In hindsight, Survivor is singular in that it captured both the apex of the TRL girl groups and the moment before they became obsolete. Over time, the world Kanye West constructed on Yeezus — full of guttural and chaotic emotion, combined with so much noise — started to feel and sound like the world around us. The collaborators on the album, from indie electronic musicians like Arca and Hudson Mohawke to icons like Daft Punk and Rick Rubin, helped West construct a blueprint for where popular music was heading, and as time would tell, they were spot-on.
Themes of grief and parenthood percolate alongside proclamations of summer love and inquiries into restlessness and routine. Teaming up with top-tier producers behind the boards, he perfected the rich and moody sound he started forming as his own beatsmith early on.
On top of it, Cole dominates a thick playbook of flows, some of the most interesting vocal contortions in his discography, and clear reflections of life in and out of the spotlight. After establishing herself as a vital force in indie rock, releasing four excellent records as Waxahatchee — the name of the creek she grew up near in Alabama — Katie Crutchfield started over.
She got sober and completely changed up her sound, resulting in the blissed-out Americana classic St. Each one is ideal for an afternoon on the back porch — which worked out, considering it was released at the height of the pandemic. For Colombian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Juanes, moving to Los Angeles was a leap of faith that could have easily led to nothing.
After enlisting Latin alternative czar Gustavo Santaolalla as his longtime producer, Juanes found a surefire recipe for catchy pop songs with sandy rock textures and occasional hints of cumbia and reggae. More often than not, it was a fella. Teenage Dream defined the pop scene of the early s, thanks in part to the infectious production of Dr. The album inspired a new generation of pop stars.
