The Music Cypher

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 7th June to the 13th June, 2026. 1. My Church by Maren Morris  (23 ▶️) 2. Adore (Prince Cover) by Austyns Stancil  (22 ▶️) 3. EPA by Becky G  (21 ▶️) 4. Ain't That Deep by Tank and The Bangas   (20 ▶️) 5. Too Easy by Tinashe   (18 ▶️) 6. Como La Flor (Selena Cover) by Samantha Diaz   (17 ▶️) 7. Hardwood by Wé Ani  (14 ▶️) 8. Poser by  PARTYOF2, Jadagrace, SWIM (13 ▶️) 9. God Is Good by Johnathan McReynolds  (12 ▶️) 10. I Have Questions/ Crying in the Club by Camila Cabello  (11 ▶️) What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

"Iceman" by Drake album cover The certified lover boy is back! Two years after engaging in one of rap's greatest feuds with his fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, Aubrey Graham is here to reclaim the most cherished number one spot in the genre. However, we cannot so simply brush aside the feud as it was taken under the pits of hell as the kids would say in todays lingo. Accusations of domestic abuse, pedophilia, the exposure of more hidden children and the questioning of racial identity and politics permeated the rap musical landscape for months and months, However when the dust settled, it was widely decided that the Boogeyman won the battle. In spite of that, Drake is back to prove that Kendrick may have won the battle but he will win the war. Not only did he come back to claim his spot but he is back with vengeance by releasing three albums titled "Maid of Honour", "Habiti" and the only one that will be reviewed on this blog "Iceman". It is a s...

"Detour" by Kim Petras album cover Mm, daddy, daddy, if you want it, drop the addy (Yeah, yeah) Give me love, give me Fendi, my Balenciaga daddy You gon' need to bag it up 'cause I'm spendin' on Rodeo (Woo) You can watch me back it up, I'll be gone in the A.M. (Yeah) And he, he get me Prada, get me Miu Miu like Rihanna (Ah) He always call me 'cause I never cause no drama And when you want it, baby, I know I got you covered And when you need it, baby, just jump under the covers (Yeah) Lyrics taken from  Sam Smith - Unholy Lyrics I AZLyrics Kim Petras was an unknown entity in my musical until the lovely Sam Smith who I frequently listen to introduced me to her on their 2022 monster collaboration "Unholy". However, I am ashamed to say that is where my knowledge of her music began and ended. That is until this year! You would of thought that having a music blog would force me to give artist that I barely know? With that being said let us see what...

"Hero (Deluxe Edition)" by Maren Morris album cover The next album retrospective is " Hero (Deluxe Edition) " by Maren Morris. On Wednesday 3rd June 2026, this album turned ten (10) years old. Hero is the major-label debut album by American country music singer Maren Morris, released on June 3, 2016, through Columbia Nashville. It marks Morris' first release on a major label and her fourth overall. The album debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. In August 2015, Morris self-released five songs as a self-titled extended play, Maren Morris, on Spotify. The songs garnered 2.5 million streams on Spotify in a month, with three songs appearing in Spotify's US and Global "Viral 50" chart. The success of Morris' EP attracted the interest of major labels and she eventually signed to Columbia Nashville in September 2015. The label then re-released the 5-song ...

"Bon Iver, Bon Iver" by Bon Iver album cover The next album retrospective is " Bon Iver, Bon Iver " by Bon Iver. On Wednesday 17th June 2026, this album turned fifteen (15) years old. Bon Iver is the second studio album from American indie folk band Bon Iver, released on June 17, 2011. The album is composed of 10 songs and was seen as a new musical direction for the band. The album was commercially successful, debuting at number one on the Norwegian Albums Chart and the Danish Albums Chart, and number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 104,000 copies in its first week in the United States. As of September 2016, the album has sold a total of 629,000 copies in the United States. It received widespread acclaim from critics, some of whom named it one of the best albums of 2011. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2012 ceremony, while the song "Holocene" was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Excerp...

