The Pains of Growing is a troubled album, representative of the negative impact major labels can have on the artistry of new and promising singer-songwriters.

It’s been over three years since we were introduced to Alessia Cara with her hit-single ‘Here.’ ‘Here’ painted Cara as mainstream pop’s introverted outsider; someone who didn’t see themselves as adhering to the sonic and thematic traditions of pop music. However, her first studio album, 

, approached the realm of a wannabe-Lorde, with watered-down melodies and desaturated production. It definitely seems as if Cara got caught up in the Def Jam machine and became the latest example of a major label crushing a promising new artist’s individuality and uniqueness. Alessia Cara’s sophomore album, 

, is aptly titled: a coming of age story reflecting her artistic maturation. She hasn’t completely matured yet, but she’s growing.

shows a much wider range of musical diversity than 

, including traditional pop anthems like ‘Not Today,’ the Amy Winehouse-esque ‘Comfortable,’ the bouncing pop-reggae ‘Trust My Lonely,’ and the stripped-down guitar of ‘Wherever I Live,’ ‘I Don’t Want To,’ and ‘A Little More.’ In general, including the tracks that are more sonically diverse, the project hovers between mainstream pop and adult alternative, having a sort of identity crisis. Cara’s husky and emotional vocals, as well as her pop-outsider vibe, seem perfectly suited for the modern alternative scene, but Def Jam seems intent on keeping Cara in the pop realm.

This discord is apparent in a lot of places in the album. Heavy bass drowns out the mix on ‘Not Today,’ and although there are some places percussion adds to the song, clunky beats are shoehorned in on ‘Girl Next Door’ and ‘Easier Said.’ The production is best when Cara herself takes the lead, and this is especially apparent on her simpler songs. ‘I Don’t Want To,’ ‘Wherever I Live,’ ‘A Little More,’ and ‘Out of Love’ all keep production simple and highlight Cara’s beautiful vocals.

Lyricism on this project is hit or miss. On ‘Nintendo Game,’ a clichéd comparison of love to video games, Cara clumsily references Zelda and the Mario Kart track ‘Rainbow Road.’ The punchlines are corny and forced and fail to register with the rest of the track. The use of “lonely” as a noun on ‘Trust My Lonely’ might only offend the most uptight of grammar snobs, but repetitive lyrics and overdone post-breakup themes are tedious. However, Cara also shows that she can be lyrically compelling, putting a new spin on the lonely, on-the-road ballad with ‘Wherever I Live.’ Cara cleverly details the struggle of living hotel to hotel: “and this toilet’s rusted / food came, but I don’t trust it.” On ‘7 Days,’ Cara compares the world to a TV show and asks God if creating the world was “worth the seven days.” The metaphor, although not entirely original, sees new ground when mixed with Cara’s cynicism and defiance. Finally, on ‘All We Know,’ Cara questions knowledge in today’s complicated media landscape, presenting the semi-Socratic conclusion that “all we know is that we don’t.”

 is a troubled album, representative of the negative impact major labels can have on the artistry of new and promising singer-songwriters. Cara saves the project from being a complete disaster with intimate and powerful vocals, and occasionally clever and moving lyricism. However, if Def Jam wants Cara to continue to develop and reach her full potential, they need to loosen the reigns and let her feel out her own path.

Alessia Cara faces major label pressures on ‘The Pains Of Growing’

Oxnard succeeds on all fronts — clean production, energetic vocals, complex songwriting, and eclectic sonic variety. .

 artistic vision is clearer than ever and he seems more comfortable combining the different aspects of his personality.

 is the latest in the rapper/singer/drummer/producer’s road trip along the coast of California. The polymath, neo-soul king, and protégé of legendary Compton producer, Dr. Dre, delivers a complex and layered album. 

boasts exhilarating verses, beat-switches, hard-hitting baselines, and expert production from the Doctor himself. While .Paak builds off of his previous success on the Grammy-award nominated 

 shows more focus, creativity, and forethought. He expertly balances the different aspects of his identity, showcasing his sexuality, political views, cultural commentary, and humor.

.Paak commences the latest leg of his California road trip with ‘The Chase,’ featuring honey-smooth and haunting vocals from Kadhja Bonet. The track sets the tone for the rest of the album, contrasting .Paak’s more serious lyrics on learning from past mistakes with upbeat drums and bass. The next track, ‘Headlow,’ furthers this contrast, as .Paak boasts about his sexual conquests and finishes by paying homage to 90’s hip-hop with a comedic skit.

Another standout aspect of Oxnard is .Paak’s strategic use of features. In ‘Tints’ and ‘Trippy,’ Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole deliver powerful closing verses that tie up each track’s thematic elements. On ‘Brother’s Keeper,’ .Paak builds up to Pusha T’s verse with a wave of toms and a lilting choir. Pusha is electric, rapping about his relationship with his brother and moving on from their time together as the rap duo Clipse. .Paak also gives mic time to hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Q-Tip. Q-Tip’s feature, ‘Cheers,’ is an especially powerful tribute to the late Mac Miller and Phife Dawg.

