Leo's Music Library

Kim Petras – Era 1 ☆

Kim Petras debuted onto the pop scene in 2017 with her bratty single, “I Don’t Want It At All.” The song came with a cute, pink-tastic music video featuring a cameo from none other than Paris Hilton. Since then, Petras has only risen to pop stardom releasing various singles, Halloween mixtapes, a full-length project, and collaborations with Charli XCX and Cheat Codes. Late 2017 through early 2019 saw Petras release a total of stand alone 11 singles dawning the iconic neon bunhead outline of her face; this era never became a fleshed-out album but was eventually given the name Era 1 by Petras herself. Despite not being an album, this collection of songs is still very cohesive and follows a character living a grand life full of designer brands, parties, love, drugs, and heartbreak. In “Hillside Boys,” Petras sings about her weakness for boys living in Beverly Hills who just want a summer fling. It’s an instant pop moment. “Slow It Down” is a sensual moment in Petras’ catalog and shows her great vocals. Petras has her vulnerable moments too, such as in “If U Think About Me…” where we find her contemplating about an unrequited love and contains her signature adlib “Woo-Ah.” With classic pop songwriting skills, stunning vocals, an immense work ethic, great concert sets and an even greater stage presence, it is evident that it is Kim Petras’ world and we are all living in it.

☆ Rating: 9.5/10 ☆

Bladee – EXETER ☆

Released just earlier this month, EXETER, the latest mixtape from Bladee, is an 18-minute dreamy experience. This mixtape finds the Swedish rapper take a more minimalistic approach in his music with his dreamy melodies and vocals and with the help of Gud, the sole producer of the project. It’s something that the more you listen, the more you want to hit replay and listen through it all again. Ecco2k, a fellow member of Drain Gang, lends help on two tracks (WONDERLAND, LOVESTORY) and shows that there can never be enough collaborations between the pair. A mixtape highlight, “DNA RAIN,” is perhaps the dreamiest song of the bunch and gives the listener the feeling of free falling and floating in the sky. On “RAIN3OW STAR (LOVE IS ALL), Bladee autotuned vocals and Gud’s glitchy production go hand-in-hand to create yet another stimulating experience coupled with a 55-second surreal outro. Bladee allows us to step into the realm of EXETER and dream away for a few minutes, something that is ever so beautiful and necessary now.

☆ Rating: 8.5/10 ☆

SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES ☆

The debut of the SOPHIE was a momentous day for sure. SOPHIE has steadily left her mark on the underground music scene by helping push forward experimentation within music. She has also found collaborators within pop artists like Charli XCX, Madonna, Kim Petras and rappers such as Quay Dash and Vince Staples. Her debut, OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES, wraps up most of what she is most known for from metallic/clanging songs (Ponyboy, Faceshopping) to shimmery pop songs (Immaterial) to quieter, more ambient songs (Pretending). In the anthemic lead single, “It’s Okay to Cry,” SOPHIE made her first ever appearance (she previously played DJ sets undercover and even had someone else pose as her once) and came out as transgender in the emotionally beautiful music video. Since the release of this beautiful record in 2017, SOPHIE has played several more sets and has released a 25-track-long album full of OOEPUI remixes. This album remains one of my favorites ever and I cannot wait to see what else SOPHIE has in store!

☆ Rating: 10/10 ☆

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia ☆

I recall listening to “Hotter Than Hell” by a popstar-on-the-rise back in 2016 and immediately being enamored with Dua’s voice and style. Since then, she has taken over the world releasing hit after hit, leaving audiences sweating in anticipation for her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia, and she absolutely did not disappoint. In my opinion, this record is the best album released in 2020 so far, it’s that good. It is an album that contains love, fun, female empowerment, and a bridge between 80s disco and modern pop, rightfully earning its title as Future Nostalgia. Right off the bat, Dua is confident and bold in the title track stating “I know you ain’t used to a female alpha.” This perfectly sets the tone for the gravity-defying ride she takes the listeners on for the next 37 minutes. A favorite of mine, “Cool,” sounds like a classic pop song from the early 00s and like the embodiment of a summer day, I can definitely see this being a future classic. In “Levitating,” she really does give the feeling of levitation through groovy production, fun lyrics, and a story of a love that is out of this world. Not only are the songs amazing, but so are the visuals. Her cover arts (shot by Hugo Comte) and grand music videos provide one of the most visually stunning pop eras I’ve seen in a while. I genuinely cannot run out of good things to say about this album! ❤