"Secrets" by Toni Braxton album cover The next album retrospective is " Secrets " by Toni Braxton. On Thursday 18th June 2026, this album turned thirty (30) years old. Secrets is the second studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on June 18, 1996, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards. Secrets has been certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies. In support of the album, Braxton embarked on the Secrets Tour, playing dates in North America and Europe from August 1996 to October 1997. The album's first song "Come On Over Here" is a "finger-poppingly upbeat", sultry groove track produced by Tony Rich. It was described as "a neo-Motown composition". The second track and lead single, the airily funky "You're Makin' Me High", was produced by B...

"Sparkle" by Aretha Franklin album cover The next album retrospective is " Sparkle " by Aretha Franklin. On Monday 1st June 2026, this album turned fifty (50) years old. Music from the Warner Bros. Picture "Sparkle" is a soundtrack album and twenty-fourth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, written and produced by Curtis Mayfield. Released on June 1, 1976, the disc is the soundtrack album for the 1976 Warner Bros. motion picture Sparkle, starring Irene Cara. The songs on the soundtrack feature the instrumental tracks and backing vocals from the film versions, with Franklin's voice taking the place of the original lead vocalists. This album returned Franklin to Gold status after two low-selling albums With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) and You (1975). The first single release, "Something He Can Feel", was a No. 1 R&B hit for her and reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it was Aretha's only pop Top 40 hit duri...

Welcome back to Battle ⚔️ (Whose Song Is Better?) There is an infamous social media saying which goes "Don't put two bad bitches against each other." Yet, I am going to be doing exactly that and no one can stop me!  Additionally, Who Wore It Better is a popular activity among fashion lovers who criticize two or more celebrities who wore the same or similar article of clothing and selecting which one they preferred. I will be putting my own unique twist on the trend because this is not a fashion blog.  Every month or whenever I see fit, I will select two or more songs with the same or similar titles from different artist to compete against each other in a knockout battle. Different aspects of the songs such as vocals, production, lyrics etc. will be compared and a winner will be chosen. Our next battle is between Brandy and Ne-Yo! Both R&B icons will be duking it out to see who has the better song titled " So Sick ". Here are the songs to refresh your memory...

Here are the top 10 songs I listened to the most for the week starting on the 31st May to the 6th June, 2026. 1. Ain't That Deep by Tank and The Bangas (24 ▶️) 2. Can You Stop the Rain by Peabo Bryson  (23 ▶️) 3. Where Have You Been by Rihanna  (22 ▶️) 4. So Gone by Monica  (21 ▶️) 5. Adore by Prince   (22 ▶️) 6. Sauna by Jessie Ware  (20 ▶️) 7.   Let Me Believe by Shoshana Bean & Pink  (16 ▶️) 8. You & I (Nobody in the World) by John Legend   (15 ▶️) 9.  Move by Tank and The Bangas featuring Lucky Daye (13 ▶️) 10. The Needle by Dr. Ring Ding  (11 ▶️) What have you been listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

"Big Mama" by Latto album cover Bad bitch I could be your fantasy I can tell you got big dick energy It ain't too many niggas that can handle me But I might let you try it off the Hennessy Make 'em sang to this pussy like a melody And if your bitch ain't right I got the remedy It ain't too many niggas that can handle me Bad bitch I could be your fantasy Got that real big energy Lyrics taken from  Latto - Big Energy Lyrics I AZLyrics.com Honestly, this song is the only information I have about Latto and her artistry. Here is the thing: I know of Latto and can recognize her talent yet I never connected to her album for no specific reason. However, it is 2026 and I run a music blog where I try to cover as many different types of music regardless of my personal taste and try to be as objective as possible. So with that being said let us see what Latto has ins tore for us with her fourth studio album titled "Big Mama". Here's my review of each track o...

"U, Me & My Ego" by Chxrry album cover Here is another album review brought to you via an interesting album cover. 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 an artist I knew nothing about that had a captivating album cover. So, as you know by now I had to give the album a listen which leads to a review on the blog. The new artist whose album cover art piqued my interest is Chxrry . Chxrry (pronounced “Cherry”), is a Toronto-bred R&B artist of Ethiopian prxncess descent whose voice went viral in 2017 from her bedroom — and never looked back. She became the first woman signed to The Weeknd’s XO Records, a full-circle moment given that both are Scarborough-raised with Ethiopian roots. Sharp lyrics, ethereal delivery, and an unapologetic point of view define her sound — equal parts vulnerability and edge. After her debut EP The Other Side put her on the map,...

