Daily Bruin

• Album Review: Ari Lennox's "Vacancy" brings R&B to 2026 with sultry, upbeat songs | Daily Bruin
Ari Lennox is leaving no vacancy for R&B music in 2026. The neo soul songstress released her third album, “Vacancy,” on Friday – one of the first major R&B releases of the new year and her first LP since 2022’s “age/sex/location.” The 15-track, 51-minute album leans heavily upon Lennox’s past lyrical themes about sex and relationship woes while adopting a more jazzy sound than her previous work, complete with rich saxophone throughout.

• Album review: The Weeknd awaits the next day in his 6th studio album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow" | Daily Bruin
For The Weeknd, tomorrow has finally arrived. Abel Tesfaye – the Canadian superstar who performs under the moniker The Weeknd – released his sixth studio album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” on Friday, which arrives three years after his last full-length LP “Dawn FM.” The new project covers 22 songs over 84 minutes of music and marks the end of a trilogy of The Weeknd’s albums that began with “After Hours” in 2020.

• Album review: Kendrick Lamar's surprise release 'GNX' is unsurprisingly brilliant | Daily Bruin
On his latest album, Kendrick Lamar says it best himself: “Ain’t no other king in this rap thing.” In a tight 12 tracks totaling 44 minutes, the surprise Friday release “GNX” is Kendrick Lamar’s shortest project since 2016’s “untitled unmastered.” and uses every moment of music to its fullest extent.