The Reviews | Common – ‘Nobody’s Smiling’

“Now I know how my father felt, that dark day when he realized that
black power didn’t keep the lights on.”

A lot has changed in Chicago since Lonnie Lynn, Jr. asked us to borrow a dollar.

The Reviews | Mali Music – ‘Mali Is…’

“I started making music so I could help put everyone at ease. Each Sunday that I came into this building… I realized music could make you cry, make you dance, or even change your life.”
-Mali Music (from his official website)

The feeling of finally arriving is a powerful moment for any artist. While the events following that moment cannot be predicted, that small period of time becomes memorable after the realization of all of that artist’s hard work up until that point. For Kortney Jamaal Pollard, better known by his stage name Mali Music, that moment is now.

The Reviews | The-Dream – ‘Royalty: The Prequel’ EP

Royalty: “People of royal blood or status”.

To those of us on the outside looking in, it seems as though Mr. Nash’s thoughts have been increasingly worldly as of late. Gaining notoriety in the early 2000’s for his innovative songwriting, it’s safe to say The-Dream has firmly left his mark on music and has his sights set on tagging up much more.

The Reviews | Ed Sheeran – ‘Multiply (x)’

“I’ll do my own thing now, and get respect after.”
-Ed Sheeran, ‘Take It Back’

There is something to be said about being the guy that tries something that most consider to be “left-field”.

The Reviews: BJ The Chicago Kid – “A Soulful Christmas” EP

“This song is for all those people that [are] putting all that crazy stuff
on their Christmas list. You don’t even use half of the stuff you’ve got.”

The irony of the words we use lies in the manner in which their meanings can change depending on your interpretation of them and how they are used in a sentence. The above quote is the first thing the Listener hears when BJ The Chicago Kid’s latest project, A Soulful Christmas EP, begins playing. At first listen, it is easy to take BJ’s words at face value and perceive him to mean that this latest project is a short and sweet gift to his fans for them to enjoy during the holidays. However, with more thought, it could also be that the statement is referring to BJ’s development and progression as an artist in recent years, and his future plans of harnessing his growth to deliver great music. Either meaning you apply to the quote turns out to be an accurate assessment, though, as the kid from the windy city fulfills both of these meanings to the best of his abilities on his holiday-themed EP.

The Listening Magazine’s Favorite Artists of 2013

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…

Well, this isn’t entirely true. In reality, your parents are somewhere attempting to shatter the world record for the least amount of noise made while wrapping presents. Your younger siblings are probably huddled around the family room television watching The Grinch, waiting to catch the elusive Saint Nick and deliver his snicker doodles alongside his glass of milk. For fear of being annoyed by the young ones, your relatives are poking around every room other than the guest room in search of nothing in particular. And you? Well, you could’ve been anywhere in the world, but you’re here with us. And we appreciate that. To show you how thankful we are, The Listening presents our list of our favorite artists of the year 2013. Whether you are looking for your latest music fix, grasping for midnight-hour stocking stuffer ideas, or biding your time until the gifts are unwrapped, we’ve got you covered.