MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Double Albums

In a time when streaming has made full-length albums somewhat disposable to the casual music listener, there’s always appreciation for the artists who still put in the time and effort to sequence an entire body of work in a traditional album format. Bryson Tiller is taking that chance with the release of his new double album Solace & The Vices. The first part of the double feature was released this past week with the second half coming this fall, making for a collection of music that shows two sides of his artistry; and this comes only a year and a few months after the release of his last self-titled album. 

Bryson is following a long and legendary list of artists who have spent an era of their careers with a double album release. Beyoncé reached new heights of chart success with her 2008 smash album I Am… Sasha Fierce which saw her with one disc being ballads focused, and the other tapping deep into her alter-ego Sasha Fierce. Christina Aguilera’s 2006 Back to Basics was a double-disc confection that was a tribute to the great jazz and blues musicians from the 40s to the 70s, while Michael Jackson, the King of Pop himself, did his own double album with 1995’s HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I. Keep in mind all of those albums were released before pre-streaming services so the likelihood that a listener would listen through the full album was a lot higher than today when you can literally pick and choose what you play at any time. The fact that Bryson is betting on his artistry like this shows his confidence in his work, which makes the project more enticing to invest in as a listener. 

Music isn’t the only place where Bryson Tiller is taking bets on himself as he is also developing his own video game and even recently called it his “number one passion”, going as far as to say it will be his top priority once the rollout to his new album has completed. His company Trap Soul Games, named after his first album, is producing the game and given his passion for the world of gaming and his devoted fan base, it has a very high chance of being a great success. Until then, however, The Vices gives us 11 tracks as glimpses into his artistic mind, with 12 more tracks from Solace tying up the project. Whether or not it will make any noise on the charts is yet to be seen but if you don’t bet on yourself then what’s the point of anything?

Next week, Coco Jones returns with some new tracks as a deluxe edition to her debut album Why Not More?, which dropped this past April. This week, along with Bryson’s new project, we see new music from Disclosure with Anderson .Paak, Alanis Morissette and Carly Simon, Rochelle Jordan, Zach Bryan with Kings of Leon and a viral pick courtesy of Nicki Minaj that has sparked an entire TikTok challenge.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“No Sharing” by Bryson Tiller, Luh Tyler 

Bryson has become known for his ability to craft a killer R&B track with catchy hooks and soulful vocals, but he also can do his thing as a rapper. His last album helped him earn one of his biggest hits, which saw him deep in his rap bag for “Whatever She Wants” reaching the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The entire new album (or at least side A of the record) is titled The Vices and has him exploring a darker side of his craft. Rapping over singing allows for him to express himself in a way that is more expressive versus the traditional smooth rhythmic tune. “No Sharing” has Bryson bragging about his new lady and wanting to show off their monogamous love with the world, or as he puts it so clearly, “Big rock, I’ma give her these karats, ain’t doin’ no sharin’” – I love a man who will proudly claim his lover (maybe this is coming from a personal place, but I’ll save THAT story for another edition of the column lol). The song features a verse from young rising MC, Luh Tyler, who is only 19 years old but is making a name for himself with over 1.1 million Instagram followers, a number that is sure to rise once steam picks up on this track that is sure to dominate rap/hip-hop radio stations. 

 

“NO CAP” by Disclosure, Anderson .Paak 

Disclosure makes one hell of a dance song – one of my all-time favourite late night Uber ride-home songs is courtesy of his duet with Sam Smith among many other gems. His beats just have this incredible ability to keep the party going while still grounding you. Add in the vocal stylings of Anderson .Paak who I consider to be one of the grooviest artists in today’s musical landscape and we have ourselves an instant party classic, folks. Anderson himself instructs you to “turn up the vibes” so it couldn't be clearer. The beat has a hypnotic video game-esque loop that makes you feel like you’re running a marathon on the dancefloor when it drops. The song is giving 2012 when dance music was on a new rise – no cap. Anderson has the ability to experiment with all different forms of dance music, whether it be on the more soulful side, or EDM side, his voice pretty much lends perfectly, further reinforcing my theory that he is one of the greatest musicians around. I can only imagine the vibe frequency hearing this song live – I may just need to get tickets to Anderson’s Toronto show after all.  

 

“Coming Around Again” by Alanis Morissette, Carly Simon 

All I can say is… wow. This is the duet I never knew that I needed and genuinely wouldn’t have thought of – yet, these two ladies sound absolutely magical together. Originally written as the theme song to the 1986 film Heartburn, “Coming Around Again” is an emotional ballad that served as a career resurgence for Carly back in the 80s after a 6-7-year period where the hits were drying up. This new cover is courtesy of the soundtrack to the new film My Mother’s Wedding starring Scarlett Johansson (using a British accent) and Sienna Miller. Alanis has always listed Carly as an inspiration to her ever since she was a young girl, which she expressed in her recent social media post announcing the song’s release. Carly, being the force for female empowerment in music that she is, represents so much just on her own. Together they are an iconic duo and the perfect representation of longevity in music. Alanis's voice is featured heavily, with Carly as the base vocal of the song, with her own respective shining moments blended with Alanis’s unique tone. You can feel the power in their words, especially with the emotional lyric, “there’s more room in a broken heart” and so on. The arrangement for the duet is more somber than the original which has its signature 80s flair to it. This version has a deeply emotional sound, with the piano being the star instrument making for a perfect background song for a scene in the film, which follows family relationships among women. Alanis has managed to maintain her staying power as a touring act over the last few decades, with her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace set to commence on October 15th, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon.

