Thank you for proving me right, Doja Cat. I said you deserved to be headlining Coachella two years ago. This year, you brought a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to your headlining set. Bless you, you demented genius. You are the best.
The final day of Coachella 2024 was a bit thinner on must-see artists; while there was still plenty to do and see, there was also enough time to wander and explore between the priority sets. So, rather than rushing around from tent to tent and stage to stage, there was time to poke around, try new things, and make a few observations. For instance:
Philip Cosores
Call me biased, but there is no better backing band in music than a churchy-ass Black band. They have the power to uplift pop singers like Reneé Rapp, who we caught in the late afternoon, and to elevate R&B stars like Victoria Monét to transcendent performances. Monét – who also incorporated soul and R&B staples like The Supremes’ “Stop! In The Name Of Love” and Usher’s “There Goes My Baby” and rap breakouts like Sexyy Red’s “Get It Sexyy” into her early evening set – proved every bit to be a star worthy of even better placement upon her inevitable return to Coachella. And speaking of “Get It Sexyy,” while the St. Louis rapper wasn’t on the bill, her presence was felt at practically every DJ set and activation… Sexyy Red is out. Of. Here.
Philip Cosores
One place her impact was felt was GV Black’s Party In My Living Room activation. An initiative from Coachella promoters Goldenvoice, GV Black aims to promote equity and inclusion at the festival, living up to all those promises brands made back in 2020. It partnered with Inglewood rapper Thurz and his long-running party promotion to present DJ sets from both unexpected names like “Billie Eilish” rapper Armani Black and local LA mainstay DJ R-Tistic. One of the upsides of Sunday being a bit more laid back was getting to pull up on friends here and spend an hour two-stepping to club faves in a fun atmosphere out of the sun and wind.
It also gave the Uproxx team more time to wander and try new food options. While the team typically has faves that we frequent year after year, there, there are still so many other options that it’s worth trying out something new. This year, it was Big Belly Burger, which offered an Impossible version of its signature smash burger. And hallelujah, we may have found a new favorite. With a unique, light sweetness to its spread, Big Belly may even have overthrown some of our usuals.
Philip Cosores
After a calm and cool set from psychedelic funk rockers Khruangbin, Colombian Latin artist J Balvin put on a stellar show at the main stage, complete with an early appearance by Tainy, a surprisingly on-theme surprise pop-in by Will Smith, and an alien invasion storyline straight out of a 1950s B-movie. (Between Balvin, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘70s thriller set up on Friday, and Tyler The Creator’s own flying saucer on Saturday, they’ve got one hell of a weekend matinee triple feature.)
Philip Cosores
Manwhile, Lil Yachty completely revamped his set from Camp Flog Gnaw in November, tapping into his career beginnings with a big reference to his nickname, Lil Boat, starting the show from the prow of a ship onstage. However, despite what might have been a throwback to his early days, his setlist stuck to the more recent, rock-focused Let’s Start Here and even tapped an indie reference point: multi-instrumentalist Mac DeMarco, who performed two songs, “On The Level” and “Chamber Of Reflection.” Still, Yachty was sure to hit maintstays like “Minnesota” and “Broccoli,” making his set one of the most sastisfying yet.
Now, remember what I said about bands? Doja Cat’s stunning headlining set not only incorporated that signature vamping but took things a step further with a five-part harmony from a South African vocal group, The Joy, paying homage to her roots. Once again, a set was enhanced by understated innovations like a spider cam swooping over the audience and a high-concept, post-apocalyptic sci-fi setup.
Philip Cosores
While Doja’s set did not incorporate a storyline per se, it did a great job of actualizing the things that have been on her mind lately. The eye-popping visuals addressed the public’s preoccupation with her hair, her tattoos, and her heritage; hence, backup dancers draped in Wookie-like wig costumes, South African vocal groups singing in Zulu, and yes, a massive T-Rex skeleton traipsing along her catwalk, aided by a team of puppeteers.
Doja Cat, like Lana Del Rey, Tyler The Creator, J Balvin, and a slew of other artists to rock the stage, showed the potential still remaining to be wrought from the platform provided by Coachella. What she – and they – demonstrated was that it doesn’t take flashy streaming numbers or worldwide name recognition, so much as the imagination to prove that they belong. There’s a whole generation of new stars waiting to be minted, and Coachella gives them the opportunity to make their case – which Doja Cat did with her signature wit and weirdness.
However the flip side of that is you will occasionally be forced to make choices. I had to contend with this obstacle more than once on Saturday, choosing between acts of both similar genres (future-of-R&B girls RAYE and Thuy, booked against each other in adjacent, overflowing tents) and ones that ostensibly have little in common (rap&B vanguard Blxst on the Outdoor Theatre stage vs. Sublime’s main stage Coachella debut with Jakob Nowell, the late founder Bradley Nowell’s son). The imperfection solution? To only catch a fraction of each, missing out on the signature hits in some cases.
Philip Cosores
There were also sets that had to be foregone entirely, like T-Pain’s slammed set at the redesigned Heineken House activation or Billie Eilish’s Billie & Friends set at DoLab. These minor stresses were more frustrating because they were absolutely avoidable. These are the sorts of moments you reserve for the big stages, with counter-programming of equally desirable acts all across the festival to prevent overcrowding, but as third-party activations responsible for their own bookings, they apparently underestimated the response either would have
Philip Cosores
T-Pain is as hot as he’s ever been, bouncing back from a career nadir that saw him become little more than a novelty act. And Billie Eilish JUST headlined the fest two years ago. Just because she wasn’t technically performing doesn’t mean any mention of her appearing wouldn’t equal a stampede (there is probably a conversation to be had about the very weird need to just share space with celebs, even when they are not doing the things for which they’re best known, but I’m not going to have it here. At least Billie let her fans listen to some brand new material, which hopefully made the intense situation worth it).
