John Amen

6 days ago | beatsperminute.com | John Amen

[Backwoodz Studioz; 2025]On “Make No Mistake,” from his new album, GOLLIWOG, billy woods tells us: “I told a few lies in my time / but never once over a beat”. This is undoubtedly true in the artistic sense (as Picasso supposedly said, “Art is the lie that reveals the truth”. As Jeezy succinctly added, “I spit the truth, every noun, every verb”). woods’ raps, however/of course, make use of autofiction as much as autobiography.

2 weeks ago | popmatters.com | John Amen

A Complicated Woman Republic Rebecca Taylor, aka Self Esteem, has two aspects to her persona, as presented via her second album, Prioritise Pleasure: The indefatigable activist and the unapologetic hedonist. Regarding the former, Taylor adopts the feminist mantle with ease. She extolls the strength, resilience, and resourcefulness of women while advocating for their rights, festively and militantly. Regarding the latter, Taylor celebrates the female body and eroticism in its myriad forms.

1 month ago | thelineofbestfit.com | John Amen

Her last album, 2022’s self-titled release, offered a blend of engaging songs and intriguing instrumental forays, varying from solo performances to full-band renderings. With her latest project, Jellywish, she largely readopts the guitar-and-vocal MO of earlier work, particularly 2019’s Emily Alone. That said, she strikes a more equanimous bearing, even as she continues to explore some of her favorite themes: relational issues, struggles with self-esteem, and concerns about her place in the world.

1 month ago | beatsperminute.com | John Amen

[Matador; 2025]As Perfume Genius, Michael Hadreas has long straddled the gap between pop and the avant-garde. Had he been around in the 1960s or 1970s, he would’ve probably been associated with the Warhol scene. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that he released an album such as 2022’s Ugly Season, a richly layered instrumental and textural foray with vocals that largely operated ambiently.

1 month ago | nodepression.com | John Amen

With their latest set, Believer, Ella Coyes assumes a more aerial view than on their 2022 debut, Communion, frequently putting distance between themself and their subject matter. John Nellen’s production MO complements Coyes’ narrative style and this new, detached perspective, infusing the tracks with buoyancy, while never diluting Coyes’ pensive leanings.