Daily Bruin

• Album Review: Lady Gaga's 'MAYHEM' brings the magic with danceable tunes, quirky lyrics | Daily Bruin
Lady Gaga is back in frenetic but fantastic form with her electrifying new LP. The 14-time Grammy winner released her latest album, “MAYHEM,” on Friday. The 14-track project arrives as the singer-songwriter’s seventh solo studio album, almost five years after 2020’s “Chromatica.” In the intervening time, Gaga’s musical output has included the remix project “Dawn Of Chromatica,” a Grammy-winning collaboration album with Tony Bennett, work on the soundtracks of the films “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Joker: Folie à Deux” and her 2024 release “Harlequin.” Now back with a more traditional album rollout to accompany “MAYHEM,” Gaga has unleashed a 53-minute body of work that is undoubtedly her finest record in more than a decade – an artistic achievement made possible by returning to the avant-garde dance tracks and unconventional lyrics that made her a superstar.

• Album review: The Lumineers' timely lyrics shine on 'Automatic' despite mediocre instrumentation | Daily Bruin
The Lumineers’ newest album is automatically divergent from their previous works. Known for their stomp-and-holler sound and singalong melodies, The Lumineers are introducing a fresh note with their fifth studio album, “Automatic.” While the project consists of a laconic 11 songs spanning less than 33 minutes, its extraordinary lyrics provide a lasting impression, even when the instrumentation noticeably fizzles out.

• 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.