But ultimately, these really were minor problems in the grand scheme of things – and decent ones to have, insomuch as that can be true. You WANT excitement at the biggest festivals, and these were certainly moments that generated plenty of it. Likewise, every act my editor and I caught on day two brought exactly the right sort of energy to what will be the brightest spotlight for many of them.
Philip Cosores
From RAYE employing a 19-piece band to Blxst blowing out his late afternoon set, it seemed everyone was crystal clear that Coachella still constitutes a huge opportunity for any artist’s career, no matter what snarky commentators on Twitter may pretend for the amusement of their followers. Even the Billie & Friends and T-Pain sets, as cramped as they got once the word spread, created the sort of moments Coachella is famous for – and will continue to be famous for, apparently.
Here’s another prediction: Ice Spice will almost certainly headline Coachella in the near future if her trajectory continues. Phil, my editor, joked that going to the Sahara tent from other side of the polo grounds might as well be an actual trek to the Sahara (“pack a bag,” he said), but many braved the journey for Ice’s 8 o’clock set, looking for all the world like a human sandstorm stirred by the blustery desert winds on its way to take in the TikTok phenom. Again, this was despite social chatter that’d suggest that she shouldn’t even have been booked for the tiny Sonora tent (someone should do a study on the sheer bitterness of the remaining denizens of Elon Musk’s latest money suck).
Philip Cosores
The people danced. They rapped. Every word. Her mic was ON. She had immaculate breath control. Her set design, consisting of inflatable subway trains and a giant Ice Spice head, built a world. She is what hip-hop has needed all this time. Stop hating.
Philip Cosores
Speaking of mics being on, Gwen Stefani ‘s mic certainly was during her reunion with No Doubt, a moment she divulged she thought would “never happen.” Whether or not they actually thought that their reunion was truly an impossibility, they showed no signs of rust, providing the near-universal draw that brought the same (presumed) Sublime millennials together with the (presumed) Billie Eilish zoomers in an astonishing assemblage that didn’t have any competition for either – unless you count Coi Leray, who proved more than up to the challenge as she played the Mojave tent opposite the genre-bending Gen X rockers.
Philip Cosores
Another rapper I was surprised to discover in that time slot was multicultural lyricist Saint Levant. Hailing from Jerusalem, the Palestinian-Algerian rapper came correct with a set that drew from his multiple heritages (he’s also French and Serbian) and included a timely call for peace in Gaza. It’s actually a shame that such an important moment was confined to one of the smaller tents, Gobi, and played against the splashier appearance of No Doubt. There are several poignant metaphors there.
Again, I dipped out on an engaging and fascinating performance full of cultural set pieces and thoughtful statements to check out another artist. While Coi’s set was less politically timely, its energy was impressive. Coi’s choreo was on point, her conditioning was honestly jaw-dropping, and despite the obvious differences between them, she could have given Ice Spice a run for her money when she showed the crowd her twerking skills.
Philip Cosores
As Saturday’s headliner, Tyler The Creator didn’t really have any other acts to contend with, but if he had, he made sure that he would have stolen the show. He shocked fans right at the outset with a high-flying stunt that saw him enter the stage like a human rocket blasting through the side of a camper van. The move immediately set a tone that he somehow maintained through a procession of guests (ASAP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, Donald Glover, and Kali Uchis all joined him onstage to perform their collaborations with him) and a three-act set structure that demonstrated the thought and care he puts into all of his works. From playing the hits to reminding the nostalgic zoomers of his wild Odd Future days with a mini-set of classics in the middle, Tyler showed what a headliner is supposed to be. I hope the whole world takes notes — and that anyone who puts that much care into their Coachella set actually gets the room to be seen.
Coachella is still the best place to discover music that you otherwise wouldn’t or couldn’t. For example: on Friday, the first day of this year’s festival, the handful of hip-hop acts that I saw were mostly by accident (as the hip-hop editor, I would normally prioritize those, right?). But on my editor’s recommendation – and as a function of most of the rap acts being booked at the far-flung Sahara tent – I spent as much time taking in pop and indie acts as I did rappers (a random sighting of Tyler The Creator at Faye Webster notwithstanding).
From the headliner, Lana Del Rey, to artists I had little to no experience with (hi, Chappell Roan!), my experience was younger, more melodic, and hey, let’s face it, whiter than in past years – though still surprisingly diverse. For what it’s worth, Sabrina Carpenter’s late afternoon set brought a level of storytelling that made her unfamiliar music that much easier to engage with.
Philip Cosores
And sets like that of The Beths’ certainly did remind me of adolescent Saturdays spent watching The Adventures Of Pete And Pete on Nickelodeon, while the Deftones kicked me all the way back to my mid-’90s skate rat days. I could feel my nostalgia for that era peaking along with my anticipation for more of that feeling at future sets from No Doubt and Sublime (Beach til I die, y’all).
Philip Cosores
Crowd-wise, you would probably be forgiven for thinking Beyoncé was giving a reprise of her memorable 2018 Beychella performance with all the country-western paraphernalia permeating the crowd. Cowboy hats and boots adorned just about every combination of ‘chella ensembles you could imagine – and a few that left almost nothing to the imagination. Those looks eventually gave way to “baked potato chic” thanks to the insane high winds as the sun fell and folks opted for the warmth of thermal foil blankets over trying to maintain the cute of cutoff shorts and mesh dresses.