☆ Rating: 10/10 ☆

Quarantine Playlist ☆

made via http://www.neverendingchartrendering.org

Hello! For this post I decided to compile a list of music that has been on repeat while self-isolating. In this playlist, I included fresh 2020 singles from artists like Charli XCX and Yung Lean — and included throwback projects that I still jam to like Britney Spears and Gesaffelstein. To keep it short and sweet, I limited myself and included just one song off each project. I hope you enjoy!

Amnesia Scanner – AS Going [feat. LYZZA] (2020)
Charli XCX – claws (2020)
Machine Girl – Devil Speak (2020)
Danny L Harle – Awake for Hours (2015)
LYZZA – Tangerine Dreams (2019)
Yung Lean – Violence (2020)
Bladee – DNA RAIN (2020)
Hannah Diamond – Invisible [Dylan Brady Remix] (2020)
Nasty Cherry – Shoulda Known Better (2020)
Tinashe – Life’s Too Short (2019)
Rina Sawayama – Tokyo Love Hotel (2020)
Gesaffelstein – Hate or Glory (2013)
Britney Spears – Breathe On Me (2003)
Kali Uchis – angel (2020)
Defensa & Sara Hebe – Carajo (2020)
Charli XCX – forever (2020)

Caroline Polachek – Pang ☆

“Into me…PANG! and I go into you… PANG! and you go into me…” Polachek sings on the title track of her marvelous solo debut album. Released in 2019, Caroline Polachek coupled whimsical lyrics, stunning production (with the help of PC Music’s Danny L Harle), ethereal visuals (Timothy Luke), and her hypnotizing voice to create an album that almost feels like a storybook to me. She guides the listeners into her world with the intro, “Gate,” and opens it up into the title track to provide an “album for romantics” as she states. Each track is full of visual language and is able to create a form of escapism. In “New Normal” she sings about what seems to be random, unrelated things such as fog machines, blizzards in April, cats, and a robin with a broken wing. However, she revealed this song is a history of her friendship with Pang co-executive-producer Danny L Harle. For me, the standouts are “Hit Me Where It Hurts” and “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings.” The latter has this scenario that everyone can relate to: an unreciprocated love/crush that hurts you the more you interact with them. In “Hit Me Where It Hurts,” Polachek describes that she feels “like a butterfly trapped inside a plane,” which I think is a beautiful simile. She acknowledges she is able to fly at her own will but is still confined within this larger space, unable to freely fly away. In this song she knows this love will hurt, that her lover will even hate her one day, yet she still wants this love. Pairing every song with visuals and a “lyric booklet,” Polachek and her team were able to create this stunning world with themes of love and self-perception.

☆ Rating: 9/10 ☆

Kali Uchis – TO FEEL ALIVE ☆

Kali Uchis is an artist that has evolved over time honing her beautiful visuals, well-crafted vision, dreamy production, and even dreamier vocals. This four-track EP consisting of demos recorded in quarantine is no exception. It was recorded within a week as a gift to self-isolating fans as they await the release of her sophomore album. TO FEEL ALIVE demonstrates Uchis’ brilliance and talent — it was solely performed, produced, and written by Kali herself. She reworked previously unreleased tracks, “honey baby (SPOILED!)” and “angel,” that fans have been patiently waiting for 6 years and a song she performed on her joint 2019 tour with Jorja Smith, “i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE).” Knowing this, the cover art is genius. Painted by Oh de Laval, the cover art shows two past versions of Kali having oral intercourse in her bedroom as the world is burning outside. As for the sound, Kali has the voice of an angel as always. A standout track is “angel” in which Kali compares her lover to a drug and how this love takes her to a higher plane. This EP invites us again to the dreamy world of Kali Uchis and gives us a glimpse to what we may expect on her follow-up album.

