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Instead of scolding artists to make better music, it’s up to us as listeners to Make Music Better, which is accomplished by meeting the music where it is and keeping in mind what it was created to accomplish.
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Taylor Swift, #4 album of 2019 according to Billboard magazine Before getting into the specifics of this record, it is worth noting that the top 4 albums of 2019 were helmed by female vocalists: Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift. The ladies of pop music as a group have a deep bench from…
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Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, #3 album of 2019 according to Billboard magazine The A Star is Born soundtrack is a real, integral part of Lady Gaga’s catalog, a true musical turning point. Her commercial success had waned in the preceding six years, starting with 2013’s Artpop. And as of this writing, her newest release…
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Ariana Grande, #2 album of 2019 according to Billboard magazine Ariana is a frustrating creature for me. She’s a gifted vocalist with a great sense of humor and a hammy self-awareness. Somehow, though, her music never fulfills the potential of these potent ingredients. You can tell that Ariana really wants to share her personal feelings. The…
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Billie Eilish, #1 album of 2019 according to Billboard magazine Welcome to the revival of goodmusicnotes.com. This blog was created a few years back as a reaction to the negative coverage of modern music, under the philosophy that music is a positive thing, not something to be approached with disdain or prejudgment. My challenge to…
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On April 20, there was a botched online DJ-style battle between Teddy Riley and Babyface, part of the evolving Verzuz beat battle series, with each hoping to assert the heft and grooviness of their respective discographies. As the story goes, Babyface did little more than hit play and effortlessly dispatched Mr. Riley, who did too…
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Posted on November 19, 2019 Reviewed: Damita Jo by Janet Jackson (2006) I almost don’t want to review this album after revisiting this revisitation by Pitchfork from earlier this year. It’s a spot-on analysis from a relatively objective source instead of a ravenous fan. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/janet-jackson-damita-jo/ Shoving that thoughtful review at you absolves me of all the meta-analysis.…
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Reviewed: 20 Y.O. by Janet Jackson (2006) “There’s something to be said for not saying anything.” OK, Jan, if you say so. This was the inauspicious opening of 20 Y.O., Janet’s comeback punch after the uppercut she was dealt with the media blackout around her prior release Damita Jo. Janet could be forgiven for wanting a…
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Reviewed: Discipline by Janet Jackson (2008) Discipline was a necessary evil. It was an other-side-of-the-mirror exercise, with an unintentional premise. What if Janet had played by the rules and allowed herself to be carried by superstar writers and producers instead of staking out her own identity? In that respect, Discipline is a clear throwback to her…
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Reviewed: Unbreakable by Janet Jackson (2015) By way of getting back into practice, in my return to music blogging, I am going to go back through the catalog of my favorite musical artist, Janet Jackson. Unbreakable came out four years ago, and the perspective I’ve gained on the record since it came out has been valuable.…
Make Music Better 