"Yoga" was an ostensibly minor part of the Janelle Monáe discography by the arrival of Dirty Computer. Three years old and outshined by another Wondaland release, Jidenna's "Classic Man," it nevertheless became Monáe's first single to hit the Billboard Hot 100. That Monáe hadn't previously hit the chart as a headliner was further evidence of a flawed industry, given that they and primary collaborators Nate Wonder and Chuck Lightning had been making songs with pop appeal for nearly a decade. "Yoga" did show that Monáe was more open to messing with contemporary trends. Moreover, the song's humanized, sexually uninhibited, and anti-authoritarian qualities -- they were earthbound, celebrating their body, asserting "You cannot police me" -- also indicated the course they have taken with their third album. Oddly enough, "Make Me Feel," the one Dirty Computer track on which Monáe employs a wholly pop songwriting team including Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, and Mattman & Robin, is the funkiest and friskiest number here, clearly influenced by the late (and uncredited) Prince. Monáe and their trusty Wondaland partners, the album's dominant creative force, colorfully twist and flip new wave-leaning pop with booming bass drums and rattling percussion. They transmit powerful and defiant jubilance in response to "wack ass fuckboys everywhere (from the traphouse to the White House) who make the lives of little brown girls so damn hard," among dozens of other inspirations Monáe acknowledges in the essential liner notes. Almost every track is densely packed with quotables delivered in approaches that shift from easygoing elegance to hard-fought, triumphant conviction. The latter approach yields the album's apex, "Django Jane," in which Monáe raps throughout with inhuman precision, threatening a pussy riot, declaring "We ain't hidden no more," and uplifting the "highly melanated" while dropping some of the set's few sci-fi allusions, "Made a fandroid outta yo' girlfriend" among them. Not to be lost in all the power moves are indirect and direct references to a romantic relationship -- another form of dissent -- referenced and explored throughout, from the glowing "Crazy, Classic, Life" through the fiery "So Afraid," the only moment of emotional fragility. While this is easily the most loaded Monáe album in terms of guests, with Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, and Grimes among the contributors, there's no doubt that it's a Wondaland product. It demonstrates that artful resistance and pop music are not mutually exclusive.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

If Snoop Dogg's debut, Doggystyle, doesn't seem like a debut, it's because in many ways it's not. Snoop had already debuted as a featured rapper on Dr. Dre's 1992 album, The Chronic, rapping on half of the 16 tracks, including all the hit singles, so it wasn't like he was an unknown force when Doggystyle was released in late 1993. If anything, he was the biggest star in hip-hop, with legions of fans anxiously awaiting new material, and they were the ones who snapped up the album, making it the first debut album to enter the Billboard charts at number one. It wasn't like they were buying an unknown quantity. They knew that the album would essentially be the de facto sequel to The Chronic, providing another round of P-Funk-inspired grooves and languid gangsta and ganja tales, just like Dre's album. Which is exactly what Doggystyle is -- a continuation of The Chronic, with the same production, same aesthetic and themes, and same reliance on guest rappers. The miracle is, it's as good as that record. There are two keys to its success, one belonging to Dre, the other to Snoop. Dre realized that it wasn't time to push the limits of G-funk, and instead decided to deepen it musically, creating easy-rolling productions that have more layers than they appear. They're laid-back funky, continuing to resonate after many listens, but their greatest strength is that they never overshadow the laconic drawl of Snoop, who confirms that he's one of hip-hop's greatest vocal stylists with this record. Other gangsta rappers were all about aggression and anger -- even Dre, as a rapper, is as blunt as a thug -- but Snoop takes his time, playing with the flow of his words, giving his rhymes a nearly melodic eloquence. Compare his delivery to many guest rappers here: Nate Dogg, Kurupt, and Dat Nigga Daz are all good rappers, but they're good in a conventional sense, where Snoop is something special, with unpredictable turns of phrase, evocative imagery, and a distinctive, addictive flow. If Doggystyle doesn't surprise or offer anything that wasn't already on The Chronic, it nevertheless is the best showcase for Snoop's prodigious talents, not just because he's given the room to run wild, but because he knows what to do with that freedom and Dre presents it all with imagination and a narrative thrust. If it doesn't have the shock of the new, the way that The Chronic did, so be it: Over the years, the pervasive influence of that record and its countless ripoffs has dulled its innovations, so it doesn't have the shock of the new either. Now, Doggystyle and The Chronic stand proudly together as the twin pinnacles of West Coast G-funk hip-hop of the early '90s.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Vermont native Noah Kahan's third album, Stick Season, is a nostalgic one that explores life transitions including leaving home as a young adult, negotiating a pandemic, and getting help for mental health issues. Its uptempo, acoustic lead single, "Stick Season," which gave Kahan his first appearance in the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, even mentions COVID by name, alongside rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness thoughts and plans. The set spans similarly driving, full-band folk-rock ("Northern Attitude"), sparer ballads ("Strawberry Wine," "Halloween"), and even emphatic, organ-accompanied rock ("Homesick") but mostly lingers in a tender meeting place in the middle, where Kahan both reminisces and longs for more. The album struck a chord with listeners, resulting in his Billboard 200 debut all the way at number 14.© Marcy Donelson /TiVo