Philip Cosores
Of course, there was still plenty of my usual wheelhouse to check out. Lil Uzi Vert took to the big stage like a duck to water, complete with a headset mic like mid-’80s Madonna. They put it to good use with some crowd-pleasing voguing, and while it would have been nice to see a little more world building from Uzi‘s set, they pushed the boundaries of what future rappers could do with the big stage and proved worthy of the primetime set by sheer crowd draw alone; the field in front of the stage was so empty at first, that my editor and I actually remarked on it. Three songs later I couldn’t move more than a couple of inches in any direction. Let that be a lesson to Coachella’s bookers…hip-hop is still a huge draw at the festival, even when it seems absent.
Philip Cosores
The trick to finding it this year was broadening horizons and checking for other cultures. Young Miko, a Puerto Rican rapper brought a surprising update to the traditional New York boom-bap sound, while Bizarrap found tons of space in his EDM-centric set for Latin trap and remixes of Travis Scott classics (and a surprise Shakira appearance). My Spanish isn’t as good as it should be for someone born and raised in Los Angeles county but even if I couldn’t catch every bar, I definitely caught a vibe – and so did the overflowing crowds at both sets.
Philip Cosores
Meanwhile, the award for “Most Dramatic Set” undoubtedly goes to Peso Pluma, who enraptured social media with a seemingly incongruous combination of traditional Banda music and hip-hop-influenced dancing. Bookended by verbal interludes by MORGAN FREAKING FREEMAN, Peso illuminated an oft-overlooked and misunderstood cultural artifact. What is more hip-hop than that?
Philip Cosores
However, if there was a runner-up on that category, I’d be more than happy to give it to Lana Del Rey for pulling up through the crowd on the back of a motorcycle at the head of a line of bikers who rolled in to the sounds of her unreleased song “Jealous Girl” (which is still somehow a hit). She even went all-out with a hologram of herself that ruffled a few unlikely feathers.
Philip Cosores
A lot has been made of whether or not Coachella has fallen off in recent years (it’s a circular discussion, one we’ve heard for the past decade). Friday proved that there’s still plenty of road ahead – and that the festival is still the best place to discover your new favorite music, as long as you keep an open mind.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Only J. Cole would include Gucci Mane in a list of features on the opening track of his new mixtape, Might Delete Later, and then turn him into Big Rube. Like most of J. Cole’s output, how you feel about this probably depends on how you feel about J. Cole, in general.
Personally, I’m sort of mystified by him. As a beneficiary of the Wild West days of the blog era, he’s been unexpectedly successful using a style that, by practically any other metric, should be woefully out-of-style, a quixotic, backward-looking flow harkening to the days when Rawkus Records had backpack rappers overachieving left and right. (This isn’t a slight on Rawkus, by the way. But let’s just say that the rappers who most inspired J. Cole weren’t exactly known for their commercial successes amid the shiny suit era.)
I wouldn’t call Cole a “relic,” but his worshipful, borderline quixotic approach to lyrics-over-everything rap has made him a divisive figure among hip-hop fans. My pet theory is that his connections to Jay-Z and the anything-goes openness of the era into which he made his entry into the public consciousness meant he got way further than perhaps he should have with a style that many fans see as regressive and boring. Certainly, he got further than a whole slew of similarly ’90s-obsessed underground sound revivalists.
This isn’t even a new observation for me. In myKOD review in 2018, I said his fifth studio album “doesn’t hold up when you think about it critically for more than ten seconds.” In my review for its follow-up, The Off Season, I questioned whether his commitment to the craft of rap “leads to a more entertaining product” at the end of the day.
I even wrote a feature in 2021 comparing him to controversial director Zack Snyder — a comparison that has taken on some fascinating dimensions in the wake of the critical panning of Syner’s latest two-part film project, Rebel Moon. The obvious parallel is Cole’s new mixtape, which has drawn attention for its warlike intentions — and Cole’s meek withdrawal thereof in the span of a weekend.
That it was the second project overshadowed by this overblown feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar is telling. Even more so is the microcosm of the project in the example I cited above. I’m unsure who exactly was clamoring for Gucci Mane, Big Guwop, the godfather of trap, to perform Def Poetry spoken word like Dewey Jenkins in The Boondocks. And I hate to fall back on cliché, but I found the effect more soporific than energizing, the way their previous collaboration, “There I Go” with Mike Will Made-It was.
Might Delete Later arrived by surprise as fans awaited word of Cole’s long-promised seventh album, The Fall-Off. He’d previously explained the portentous title as the ultimate answer for his self-questioning after reaching the mountaintop of his success. “I had a real talk with myself… ‘You made it to where you wanted to make it to. Do you wanna keep going or do you just want to chill and go start a family? Do you want to retire right now?’”
Might Delete Later might have been better served with a release date after fans had also received that answer, because its misplacement ahead of The Fall-Off suggests mileage on those metaphorical legs that encourage — or even demand — a little more time on the sidelines. Or maybe even the purchase of a spiffy suit and putting that communications degree to work on a regional cable affiliate (what’s the rap equivalent of a broadcast analyst job? Please, just no more podcasts [shudders]). Cole does what he does here, admirably, but… it doesn’t feel like he’s pushing himself, growing, getting better, or feeling the exhilaration he touted as his goal in Slam‘s profile of him a few years ago.
Even the highest point of the tape, the Dipset-sampling “Ready ’24,’ is a nostalgic nod to Cole’s high-school days, complete with an appearance from an original Diplomat, Cam’ron. It’s a moment designed to invoke the same excitement of The Rock reappearing in the WWE a few months before Wrestlemania, but winds up having a similar effect to that particular stunt; a crowd disappointed that the focus had shifted from the possibility of an electrifying future to a storied but stodgy past. Hip-hop has always been about moving forward; why is J. Cole so obsessed with looking back?
