March Music Madness

By Maya Mackey

Next Year’s Grammy Awards are shaping up to be pretty competitive based off of the albums and songs that have dropped this month alone! Between “King Kenny” coming back for blood and Beyonce getting ready to take us to the Rodeo on Cowboy Carter, we are being well fed this year!  Here’s my review and hot takes on the music we’ve received thus far.

They’re BACK and they’re not messing around

Cardi B – ★★★★ ☆

She’s getting better and betterer! Truly. Known for her authenticity above all else, Belcalis Almenzar (Cardi B) has always told the truth about who she is, where she’s from and how she thinks. Enough (Miami) is “more of the same” yet polished. 

This is the power anthem of a woman who has come to terms with her success, who knows how to play to her strengths and yet still puts in the work to improve her skills. What takes the song into overdrive is her commitment to wit! Cardi’s wordplay and knowledge of pop culture should not be underestimated! Cardi B also dropped Punteria with Shakira and Like That this month as well as being on the Never Lose Me remix with Flo Milli. Hopefully, her sophomore album is closer than we think. 

Kendrick Lamar – ★★★★★

It was the diss heard ‘round the world… again! King Kenny is still disgusted with the rap game. To everyone’s surprise in 2013, Kendrick, unprovoked, took jabs at Drake, J. Cole, Wale, A$AP Rocky, Meek Mill and Big Sean (to name a few). He said “while he has love for [them],” they ultimately won’t be named in the conversation of Rap Greats. And well, he’s still not over it.

 Last Thursday night, again, completely unprovoked, Kendrick came back for round two on “Like That,” a surprise collab on Future and Metro Boomin’s new album. Kendrick declared once again that Drake and J. Cole do not belong in the rap  G.O.A.T. conversation, denouncing existence of “The big 3, it’s just big me,” and “Prince outlived Mike Jack” – a stab at Drake who compares his Billboard Chart success to Michael Jackson. 

 Kendrick lit Twitter/X on fire for a full 48 hours. War has been declared amongst Drake, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar fans. And now we wait for a response from the other two. And while a diss track is not made to go commercial, the fact that I heard it played during a Clippers game at the Crypto.com Arena speaks volumes!! Kendrick is too good at invoking chaos. It’s the Gemini in him. But when you’re exceptional at what you do? I’ll allow it. All hail to the king!

Veterans searching for Variety

-Justin Timberlake – Everything I Thought It Was ★★★☆☆

Everything I Thought it Was was nothing I thought it would be. This album, too, caught me by surprise. I had no idea Justin Timberlake was making a return but I’m g,mental as all his albums before, yet failed to land with his fans who are more used to a slick R&B sound from the former Mouseketeer. 

Everything I Thought It Was (released March 15, 2024) is a nod back to his past with reflections on how fame impacted him and his relationships and the regrets Justin has because of it. This is not a perfect album – it’s far too long and a lot of  sounds get repetitive, but Justin’s legacy will always be his fearlessness around experimentation and innovation when it comes to blending R&B, pop and whatever else he feels like throwing in the pot. The shining star of the album is his voice. Timberlake takes good care of his instrument and it shows! 

The standout tracks:  What Lovers Do, Technicolor, Play, Sanctified.

Who this album is for: JT fans, his “uncles and aunties”

Cementing her Stay

Flo Milli- Fine Ho, Stay

I don’t think I’ve heard a female MC as skillfully cartoonish and innovative as Flo Milli since Missy Elliot was putting out consistent work.  Flo Milli knows she’s different and makes no apologies for it. Much of this album has a real angsty feel to it with vulnerable lyrics but she still knows how to pack a punch when it’s time to flex. Each track transitions to the next effortlessly and it’s clear Flo Milli writes as well as she narrates. This rap girl is here to stay, mark my words. 

Who this album is for: “Alternative” Black girls, “Anime Blacks”, fans of Missy Elliot and Tierra Whack, fans of The City Girls

Stand out Tracks: NEVA, Never Lose Me (feat SZA and Cardi B), Can’t Stay Mad

Welcome Aboard

Tyla – Tyla ★★★★★

An airy fairy from South Africa, this  22 year-old is surprisingly self aware and wise about relationships. She spends her debut album questioning her lovers’ integrity, intentions and admitting she knows she’d be safer running rather than giving more of herself to this relationship. 

This is particularly addressed on No. 1, where she declares, “I’ve got to put me number 1, no compromising.” We love a queen that prioritizes self care. Her sweet voice over hard Afrobeats make for a delectable ride. Welcome to Hollywood, baby!

Who this album is for: pop music fans, college girls, Afrobeats fans, people on a self-care journey

Stand Out Tracks: Safer, No.1 (featuring Tems),  Breathe Me,  Jump (feat Gunna & Skillibeng)

*Note: additional albums that dropped but weren’t covered in this article include Eternal Sunshine (Ariana Grande), Deeper Well (Kasey Musgraves), World Wide Whack(Tierra Whack), Las Mujeres Ya No LLoran (Shakira), and Symptom of life (Willow)