Crowning a Monarch In 1994, Christmas as we know it was forever changed when Mariah Carey released her first Christmas album. Before 1994, the phrase “Merry Christmas” was merely a holiday greeting… until Mariah Carey claimed the phrase for her own. Its omnipresence every holiday season makes it difficult to […]
In 2008, Michelle Williams made a bold change in direction with her third solo album. On the aptly titled Unexpected, Williams opted to release a dance pop album after releasing two successful gospel albums (Heart To Yours and Do You Know). It was a daring move that yielded an innovative and infectious […]
In the final decades of her career, Aretha Franklin released a modest amount of music compared to her early years. Gone were the days of releasing an album or two every year. So Damn Happy is one of Aretha’s final bodies of work, despite being released 15 years before her passing […]
Over the course of Aretha Franklin’s career she recorded more than 40 studio albums. Most of these albums are readily available to stream across Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. However, 6 of Aretha’s albums are absent from all platforms. While none of them rank among her best work, each album […]
By 1993 Mariah Carey had established herself as the Pop “It” girl in the United States. With six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, an acclaimed MTV Unplugged performance and over 15 million records sold, she was already a rising star. However, her career was destined to reach new […]
When Solange released her sophomore album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams in 2008, it was a long time coming. Her first release as an adult, Hadley St. acted as a reintroduciton. Her debut album, 2002’s Solo Star, was released when she was just 16 years old – mere months before her famous sister took […]
Looking for Fame Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga was once upon a time just a New York-based aspiring singer-songwriter who had landed a deal with Interscope after working on demos with producer Rob Fusari for a couple of years and a failed deal with Def Jam, from which […]
In 1997, Mariah Carey released her magnum opus, Butterfly, amidst marital and professional turmoil. She not only wanted out of her stifling marriage, but the constricting box she had been stuffed in musically, as well. With few fucks given, she dropped the “Honey” single and music video – igniting controversy about her […]
June 24, 2003 When Beyoncé released Dangerously In Love, her debut solo album, there was a lot on the table. The star lead vocalist of the biggest girl group in pop music, she had a lot of pressure to succeed. We won’t go into the album’s resume, because it’s long and […]
Janet Jackson’s music career officially took off in 1986, with the release of her redefining album, Control. A strong, assertive and commanding new Janet replaced the sugary sweet teen actress image she held prior to its release. With her versatile voice, both in sound and message, Janet commanded hard-hitting beats and […]