And if he’s going to insist on holding over traditions from rap’s past, why, of all things, does he keep employing rap’s problematic treatment of queerness? In an era in which Cakes Da Killa, Lil Nas X, Saucy Santana, and more can share space and mic time with vanguards like Jack Harlow and Latto, J. Cole’s antitrans punchlines on “Pi” feel like the most cumbersome ball of cobwebs clouding his ambitions of immortality. For someone who wants to sit on the mountaintop, he still seems more cozy in his caves, excavating lyrical gems — and the occasional lump of coal — than surveying the landscape and spreading his wings. J. Cole may not be falling off just yet, but his approach could use a refresh.
Might Delete Later is out now via Dreamville/Interscope.
Music festival season. It’s right up there with the awards season and holiday season for times of the year that Uproxx is excited about. We just launched our music festival preview hub to get you excited about all the events coming to both towns near you and potential travel destinations. But with Coachella this week signifying the proper beginning of the music festival calendar, we’ve created a handy guide with some packing essentials.
Now, we didn’t include the most obvious items like sunscreen and an iPhone charger, but please, be sure to bring all that stuff as well. No, these might be things you think of a little less, that can take an already great experience to the next level. So check out the items on our festival packing guide below, and we’ll see you out there.
Nike Flyfree Sunglasses
Nike
Whether you are going to be at the festival right as the gates open or arriving at sunset as the weather cools, there’s one thing for certain: you’ll need good eyewear. Nike recently launched a line of performance-focused sunglasses, with a range of styles for everyone’s particular needs. We like the Flyfree, pictured above, which are designed for athletes and can withstand the extreme needs that festival goers experience. With dust in the air and the sun beating down, the Nike glasses offer cutting-edge lenses that enhance contrast, reduce glare, and provide pristine vision for any festival condition. Plus, they look great.
While you probably can’t bring your own food and beverages into a music festival, you’ll def need to plan ahead whether you are staying at a hotel or hitting the campgrounds. The ORCA Wanderer 24 is a great companion, with the size and space to hold wine bottles and up to a 24-pack of beer (or soda?). With five colors to choose from, we particularly like the Starboard, which can stand out from the crowd. Also, the leak-proof zipperless design and waterproof lining are ideal for travel, ensuring that your ice doesn’t leak all over your car, tent, or hotel room.
We’re going to get back to some real practical, nuts-and-bolts festival gear. But first, this might be the most crucial item on the list. Particularly here in California where weed is now legal, it’s hard to imagine attending a music festival without a bit of a high. Zen Cannabis Products offers a range of gummies and chocolates, though keep in mind that the heat of Coachella could lead to some melting. Also, you probably aren’t supposed to bring cannabis products in, so best to consume AHEAD of arrival. The gummies here are tasty and effective, with a range of indicas, sativas, and hybrids to suit each person’s needs. Also, get some of the sleepy time gummies to end your festival night with peaceful rest. But please use responsibly, you don’t want to nap through Doja Cat.
Now, back to the festival experience. While you generally can’t bring a chair into most festivals, this GCI ComPack Rocker is perfect for camping at Coachella, or anywhere else you might be gathering around a music festival. Think about it: no one ever has extra chairs when camping. If you don’t have your own, you are either sitting on the ground or standing. This chair in particular folds up for the smallest footprint possible, and its Torsion Rocking Technology provides a relaxing sit in even the least relaxing of atmospheres.
Now, music festivals are often endurance challenges. But at Coachella and many other fests, you still want to look, and SMELL, your best. For us men, this is often overlooked, but YSL’s fleet of men’s fragrances are a great accessory to make sure that you are standing out from the crowd of smelly dudes. Look at their brand ambassadors, Austin Butler for MYSLF and Lenny Kravitz for Y and the just-launched Y Elixir. The latter offers a spicy-wood fragrance that is both delicate and masculine, while MYSLF is more of a floral take on the woody aesthetic. We also love that MYSLF comes in a refillable bottle, reducing waste and making the experience of smelling good all the more sustainable. If it’s good enough for Austin and Lenny, it’s def gonna help you be your best at the music festival.
Unless you have your own hotel room or a bed secured, many people will be roughing it a bit for festival accommodations. We recommend this inflatable sleeping pad for whatever situation you might find yourself in. Again, this is very compact so as not to take up too much of your packing footprint, but will make a world of difference in overall comfort. We particularly like the built-in siderails, which allow the sleeper to remain secure on the pad all night (or day, depending on WHEN you sleep).
Listen: Coachella is hot. Many other music festivals are hot. If you are camping, your tent will likely get hot. That doesn’t mean that you don’t need a blanket. Evenings can generally get chilly in the desert and you want to be prepared for anything. Even if you are securing a patch of ground at a friend’s Airbnb, you’ll still want warmth if they’re blasting the AC. The Horizon Travel Blanket is durable, water resistant, is able to be staked to the ground for picnicking, and packs down small. It’s ideal for almost any situation.
Seeing a live performance is perhaps the best way to hear music, but it’s also one of the loudest and potentially most harmful ways. Hearing protection is important, and Vibes’ hi-fidelity earplugs lower sound without sacrificing quality, making them a must-use for the next show you attend.
