The Music Cypher

 "4" by Beyoncé album cover The next album retrospective is " 4 " by Beyoncé. 4 is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on June 28, 2011, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The album was recorded from March 2010 to May 2011, and was produced by Beyoncé herself, alongside Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Kaskade, Brent Kutzle and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Switch, and The-Dream, among others. The album also features a sole lead guest appearance from André 3000 of Outkast. Following a career hiatus which reignited her creativity, Beyoncé conceived 4 as a record rooted in traditional rhythm and blues that stood apart from contemporary popular music. 4 marked the first Beyoncé album after she had terminated her working relationship with her father and manager Mathew Knowles. She conceived 4 as an intimate album that departed from the commercially oriented music of her past releases. Her collaborations with s...

"The Original High" by Adam Lambert album cover The next album retrospective is " The Original High " by Adam Lambert. The Original High is the third studio album by American singer Adam Lambert, released on June 12, 2015, by Warner Records. Its executive producers are Max Martin and Shellback, the duo responsible for co-writing and producing Lambert's early-career hits "Whataya Want from Me" and "If I Had You". The album marks Lambert's first release since leaving previous record label, RCA Records. The record's style has been described as EDM,[1] pop-house,[2] synth-pop,[3] and electropop.[4] The album was preceded by the release of its lead single, "Ghost Town", on April 21, 2015. "Another Lonely Night" was released as the album's second single on October 9, 2015. The Original High peaked within the top 10 of 11 national album charts. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 42,000 copies in...

"Perfectly Imperfect" by Elle Varner album cover The next album retrospective is " Perfectly Imperfect " by Elle Varner. Perfectly Imperfect is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Elle Varner. It was released on August 7, 2012, under RCA and MBK Entertainment. Recording sessions for the album took place at Jungle City Studios in New York City, Soulstar Studios in Brooklyn, Larrabee Sound Studio in North Hollywood, and Skip Saylor Studios in Northridge, California. For the production of the album Varner enlisted writers and producers including J. Cole, Pop & Oak, Frankie Storm, and Darrhyl Camper. Three singles preceded the album's release, "Only Wanna Give It to You", featuring American rapper J. Cole, "Refill", released on January 31, 2012 and "I Don't Care", released on July 16, 2012. Excerpt taken from  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfectly_Imperfect Here's my review of each track on the album! 1 . ...

"Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?" by K Michelle album cover The next album retrospective is " Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? " by K Michelle. Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. It was released on December 9, 2014, by Atlantic Records. Following the release of her debut album Rebellious Soul (2013) and her departure from the VH1's reality hit shows Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop: New York, Pate revealed that she was getting her own show, titled K. Michelle: My Life, and that she was working on the lead single for her second album, titled "Love Em All." The trailer for her second album was released, along with the album cover artwork, which was revealed few hours later. Upon the album's release, she performed the single "Hard to Do" at the 2015 BET Awards. "Love 'Em All" was released as the albums lead single on September 16, 2014. The album's second ...

"The Diamond Tape" by  D'So Nyce album cover This is different! Devoted readers of this blog by now know the many different ways I discover new artist. There is my favourite music site I use to find artist's name and/or album cover and names that are intriguing. Then there is YouTube ads or an artist trending on social media. However, this time was different like I mentioned in my opening statement. As I was updating my Twitter profile (check out my Twitter  here ) I saw I had a notification so naturally I checked it out. It was an artist named  D'So Nyce. He praised my review of Trevor Jackson's album (check it out  here ) and asked me to review his album that he recently released titled "The Diamond Tape". As a lover of music I decided to give his project a listen especially since he was so polite in his request and him being attractive did not hurt his case. Here is a little more information about D'So Nyce.  From the south suburb of Chicago c...