"Songs in A Minor" by Alicia Keys album cover The next album retrospective is " Songs in A Minor " by Alicia Keys. On Friday 26th June 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old. Songs in A Minor is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released on June 26, 2001, by J Records. A classically trained pianist, Keys wrote, arranged and produced the majority of the album herself, though she frequently worked with her then-partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. The efforts resulted in a neo soul record fusing contemporary classical music with R&B, soul, and jazz, alongside influences of hip-hop, blues, and gospel. Its lyrics focus on themes of love, perseverance, self-worth, survival, and introspection. Despite the album's title, only two of its tracks are composed in the key of A minor. Keys began writing songs for her debut studio album in 1995, aged 14, before signing a record deal with Columbia Records in 1996. D...

"The Life" by Ginuwine album cover The next album retrospective is " The Life " by Ginuwine. On Friday 3rd April 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old.  The Life is the third studio album from American R&B singer Ginuwine. It was released by Epic Records on April 3, 2001 in the United States. Produced by a variety of collaborators, including Khris Kellow, Troy Oliver, Cory Rooney, Raphael Saadiq, Dan Shea, and Ric Wake, the album marked a breakaway for the singer whose previous two albums Ginuwine... the Bachelor (1996) and 100% Ginuwine (1999) had been largely produced by Timbaland, who contribued one song, "That's How I Get Down," to The Life only. The album earned generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom felt that Timbaland was missing on the album. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 152,000 copies. It was eventually certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association ...

"J.Lo" by Jennifer Lopez album cover The next album retrospective is " J.LO " by Jennifer Lopez. On Friday 16th January 2026, this album turned twenty five (25) years old. J.Lo is the second studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez, released on January 16, 2001, by Epic Records. Lopez began recording the album in April 2000, enlisting producers such as Cory Rooney, Troy Oliver, Dan Shea and Sean Combs, all of whom she had worked with on her debut album On the 6 (1999). The album's title refers to the nickname given to her by fans, with Lopez describing it as an homage to her supporters. Drawing from her own experiences, Lopez included more personal songs on this album, which deals with themes of relationships, female empowerment and sex. J.Lo is a primarily dance-pop, Latin and R&B record which encompasses Latin pop, retro and contemporary pop. J.Lo received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who criticized its manufactured sound, while praisi...

Welcome back to Battle ⚔️ (Whose Song Is Better?) There is an infamous social media saying which goes "Don't put two bad bitches against each other." Yet, I am going to be doing exactly that and no one can stop me!  Additionally, Who Wore It Better is a popular activity among fashion lovers who criticize two or more celebrities who wore the same or similar article of clothing and selecting which one they preferred. I will be putting my own unique twist on the trend because this is not a fashion blog.  Every month or whenever I see fit, I will select two or more songs with the same or similar titles from different artist to compete against each other in a knockout battle. Different aspects of the songs such as vocals, production, lyrics etc. will be compared and a winner will be chosen. Our next battle is between Monica   and Jill Scott! Both songstresses will be duking it out to see who has the better song titled " So Gone ". Here are the songs to refresh your m...

Iconic singer and songwriter Peabo Bryson has died at the age of 75. Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson was an American singer and songwriter. After collaborating with singers Luther Vandross and Cissy Houston on his debut album Peabo (1976), he signed to Capitol Records and released the 1978 albums Reaching for the Sky and Crosswinds, which were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He later released the collaborative projects We're the Best of Friends (1979) with Natalie Cole and Born to Love (1983) with Roberta Flack, the latter of which included the hit single "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love". In 1984, he signed to Elektra Records and released the single "If Ever You're in My Arms Again", which spent several weeks atop the adult contemporary chart. During this period, he earned several top ten albums on the U.S. Billboard R&B albums chart, with Can You Stop the Rain (1991) topping the chart. Bryson also contributed ...