2017 Album of the Summer

Story posted September 7, 2017 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Arts Staff

As the warm weather winds down and everyone heads back to school, people will reflect upon their summer with (hopefully) fond memories. Most people’s summers, however, are defined by the music they heard and the memories formed while listening to that music. The perfect summer album is different for everyone and says a lot about the kind of summer vibes a person enjoys.

Good for You – Aminé

Personally, the ultimate summer vibes just flow endlessly through Good for You and will always bring me the warm joy of summer days. Something that makes this album special to me is Aminé constantly refers to old television shows, celebrities, and movies and makes them relatable. Aminé’s Good for You gives a very nostalgic tone, but it can also be flipped. The album refers to his childhood, family, love, hate, and life; all of these things that give you a more up and personal look at him. This album has set him up to become bigger in mainstream hip-hop, especially with the different artists he has featured on this album. There are defiantly some big things happening here and some big things that are about to happen with his career. – Jacinda Soto

Flower Boy – Tyler the Creator

Summer 2017 will be known as the coming of age moment for the Odd Future rapper as he released his fourth full-length album in Flower Boy. The album has been Tyler’s most successful and well-received project to date, where a tight race opening week planted him into the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart in between new records from Lana Del Rey and Meek Mill. The rapper’s latest installment builds off of a lighter side he has showcased in the past by bringing together beautiful melodies, jazzy chord progressions and seamless transitions to make some of his most enjoyable work. The soothing tone of the album sets the mood right for a perfect listen on a summer day as Tyler goes into detail about some of the more simple yet relatable experiences in life with bluntly named tracks like “Boredom” and “911/Mr. Lonely.” These topics replace some of the California rapper’s past pitfalls and immaturity that fans have been long-awaiting to be shed. Flower Boy features the artist’s best collection of hooks to date that demand the listener to sing along while still satisfying the hunger of party anthem hip-hop fans with hard-hitting songs like “Who Dat Boy” and “I Ain’t Got Time.” Front to back, Tyler’s latest work is not just his personal best, but it also is one of the best releases of the entire year thus far. – Ryan Berti

SATURATION – BROCKHAMPTON

Over the past few decades, summer is known to be among one of the most popular times to release new music. And while we definitely have gotten several good releases, there is only one album that should be crowned album of the summer: SATURATION by the collective known as BROCKHAMPTON. Dropping in late June, BROCKHAMPTON surprised the industry with sound and flow that is consistent and enjoyable throughout the entirety of the project. The production is influenced mostly by the rap and R&B genre, overseen entirely by BROCKHAMPTON’s own production team, as is the vocals and the album artwork. “STAR,” “BOYS,” and “WASTE” are songs that have been played more than a few times during this season, as it not only provides the perfect amount of intensity for camaraderie, but a nice balance of mellowness for relaxation among your friends. It is because of this new old-school production and vocals that make SATURATION an ideal candidate for the album of the summer. – Jack Grossman

Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples

West coast hip-hop is no stranger to innovative and exciting summer albums. But this summer, contrary to popular belief, it was Big Fish Theory, the second studio album from Vince Staples.

 Staples stays faithful to the loud and bass-filled instrumentals which are the key ingredients for a summer hip-hop album coming from California. But what makes Big Fish Theory such a good album is the ability mix those classic beats with an array of techno instrumentals.

Staples is already seen as a solid lyricist and rapping over these beats made it almost too easy for him. He also received help from Kendrick Lamar on “Yeah Right” and was able to deliver a Friday night anthem in “Big Fish,” which Staples was able to get Juicy J to hop on. In just 36 minutes worth of tracks, Staples establishes himself as another significant west coast rapper, but also provides a solid album of the summer.

 

Jacinda Soto is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact her, email JacindaSoto15@gmail.com.

Ryan Berti is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ryanpberti@gmail.com.

Jack Grossman is a sophomore majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jackdgrossman@gmail.com.

KJ Meade is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kym5330@psu.edu