OUR FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2018 (SO FAR) – PART I
Diary 001 – Clairo
Claire Cottrill began to make music at the young age of 13, recording herself making covers of (sometimes) cliché and quintessential teenage anthems. In 2017, Cottrill uploaded her video for “Pretty Girl” onto Youtube, and Claire quickly transformed into Clairo as her video and song went viral, garnering millions of views. Clairo, 19, and her music befittingly embody her generation: the story of her adolescence – beginning with the sweetly naive covers at 13 to her first viral music video – is documented almost exclusively on the internet.
The video for “Pretty Girl” is raw, unfiltered, and astoundingly genuine. Clairo sits in her dorm room in front of her laptop camera, hair greasy, in a sweatshirt, with headphones in, and she sings along to the song that she made herself in that very room. The sheer playfulness and tenderness of the video is compelling and intoxicating; the video now has over 17 million views on Youtube.
Diary 001 proves to the world that Clairo is not a one-hit-wonder camping out in her dorm room. Each track explores adolescent infatuation. The keyboard and drums dominate throughout the album as Clairo’s vocals remain composed and delicate. Clairo makes music sound and feel so easy and organic, but her first comprehensive project reveals that she has mastered the craft of the seemingly carefree.
Nasty – Rico Nasty
Recently signed to Atlantic Records, Rico Nasty embraces the fluidity of her personality through her music. First is Tacobella, Rico’s more emotional and bashful self. Then there is Trap Levigne, where Rico embraces the hard, the aggressive, and the unrestrained. She embraces duality, and celebrates her own adaptability in Nasty. Tacobella,
Listen to the fourth track, “In the Air” featuring BlocBoy JB, and then jump to track 11, “Why Oh Why.” Both are undeniably powerful in Rico Nasty style, yet each has its own distinct flavor. “In the Air” is hard, aggressive, and in-your-face, while “Why Oh Why” embraces the softer, more inhibited side of Rico. Of course, it is still a trap-inflused track, but it is a song of personal growth and introspection. It is rare we see this sweeter side of Rico, and “Why Oh Why” leaves us wanting to taste more.
The album exudes confidence: her raps, delivered with menace and finesse, demand attention and respect, and we are ready to give it to her. Each song is its own scene of exploding fireworks, yet Rico Nasty’s flame refuses to be put out. With Nasty, Rico Nasty achieves she can master both the Sour and the Sweet.
Conexão EP – Amber Mark
Amber Mark’s EP is only 4 songs deep and each track is brimming with richness and vitality. The EP tells a familiar story of love from butterflies to heartbreak, but the 24-year old uses her soft, mystical, yet bold vocals and lyrical panache to make the narrative feel new.
Amber Mark first stepped onto the music scene two years ago when she published her first song “S P A C E” on SoundCloud, with high hopes of her dream-pop meets R&B sound being recognized. Pieces fell into place, Mark began collaborating with successful producers and other artists, and she never looked back.
On the Conexão EP, which stands for “connection,” Amber Mark’s track “Love is Stronger Than Pride” takes the cake. The rhythm is unexpected; her vocals are, at the same time, vulnerable and determined; the lyrics tell a tale of forgiveness and resilience.
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