The Music Cypher

"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!

"Superbloom" by Jessie Ware album cover Here is the deal! I am aware of Jessie Ware but time has not permitted to delve into her music. Ware entered my musical consciousness in 2020, when she released her fourth studio album titled "What's Your Pleasure?" and many people whose musical opinions I respect were raving about the album and her genius. Unfortunately, I made a mental note that I should check out her music but time passed and I just never got around to it. That changed this year mostly due to the fact that I now run a music blog where I try to keep up to date with the latest music across several genres. In doing so I came across the announcement of her latest single and forthcoming album via one of my favourite music news accounts on Instagram. Excitement surfaced and I quickly checked out her single ""I Could Get Used to This" as well as the official music video. Sadly, while  I can acknowledge that the song was a good song, it did not g...

 "Beautiful Tragedy" by Ebony Riley album cover Avid readers of this blog knows I love a good looking man and woman especially when they are black. There is literally a whole segment dedicated to lusting after fine men and women plus I have no shame mentioning in other segments. Why does this matter? That is how I discovered the artist that is the subject of this review who is none other than Ebony Riley . I was introduced to Ebony Riley as Riley Montana on Instagram because I love thirst following beautiful dark skin black women. Riley was a high fashion model who found success in modeling for brands like Gucci and Givenchy, and walked the runway for Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta. Then I noticed a sudden change as I saw her announcement of becoming a recording artist. Ebony Riley released her debut EP, titled "ebony", on February 1, 2023. The seven-track project marked her entry into the music scene. Now in 2026 the Detroit-born R&B singer-songwriter has re...

"Love?" by Jennifer Lopez album cover The next album retrospective is " Love? " by Jennifer Lopez. On Wednesday 29th April 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. Love? is the seventh studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on April 29, 2011, by Island Records. Produced during the pregnancy of her twins Emme and Max, Love? was cited by Lopez as her most personal album to date, taking inspiration from the birth of her twins and her own experiences with love. Recording for the album began in 2009, with an original release date for the project set for January 2010 by Epic Records to coincide with Lopez's film The Back-up Plan. However following the lack of success with lead single "Louboutins", Lopez and Epic Records parted ways, leaving the fate of Love? in uncertainty. In 2010, Lopez signed a new record deal with Island Records, allowing proceedings for the release to be kept. The album includes a mixture of previously re...

"Views" by Drake album cover The next album retrospective is " Views " by Drake. On Wednesday 29th April 2026, this album turned ten (10) years old. Views is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 29, 2016, by Cash Money Records, Republic Records, and Young Money Entertainment. Recording sessions took place from 2015 to 2016, with both Drake and his longtime collaborator and record producer 40 serving as the record's executive producers. 40 also primarily handled the production on the album alongside Nineteen85, Maneesh Bidaye, Kanye West, and Jordan Ullman, among others. It also features guest appearances by PartyNextDoor, the late Pimp C, Dvsn, Wizkid, Kyla, Future, and Rihanna. Views takes influence from West Indian and West African music. The album marks Drake's first full foray into Jamaican dancehall music, while also featuring other genres such as R&B, trap, Afrobeats, UK funky, and pop. Similar to his previous ...

"Winner In You" by Patti LaBelle album cover The next album retrospective is " Winner In You. " by Patti LaBelle. On Tuesday 28th April2026, this album turned forty (40) years old. Winner in You is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on April 28, 1986, in the United States. Recording sessions took place during 1985–1986. Production was handled by several record producers, including Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Richard Perry, among others. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, as well as producing the US number-one hit single "On My Own". It was LaBelle's only album to chart outside of the United States, charting in the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. To date, the album is estimated to have sold over eight million copies worldwide, becoming her best-selling album ever. Upon its release, Winner in Yo...

"Acoustic Soul" by India Arie album cover The next album retrospective is " Acoustic Soul " by India Arie. On Friday 27th March 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. Acoustic Soul is the debut studio album by American singer India Arie. It was released on March 27, 2001, by Motown. The album received seven nominations at the 44th Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. Acoustic Soul was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 17, 2003, denoting shipments in excess of two million copies in the United States.  Excerpt taken from  Acoustic Soul Here's my review of each track on the album! 1. Intro  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 2. Video  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 3. Promises  🌟🌟🌟🌟 4. Brown Skin  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / ❤️‍🔥 5. Strength, Courage & Wisdom  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 6. Nature  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 7. Back to the Middle  🌟🌟🌟 8. Ready for Love  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 🔥 9. Interlude...

"F.A.M.E." by Chris Brown album cover The next album retrospective is " F.A.M.E. " by Chris Brown. On Sunday 22nd March 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. F.A.M.E. (backronym of Forgiving All My Enemies) is the fourth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was released on March 22, 2011, through Jive Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his third album Graffiti (2009), and also marks his last album with Jive Records. On F.A.M.E., Brown worked with several record producers and songwriters, including Kevin McCall, H Money, Timbaland, The Underdogs, Diplo and Benny Benassi among others. The album features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Wiz Khalifa, The Game, Justin Bieber and Big Sean, among others. It was supported by eight singles, "Deuces" featuring Tyga and Kevin McCall, "No BS", "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now" featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, "Beautiful People...

Welcome to the fifth (5th) and final episode of the fourth (4th) season of TMC's Series. This fourth season will explore my top 20 favourite albums of the decade so far from 2020 to 2025. Every episode, I will highlight four (4) albums by sharing my rating of the album along with my favourite tracks and song plus a short review of each album. The listing will be done in alphabetical order and is not ranked in terms of personal favourability! It should be noted that EPs (extended plays) and mixtapes will qualify to make the list although they are not technically albums. Here are five honourable mentions that just barely missed the cut, which are: Bloom by Durand Bernarr, Eusexua by FKA twigs, Fountain Baby by Amaarae, Poster Girl by Zara Larsson and Second Line by Dawn Richard. 17. THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! by JADE (2025) Rating :  9️⃣ / 🔟 Favourite Tracks : IT girl Midnight Cowboy Plastic Box Self Saboteur Lip Service Review: An audacious introduction as a solo act from one of t...