This is the last hot 10 of 2025! Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 21st December to the 27th  December, 2025. 1. Hitman by Kelly Rowland 2. Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac 1+1 by Beyoncé 3. Untitled (How Does It Feel) by D'Angelo 4. If Only You Knew by Patti Labelle Body And Soul by Anita Baker 5. No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame featuring Wale & Roscoe Dash 6. I Like It by DeBarge 7. Don't Save It All for Christmas Day by Celine Dion 8. Seven Nation Army (cover) Tribute to The White Strips by Twenty One Pilots @ Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 2025 Induction Ceremony Jaded by Miley Cyrus 9. Trade It All by Demetria McKinney 10. You're Not My Girl by Ryan Leslie What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

Avid readers of this blog know a few things about the owner. They know I cannot live without music, I  am quite fond of good looking men and women (no discrimination here) and that I love an interesting album cover and/or name. So here is another thing you should know about me! I am a proud West Indian! That means I am from the Caribbean region.  Here is a picture for those who may not know the area.  Map of the Caribbean Picture taken from  https://geology.com/world/caribbean-satellite-image.shtml Now, exactly which Caribbean country I am from is for me to know and for you never to find out. LOL! Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Since I am from the Caribbean region and love music, you should deduce that I am one of the biggest fans of music that is specific to the Caribbean.  So as much as I listen to international artist and genres, I listen to Caribbean genres such as Soca, Reggae, Calypso, Dancehall, Zouk, Iron band, Steel pan music, Benna, Goombay, Salsa,...

  "Year of the Gentleman" by Ne-Yo album cover Here is a new segment that is being introduced to the blog just as the year is about to end. It is called Album Retrospective . In this segment albums that were released before this decade (2020) with a few exceptions once in a while will be reviewed on the blog. The review will not stray from my reviews of albums released throughout the year, it is just to expose readers of the blog to my thoughts about albums that would not have covered on the blog. With that being said, the very first album retrospective is " Year of the Gentleman " by Ne-Yo. Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008, in the United States. As with his previous albums In My Own Words (2006) and Because of You (2007), Ne-Yo worked with Stargate, Reggie "Syience" Perry, and Shea Taylor on much of the album, but ...

  "everything is a lot." by Wale album cover Avid readers of this blog know by now that I am not the biggest listener of Hip-Hop-/Rap music. Nicki Minaj was my gateway into the genre then I started listening to J Cole (mainly because of my crush on him), Drake and Kendrick. That was the extent of my knowledge of the genre which is basic although the artist mentioned are great in their own right. Another rap artist that I liked and listened to occasionally was Wale. My introduction to him was his contribution to Waka Flocka Flame's classic smash hit "No Hands" (seriously that song is making a list of my favourite songs of all time when I decide to make one). Then I would listen to a few of his singles here and there like Lotus Flower Bomb, Chillin featuring Lady Gaga (what an unexpected collab), LoveHate Thing and The Matrimony just to name a few. However, I never have listened to any of his albums. Let us be real the reason I listened to any rapper at the start ...

"I Love You, Goodbye (The Greatest Breakup Album of All Time)" by Trevor Jackson album cover A few weeks ago I reviewed an EP titled "I Love You" by Trevor Jackson. In that review I mentioned that he was an artist that I loved but had lost track of what he was doing with his music. As I was about to review another EP titled "Goodbye" he had released soon after dropping the first EP that was mentioned, I discovered that he was about to release an album that would include the songs from both EPs. So I withheld my review of the second EP to wait for the entire album to come out. So I am guessing the two EPs were serving as an appetizer for the main course which is his sixth studio album titled "I Love You, Goodbye (The Greatest Breakup Album of All Time)".  Designed to play like a “movie in chapters,” the album traces the complete arc of a relationship—from the initial spark to the final severing of ties. Blending live instrumentation with modern R...