While Oxnard still contains .Paak’s good-natured flirting on several tracks, the artist takes time to pen an open letter to the nation on ‘6 Summers,’ pleading for an end to gun-violence, speaking on gun-law reform, school shootings, and inner-city violence. In what might also be a statement supporting the decriminalization of marijuana, .Paak asks his audience to “put down [their] heat and smoke marijuanas.” On the same track, .Paak also criticizes rappers participating in twitter beefs and preaches unity. On the next track, ‘Saviers Road,’ .Paak raps about a lack of faith in the black community and again preaches unity. .Paak’s verses are even more impactful as he talks about his mother being in prison, pleading “God, if you existin’, help my momma get acquitted.”

.Paak is purposeful in his use of different layers to his music, constantly stripping and adding sonic elements and keeping listeners on their toes. .Paak’s layering also extends to his lyrics, exemplified by his metaphorical representation of the nation as an abusive lover on ‘Smile/Petty.’ .Paak accompanies this lyrical maturation with the best rapping of his career, demonstrating impressive technical ability and confidence on ‘Brother’s Keeper’ and ‘Mansa Musa.’

Overall, Oxnard succeeds on all fronts — clean production, energetic vocals, complex songwriting, and eclectic sonic variety. .Paak’s artistic vision is clearer than ever and he seems more comfortable combining the different aspects of his personality. All of this is supported by Dr. Dre’s production and outstanding performances by the album’s features. Oxnard may be the third leg of .Paak’s California road trip, but it stands strong on its own as an addicting journey through Anderson .Paak’s perspective on his hometown, pop-rap culture, and the current state of our nation.

Anderson .Paak demonstrates newfound comfort on ‘Oxnard’

represents an impressive evolution for the veteran producer doesn’t mean he won’t fall victim to some of his less favorable tendencies.

and Swizz Beatz is back. Combining sharp production with top-notch performances from top-notch performers, 

is a journey start to finish. Aided by J. Cole as executive producer, Swizz goes enormous lengths to highlight the unique skill sets of each of his features, all the while leveraging his status as one of hip-hop’s premier hype-men. But 

doesn’t let itself be limited by Beatz’s past discography: it treads new ground, blending storytelling, nostalgic boom-bap, and more modern melodic elements with Beatz’s simple, but enthusiastic hooks.

Starting with the intro, Swizz proves he’s not playing around. The album opens with a chilling poem, read beautifully by Áine Zion(a British poet and musician) over interweaving violins, followed by a triumphant orchestral finale. The album then dives straight into the deep end, with Swizz setting Lil’ Wayne loose over infectious boom-bap and icy piano on ‘Pistol On My Side.’ This track is the perfect example of Swizz ability to temper his production to suit his featured artist, which he uses generously on 

. Whether it’s highlighting Nas and Pusha T’s brutal and emotional storytelling on ‘Echo’ and ‘Cold Blooded,’ 2 Chainz’s aggressive flexing on ‘Stunt’, or surprisingly, Young Thug’s skillful flow changes on ‘25 Soldiers.’

represents an impressive evolution for the veteran producer doesn’t mean he won’t fall victim to some of his less favorable tendencies. Although it’s his album, Swizz is at his best when his vocal contributions are reduced to ad-libs and at most, a very simple hook. Generally, he does a good job of keeping this in mind, but on tracks like ‘Come Again’ with Giggs, and ‘SWIZZMONTANA,’ Swizz is a little too involved. Even on the tracks with Nas, Pusha T, and Young Thug, there is too much from Swizz. But perhaps the biggest mistake on 

is putting Kendrick Lamar (a Pulitzer prize winner!) on ‘Something Dirty / Pic Got Us,’ and not giving him a verse! Instead, Swizz let’s Styles P. and Jadakiss ramble over the beat, relegating Kendrick to chorus duty. Regardless, Swizz’s production is great, balancing the bite of nostalgic boom-bap with his more modern club hip-hop influences. This coupled with some outstanding performances from elite MC’s makes 

an enormous success, in spite of a couple weaker points.

is the one-shot return of one of hip-hop’s old guard, Swizz has made it clear he’s here to stay. Swizz claims he has recorded over 70 songs and plans to release 

. Swizz might have missed the mark on a couple tracks, but if he continues to highlight the strengths of his features and evolve his eclectic fusion of nostalgia and modern hip-hop, he’ll have no shortage of fans.

Swizz Beatz proves he’s here to stay with ‘Poison’

Joji leans further into his dark emotional grit than ever before, distancing himself from the immature satire of his past.

George Miller has quite the eclectic resume. He is credited with starting the viral internet dance craze, the “Harlem Shake,” in 2012. He became a Youtube sensation under the name “Filthy Frank,” amassing millions of subscribers and a dedicated online community. He released two mixtapes under the alias Pink Guy, filled with satirical, often disturbing music. But most recently, Miller has gained an increasing amount of traction under the stage-name Joji, releasing more serious R&B records with the label 88rising. It’s hard to come to terms with Joji’s most recent project, 

in relation to the greater body of Miller’s work. However, once you’ve separated the man from the artist, it’s easy to become enthralled with Joji’s carefully crafted aesthetic, and addicting lo-fi production. 

shows how much Joji has grown since his previous project, 

 He doubles down on the same self-deprecating and gut-wrenching lyricism, highly textured ambient soundscapes, and distorted vocals and instrumentals. He seems dedicated to retaining a high degree of sonic cohesiveness; however, this time Joji does a better job of avoiding the often repetitive, one note, song-writing that crippled much of 

Yes, he still has stereotypical, sad-boy R&B on tracks like ‘ATTENTION’ and ‘YEAH RIGHT,’ but he balances this with sonically lighter tracks like ‘CAN’T GET OVER YOU’ and the intoxicating ‘NO FUN.’

