Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic (2021)

An Evening with Silk Sonic is the debut studio album by American musical superduo Silk Sonic, composed of American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and fellow singer and rapper Anderson .Paak. 

It was released by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records on November 12, 2021. 

Silk Sonic recruited American musician Bootsy Collins, who came up with the name for Mars and Paak's duo, for narration and American record producer D'Mile to compose the album. 

Recording sessions for An Evening with Silk Sonic took place from early 2020 to mid-2021 at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios.

An Evening with Silk Sonic was crafted from elements of R&B, soul, funk, hip hop and pop music. 

Silk Sonic were inspired to create an album on which they could capture the sound of the 1960s and 1970s. 

Their main goal was to bring people together and make them feel good. The lyrics of An Evening with Silk Sonic explore themes such as seduction, romance, reconciliation and materialism featured on Mars's previous albums. 

While .Paak's lyrics usually address contemporary matters, such as the tensions of identity, politics, self-expression, and repression, these are not represented on the record.

An Evening with Silk Sonic explores several genres, including, R&B, soul, funk, early hip-hop and pop. 

It includes the R&B ballads "After Last Night" and "Leave the Door Open". "Fly as Me" and "777" are both funk tracks, with the latter demonstrating a "rock-leaning" style. "Smokin out the Window" and "Put on a Smile" are heartbreak songs, with the latter being a power ballad. 

An Evening with Silk Sonic also features disco on the track "Skate". "Love's Train" is funk and soul cover of the Con Funk Shun song of the same name. The last track on the album, "Blast Off", is a psychedelic soul song evoking Earth, Wind & Fire in 1979. 

According to Stereogum's Vivek Maddala, Silk Sonic created "new paths compositionally" with "Blast Off". The track's "underlying musical architecture contains many surprises, and even some harmonic innovations—things".

"Leave the Door Open", "Smokin out the Window", "After Last Night", "Put on a Smile" and "Blast Off" all feature key changes that have been praised by various critics. 

Lyrics on the album are themed around topics featured in Mars's previous albums, such as "seduction, romance", reconciliation and materialism. 

While .Paak's lyrics usually address contemporary matters such as "the tensions of identity, desire, success, politics, self-expression and repression", these not represented on the record.

The album opens with "Silk Sonic Intro", the duo shows their intention of "locking the groove" and it features guest vocals by Bootsy Collins. 

The duo's lead single, "Leave the Door Open" is inspired by the sound of the Spinners, the Stylistics, and the Manhattans. Its lyrics are an "erotic invitation" from the singer to a woman, encouraging her to come over to his house. "Fly as Me" is a track inspired by James Brown and Parliament, with a modern approach. 

Mars performs a "simplistic bold chorus", while .Paak raps "hollering from a 1977 Monte Carlo." The latter's "assertive drumming" was compared to the ones included on the compilation albums Ultimate Breaks and Beats. 

The song's lyrics are a "celebration of proud extravagance and wealth." 

The slow jam of "After Last Night" describes a woman who is "sweet-sticky/thick and pretty" and able to make a "player try on monogamy". It also shows the duo departing from their "player lifestyle" following a pleasurable date.

"Smokin out the Window" is a R&B and soul song. 

It draws inspiration from the 1970s sound and Silk Sonic sing "about the realization that a lover is not being faithful and has many other men on the side". "Put On a Smile" opens with a vocal intro by Collins and "sounds of a thunderstorm". 

Its lyrics detail the duo's "confession of desperate heartache", as they try "to overcome life after losing someone" they were "deeply in love with". Ross Scarano from Pitchfork and Caleb Campbell writing from Under the Radar draw their attention to the similarities between the song and The Miracles's "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965). 

Various critics praised Mars's vocals and Falsetto. 

Alex Rigotti from Gigwise pointed the falsetto "register with a high G" and furthered the singer's control to his croon, belt and scream. He also exalted .Paak's drumming. 

Sowing for Sputnikmusic praised Mars for laying everything on the "elongated" and "powerfully delivered" verse "Lord knows I'm dyin".

The seventh track, "777", shares the same inspiration as "Fly as Me", including James Brown, Parliament and the "assertive drumming" on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats. 

It has been compared to the Gap Band's funk. It describes partying and going to Las Vegas "where the champagne buffet always flows and nobody loses at the baccarat table". 

"Skate", the album's second single, was inspired by music from the 1970s disco period. The song's lyrics discuss roller skating, and are an invitation for young women to a dance floor. 

The album's final song, "Blast Off", includes an "unhinged guitar solo" leading to "twinkling electric pianos" as it finishes. 

Critics have said its composition makes the listener feel like they are flying in the clouds and in space. The lyrics call for "high-as-space imagery", achieved through the use of drugs. 

"Love's Train" is a "silky and smooth" 1970s funk and soul song. 

Lyrically, it demonstrates "a love triangle Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate found themselves in".