☆ Rating: 8/10 ☆

Allie X – Cape God ☆

Cape God by Allie X has proven to be one of the greatest albums of this year thus far. At first listen, I was immediately enamored with the whole project and its various layers. In this record, X is able to touch subjects such as depression and party culture within these 43 minutes and still have a beautiful and cohesive theme throughout. An album for outcasts, X fantasizes about attending parties and being able to go outside with all the normal people. In one of the standout tracks, “Regulars,” Allie X sings about finally being able to take that step outside amongst the ‘regulars,’ yet unknowingly not fitting in as she states she gets weird stares. In “June Gloom,” she recalls all the things she missed out on due to having an autoimmune disease at a young age and how being stuck in her bedroom can create depressive thoughts. In “Super Duper Party People” and “Life of the Party,” though, she is finally able to experience this party life she envisioned. The latter, however, has dark undertones of sexual assault. With lyrics such as “They stripped me down like a Barbie / They say I kissed the king / But I don’t remember anything,” Allie shows the scary reality of partying. In the final track, “Learning in Public,” Allie states she was able to give her younger self a voice and how therapeutic writing this song was. This track was a great way to wrap up a cohesive and beautifully written record that reflects on Allie’s personal life, the things she’s learned, and the harsh realities of life.

☆ Rating: 9/10 ☆

PC Music – PC Music, Vol. 1 ☆

For this post, we’re throwing it back to 2015 to the compilation album PC Music, Vol. 1 by none other than the experimental pop label PC Music. This label, which started off as a group of friends, is based in London and is composed of producers, singers, and various pseudonyms for a lot of the signed artists. I remember discovering this label back in 2015 and my life changed forever. They really pushed the levels of pop music with their high-pitched vocals, sleek branding, various samples, hyperreal aesthetics, and unique production. Founded by A. G. Cook, Personal Computer Music has expanded from a group of friends to a community of frequent collaborators outside the label. The artists signed on this label have worked with artists such as SOPHIE, Charli XCX, Clairo, and Carly Rae Jepsen. This compilation album shows the talents of artists like Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, A. G. Cook, Danny L Harle, EASYFUN, and more. It also shows the variety of personalities found within this label. We have “Every Night” and “Attachment” by Hannah Diamond, the PC princess who sings about sad topics, such as broken virtual relationships, over glittery production. Then we have “Wannabe” by Lipgloss Twins which sounds like a mall-haul from mentions of fake Prada to Maybelline. This duo consists of label-mates A. G. and felicita. The last song on the album, “Laplander” by EASYFUN is one of my favorite songs which features lyrics about the end of a relationship, fun production, and a Jessie J sample. In conclusion, this compilation album will forever hold a place in my heart as it introduced me to a new world and laid out many of the influences I still have today.

☆ Rating: 9.5/10 ☆

100 gecs – 1000 gecs ☆

Hello! Today I will be talking about what I think was one of the best projects of 2019: 1000 gecs by 100 gecs. This album is 23 minutes worth of pure fun and a mixture of experimental and abrasive music. This duo, composed of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, is a hit-or-miss for listeners. They are definitely a hit for me; I enjoy the chipmunk vocals, hard drops, and witty lyrics. The rise of the hyperpop scene has been one of my favorite things to witness and listen to. Laura and Dylan have remixed, collaborated, and produced songs with their peers from Charli XCX to Hannah Diamond to Rico Nasty. They were even scheduled to perform this month at Coachella before its postponement. 100 gecs show they are unafraid to experiment with their jarring outros and their in-your-face attitude in their songs. Some highlights off 1000 gecs are “money machine,” the song that inspired many Twitter memes with its sassy intro and overall badass sound, “ringtone,” the cute song about having a customized ringtone for your lover, and “xXX_i_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx,” the eurodance track that not only has a stylized title reminiscent of early Myspace days but also has a ready-to-rave sound. Overall, this project is fun, great, and shows us a duo who is unafraid to take their sound to the extreme.

☆ Rating: 8/10 ☆