Cole World, No Blanket" was my entrance into Hip-Hop and Rap. Even with no moral or musical objections to the genre, something never clicked between me and the art form. That was until I was introduced the subject of this week's  TMC's Rewind  Jermaine Lamarr Cole AKA J Cole. However, I must be completely transparent and say that while I enjoy his music and was gleeful in finally finding a connection to the genre, it was my instant attraction to him that drove my love for his art. At one point in my life Cole was the sexiest man in the universe, the centre of my adolescence fantasies and I was ready to verbally and/or physically fight anyone about it. WOW! Talk about a parasocial relationship. Yet, it must be stated that although it was my attraction to him that made me give his music a listening ear, it was the talent that kept me coming back album after album. His lyricism, cadence, flow, creativity and the fact that he produced a lot of his discography made me a b...

Listening to music for me can become quite formulaic but I will never complain. What do I mean? After listening to "Hard Truths" by UMI featuring 6lack, I went on a 6lack binge and that is how I discovered Johnny Venus. Then I instantly became nervous because his collaboration with 6lack was titled "So Beautiful" which is also the name of one of my favourite songs of all time with the same name by Musiq Soulchild. However, after my first listen I fell in love with the song as evidenced by the song being a constant on my weekly Hot🔥10! list. Therefore I had to give his 3 track EP a listening ear although more songs would have been more preferable. So let us see what he has in store for us with this extremely short EP entitled "Shooter". Here's my review of each track on the EP! 1. SHOOTER 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / ❤️‍🔥 2. SO BEAUTIFUL featuring 6LACK 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 3. DON’T LET GO 🌟🌟🌟 EP Rating: 8️⃣ ▪️ 5️⃣ / 🔟 What are your overall thoughts on the EP? Wha...

"Sellout II" by Jae Stephens EP cover Last year, Jae Stephens was one of my new favourite artist I discovered. Her third EP "Sellout" was religiously apart of every playlist I created. Earlier this year, she kept the momentum going with what should have been her breakout smash hit "SMH" but we know the audience lacks taste and cannot see an obvious superstar standing right in their face. After dropping a few more singles, she has released the second part to her previously mentioned Sellout EP titled "Sellout II". So let's see what she has in store for us with this new EP. Here's my review of each track on the EP! 1. SMH  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / ❤️‍🔥 2. Afterbody  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 3. Kiss It  🌟🌟🌟 4. That’s My Baby  🌟🌟🌟🌟 5. Choosy  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 6. 10/10  🌟🌟🌟🌟 EP Rating: 8️⃣ ▪️ 5️⃣ / 🔟 "SELLOUT II" by Jae Stephens EP tracklist What are your overall thoughts on the EP? What are your favourite songs on the EP? Let me know in ...

"LUVERGIRL" by Mahalia EP cover Rock to the left, rock to the right Come have a sample, a taste of the light Yeah, me and you, we're goin' home to mine Tell mi friend dem to catch another ride Rock to the left, rock to the right If you can handle it, come take a bite Yeah, me and you, we goin' home to mine Tell your friend dem to catch another ride Lyrics taken from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mahalia/instructions.html Here is another case of a YouTube ad changing my life for the better. Once again I was listening to another song and a snippet of the video for Instructions by Mahalia popped up after the video was finished. Being instantly intrigued I decided to listen to the song and I became hooked. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had heard about Mahalia before. Where? She was a featured artist on my favourite album of 2023 "My 21st Century Blues" by Raye and what makes it even more amazing is the fact the song she is featured on which is...