This Month With Bix

Best Music of November 2018: Juice, Tyler, Bellion, Metro Boomin and more

November was overall a pretty average month for music. Admittedly, it is tough to follow the extraordinary releases of October including Tha Carter V from Lil Wayne, Young Thug’s EP of the year candidate On The Rvn, and hit singles like “Drip Too Hard” by Lil Baby and “Better” by Khalid. However, while there have been no hugely impactful releases in the past three weeks, there is still much to listen to from the time period. Whether it be Takeoff’s debut solo album (which was viewed as far more complete and creative than Quavo’s release previously), Metro Boomin’s return to the spotlight, or great singles from the likes of Juice WRLD and Post Malone, there’s much to listen to and I’m here to help you find the absolute best music releases of November 2018. Let’s dive in:

Bix’s Recommended Playlist of the Month:

• Armed and Dangerous by Juice WRLD

I’ve never been overwhelmed with Juice WRLD. Lucid Dreams was obviously an incredible single that propelled the singer/rapper to immediate fame this summer, but his mediocre collaboration album with Future in October as well as several so-so features left much to be desired for in my eyes. However, “Armed and Dangerous” is the young artist at his finest. “Armed and Dangerous” is a perfect example of a young successful rapper just having fun while reminding everyone of his accomplishments on a track. Juice has a new swagger to his tone and lyrics, crooning lines like “Look at my bank account,” and as if this wasn’t obvious enough, he even continues emphatically “look at the cash amount”. Never fully convinced of Juice’s work, he has turned me into a believer and I couldn’t be happier. Absolute must-listen.

• Love Scars 3/Topanga/ 1400/999 Freestyle (feat Juice WRLD) all by Trippie Redd

This trio of tracks off of Trippie Redd newest project A Love Letter to You 3 cement his place among the elite of new-school rap. Trippie’s growth and gain of confidence as an artist are unmistakable. Trippie loses some of the edge he had on his older tracks where he audaciously combined Lil Uzi’s flow with an unprecedented ability to scream in tune. However, the 19 year old has proven himself to now be one of the most consistent in the game, with this new project reaching #1 on the Billboard Rap/R&B Charts. The three songs showcase Trippie’s newfound versatility, from the remorse and somber Love Scars 3 to the all out flex of 1400/999 Freestyle, and finally exhibiting the uniqueness of his sound in likely the most popular out of the album, Topanga. Clearly a star, you can catch Trippie opening on the Travis Scott Astroworld Tour this year. If not, at least give him a listen… it’ll be worth your time.

• Casper by Takeoff

My expectations were already very low for Takeoff’s debut solo album The Last Rocket and when Quavo released his unoriginal, and simply monotonous 22-song project in October, I believed nothing would come of his group-mate’s work. Just like with Juice WRLD, however, I was proven wrong. While far from transcendent, or even witty, Takeoff gives us just what we want out of a Migos solo piece. In Casper, the Atlanta MC flows on the beat perfectly, reminding us why many believe him to be the best of the three. The album also includes other great songs like “She Gon Wink” and “Last Memory”.

• Smile (Living my Best Life) by Lil Duval feat Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy

What’s not to love about this track? At first believing it to be more of a meme than an actual released-single, Duval’s radiating positivity makes listening to this song instantly enjoyable. The chorus’s repeated motto of “living [one’s] best life” as justification to not have to basically deal with those who critique or bring you down is a simple, yet powerful message. Duval’s confidence and nonchalant ability to shrug off any haters is astounding and inspiring. He even recruits rap legend Snoop Dogg for a, while short, smooth feature. A truly fun listen.

Other Great Listens from the Month:

• Life is Beautiful by Lil Peep

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Stupid Deep by Jon Bellion

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Panama by Quinn XCII

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Space Cadet by Metro Boomin (feat Gunna)

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Sunflower by Post Malone & Swae Lee

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Take One by Kodak Black

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• A No No by Mariah Carey (Actually Really good!)

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• Lights On by Tyler, The Creator (feat Ryan Beatty and Santigold)

(Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other platforms)

• 80 Degrees by Kanye West (UNRELEASED)

Only Available on Soundcloud/Youtube

• Artists to Check Out: Jon Bellion and Joji

First off, these are two very different artists. Jon Bellion, having just released his Second Studio Album Glory Sound Prep, is one of the most original and creative artists around. Like Quinn XCII (last month’s Artist to Check Out), Bellion’s pure versatility is eminent and incredible. On this new album alone, the young NY singer pulls out all of his skills including deep crooning in “Blu,” goosebump worthy lyrics in “Stupid Deep,” and incredible production in his lead single “JT.” While many know him for his previous hit singles “All Time Low” and “Woke the F*ck Up”, there is so much more to check out with this incredible artist. By contrast, Joji is relatively new to the game. His recently released and critically acclaimed project BALLADS 1 has done significantly well on the charts, and has put him into the spotlight. Joji’s music combines incredibly deep lyrics/subjects with a hauntingly beautiful voice, over calmed, often eerie beats. The casual and catchy tracks “Test Drive” and “Slow Dancing in the Dark” represent the best this artist has to offer, and likely indicate success and prominence in future years as well.