Album Review: Ugly Season - Perfume Genius

Mike Hadreas, known best by his stage name Perfume Genius, is no stranger to the art of evolving. From Too Bright and No Shape to 2020’s standout album Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, Hadreas has come close to perfecting the skill of interweaving compelling storytelling with progressive, innovative pop sonics that help move the genre forward. It makes sense, then, that an artist so familiar and comfortable with change would yet again try a different approach, which is exactly what we’re given with Ugly Season. Accompanying the modern dance piece he co-directed called “The Sun Still Burns Here,” Ugly Season functions well as a score and as a standalone album. Leaning into the more challenging, chilling, and complex sounds that occasionally made appearances on his previous projects, Hadreas has proven again that he has nothing to prove, but instead, so much to share with the world.

Stripped back strings and minimal, ominous acoustics on the opening track “Just a Room” set a bleak and rather “ugly” tone for a project that isn’t afraid to pique morbid curiosity in its listening. At first, I was concerned that this contemporary style song was indicating what was to come on the rest of the project, which while perfect for the dance piece it scores, would not end up on my year-end playlists. These fears were quelled with the following “Herem”, which at over 7 minutes long, encourages patient listening that culminates in a cathartic finale after unsettling, dread-inducing tension. “Teeth” follows, and as one of my favorites on the project, proves that this avant-garde style can serve just as satisfying and pleasing as the pop Hadreas released previously, as swelling clarinets and falsetto vocals do the heavy-lifting on this chilling and hypnotizing track.

“Pop Song” is the closest thing we get to Hadreas’s old sound, before embracing post-pop, but still utilizes challenging and nonconventional instrumentation throughout. Glimmers of joy are few and far-between on this project, but when they do arise, they are welcomed with open arms. In direct contrast with this upbeat tone, though, lyrics such as “Our body is stretched, And holding one breath, Shoulder our pain, And bury what’s left” remind us that Hadreas is still exploring dark topics throughout here. The instrumental “Scherzo” uses keys and unsettling tempos to keep the listener on edge, almost setting the scene for a horror movie that would evoke feelings of disruption and uncertainty. The title track “Ugly Season” is another favorite, as Hadreas’s vocals are burdened with anguish and immense beauty at the same time. This project often celebrates moments of euphoria while addressing the many obstacles of difficult upbringings, reflected in its sublime yet unique production.

The album’s back half is truly a triumph, as tracks like “Eye in the Wall” catches me off-guard with its dizzying and pulsating rhythms - taking the listener on a journey during its almost 9-minute runtime. “Photograph” is another excellent track, with slightly more accessible sonics only juxtaposed by poetic and intense lyrics, a theatrical and sinister wonder that ends in beautiful instrumentation. The album’s penultimate track “Hellbent” is wildly exhilarating, featuring tormented and hellish guitar, drums, and vocals that serve as a climactic peak on this emotionally exhaustive and explorative project. “Cenote” is the true final track, echoing and mirroring the opening track’s instrumentation and serving as a bookend for this project.

The greatest artists aren’t deterred or intimidated by the idea of evolving or changing - they are drawn to it. Mike Hadreas’s persona Perfume Genius has proven yet again that feeding and encouraging artistic ambitions can lead to fresh ideas, elevated concepts, and beautiful projects, which is ironically just what Ugly Season is. Whether paired with its accompanying dance piece or not, Ugly Season is a superb, moving, and thought-provoking collection of songs from an incredibly skilled artist.

Favorite tracks: “Herem”, “Teeth”, “Pop Song”, “Ugly Season”, “Eye in the Wall”, “Photograph”, “Hellbent”

SCORE: 8/10

Book Review: James Clear's "Atomic Habits"

Improving upon an already well-established life, healthy relationships, and productive tendencies can be difficult when there are no easily-identifiable problems rising to the surface. The difference between goodness and greatness derives from the incremental changes, adaptations, and reassessments that help us refine our skills, proclivities, and habits. In James Clear’s best-selling self-help book “Atomic Habits”, the author offers a reliable, systematic approach to achieve reliable results, improve one’s daily life, and improve even just 1% every day, while emphasizing that small improvements avalanche into life-changing differences when practiced consistently.

