Written by: Louise Ho and Tiffany Chang

Sucker Punch by Sigrid

Sigrid’s long-awaited debut album is nothing short of a true sucker punch. Filled with endlessly catchy hooks and powerful lyrics, Sucker Punch includes 12 relatable tracks. Based in Norway, the 22-year-old artist is  honest and raw with the songs that she writes, and Sucker Punch is no exception to her previous EP’s, Raw (2018) and Don’t Kill My Vibe (2017). Each song here tells a story, masterfully writing about life, love, friendships, and careers. Sucker Punch evokes a sense of solace and peace, and features intense and controlled vocals. Her vocals evoke a sense of inescapable emotions, ones that just needed to be felt to push through. Tracks like “Don’t Feel Like Crying” offers listeners comfort after breakups, while “In Vain” showcases Sigrid’s intensity and vocal range, telling her viewers that even if heartbreak happens but you can’t let it get to you. Two of my favourites that have not been previously released in the studio would be “Business Dinners” and “In Vain.” – LH

1UP by T-Pain

As someone who is relatively new to T-Pain’s work and artistry, I was curious after finding out about the release of his latest album 1UP. I felt pleasantly surprised while listening. “A Million Times,” the latest single, is a stand-out tune I enjoyed from beginning to end. While I predicted up-beat songs like “It’s My Dog Birthday,” what I didn’t expect were emotional numbers on serious relationships like “Keep This From Me.” “Getcha Roll On,” however, possesses a boring, one-dimensional melody that would have made the song consistently mediocre throughout if not for the smart collaboration with Tory Lanez, whose vocals in my opinion, saved the song. I think the robotic quality of the autotune T-Pain favours is wasted on a gifted singer. 1UP overall signifies a sense of rebirth and pays homage to the artist’s gaming interest. While this is an overall a decent album, 1UP is not enough to be considered a major comeback. – TC