Any campsite or home rental is going to need music. So, why not do it right? This calls for Soundboks, a huge, portable, battery-powered speaker that lets you crank it up to 126 decibels. The specs are impressive: It can go for up to 40 hours on a single charge (6 hours at full volume), it has an effective frequency range of 40 Hz to 20 kHz, and it’s splashproof.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
For all the various permutations hip-hop artists can display, rarely has one demonstrated such tongue-in-cheek self-awareness as Buddy does on “Buddy A Fool,” the fifth track from his newly released third studio album, Don’t Forget To Breathe. Over an airy but propulsive beat by Axl Folie and Royce Millennium, Buddy lists off a variety of the quirky behaviors that make Buddy, Buddy. “That n**** Buddy is nice / I seen him out the other night / He asked if he could borrow a light / That ni**** Buddy be high / I texted but he didn’t reply / I heard he got a DUI.” (I can’t speak to all of it, but a great deal is one-hundred percent accurate, as I learned while working on this piece.)
Buddy has always been unusual among rappers. Unlike many, he’s been performing since before he was a teen thanks to his attendance of Amazing Grace Conservatory. When he was just 15, he was signed to Pharrell Williams’ now-defunct I Am Other label. When that fell through, he landed at RCA, where he dropped a string of spacey, jazz-inflected meditations on his unusual upbringing including the collaborative EPs Ocean & Montana and Magnolia before dropping his official debut Harlan & Alondra nearly 10 years after his first record deal.
Although it’s now considered an absolute classic in some circles, the album’s lukewarm commercial performance curtailed RCA’s support for its 2022 follow-up Superghetto, and Buddy left the label, opting to remain independent and release Don’t Forget To Breathe through the Bay Area-based independent label EMPIRE. As it turns out, this was the best decision he could have made. For the first time, Buddy is allowed to just be Buddy on one of his albums, without the pressure to concede to commercial demands or industry expectations. Pardon me, I’m about to get expansive.
The recording industry, like the world around it, tends to look to categorize artists based on their circumstances and its preconceived notions of people from those circumstances. TL;DR: The music business doesn’t know what to do with Black folks who don’t fit the stereotype. Buddy, a rapper from Compton, doesn’t rap much about gangbanging and selling drugs, ergo, he doesn’t fit in with the expectations of a rapper from Compton. Even Kendrick Lamar, our erstwhile neighbor, digresses into tales of the trauma wrought by the effects of white flight and decades of divestment in the once flourishing community.
And while Buddy, like many of us, is scarred by his experiences, he unpacks his hangups in a more relaxed atmosphere, under a haze of THC-laced smoke — it’s more dream therapy than Kenny’s scream therapy. On “Free My Mind,” the album’s disarmingly mellow intro, Buddy details some of the bruises he’s collected since his last dispatch. “I was super ghetto at first / Redefined myself, left the label, bettered my worth / I could sign myself / Still go through real life shit / My daddy almost died, house exploded right before that Portugal trip.” His discursive musings range from the surreal (“How’d I lose that Rolex Presidential?) to the mundane malaise of everyday life (“Still stuck, only difference is I ain’t on Central”).
Relationship troubles? Just like anyone, Buddy would rather leave those later, pleading with his lady on “Talk About It” to save it for the morning when he’s in a better mood. When he feels like showboating, he calls up rising Long Beach native Huey Briss to trade boastful verse on “Got Me Started.” And his aspirations shine on “All The Way,” where he recounts the grind and vows to make it worth it for his mom. The honesty and vulnerability that Buddy displays here have always hummed through the vibey tunes he released in the past, but here, Buddy’s looser, more relaxed, unconstrained by any remits to recoup.
Accordingly, the music is also 100 percent reflective of his eclectic, soulful tastes. Chunky bass lines buzz under warm piano chords, jazzy drum rolls, and alluring brass. As much as Don’t Forget To Breathe sounds like a weed-enhanced therapy session, its instrumentation sounds like a jazz troupe’s late-night jam session, a laid-back, anything-goes musical conversation between players who like each other as much as they like showing off for each other. Meanwhile, the final song is the most upbeat; “You 2 Thank” adopts an of-the-moment afrobeats rhythm, giving Buddy a celebratory canvas to delight in stepping into his next phase, lighter, freer, more grounded than ever. The pressure is gone and he’s breathing free.
Don’t Forget To Breathe is out now via EMPIRE. Get more info here.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Beyoncé dreams of a world where everyone and everything can exist as they choose to. Where gatekeepers are without agenda beside guarding the integrity of the structure they earned the position and respect to protect. “Texas Hold ‘Em” lives in this utopia where patrons at your local dive bar dance in jolly unison and throw back shots of liquor.
When Beyoncé sings about laying your cards and throwing your keys up, it’s without a care in the world for what exists outside. Renaissance resides here too as its 16 songs are a safe space for Black, brown, and queer bodies who are not only in love with dance and ballroom but created a home for themselves there. In this utopia, there’s nothing to prove, there’s nothing to overcome, and there’s no one to fight. The sanctity of human autonomy is preserved and protected. You can be country today and dance under the disco ball tomorrow.
Cowboy Carter should’ve been born into this utopia. Instead, we have an album born out of disregard for Beyoncé’s country roots as well as her right to create as she pleases. When Beyoncé unveiled the cover for Cowboy Carter, she alluded to the criticism she faced after performing “Daddy Lessons” at the 50th CMA Awards. Beyoncé – born in Texas to parents with roots in Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana – had everything from her true intentions for the song to her country roots questioned. Ironic for the singer who was once considered “too country.”
As Beyoncé sings of dive bars, hoedowns, and tornadoes sweeping through the Lone Star State on “Texas Hold ’Em,” leads a “Riiverdance” with fingernails as her percussion, and cocks her weapon with promises to be “your shotgun ride ’til the day I die” on “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus, it’s clear that questions about her country background are less about “preserving” the genre, and more about excluding stories that tell the truth about country. To bill Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter as an album built to prove these critics wrong would be to shortchange it. Instead, it finds Beyoncé using the sound and environment she was born into to expand the possibilities of genre — and leave them behind.