The real star of the album, however, is the genre-transcendent ‘SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK,’ which is, without a doubt, the best song on the album. Joji’s music has never hit harder than his transition between dreamy synth arpeggios to belting the chorus at the top of his lungs, assisted by a wave of synths. Try listening to it without having a shiver travel down your spine as he hits the chorus. It’s impossible.

But Joji’s excellent production, songwriting, and lyricism in this track make others feel underdeveloped. For example, ‘WHY AM I STILL IN LA’ starts with an intriguing evolution from filtered falsetto and bells to a heavy bass line and crazy distorted guitar riff, but it really doesn’t go anywhere past that. The song feels unfinished, and I really wish there was more to it. Again, on the final track, ‘SEE YOU IN 40,’ Joji does a great job moving from singing softly over a ukulele, to a more trip-hop influenced second part, but throws everything away when he abruptly fades back to the beginning of the song. The transition comes out of nowhere like he ran out of ideas and just copied the first minute of the song onto the end. It’s a disappointing way to end what was otherwise, a very good album.

Joji isn’t perfect, but when you take the time to look back on how much he has matured as a person and an artist, 

is an impressive album. Joji leans further into his dark emotional grit than ever before, distancing himself from the immature satire of his past, but avoids getting bogged down in the overly formulaic and tedious songwriting that can come with it. In doing so he presents a project that has the just right amount of angst and self-deprecation to be your go-to next time you’re feeling blue. Sure, 

has some misses, but it’s got a hell of a lot more hits.

Joji shows his maturity on ‘Ballads 1’

Yachty has repeatedly said that he is “not a rapper,” but he sure seems like he’s trying to be one.

is here, and he’s got a lot to prove. Yachty may have been at the forefront of the hip-hop scene 2 years ago, but since his collaborations with DRAM on “Broccoli,” and Kyle on “iSpy,” he’s struggled. With his previous two projects, the self-proclaimed “King of Teens” failed to tap into the fervent teenage fan base that propelled him to stardom. On his newest project, there are hints of the Yachty who captured the ears of millions, but he’s still trying to find his way back.

 but he sure seems like he’s trying to be one. Opening his project with “Gimme My Respect,” “Get Dripped,” and “I’m the Mac,” Yachty seems like he is desperately trying to prove himself as a rapper. It doesn’t work. In these songs, his lyrics are subpar, immature, and uncreative. Yachty plays Mad Libs, inserting phrases like “beat from the back,” “slime,” and “ice” whenever he has to fill in a blank. On “I’m the Mac,” Yachty barely does more than mumble “I’m the mac” for two minutes over a simple trap beat.

isn’t the worst, but it takes some time to get to the good stuff. “Yacht Club” gives Juice WRLD a chance to shine, and he vibes well with Yachty. The track bounces lines back and forth between the two artists as they continue to build off of each other. But the real heart of this album is a string of 4 tracks in the middle. On “Worth It,” we hear some of the heavily autotuned vocals that put Yachty on the map, combined with extremely tight production from Javar Rockamore and a surprisingly mature message about body confidence. We see a new side of Yachty on this track; someone who isn’t afraid to subvert the misogyny that, sadly, has become woven into the culture of hip-hop. Rockamore, a young, up-and-coming producer out of Memphis, does well to package the message for Yachty’s audience. He supports Yachty’s vocals with light synth accents, keeping the tone of the track fun, but sincere. Yachty continues his return to form, staying light over grooving hi-hats, and avoiding the monotonous bass that drowned out the first half of the album on “Everything Good, Everything Right” and “Next Up.” Finally, “Forever World” strikes an interesting balance between Trippie Redd’s crooning and Yachty’s grounded melodic rapping.

This is the Yachty the world wants—the one it needs—but Yachty spends too much of the album trying to be someone he’s not. He is an artist who’s here to have fun; an artist who isn’t afraid to go against the grain. An artist who isn’t afraid to take a stand against the toxic masculinity in hip-hop. An artist who doesn’t care if the world thinks he’s “hard” enough to be a rapper. An artist who is a little bit weird, and okay with it. That’s the Yachty the world’s teens fell in love with.

Yachty has failed to recapture the joy and enthusiasm that led to his stardom in the first place. No one liked Yachty because he was a hardcore rapper; people liked him because he didn’t take himself too seriously. His care-free attitude is what made his music unique. But he is in danger of losing this by trying to hide behind a list of features that include some of modern hip-hop’s biggest stars. If Lil Yachty wants to regain the adoration of his teenage fans around the world, he needs to go back to doing his own thing.

Connor Friday