Yello's Music Tastes

Lemonade - Beyoncé (2016)

Talk about a historical album. I remember the pop landscape back in 2016 was still in its EDM phase and didn't give time to cinematic albums which seem much more prevalent in the 2020s. Because of that, I was aware that Lemonade was landmark album, but I didn't feel compelled to explore why. It seemed a little too intense for 15 year old me at the time. It took me a few years later to understand why. This is when I fell in love with narrative albums because they have a distinct and concise storyline with every type of feeling. Yes, this album is about infidelity, but it explores multiple angles of it, including denial, anger, sadness, accountability, etc. I only ever knew this album as Beyoncé's rage album. But much like in real life, it's so much deeper and richer than that.

I began listening to the entire album around 2019 during my sophomore college semester. My favorite tracks include Hold Up, Sorry, Daddy Lessons, Love Drought, and All Night.

Red (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift (2021)

Taylor Swift fans are always eating good with how much music they get. I never thought that a rerecording would further enhance my appreciation, but here we are. When I first dove into Taylor's music back in 2016, Red was one of the first albums I sunk my teeth in. Even back then, I was blown away by the varied and experimental sound, yet it all still felt like her own style. Yes, everyone knew the pop-driven singles but I was a little upset that I never knew about these high quality deep cuts.

Though to be fair, I didn't listen to the full album front to back until the 2021 rerecording, which is when I noticed how much fuller and stronger the instrumentals and vocals were. The new versions actually made me appreciate some tracks that I didn't care for in the original such as I Almost Do , Treacherous, and Girl At Home.

Out of all the vault tracks released so far, this album has my most favorites by far. Something about those early 2010's melodies never fail to captivate me. Now that all 30 tracks make Red the complete package, I understand perfectly why this color can represent a mosaic of passionate emotions. I can sense the intensity of young adult strife, regret, and defiant joy throughout the entire project. Enough to declare this as my current favorite album of all time, beating my previous favorite, Speak Now.

My favorite songs include State of Grace, Red, Treacherous, All Too Well, 22, The Last Time, Holy Ground, Begin Again, Better Man, and The Very First Night. Yeah...I love this album so much.

thank u, next - Ariana Grande (2019)

Why am I so fascinated with albums chronicling the aftermath of emotional turmoil? Because oftentimes it breeds deeper meaning than a "happy" album. Confident albums have their place, but I also appreciate when artists share parts of themselves that feel unprofessional or imperfect. And thank u, next humanizes Ariana so much...mostly because she is also a Cancer just like me. We feel so much and care about pleasing everyone, it's a curse. While a lot of the subject matter can feel heavy and dark, it's not completely depressing. Just like in periods of struggle, there are pockets of defiance, joy, and assurance, which will eventually help someone out of that grief. Even after intense turmoil, the album message is never about sitting in sadness regret, but instead moving onto brighter days.

It's funny how I ignored this album when it came out because I really hated 7 rings when it constantly played on the radio in 2019 and I missed out on the stellar deep cuts. Nowadays, I've chilled out and tolerate that single. I never go out of my way to listen to it, but it deserves a place in the album as whole.

I began listening to the entire during COVID. My favorite tracks include imagine, needy, bad idea, in my head, and thank u, next.

Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa (2020)

Lemonade good.

BRAT - Charli XCX (2024)

Lemonade good.

ANTI - Rihanna (2016)

Lemonade good.

GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo (2023)

Lemonade good.

Melodrama - Lorde (2017)

Lemonade good.