Coi Leray, a rapper and singer, has released her sophomore album COI this week. The album showcases a mix of genres, featuring samples and energetic tracks filled with hooks and swagger. The songs on the album, such as “Black Rose,” “Bops,” “Bitch Girl,” and “My Body,” range from bluesy riff rock to sweet R&B, ’80s-flavored synth pop, and Afro-fusion. This leads to a discussion about the trend of using highly familiar samples in songs. The question is raised whether the benefits of immediate recognition outweigh the feeling that the songs are too on-the-nose, or if these new songs are simply introducing pop music history to new audiences.
The show also features other notable albums, including the first studio album in nearly a decade from the Queen of New Orleans bounce, Big Freedia, titled Central City. The album includes songs like “$100 Bill (feat. Ciara),” “Central City Freestyle,” “Bigfoot,” and “Big Time.” Additionally, singer Tommy Prine, son of the late folk artist John Prine, makes a beautiful debut with his album This Far South, featuring tracks like “Crashing Again,” “By the Way,” and “Some Things.” Kelly Clarkson’s divorce album Chemistry, with songs like “favorite kind of high,” “my mistake,” and “skip this part,” is also discussed. The posthumous collection of Arthur Russell performances, Picture of Bunny Rabbit, is highlighted with songs like “The Boy With a Smile” and the title track.
In the lightning round, some other notable releases mentioned include Bishop Briggs’ When Everything Went Dark, Lloyd Cole’s On Pain, Portugal. The Man’s Chris Black Changed My Life, and Sleep Sinatra’s Incorruptible Saints (feat. Televangel).