This book resonated with me because it offered solutions to problems I didn’t even realize I was facing until Clear presented them so eloquently. Instead of frustratedly questioning why sometimes productivity seemed to come naturally while at other times it was so difficult to feel a spark, Clear presents the solution that our habits are a product of the environments we create for ourselves and the routines we choose to engage in or intentionally avoid. By making “good habits” and lifestyle changes attractive and easy, we inherently deny or ignore the vices that keep us from being our best selves. At the same time, making “bad habits” difficult, strenuous, or unattractive, we subconsciously train our minds to detach from self-destructive choices and instead gravitate toward our ideals.

The journey toward self-improvement, self-care, and self-actualization can be a daunting one. This is especially true under the misunderstanding that greatness can only be achieved through great acts. “Atomic Habits” teaches its readers that the opposite is true; instead, by identifying as the type of person we want to be and then taking acts in that direction, no matter how small, we will achieve our goals through consistency and goof faith attempts to do things the right way. Since reading “Atomic Habits”, I feel that the mental barriers that I had created to start productive activities or engage with healthy habits are easier to overcome by staying in the “steadily-improving” mindset. By focusing on process over results, we can all achieve great things and leave a positive impact on those around us. I highly recommend “Atomic Habits” to anyone looking to find the evasive spark that helps give their life meaning and purpose.

Book Review: Mark Manson's "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"

As a part of an ongoing bookclub with my boss and mentor, we decided to read Mark Manson’s best-selling and critically-acclaimed self-help book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”. A change of pace from our equally intriguing and insightful read-through of James Clear’s “Atomic Habits”, we were drawn in by the book’s abrasive title, intimidatingly orange cover, and seemingly under-discussed subject matter. Where Atomic Habits looked to guide its readers to improve upon their daily routines and create habits that would last a lifetime, it initially seemed that, through his many crude jokes and personal anecdotes, Manson’s advice was just the opposite of Clear’s. Instead, however, the effectiveness and importance of Manson’s book come from the first half of its title — instead of embracing nihilism and disregarding everything, Manson suggests that there are subtle yet importance nuances that distinguish which values we should consider, encourage, and help guide us.

Despite Clear’s many steps, protocols, and devices that he encourages the reader to use to develop good habits, I actually find Manson’s philosophy more difficult to apply in my daily life. I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as a “worrier”, but I do strive to achieve the best results that I’m capable of, and sometimes I can be self-critical when any shortcomings arise. Manson encourages his readers to align their values to accept that failure is inevitable, and instead of avoiding it, we should instead accept that inevitability and use it to grow and improve ourselves. At the same time, instead of getting caught up in the small details of life that can sometimes be overwhelming, we should often reassess what is most important to us — whether it be family, good relationships, our health — and strive to give a f*ck only about those factors.

Manson’s unique perspectives are as welcoming and approachable as they are soothing; that is to say, his anecdotal approach and laid back attitude eases the reader into extremely conceptual and philosophical self-reflection. By choosing to value certain aspects of our lives, we inherently deny others. By embracing our mortality and deciding to make the best of life, we deny the negativistic viewpoint that could arise from the inevitability at the end of our lifespans. Manson, in many ways, flips conventions on their head for a more direct and honest conversation with his reader — one that teaches the important lessons that some values should be more important than others, that we often are too obsessed with material accomplishments, and that the subtle art of not giving a f*ck is instead choosing what we actually give a f*ck about in the first place.

Album Review: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers - Kendrick Lamar

After 1,855 long days Kendrick Lamar has returned with the release of his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The follow-up to the critically-acclaimed and Pulitzer prize-winning DAMN. was very highly anticipated despite its remarkably short and mysterious rollout, as this project had neither a lead single nor a tracklist teased before the project’s debut. Even with the absence of these hallmark aspects of a traditional rollout, fans and critics alike tuned into Kendrick’s newest project with their curiosities piqued, ready to learn where the world-renowned artist would take his sound next, but more importantly, how he had navigated the tumultuous, unforgiving, and traumatic half-decade that had passed since we last heard from the Compton native. Luckily, Kendrick was more than willing to share what he has gone through, and with that, he has given us Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: the most ambitious, revealing, and challenging album yet from his unrivaled discography.

Before discussing the tracklist, sounds, and themes on this project, it’s important to discuss the context in which it’s being released, the album’s overall concept, and how the gorgeous cover art helps frame an appropriate listen to the project. Up until the release of DAMN., Kendrick Lamar’s discography largely featured discussions of prevalent issues, critiques of broken institutions, and stories of an unspeakably difficult upbringing for himself and those in his community of Compton, California. After his debut Section.80, good kid, m.A.A.d city was a cinematic experience that outlined growing up with gang affiliations and the negative influence of peer pressure, while To Pimp A Butterfly was a poetic conversation and contemplation about the state of race, inequity, and self-acceptance at the time of its release. DAMN. found Kendrick vulnerable, discussing emotions such as how fear has affected him at each stage of his life and how his feelings often overwhelm him. Although DAMN. was a great record that wore its heart on its sleeve, the lack of a sense of closure and catharsis on this project made the great span of five years feel even longer than it actually was. Kendrick still had work to do, but this time not for his community or the world around him; instead, he needed to first look within and address the traumas that were affecting himself, his family, and, consequently, everyone that consumes his art.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers uses a unique framing device, which is a tactic that Kendrick has mastered over the course of his rap career. Essentially, this project demonstrates a series of therapy sessions that highlight the progression of his mental health, introspection, and eventual breakthrough that leads to the breaking of an intergenerational curse that he hopes to bring light to for others who have likely experienced or suppressed themselves. The album’s cover art seems minimalistic and straightforward at first, but upon further analysis, layers of duality and conflict arise. Kendrick and his family are rather distressed here - together, but in a less-than-ideal setting. Kendrick holds his daughter in his arms while shielding her from the outside world while wearing a crown of thorns and tucking a pistol, which represents his need to protect his family while choosing to represent himself as a savior figure to the community around him. All of themes — family, saviorship, trauma, mental health, and self-acceptance — are discussed on this 18 track double-album.

The album’s first song, “United In Grief”, adds to a legacy of incredibly captivating and stage-setting intro tracks through Kendrick’s discography. The album’s narrator exclaims “I hope you find some peace of mind in this lifetime,” and Kendrick’s wife encourages him to tell the truth to the therapist he has decided to see to address what he has been going through. Initially, Kendrick poses questions and answers them from unconventional perspectives - something that was promised with the release of “The Heart Part 5” just a few days prior to the album’s release. We discover that Kendrick has decided to see a therapist because he’s troubled by everything around him, depicting the world that he’s in as a cul de sac that he can’t find meaning in. Then, backed by a tempo-changing beat switch, Kendrick discusses the pitfalls and indulgences of his luxurious lifestyle, capping all of this off with the introspective excuse of “I grieve different (everybody grieves different)” that addresses the reason for his recent outlook, but without coming up with solutions.

“N95” follows - a hard-hitting banger that discusses the metaphorical masks that we wear in life and the vacuous emptiness that lies beneath them. At the beginning of Kendrick’s therapy, it’s important that he outlines distinctly what he sees wrong with the world around him before addressing why any of it is problematic, which is exactly what he does on this track. “Worldwide Steppers” is essentially disc one’s title track, finding Kendrick using a very direct and blunt delivery. He opens up about a previous lack of creative motivation with the lines “Writer’s block for two years, nothin’ moved me / Asked God to speak through me / That’s what you’re hearing now / Yours truly.” Kendrick then reflects on the internalized prejudices he has toward white women stemming from previous sexual experiences, which he believes his ancestors would view as retaliatory. Kendrick acknowledges the damage that can be done when caught up in the lifestyle, but also suggests those who are “noble” and live “like they’re supposed to “are just as ruthless, only with less direct and punishable consequences.