Eight years after “Daddy Lessons,” Beyoncé returns to her “old friend” which she greets with chippy sarcasm on the opening track to Cowboy Carter. “Ameriican Requiem,” as much as it is a requiem, is a reckoning Beyoncé seeks. Between grand, orchestral vocal runs and twangy and croaking verses, Beyoncé speaks to her critics directly: “Can you hear me? / “Or do you fear me?” The exclusion of Black and brown people in certain spaces, especially ones they occupied in abundance for as long or longer than so-called gatekeepers, is an attempt to eliminate stories of strife and struggle caused by the same group who wants to whitewash those faults in hindsight.
However, these stories will constantly resurface in the art Black and brown people create, making it hard for these antagonists to brush them off with claims that things weren’t that bad or that they’re a lot better now, a contradiction that melts the brain if you think about it too hard. They fear the reminder, but the constant presence of these stories that track our progress and celebrate those from the past who opened the doors for today are too valuable to be erased.
Cowboy Carter resurrects stories of Beyoncé’s past as well as those from Black artists in the South. “16 Carriages” mourns the innocent life she once had as a child in the land of milk & honey with a future she naively hoped would be just as sweet and nourishing. Though her music dreams came true, the price at which they were granted produced an “undеrpaid and overwhelmed” child, a mother “goin’ so hard, now I miss my kids,” a battered relationship between her parents that ended in their separation after her father’s infidelity. The record, just like Cowboy Carter, thrives in the face of unfortunate circumstances.
“Ya Ya,” a blood-pumping, foot-stomping, and hand-clapping chant, salutes the legacy of the Chitlin Circuit, a string of venues in the South that was home to Black artists who wanted to perform their music as they were denied the opportunity to do so in white venues. Undeniable legends like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Little Richard, the Jackson 5, and Tina Turner all performed throughout the Chitlin Circuit. The Chitlin Circuit and Cowboy Carter are both born from the attempted exhalation by their respective distractors and oppressors. Their greatness won’t be questioned, but they should’ve been able to exist with better circumstances at their foundation.
Cowboy Carter doesn’t exist in the world that country is “supposed” to be in. Instead, it blends genres that go against tradition and brings us the brash “Spaghettii,” the bass-knocking “Tyrant,” the pop-leaning “Levii Jeans,” and the funky “Desert Eagle.” Things are much different in Beyoncé’s country, just as they were in her ballroom. With the inclusion of talented burgeoning artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, and Shaboozey, she uncovers a side of country that deserves more time in the spotlight. It proves that country, just like other genres, is simply what you make of your roots and experiences that sprout from it. Everyone should be able to tell their story how they please. Cowboy Carter protects and advocates for the undisturbed existence of art from Black and brown creatives, and through 27 songs, Beyoncé stands as a winner in a fight that should’ve never existed.
Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. Find out more information here.
Tori Kelly thought TORI. was finished. Then again, she thought she was certain about a lot of things before she was rushed to the hospital due to blood clotting last July. She didn’t have time to process her brush with mortality until after her Tori EP release and The Take Control Tour. But when she returned home, Kelly was greeted by unresolved emotions in the silence. So, the two-time Grammy winner did what she’d always done. She filled the silence with music and wrote “High Water.”
“I wanted a song that I would’ve sung to myself during that time,” Kelly tells Uproxx the week before the release of TORI., executive produced by Jon Bellion, due out this Friday, April 5. “High Water” sprung from Kelly’s hospitalization, but it ballooned to include a verse about the death of her best friend’s husband, emphasizing her unshakable faith. “It became this bigger thing where I was like, ‘This isn’t even necessarily about me anymore. This feels like a song that I hope could help other people,’” she says.
TORI. is Kelly’s first full-length studio album since 2019, and Kelly’s growth flourishes across its 15 tracks. Over the past five years, especially during this album-making process, Kelly learned that her desire to serve others could only be fulfilled once she fully embraced herself.
“This probably sounds conceited, but TORI. is inspired by Tori,” Kelly says. (She does not sound conceited, by the way. She sounds like a 31-year-old woman with clarity around everything that was required of her to become a self-assured 31-year-old woman.) “It’s me just digging into myself as an artist and thinking, How do I want to presentmyself?What are some sounds that we’ve never heard from me? What are some things that maybe I’ve been holding back? It feels so authentically me. It’s exciting to be in this place where it’s take it or leave it. This is where I’m at right now.”
Below, Kelly further explained where she’s at right now.
Eight or nine months removed from your medical emergency, what clarity do you have around what that experience forced you to confront?
That whole time was very scary — very sudden — and it felt surreal. It felt like it just happened so fast. It came and went. I was in one state, and then I was out of the hospital, and I felt great. And people would constantly ask, “Are you okay?” Which is awesome. People are so sweet. But it was strange for me because I was ready to go. I was like, “Alright, let’s go. I want to get on tour.” I think I almost wanted it to go away. And through therapy, which we love, I was able to talk through stuff and realize that I have so many people around me who were affected more than me.
Overall, to actually answer your question, I think the clarity that I got is such a cliche phrase that I’ve always said, and we throw it around, but to go through something like that and realize life is so fragile, and you never know what’s going to happen. There’s this general feeling of gratitude — not taking anything for granted and being confident in my decisions. I thought I was doing all those things before, but it just feels like this new level of giving it the best I’ve got and loving people harder.
The album’s tracklisting all feels very intentional. I thought I understood what you were trying to tell me, but I couldn’t actually understand it until now. So, what is this master puzzle?