Cuz I Love You, Lizzo’s third album and major label debut, is a record you want to share with anyone who might need a reminder of empowerment or encouragement. It’s lively, rousing and strong, filled with fun anthems that almost dare you to resist dancing along. "Soulmate" is a powerful track about self-reliance and self-love. Fans of the clever wordplay of Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" will recognize a kindred spirit when Lizzo sings, "She never tells me to exercise / we always get extra fries." But just because Lizzo's lyrics may incite laughter, it doesn't mean she commands any less respect or attention. "Don’t label me," she roars on the driving "Better in Color," capturing her versatility with those three words. She moves from slinky, guitar-driven R&B ("Cry Baby"), to late 90s hip-hop on "Tempo (feat. Missy Elliott)," which leads off with a guitar riff that gives way to staccato beats, and then on to larger-than-life funk with "Exactly How I Feel (feat. Gucci Mane"). The vibe slows down on “Lingerie,” a whisper-sweet intimate ballad. It may bring the album to a close, but Lizzo’s message lives on. © Celesté Peterson / Qobuz

The official release of The Basement Tapes -- which were first heard on a 1968 bootleg called The Great White Wonder -- plays with history somewhat, as Robbie Robertson overemphasizes the Band's status in the sessions, making them out to be equally active to Dylan, adding in demos not cut at the sessions and overdubbing their recordings to flesh them out. As many bootlegs (most notably the complete five-disc series) reveal, this isn't entirely true and the Band were nowhere near as active as Dylan, but that ultimately is a bit like nitpicking, since the music here (including the Band's) is astonishingly good. The party line on The Basement Tapes is that it is Americana, as Dylan and the Band pick up the weirdness inherent in old folk, country, and blues tunes, but it transcends mere historical arcana through its lively, humorous, full-bodied performances. Dylan never sounded as loose, nor was he ever as funny as he is here, and this positively revels in its weird, wild character. For all the apparent antecedents -- and the allusions are sly and obvious in equal measure -- this is truly Dylan's show, as he majestically evokes old myths and creates new ones, resulting in a crazy quilt of blues, humor, folk, tall tales, inside jokes, and rock. The Band pretty much pick up where Dylan left off, even singing a couple of his tunes, but they play it a little straight, on both their rockers and ballads. Not a bad thing at all, since this actually winds up providing context for the wild, mercurial brilliance of Dylan's work -- and, taken together, the results (especially in this judiciously compiled form with its expert song selection, even if there's a bit too much Band) rank among the greatest American music ever made.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

In December of 2019, rapper/songwriter Juice WRLD died at the height of fame, just days after his 21st birthday. This tragic loss came months after the rapper had taken his second studio album, Death Race for Love, to the top of the charts, his distinctive blend of emotionally vulnerable lyricism and infectious genre-bending songcraft becoming a ubiquitous sound unto itself. Posthumous album Legends Never Die arrived less than a year after his passing, and offers further evidence of the late artist's gifts for self-inspection and exceptionally constructed hooks. "Conversations" is as catchy as a song about demonic visions and mental disturbance gets, with soft synth lines and a booming trap beat underscoring Juice WRLD's anxious, depressive observations. "Tell Me U Love Me" gets some assistance from Trippie Redd and the gentle, heartbroken ballad "Life's a Mess" features vocals from Halsey. Juice WRLD's general subject matters -- despair, substance abuse issues, loneliness and searching for authentic happiness -- already make for emotionally weighty songs, and listening to him sing from beyond gives Legends Never Die an impenetrably somber atmosphere. Allegedly Juice WRLD recorded over 2,000 songs that were unreleased at the time of his death, and the ones that surface here are in some ways stronger than the often disjointed and sometimes overly dramatic material that made up the albums released while he was alive. Legends Never Die is as strong a collection of Juice WRLD songs as any, with already-searing songs made more intense by the shadow of their departed creator looming over the album.© Fred Thomas /TiVo

Following his 2017 mixtape 999, Los Angeles-based hip-hop artist Juice WRLD issued his official debut full-length, Goodbye & Good Riddance (Interscope), in May 2018. The set landed at number 15 on the Billboard 200 upon release and featured melancholy, trap-based singles like "All Girls Are the Same" and the Hot 100 hit "Lucid Dreams." © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

Following his 2017 mixtape 999, Los Angeles-based hip-hop artist Juice WRLD issued his official debut full-length, Goodbye & Good Riddance (Interscope), in May 2018. The set landed at number 15 on the Billboard 200 upon release and featured melancholy, trap-based singles like "All Girls Are the Same" and the Hot 100 hit "Lucid Dreams." © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

"On their second project, the group’s hazy R&B sounds pristine and precise, but the care and craft stop short of their lyrics."© TiVo