Atlanta rapper J.I.D's second official album, DiCaprio 2, sounds like it arrived fully formed, like he was born effortlessly dropping interconnected triple-time rhyme schemes and was just waiting impatiently for the perfect beats to assign them to. On nearly every track here, the rapper displays technical prowess, humor, and advanced musicality in a way that's so relaxed, it's dizzying. Instead of some overnight sensation, however, this collection is the result of years of work, following multiple early mixtapes and a solid 2017 debut album, The Never Story. DiCaprio 2 surpasses everything the rapper offered before it, with his strengths in full focus at a level that can't help but remind of the career peaks of greats that came before him. J.I.D drew early comparisons to Kendrick Lamar for his similar wheezing voice and sometimes surreal arrangements, and there is a likeness at times. More than a similar flow, DiCaprio 2's vibrant instrumentals sometimes carry the same lushness as Kendrick's best tracks. On top of that, the sheer energy and versatility that unfolds over the course of the album recalls Lil Wayne's unstoppable run with the first three volumes of his Tha Carter series. In a similar fashion, J.I.D switches styles with a control so sturdy he can become playful with it. The clunky electro beat of "Mounted Up" is barely strong enough to contain his verbal acrobatics, and the J. Cole-assisted "Off Deez" is a series of lyrical backflips that stays catchy despite its blurry speed. When veterans show up for features, you can hear them realizing there's no phoning it in when they're in this strong of company. Cole, Method Man, Joey Bada$$, and A$AP Ferg all sound on their toes with fiery verses, but the album is largely occupied by J.I.D's boundless, emphatic intensity. Things stay engaging even when he experiments with smoky, downtempo jazz beats on "Workin' Out" or the East Coast golden era loops of "Skrawberries." Turning in seamlessly intricate flows and hyper-focused lyrics, J.I.D ascends to a higher plane on DiCaprio 2. Just as thrilling as it was to hear OutKast's supernatural talent or Danny Brown's unfettered charisma for the first time, hearing J.I.D's skills crystallize here holds a similar excitement. He approaches the album with the boundless frenzy of a child running for the playground when the recess bell rings -- single-minded, out of control, and grinning triumphantly through every line.© Fred Thomas /TiVo

The sequel to the 2017 Classics EP finds Pentatonix spending a full album singing the big hits of the day -- a move that isn't all that dissimilar to easy listening albums of the '60s and '70s, where Bacharach/David and Lennon/McCartney songs were given smooth arrangements designed for the adult contemporary charts. Pentatonix aren't so fusty. They do a medley of "Despacito" and "Shape of You" and cover Kesha, Demi Lovato, and Zedd, while never relying on old a cappella tricks. Make no mistake, they are still proudly the children of Glee, but that's also the ace up their sleeve: they're flashy about their hip attributes, which helps disguise how this album is -- at its core -- music by a very good music theater troupe.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Vida has been a long time coming. Luis Fonsi's ninth studio album is also his first in five years. What's more, it follows the release of his global record-breaking chart topper "Despacito (feat. Daddy Yankee) by two years. That's an eternity between hit and album, but Fonsi's hardly been idle. Two other high-climbing collaborative tracks were issued in the interim -- "Imposible" (featuring the silky-smooth voice of Ozuna) and "Calypso" (feat. East London's Stefflon Don). Both of these are included on Vida, as is the Justin Bieber remix of "Despacito." While some might find this marketing overkill, the inclusion of these hits adds depth to this ambitious, yet balanced offering.Album-opener and current single "Sola" (Spanish and Anglo versions bookend the set) underscores Fonsi's long-established reputation as one of the finest ballad singers that pop of any stripe has to offer. Its midtempo groove underscores the passion and pathos in the lyric, which he delivers with requisite commitment. It reminds us why, for the past decade, Fonsi has been such a Latin pop pioneer, he injects his version of the age-old tradition of cortavena (pathologically emotional songs) with dance, pop, bachata, reggaeton, vallenato, cumbia, and even rock & roll. Other power ballads on the set include the soaring "Le Pido al Cielo," the nearly processional "Dime Que No Te Iras," and "Ahi Estas Tu," with its layered acoustic guitars and sweeping strings that bind together romantico, Latin, and Anglo pop. The set's biggest surprise, however, is a duet with Demi Lovato on the bilingual vallenato/pop cumbia fusion "Exchame la Culpa" (Put the Blame on Me). Lovato invests the song with an uncharacteristic abandonment of empathy for searing emotion while simultaneously making room for the playful weave of rhythms and melody. Fonsi underscores every line with his own culpability and resolve, his phrasing trailing the backbeat for emphasis. Another highlight is "Tanto Para Nada," a tune that commences as a dramatic, polished ballad but unleashes cumbia and reggaeton in the chorus before skittering synthetic drum'n'bass breaks claim the bridge and outro. "Mas Fuerte Que Yo" finds Fonsi at his most dramatic, infusing a power ballad with reggaeton beats, slithering electric guitars, swelling strings and fat bass drums as he climbs above the heavily atmospheric mix to communicate the brokenness and devastation in the lyric. Remixes of "Calypso" and "Despacito" follow before the Anglo read of "Sola" closes the set. Vida displays all of Fonsi's gifts as a singer and songwriter. It's an impeccably sequenced collection that allows the wealth of conflicting emotions in these songs free rein amid catchy melodies and resonant dynamics, all carried by infectious beats.© Thom Jurek /TiVo