We made it that way. These songs, most of them were pretty much done, and we decided to let people have a taste of what I was calling “Part I” of the album because it had been a while since my last project. But the whole time, seeing people’s reactions to it — some negative, some positive — which, sidebar, I’m always down for. I actually love it. I would rather you have a really strong opinion one way or the other instead of just saying, “Oh, yeah, it was cool,” and then you forget about it.
Even if it’s negative, at least they’re thinking critically about it at all.
Exactly. You’re forced to think about it. So that didn’t bother me because, the whole time, I was like, “Oh, but there’s more.” Wait until they hear the whole thing. Jon and I — Jon Bellion, who, as you know, produced the whole project — were always so excited about the full body of work. It always felt like “Cut” makes sense when you’ve heard “Thing U Do.” Like, this song makes sense when you hear [another] song. So, like you said, it all really did feel like a puzzle to me. It makes me way more excited to be putting out the full thing because this was always the vision: To showcase all these different sides of me. When you hear it together, I’m hoping that it kind of makes sense because, in my brain, it makes sense. It’s very much me and all my different sides.
Does the experience of releasing an album in your thirties differ from releasing albums in your twenties?
That’s a good question because I actually think this kind of is the first time — at least from my perspective — that I’ve gotten strong reactions. And I think the reason is because, throughout my career, I have placed myself in different genres. I just love so many things. I love gospel music, so I was like, I want to do a gospel project. I’m super sad right now, so this sort of singer-songwriter, heavily guitar-driven album is what makes sense right now. Without realizing it, I gained fans from all different places. I really feel like this is the first time that they’re all kind of looking at this music like, “Okay, what’s she doing next? This is a whole new thing.” On this album, there is a little something from all of these chapters of my life. I think there’s something for everyone. But yeah, this is the first time where I’m like, Ooh, people have opinions.
Has your internal measuring stick for what you consider success changed?
I don’t actually know. There’s one thing, I guess, I’m proud of myself for. I listened back to some of my older songs. I have this song called “Confetti” that I wrote when I was 18 years old. When I listened back to that, it was almost like my younger self was putting her foot down and being like, “Hey, Older Tori, no matter what happens, let this be your compass. Stay true to yourself and your faith, and stay the course.”
I listen to that song, and it’s almost like she was speaking to me in the future because at 18 years old, I hadn’t experienced anything [yet]. I think I was on YouTube at the time, and it was just starting out. But the fact that I hadn’t really experienced fame yet, and I was already singing as if I had — there’s a line, “I’m living for right now / ‘Cause what if tomorrow never comes? / I’m not waiting for the confetti to fall.” So, to answer your question, I don’t think my definition has changed because when I listen to that song, I still feel that way.
Knowing that you revisited that song recently is awesome because on “Same Girl,” you’re singing to your past self.
Yeah, that’s true. I am. We’re having a conversation lately.
To further my nostalgia agenda, I was immediately taken aback by the “Tom’s Diner” interpolation in “Thing U Do” — not to mention Jon Batiste’s background vocals. Craig David’s “Fill Me In” is interpolated in “Missin U,” and “High Water” is a nod to Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.” Why did you zone in on those three songs as direct influences?
Jon and I were already in that zone. I think “Shine On” was the first song that we did together. That one has that throwback nineties hip-hop [feel]. We took it even further once we did “Cut,” and that opened the floodgates into the whole realm of Y2K. With “Cut,” we were specifically playing off of Timbaland, [Rodney] “Darkchild” [Jerkins] ad-libs. We loved how it sounded, and so we felt like we should probably hit up Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins to get their blessing on it.
We wanted them to hear it and see if they liked it. Timbaland was like, “Yeah, this is great, but I want to do the ad-libs.” So, he hopped on the song, for real, and I was like, “Great, that’s even better.” We did “Missin U” right after that. Every song we did, we were like, “If we’re going to go there, let’s really go there and give these nods to that era.” We were very intentional about still making it feel fresh at the same time.
Can you identify what you had to square away within yourself to where you can feel comfortable standing on a self-titled album?
It really just felt like this album was a statement. Once we had the body of work for weeks, I was just like, “What is the throughline here? What is the theme?” I didn’t go into the process with an album title at all. I knew I was in this more confident headspace and wanted to take my career by the reins, so I was trying to think of phrases or cool themes that could tie everything together. I just kept coming back to, “What if it’s just called TORI. in all-caps? What if the theme is just my self-titled moment?” And I became even more inspired. I was still unsure.
And then, I started thinking about artists who came before me who had these amazing self-titled albums. I thought about Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Janet [Jackson], Diana Ross, and incredibly powerful women in music. When those came out, it was such a defining moment in their careers. So I was like, “I think this feels like that. This feels like that moment for me.” Whatever happens with this music, I just know that that’s what it feels like for me.
Sasha Samsonova
Do you already feel nostalgic for the process of making this album with Jon?
Yeah, I mean, we’ve been talking about getting back in the studio. We already have the writing bug again. We’re talking a year or two ago of us being in the studio, and now that the songs are finally coming out, we’re like, “Let’s do it again. Let’s get back in and build on what we started.” Because it was so fun — just goofing off in the studio. We would create these different characters when I was trying to figure out what sound I wanted for a particular song.
Well, now I have to ask for an example of you coming up with a character for a song.
[Laughs] I’m trying to think of a good one. I always do Britney impressions in the studio. For some reason, I just start singing, “Ooo yeah.” It always started as a joke. Jon would look at me and be like, “No, wait, there’s something there. Let’s keep exploring that.” It would start as this funny thing, and then I would slowly get back to my actual voice, but my approach was different than if I had just sung the song as myself. Those are the little details no one would really know while listening, but I brought something new to this album where I still sound like myself, but there are new tones that you haven’t heard yet.
Is there something that you stumbled upon while making this album that you didn’t know you could do or wanted to do?
When it comes to how I move when I listen to these songs, I think I’ve always loved to dance. I took dance classes when I was seven, and I loved it, but then the music thing took off. I had a viral video of me playing guitar, so people associated me with blonde hair and guitar, and I was like, Alright, cool. I am not going to change anything. Subconsciously. If something’s working, you just run with it.
You know what it is? I thought about this the other day. It’s almost like this music unlocked my younger self. Before the YouTube covers, when I was just dancing in my living room and having fun as a little kid. I’m giving her the album that she wanted. It’s like, you grew up and became this artist, and people think that they know your sound, and they think that they know you, but there are all these different sides of you that you didn’t even realize that you were suppressing. So, let me now give you that dream that you always had. It even gets me a little emotional because her dream was so pure.
I have no regrets in my career whatsoever. But if I didn’t make this album, I actually think later on, I would’ve regretted it because these are those types of songs [that challenged me] like, “Ah, should I put this out? This is a little different than what people are used to.” But I just love them so much. They are a huge part of who I am as an artist.
How many people have the opportunity to become the artist that their younger self would have wanted a poster of in their childhood bedroom?
That’s what it feels like, yeah! This one’s for you, girl.
Having sat for a little bit with everything you pulled off creatively, musically, and vocally with this album and everything that Jon helped you unlock inside of yourself, has the bar changed for what you expect from yourself — or want for yourself — moving forward?
Absolutely. To be honest, this was the first time I’ve ever worked with a creative director in my whole career. I didn’t necessarily pay attention to the presentation of songs before this album. I was just so focused on being in the studio and crafting the songs and the music, and then once it’d be time to promote or do the music videos, I was just kind of saying yes to the people around me. Even with my fashion, I was like, “Sure, I’ll wear that. That’s comfortable. I just want to be comfy.”
Now, I think the expectation for myself is [to] take everything to the next level where the actual songs are super high quality — making sure that I love them — but when it comes time to present these songs, I think my taste is a lot more fine-tuned. Maybe it’s an age thing, too. I know what I like now. I don’t know exactly what that looks like moving forward. I just know that I don’t have time to not be loving every single part of it.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
What a month. March 2024 was largely defined by a string of controversies, conflicts, and conspiracy theories, which kept us a tad bit too busy for some of our typical in-depth musical coverage.
But there were also so many good hip-hop albums, I didn’t want the month to end without at least tipping my cap to the array of innovative releases that would have normally been given the RX seal of approval if there weren’t 1,000 other things going on.
And so, I present to you, loyal readers of Uproxx – and newcomers, too – to the first edition of the Best Hip-Hop Albums of the Month. Let’s call it an extension of my weekly column, designed to collect and rightfully praise the projects that impressed us the most over the past 30 or so days. After all, who says new albums only deserve a week’s worth of attention?
Flo Milli – Fine Ho, Stay
Flo Milli
Although it’s technically the Alabama rapper’s second studio album, her latest release completes a trilogy begun by her fan-favorite 2020 debut mixtape, Ho, Why Is You Here?. The new album expands on the world-building she did on it and its 2022 follow-up (and her debut album) You Still Here Ho?, the album contains contributions from Anycia, Cardi B, SZA, Gunna and Monaleo. Still, Flo Milli remains the star of the show, showing off an impressive degree of growth and polish across 14 tracks, including her latest breakout hit, “Never Lose Me.”
Kenny Mason – 9
Kenny Mason
It’s almost impossible to truly categorize what kind of music Atlanta native Kenny Mason actually makes. An amalgamation of Atlanta staples like trap, the Southern-fried funk rap of Outkast, the gloomy grunge of early-90s Nirvana, and soulful, blurry-eyed Bandcamp boom-bap, Kenny vividly details teenaged malaise, early adulthood angst, and stressful street trials without any part seeming trivial or melodramatically heightened in comparison to the others. 9’s guestlist is as eclectic as its subject matter, tapping Babydrill, Toro Y Moi, and Veeze.
Kyle – Smyle Again
Kyle
Longtime readers of my Best Hip-Hop of the Week column will likely be aware that this album combines two of my favorite things in hip-hop at the moment: A fellow West Coast native and the ongoing Black reclamation of EDM. Despite its title, Kyle’s latest doesn’t rehash the content or sound of his breakthrough 2015 mixtape; rather, it revisits its spirit, in a full-circle moment that allows the Ventura product to reflect on his career and have a little fun in the process. Utilizing an eclectic soundscape that draws on UK 2-step and garage, Smyle Again is a unique gem no one should overlook in the search for truly original hip-hop.
Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips
Schoolboy Q
Q’s first new album in five years is a gritty review of his journey so far through the eyes of a weathered vet. Sonically adventurous, it swerves erratically from blue-era Miles Davis jazz to menacing, guttural street Gothic opera, never settling into one mode for too long – or indeed, for very long at all. Yet, Q’s grizzled, paranoid flow holds everything together generating order in the chaos as he takes stock of his successes, which would be surprising if not for the perseverance he needed to exert to survive long enough to enjoy them. “Yeern 101” is a standout.
Tierra Whack – World Wide Whack
Tierra Whack
I haven’t been as devastated by a rap album since Rexx Life Raj’s 2022 album The Blue Hour. Where Whack’s colorful costumes and whimsical backing tracks might lure listeners into a false sense of upbeat security, the themes she tackles here – depression, grief, imposter syndrome, and survivor’s remorse – practically hollowed me out. “Two Night” and “27 Club” are a harrowing one-two punch that let the album linger on the terrifying implications of anointing – and leave you longing for the rest of the story, for the catharsis that even Whack can’t promise. I hope she’s doing okay.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