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 14th December to the 20th  December, 2025. 1. Call Me by Blondie 2. Team by Iggy Azalea 3. Confetti by Little Mix featuring Saweetie 4. Hideaway by Tessanne Chin 5. Majesty by Chronixx 6. Step By Step Whitney Houston 7. Sax by Fleur East 8. Kontrol by Maleek Berry 9. a thousand years by Christina Perri Marrow by VINCINT 10.  Don't Save It All for Christmas Day by Celine Dion Touch It by KiDi What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

 "Don't Tease Me With A Good Time" by Jessie J album cover "I can do it like a brother, do it like a dude Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you Do it like a brother, do it like a dude Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you We can do it like the mandem, mandem, hey We can do it like the mandem, sugar, sugar, sugar We can do it like the mandem, mandem, hey We can do it like the mandem, sugar, sugar, sugar" Lyrics taken from  https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jessiej/doitlikeadude.html I have been on the Jessie J train from the beginning! Price Tags, Big White Room, Mamma Knows Best, Domino and Burnin' Up are a staple on my playlist. Also, songs like Who's Laughing Now and Alive are two of my favourite songs of all time and would make my list if I was to ever make one. All this is to say I am a big fan of Jessie. So it's shocking that I have never listened to any of her albums. This has changed in 2025 and I'm excited about that fact! So let us s...

"THE REPUBLIC OF MOTION" by Bronze Avery EP cover Here is another EP review brought to you via an interesting album cover and a YouTube ad. By now avid readers of this blog know the script. I was scrolling through my favourite album news site to see what albums has been released and stumbled upon a captivating album cover. Then I realized that unlike the other times where I did not know this artist, that I did in fact know Bronze Avery. How? A YouTube ad popped up promoting his song Only U. I lsitened and loved it and it even made my infamous Hot 10 list that week. So, as you know by now with all those factors I had to give the album a listen which leads to a review on the blog. The artist whose album cover art piqued my interest is Bronze Avery . Gabriel Nathaniel Brown, known professionally as Bronze Avery, is an American pop singer-songwriter. He released his debut EP American Dream in 2015 under his birth name. Avery subsequently released several singles and EPs under his...

Recently a video of Shakira and her sons went viral on social media. It was video showing her on stage being joined by her two sons singing and I thought it was the most adorable thing I have seen in a while. That video inspired me to make her the subject of this weeks TMC Rewind. Here are some details about her iconic career. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter and dancer. Referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music", she has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of Latin America and has been credited with popularizing Hispanophone music on a global level, which in turn contributed to increased learning and use of the Spanish language worldwide. The recipient of various accolades, she has won 4 Grammy Awards and 15 Latin Grammy Awards, including 3 Song of the Year wins. Shakira made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 14. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) an...

Welcome back to quick and fun segment on the blog called Thirst Trap! This segment will briefly highlight a/an artist (s) , male or female ( I do not discriminate) by sharing picture(s), video(s), gif(s) etc. of them doing what I consider thirst trapping. Basically it is my excuse to lust after artist I find sexually appealing! TMC's thirst trap this time is Jamal Roberts ! Jamal Roberts (born November 6, 1997) is an American singer from Meridian, Mississippi. He rose to prominence as the winner of the 23rd season of American Idol. In doing so, he became the second African American male winner in the show's history. Roberts is the father of three girls, and a physical education (P.E.) coach at Crestwood Elementary School in Meridian, Mississippi.  Excerpt taken from  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Roberts Here are some titillating fan videos of Jamal Roberts performing as a supporting act on Brandy and Monica's 2025 The Boy Is Mine Tour. Credit to  https://www.insta...

"Finally Over It" by Summer Walker album cover Here is one of the most shocking facts I will have shared about myself on this blog. Can you believe I have never listened to an album by Summer Walker? Let us take it even farther, I have not listened to any of her EPs or even a single. Basically, I am a virgin when it comes to Summer Walker's music. I know you are reading this with your mouths wide open but it the truth. So the next question is how did this come to be especially given that Summer has been carrying the torch for R&B in the mainstream for some time now along with Sza. Here is the deal! First, I am always usually late to the scene when it comes to popular artist. I may have heard a few songs here or there and see chatter about them but it usually takes years for me to deep dive into their catalog and Summer was no exception. Also, my second and final reason for being late on the Walker route (see what I did there) is the controversies surrounding her perso...