On “Die Hard”, Kendrick opens up about the insecurities that he has, primarily in his relationship. He questions the commitment and trust of his partner, while recognizing how difficult it is to put up with his uncertainties. Sonically, this track goes more in a pop direction, and while an interesting and revealing song, isn’t one of my favorites on the album. The exploration of trauma continues with “Father Time (feat. Sampha)”, which finds Kendrick discussing the complicated relationship he had with his father while growing up. “I’ve got daddy issues, that’s on me” is an incredibly vulnerable line that also serves as the first example of unspoken, communal trauma that Kendrick is bringing to light on this project, which we will see again multiple times later on. Sampha’s fantastic chorus and the production on this track are impeccable, and the discussions of the normalization of toxic masculinity in the Black community are poignant and impactful.

“Rich - Interlude” utilizes the contributions of controversial figure Kodak Black - the perfect representation of a “big stepper” or contributor to “the culture.” It seems that Kodak has shown some maturation, though, recognizing how far he’s come on his own while still wary and aware of how far he has to go to escape his former lifestyle. “Rich Spirit” finds an irreverent Kendrick navigating criticisms that he has faced, remaining steadfast in a newfound confidence that is beginning to emerge due to his therapy sessions. “We Cry Together” is unlike anything I’ve heard before: an Alchemist-produced, nearly 6-minute-long argument that depicts “what the world sounds like.” The female voice found on this track is portrayed by Taylour Paige, who pours her heart out into her viscerally uncomfortable performance. Argument-style tracks have been attempted before, but none executed as memorably and impactfully as “We Cry Together” - this is a perfect track so uncomfortable, toxic, and unsettling that I will likely have to avoid it on future listens. Disc one closes with “Purple Hearts”, and while this is a melodic pop cut, it doesn’t add much more to the project’s narrative besides condemning the toxicity of the previous track, and the features here didn’t leave an impact on me. Luckily, though, there is an entire second disc to follow.

The back half of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers starts with “Count On Me”, a breakthrough session with Eckhart Tolle that catapults Kendrick into confronting his traumas throughout the rest of the project. This track represents closure, acceptance, and a willingness to move on from prior negative experiences in his life. On “Crown”, Kendrick grapples with the idea that truly conquering his traumas and mental health journey will involve making decisions that can’t please everyone in his life, including the listener. Kendrick recognizes the savior role he has played in his career up until this point, with the lines “Heavy is the head that chose to wear the crown / To whom is given much is required now.” This piano-backed track builds and culminates in Kendrick choosing to pursue his mental health journey, accepting that he has to come first. “Silent Hill” is next, a mellow trap cut featuring Kodak Black that, while inoffensive, would’ve fit much better in the album’s first half of tracks. “Savior - Interlude” features Baby Keem, who echoes the opening refrain from Eckhart Tolle discussing the negative consequences of basing one’s identity on prior traumatic experiences. On “Savior”, Kendrick severs himself from the savior persona that many have associated him with. Toward the end of the track, he discusses how he was likely taken for granted, and states that while he was away, he was “protecting [his] soul in the valley of silence”.