 

“Doing It Too” by Rochelle Jordan 

The sound of 90s house music is simply irresistible, especially with a powerful diva vocal over it. Everything from Robin S’s “Show Me Love” to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul”, women just have a way of taking dance music to untouchable heights. Rochelle is getting in on the action on this new track, as the British-Canadian songstress gives us her best house diva energy on the song that sees her singing about how women can “do it too” in reference to the infamous “boys will be boys” saying. Rochelle wants you all to know that “girls can be girls” as well, and everything that comes with that. Having evolved her sound from progressive/alternative R&B to this new era of dance music, Rochelle is walking through the doors that queens like Beyoncé opened years prior and reclaiming genres of music without feeling pigeonholed in any one set sound. Plus, clearly she just wants to have some fun on the song, and what’s more fun than dance? Go off, girl. There’s nothing that I respect more than an artist who is willing to take risks with their sonic sound, especially when it’s been conditioned in most of our minds that in order to achieve success you need to stay in your lane. F-ck the rules and make the art you want to make, and generally the result will be reflective of the work and passion. It is in Rochelle’s case. 

 

“Bowery” by Zach Bryan, Kings of Leon 

This week saw multiple high-profile country releases, but this one by Zach Bryan and late-2000s rock kings, Kings of Leon (see what I did there), team up for a musically rich new track together. If I’m keeping it real, Zach Bryan, although immensely popular, has always given me the creeps, and clearly I’m not the only one. Having said that, Kings of Leon being on a mainstream song in 2025 is reason enough for this to be featured on the playlist because those guys know how to f-cking rock and it’s been too long since they’ve had a moment in the sun. Their string of hits in 2009 continue to soundtrack some of mine and Britney Spears’ at-home dance sessions so getting a chance to hear them in a new light that has more of a country twist is exciting; and yes, I found a way to include Britney Spears in a paragraph about a Zach Bryan song. Where there’s a will there’s a way. 

The song in question however truly is nothing short of great, and has that signature Kings of Leon touch. The harmonies are strong and the guitar solos give the song an edge that is missing from most of Zach’s other songs (in my humble opinion). It’s fun, it’s catchy while also making for a great song to blast from your pickup truck. Balance. 

 

 

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“High School” by Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Wayne 

In a time when the words "social media" and "Nicki Minaj" have become increasingly hostile together, the Barbz (Nicki’s fans) have come through in support of their queen by helping to birth one of the most viral TikTok trends of 2025 so far using Nicki’s classic (and I mean classic) catalog hit, “High School”.

Underappreciated at best is the way to describe how the song was received when it was first released as a single in April 2013. While it still managed to go 2x platinum in the USA, the song only reached #64 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has, however, maintained its status as a fan favourite for the last decade, and now 12 years later the song has earned a whole new resurgence thanks to fans trying to duplicate the “pose” that Nicki is in during one of the scenes of the music video. She’s got her heels and bathing suit on as she essentially squats on one leg with the other leg straight out. It’s giving flexible. The challenge has now been deemed the “Nicki Minaj challenge” and has had such a strong influence amongst online users that surgeons are now coming forward to prompt warnings about the challenge, I’m not exaggerating. Can we for once just let the people have their fun, even Nicole Scherzinger and Nicki Minaj herself have joined in on the action! 

@kristy.sarah

challenge accepted @Nicki Minaj

♬ High School - Nicki Minaj

@nickiminaj

When you didn’t realize the dress was this short & you’re wearing thongs. Ten toes down tho. Both feet on the ground. I’ll do it over BETTER in a diff outfit so I’m not flashing anyone. 😃🩷🎀🫶🏽 #nickiminajchallenge #highschool

♬ High School - Nicki Minaj

@nicolescherzinger

Balance is a mindset. 🍸🏝️☀️ #Rocksteady #AIcouldnever

♬ High School - Nicki Minaj

@etoilesalondenver

Challenge accepted! This was so fun 💅 @Nicki Minaj ✨Follow our IG 📸 ✨Link in Bio ⬆️ #businessowner #nickiminajchallenge #nails #skincare #denversalon

♬ High School - Nicki Minaj

@nonny_muji

We can close it now 😂👀 @Nicki Minaj #nonnybae_sa

♬ High School - Nicki Minaj

The song is currently sitting at #10 on the TikTok viral 50 with hundreds of thousands of uses, and seems to only be growing stronger. This is just the type of good will that Nicki needs right now given recent headlines and actions on her social media. I’ll stick to the music for now though, this song was a favourite of mine back then and continues to get some spins on my Spotify here and there. 

You can also check out my “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC