By Jad Abukoush
In the past few weeks, a wave of music artists, including names like Drake, Laufey and the up-and-coming Lil Tecca, have either dropped new albums or have plans to release them very soon for their audiences. Among them, the highly anticipated album "TEC" by renowned rapper Lil Tecca was finally unveiled on Friday, September 22. This LP contains a collection of 16 tracks, featuring notable collaborations with Kodak Black on "HVN ON EARTH" and Ken Carson on "Fell In Love." This far, the album has amassed over 40,000 units in its debut week alone.
Lil Tecca himself would describe his project "TEC" as a compilation of what makes him unique. He acknowledges that his fans appreciate his versatility, which spans from dancehall beats to introspective melodies, making his album something that offers a diverse range of musical experiences for listeners.
“When I first listened to it, it brought tears to my eyes,” senior Shann Ramadan said. “Every single song transition was flawless; I’d call this album of the year, possibly the best album Lil Tecca has released so far.”
In contrast, Mitski's album “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” dives into themes of love and the desire to leave a lasting impact on those around you after one's inevitable passing. Her relatable lyrics resonate deeply with listeners and provide a platform for emotional expression for them.
Shifting focus from Mitski's album, which explores themes of love, to a contrasting note in the music world with Drake's unexpected decision to postpone the release of his highly anticipated album "For All the Dogs" to October 6, a full two weeks later than the initial September 22 date, this strategic move was driven by the need to accommodate his ongoing tour and ensure the album's quality reached its peak. The delay stirred disappointment among many fans, who eagerly expressed their anticipation for the album's arrival.
Artwork by Izzy Chu
Drake, Mitski, and Laufey have all recently released or have plans to release a new album.
“I'm genuinely disappointed. 'Slime You Out' was a fantastic song, even if it was just a SZA feature,” senior Anthony Ozoria said, before the release of Drake’s newest album. “I'm looking forward to experiencing the rest of the album.”
"Drake’s new album isn’t the best but I still enjoyed a few songs on it such as 'First Person Shooter,'” senior Vincent Jiang said.
On a broader scale, the Billboard Hot 100 chart currently features several tracks from mainstream artists, including Taylor Swift, Travis Scott, Rod Wave and more. These songs have climbed the ranks largely due to their recent releases and highly anticipated albums, such as "FE!N" by Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti and "Paint the Town Red" by Doja Cat. However, a significant portion of these tracks owe their popularity to viral trends on platforms like TikTok, which makes many fans feel that these tracks are unjustly ranked higher opposed to other songs which didn’t benefit from these viral trends.
“I believe Travis Scott’s Utopia album should be placed higher up, and the TikTok trending songs shouldn’t be as high since they are getting a ton of plays through TikTok even though it isn’t a popular song being played on the radio or on playlists," sophomore Mason Berardelli said.
The recent music scene has been marked by a wave of artist activity, with notable releases from Lil Tecca, Mitski and Drake. These diverse albums continue to captivate audiences and leave many discussing the impact of their work on the music industry.