Now that Kendrick has acknowledged that he needs help, that seeking this help will change the way others perceive him, and relieved himself from the self-imposed responsibility of solving other people’s problems (or so he thinks), he is ready to address and explain the traumas and experiences that shaped him. This, naturally, leads to three of the best songs that Kendrick Lamar has even written, starting with “Auntie Diaries”. The track opens with the lines “Heart plays in ways the mind can’t figure out”, and Tolle frames the song by stating “this is how we conceptualize human beings.” On this track, Kendrick outlines his relationships with two different transgender individuals close to him, using this narrative structure to address his internial biases, the hypocrisy of the church, and all-too-often societal condemnation and mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community. After describing how he naturally accepted the transition of his Auntie and of his cousin, he reflects on the accidental mistreatment he partook in by deadnaming these individuals, using derogatory and hurtful slurs, and hiding their identities from those around him. In the moving track’s climactic moments, Kendrick likens the use of the f-slur to that of the n-word, attempting to convince an often homophobic and transphobic hip-hop community to recognize how their prejudices are hurtful by reflecting on their own inequities and mistreatment. Overall, this is an amazing track, and I personally excuse Kendrick’s use of certain language on the song as it serves a much greater, very necessary purpose. More pro-trans and pro-LGBTQ+ songs need to be normalized in rap, and I commend Kendrick for “Auntie Diaries”.

The second disc’s title track, “Mr. Morale”, is next. This Pharrell Williams-produced banger continues discussions of generational trauma over a bouncy instrumental with unique flow from Kendrick. The most important line to pull from this track is Kendrick stating “I’m sacrificing myself to start the healing” not just of himself, but of his community and society altogether. “Mother I Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons of Portishead)” is next, and is quite honestly one of the most moving songs I’ve ever heard. On this track, Kendrick reflects on his childhood, his mother’s experience with sexual assault, his shortcomings and disloyalty to his wife, and how the often under-discussed presence of sexual abuse of young members of the Black community is a generational curse that needs to be addressed before any advancements can be made. Kendrick’s initially quiet and raw vocal delivery builds in the track’s most impactful moments, with lines like “So I set free the power of Whitney, may she heal us all / So I set free our children, may good karma keep them with God / So I set free the hearts filled with hatred, keep our bodies sacred / As I set free all you abusers, this is transformation.” The track closes with a recording of Kendrick’s daughter thanking him for owning his shortcomings and allowing their household the freedom to begin healing, which is what Kendrick wants his entire community to do. The closing track “Mirror” reiterates that Kendrick is choosing to focus on healing himself and his family instead of addressing systemic issues as he did on previous projects, apologizing but definitively stating that this is the decision that his therapy has led him to. This closing track is cathartic and triumphant, demonstrating how far Kendrick has come from where he started the album. The Mr. Morale persona is now in full effect, and the healing can start.

But not just for him. Although throughout this project Kendrick Lamar seems to create a dichotomy between healing his own instead of healing the world, I think that he can do both incredibly effectively, and that this type of masterfully introspective, contemplative project is an example of how. By discussing issues like toxic masculinity, sexual abuse, toxic relationships, and internalized prejudices in his community, Kendrick is leading by example on how to reflect, put in the work, and heal instead of preaching or acting as a savior for others. Now a role model, Kendrick has proven that he can continue to grow, advance, and succeed as an artist, but more importantly as a man who escaped insurmountable adversity in his upbringing. Because of that, and because of all of the good that will do for anyone who truly listens, this project was absolutely worth the wait.

Favorite tracks: “United In Grief”, “N95”, “Worldwide Steppers”, “Father Time (feat. Sampha)”, “Rich Spirit”, “We Cry Together”, “Count Me Out”, “Crown”, “Savior - Interlude”, “Savior”, “Auntie Diaries”, “Mr. Morale”, “Mother I Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons of Portishead)”, “Mirror”

SCORE: 9/10

Analysis: The Heart Part 5 - Kendrick Lamar

He’s back. After five long years since the release of his fourth studio album DAMN., Kendrick Lamar has returned. To classify him only as a musician or rapper seems like a disservice; instead, I prefer to refer to him as an all-around artistic genius. His previous projects, from the critically-acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp A Butterfly to the aforementioned Pulitzer prize-winning DAMN., discussed a wide range of topics and themes like systemic racism, societal injustice, and self-empowerment. Most of these amazing eras, sonically and thematically unique from one another, were preceded by a stream-of-consciousness-style single that, together, make up “The Heart” series. The same is true for his upcoming highly-anticipated album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, as just yesterday, Kendrick Lamar released “The Heart Part 5”.

