NICE AS F*CK! : The Albums, 2016.

22/jessy lanza/oh no

Tonight's opening DJ set the tone for the evening early on. And if you arrived at any point during this set, you would have felt as if you walked into one of the night's best house parties; A vibe that would be extended even further when the night's second opening act, Jessy Lanza, took the stage. Upon her arrival, and despite having kept the party and momentum moving forward with her one or two opening songs, the vibes, for Jessy, weren't chill enough, and she loudly proclaimed to the technicians in the back that the already dimmed lights be dimmed even further and the levels be turned up on the booming system. By doing so, Jessy brought the party to her; shaped it on her own terms and led you to a space where she can be heard more clearly. Took you to the basement where the real movement is being had and she is steering the ship. Placed you firmly in the Kitchen where all the major conversations are being had. In other words, the intimacy was unlocked, & Jessy had you. Pulled you in with her own luxurious snap, crackle, & pop. It's a card she plays often and well on her sophomore album Oh No. Like the best pop music that speaks on affairs of the heart, there's an incredible playful energy that runs fluid through this album, never butting heads with the true, serious intents of her heart shaped sentiments. The slow churning and often bubbling electro-pop/rhythm and blues tones, along with the things being expressed, are all wonderfully universal and all encompassing, as the most delectable slices of pop music are. But they also come wrapped in a warmth and intimacy that is not lost when the words drop or the beat goes high or long. Like the Madonnas and the Kylies and the Aaliyahs and numerous hit single having pop singers of the 80s before her, Jessy comes to the party on her own terms and makes it work soothingly, in small and large doses. It's her party and she just wants to dim the lights, turn the speakers/levels up and impress you. And impress you she does, by keeping it intimate, and keeping it fun.
KEY TRACKS: VV Violence/Never Enough/It Means I Love You

23/junior boys/big black coat

24/majid jordan/majid jordan
 
25/badbadnotgood/iv