Track listing

1.  Silk Sonic Intro - 1:03

2.  Leave The Door Open - 4:02

3.  Fly As Me - 3:39

4.  After Last Night - 4:09

5.  Smokin Out The Window - 3:17

6.  Put On A Smile - 4:15

7.  777 - 2:45

8.  Skate - 3:23

9.  Blast Off - 4:44

Bonus Track

10.  Love´s Train - 5:07

Notes

Released:  November 12, 2021 

Recorded:  2020–2021 Studio Shampoo Press & Curl 

Genre:  R&B, soul, funk · 

Length:  36:26

Producer(s):  Bruno Mars, D'Mile, The Stereotypes

Label - Aftermath / Atlantic

Ariana Grande - Positions (2020)

Positions is the sixth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released by Republic Records on October 30, 2020. Grande worked with numerous producers on Positions, including frequent collaborator Tommy Brown, accompanied by longtime co-writers Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx. Inspired by her "emotional healing", Grande desired to emphasize her vocals on the album.

Built around themes of sexual intimacy, attraction, and romantic devotion, Positions expands on the trap-infused R&B and pop sound of its predecessors, Sweetener (2018) and Thank U, Next (2019). 

Doja Cat, the Weeknd, and Ty Dolla $ign appear as guest features, alongside Megan Thee Stallion on the deluxe edition. Upon release, Positions was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics; Grande's vocal performance was often praised, though the album's lyrics and production style drew criticism. Publications ranked the album on various year-end best albums lists of 2020. 

The title track was released as the lead single, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and marked Grande's fifth number-one single in the United States, making her the first act with five number-one debuts on the chart. 

The song was her third Hot 100 chart-topper in 2020, following "Stuck with U" and "Rain on Me". All 14 tracks on Positions charted simultaneously on the Hot 100, with the second single, "34+35", arriving at number eight on the chart and peaking at number two, following the release of its remix with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. In 2021, the album was promoted by a series of performances of its tracks, presented by Vevo, and the release of "POV" to US radio as the third single. 

Musically, Positions is an R&B and pop record with trap inflections. Its tracks also contain elements of hip hop, neo soul, disco, funk, microhouse, electro house, and orchestral pop. 

Grande's vocals have been described as evoking mumble rap. The opening track, "Shut Up", has been described as "a jewel box of an orchestral-pop number in which the singer tells off people too concerned with how she spends her time". 

The second track, "34+35", is an uptempo pop song that has sexually suggestive lyrics, juxtaposed over orchestral strings. The song incorporates R&B and trap music in its production.  

The third track, "Motive", is a collaboration with Doja Cat. Grande had declared the two worked on a track together during an interview in May 2020. 

The two would collaborate again on the remix of "34+35" alongside American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. 

"Off the Table" is a collaboration with The Weeknd, and "tackles the idea of loving after loss head-on and with grace". 

"Six Thirty" sees Grande "[shatter] established language norms and creates a new metaphor paradigm, comparing a person to a very specific hour of the day as represented on a clock". 

Vulture's Rachel Handler described "My Hair" as "a witty, clever little ditty about reassuring an uneasy lover that it is, indeed, okay to touch Ariana Grande's almost frighteningly giant ponytail. 

It's also a classic horny bait and switch, kicking off like a sexy, swingy, '70s-esque doo-wop about fuckin'." 

The ninth track, "Nasty", is described as a "X-rated, lo-fi R&B" song incorporating elements of trap and bedroom pop music. 

The eleventh track, "Love Language", is described as "disco-meets-new jack swing". 

The title track, "Positions", is a mid-tempo, "slinky" pop-R&B song over a trap beat, violins, and guitars played in the pizzicato technique. 

PopSugar and Idolator respectively reported that "Off the Table" sampled "2009" by Mac Miller, while "West Side" sampled "'One in a Million' by Aaliyah". 

With the debut of Positions atop the Billboard 200, Grande earned her fifth number one album in the United States. It spent two consecutive weeks at number one in the country, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and became the eighth most consumed album of 2021 in the US. Elsewhere, the album reached number-one in Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Ireland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. Positions contended for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards (2022); Grande tied Kelly Clarkson for the most nominations for an act in the category, with five each. 

Track listing

1.  Shut Up - 2:38

2.  34+35 - 2:54

3.  Motive  (Featuring – Doja Cat) - 2:48

4.  Just Like Magi - 2:30

5.  Off The Table  (Featuring – The Weeknd) - 4:00

6.  Six Thirty - 3:04

7.  Safety Net (Featuring – Ty Dolla $ign) - 3:28

8.  My Hair - 2:38

9.  Nasty - 3:21

10.  West Side - 2:12

11.  Love Language - 3:00

12.  Positions - 2:52

13.  Obvious - 2:27

14.  POV - 3:22

Deluxe Edition (bonus tracks)

15.  Someone Like U (Interlude) - 1:16

16.  Test Drive - 2:02

17.  34+35 (Remix Featuring – Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion) - 3:02

18.  Worst Behavior - 2:04

19.  Main Thing - 2:08

Notes

Released: October 30, 2020 

Recorded at: Studio Grande's home (Los Angeles) / Champagne Therapy (Los Angeles) / Windmark (Los Angeles) / Capitol (Los Angeles) / Jungle City (New York City)

Genre: R&B, pop, trap

Length: 51:41 (deluxe edition) 

Producer(s): London on da Track, Mr. Franks, Murda Beatz, Nami, Oliver Frid, Peter Lee Johnson, Scott Storch, Shea Taylor, Shintaro Yasuda, The Rascals, Tommy Brown, Tommy Parker, Travis Sayles, Xavi

Label - Republic Records