The unexpected and atypical release is easily my favorite from “The Heart” series. Unlike ever before, Kendrick released a music video alongside the song. Seemingly simple at first, with Kendrick performing in front of a red backdrop, it quickly becomes apparent that the visual aspect of this song is just as important as the written lyrics. In spoken word format, Kendrick opens the track by discussing how he’s realized, as he’s grown older, that understanding varying perspectives is hugely important in life, and that his perspectives on issues might differ from his listeners’. Suddenly, then, Kendrick ballistically starts his first verse, which explores his upbringing and the lifestyle he grew up trying to escape. This time around, instead of just depicting the atrocities he has seen growing up with gang affiliations as he has done previously, Kendrick begins to critique “the culture” he sees around him that perpetuates and sustains a lifestyle that leads to generational suffering among his community. The chorus follows, utilizing a classic funk sample from Marvin Gaye and introduces the topics to follow, with the lyrics: “I want the hood to want me back / Look what I done for you.”

In verse two, Kendrick demonstrates the reflections he has done on the importance of perspective by utilizing DeepFake technology in the song’s music video to “transform” into various icons whose relevance and important we will discuss later. This visual effect is jarring at first, but serves an important purpose in communicating that Kendrick is stepping outside of himself for this single, and will likely do the same on the following album, evidenced by the “I Am. All of us.” quote that starts the music video. Kendrick continues to discuss “the culture,” describing how desensitization to atrocities and exploitation have normalized inequality, especially in impoverished Black communities. By embodying the likes of O.J. Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, and Will Smith, Kendrick argues that these culturally iconic Black men have moved their communities forward despite their shortcomings or the controversies they’ve found themselves in, but that those controversies are ultimately still damaging. Brilliantly, Kendrick pairs each DeepFake with relevant lyrics, such as “Friends bipolar” for Kanye West and “Hurt people hurt more people” for Will Smith.

On verse three, the drums drop out of the instrumental, and Kendrick begins discussing a way out of the systemic and perpetual struggles that his community continues to face: “Celebrate new life when it come back around / The purpose is in the lessons we learnin’ now / Sacrifice personal gain over everything / Just to see the next generation better than ours.” The third verse sees Kendrick transform into Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle, two extremely culturally impactful Black men who were once embroiled in their own controversies only to eventually overcome them to serve change to those around them. “Reflectin’ on my life and what I done / Paid dues, made rules, change outta love / Them same views made schools change curriculums / But didn’t change me starin’ down the barrel of that gun'“ addresses the elephant in the room: untimely demise. Kobe Bryant became a cultural role model before his tragic death, and Nipsey Hussle vowed to better his community after prior gang involvement before being killed. On The Heart Part 5, Kendrick speaks from their perspectives and says that even though they were taken too soon, they should regret nothing because of the positive impact they had on those around them - despite the cost. The song closes on a hauntingly beautiful tribute to Nipsey Hussle from his perspective, and the closing lines “And though my physical won’t reap the benefits / The energy that carry on emits still”, a play on words and striking reference to Emmett Till, whose horrifying lynching was a turning point of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s - a spot-on personification of paying the ultimate price of tragedy to spark an absolutely necessary movement.

Kendrick Lamar has once again proven his genius artistry with The Heart Part 5, and the most incredible part is that it likely won’t even be on his upcoming album. By defining and outlining both the problems his community faces and ways to fix them by embodying cultural icons, Kendrick sets the tone and precedent that the rumored double album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is going to be a very contemplative and dense project. My expectations are now at an all-time high, and I hope Kendrick continues to discuss topics like the separation of art and artists, the misnomer idea of a “cancel culture”, and the importance of art in search of solutions to society’s most pressing issues. This was everything I hoped for in the past five long years, and Friday’s album drop can’t come soon enough.