January 2025
Monthly Reviews | January 2025
For the first month of 2025, I listened to three projects. The first was Murder During Drug Traffic, the second collaborative effort from Boldy James and Rich Gains. Their first album together was excellent and was one of my favourite projects of 2023—can they replicate that success? Find out below. Next, I explored Black’!Antique, the latest release from Pink Siifu, an abstract and experimental artist from Alabama and Cincinnati. This was my first time listening to an album from his. Lastly, Canadian heavyweight The Weeknd returned with Hurry Up Tomorrow, the third and final instalment of his latest trilogy. Rumoured to be his last album under The Weeknd moniker, does it successfully close the chapter on both the trilogy and his iconic persona?.
Boldy James & Rich Gains — Murder During Drug Traffic
Release Date — 3rd January
After the brilliance of their first collaborative effort in 2023 with Indiana Jones, Boldy James and Rich Gains have reunited for Murder During Drug Traffic. Unfortunately, their latest collaboration is a mixed bag. The album starts off promisingly with “Achilles,” and tracks like "Telephono" and "Custo" stand out thanks to their solid production. However, this level of quality production is rare throughout the album. While Boldy is known for his laid-back rapping style, much of the record finds him sounding completely uninterested. Bright spots like “Made Man” break this trend, but tracks such as "Janky," "Days Go By," and "Mixed Drinks" reveal a rapper who sounds bored—or at the very least, distracted. Many songs, such as “Transcendence,” simply fade into the background and fail to leave an impression. Another significant issue is the poorly chosen features; both "Stacks & Flips" and "Freightliner" suffer from forgettable guest appearances, with Street Lord Juan contributing the weakest features on the album.
Overall, it’s surprising how disappointing Murder During Drug Traffic is, especially when compared to Indiana Jones, which was one of my favorite projects of 2023. Everything that made Boldy and Rich’s first collaboration great feels absent in this second effort, from the production to the features, and even Boldy himself. The Detroit rapper has been on an unprecedented run of excellent releases, but Murder During Drug Traffic feels like a screeching halt. Hopefully, this is just a small blip in Boldy’s otherwise stellar discography.
Pink Siifu — Black’!Antique
Release Date — 27th January
Pink Siifu’s BLACK’!ANTIQUE is a project that explores a range of sounds, from distorted chaos to laid-back grooves. The album kicks off strongly with the title track, “Black Antique,” which immediately sets the tone with its raw, distorted energy. “1:1” stands out, particularly in its first half, thanks to its catchy repetition of “damn my bezel broke.” The featured artists also shine on this track. The album’s strongest run begins with “Screw4Life” and continues up until “Translation,” offering some of the most engaging moments on the project. Within this stretch, “4Doe” stands out for its immersive production, while “WhoYouWithHo” delivers a menacing, trap-inspired banger. The latter half of the album is quite mixed with highs and lows, as is the whole album essentially. However, “U Already” benefits from great background vocals, and “Last One Alive,” consists of jazz-inspired production, which complements Siifu’s vocal delivery and rapping.
As mentioned, the album is a mixed bag and does have its fair share of lows. While its abstract sound can be commended and it does try to push the boundary with its production, however certain moments on the album are unbearable, particularly on tracks like “V12” and “Sacrifice.” Meanwhile, songs like “Girls Fall Out The Sky” and “Locked In” are decent but don’t leave a lasting impression. As the album progresses, the closing stretch of the album is underwhelming, with tracks like “Sleep at the Wheel,” “8,” and “Blackwater”. None of these tracks where note worthy or stood out on their own. Lastly, what the album does suffer from is its length time, which stands at close to an hour and twenty minutes, which was too long for this album and made it difficult to get through. Its similar to a three hour movie that didn’t need to be, and could of had an hour cut.
The Weeknd — Hurry Up Tomorrow
Release Date — 31st January
The Weeknd’s new album serves as the sequel to his previous two projects—2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM—closing out a brilliant trilogy that he has carefully crafted and executed over the past five years. On Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Weeknd is deeply reflective about his past life, using the album as a cathartic session to help him move on—perhaps even leaving behind The Weeknd persona to be reborn as Abel Tesfaye. The album excels in its vocals, production, and writing, making it arguably the best in the trilogy and one of the finest projects The Weeknd has ever released. The Canadian singer draws inspiration from various genres, incorporating elements of electronic, funk, and synthpop into his sound.
The album opens with “Wake Me Up,” which cleverly samples Michael Jackson’s classic hit Thriller, setting an introspective tone by exploring themes of religion and the existence of God. The project features several standout collaborations, but the best has to be Anitta on the upbeat track “Sao Paulo.” Meanwhile, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott shine on “Timeless” and “Reflections Laughing,” respectively. As always, The Weeknd’s vocals remain a highlight, particularly on “Baptized in Fear,” where he delivers a stunning performance on the chorus, singing “Voices’ll tell me that I should carry on.” The first half of the album maintains an incredible run, with “Opening Night” offering a beautifully crafted lo-fi sound—though it leaves you wishing it were longer. “Enjoy the Show” and “Given Up on Me” also stand out as major highlights.
The second half of the album is slightly less consistent but still features plenty of great moments. Tracks like “Niagara Falls” and the title track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” are particularly noteworthy. The former stands out with its brilliant production and the use of Jon B. and Babyface’s “Someone to Love” sample, while the latter is arguably the best song on the entire album. The best is truly saved for last, as the title track is not only beautifully sung, but also lyrically compelling. Leading up to the album’s release, The Weeknd hinted that this could be his final project under the moniker. This theme is felt throughout the album, but is most evident on the title track, where he symbolically strips away The Weeknd persona, signaling the rebirth of Abel Tesfaye.
If Hurry Up Tomorrow truly is his last album as The Weeknd, it is a perfect way to end an era and an incredible way to close out a fantastic trilogy. In nearly fifteen years, Abel has released some of the greatest pop and R&B music of his generation, with mixtapes and albums like House of Balloons and Starboy defining his legacy. If this album is indeed his farewell, then it is a stunning send-off, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his artistic evolution.