ALBUM REVIEW: Ann One "Supernova"

New music from Ann One draws from 80's & 90's R&B to create a sleek, smooth collection of music to jam out to.

This 2018 release is packed with English and Korean versions of hip, vocal driven songs featuring Stylistic Jones, and Junoflo.

Ann One & Jones open the album with Ride, which reminds me of those iconic rapper/singer duos of the 90's, full of singable melodies, and the half time feel makes it the perfect slow jam.

Love is Classic is up next, and is one of the tunes that is available in Korean and English. Ann's phrasing over the synth bass line is giving me Chaka Khan and I am 100% here for it! This track has so many lil surprises to it, that it will take you a couple of listens to catch them all. The hook is so simple, that when it's echoed and panned, it gets deeper and deeper into your head, and you'll be singing it before the first chorus is even over.

Cant Keep Running is an incredible dance track, that sounds like it could be heard on a deep house dance floor, and uses one of my favorite techniques of pitching down female vocals to produce a double that is at least one octave away from the lead track. Can't Keep Running is followed by The Calling:Ode to Onaje, which features the beautiful image invoking line "Supernova, brighter than all..." The chord progressions on this tune are so flipping' smooth... like... D'Angelo smooth. I know I have been drawing a few number of comparisons here, and I hope that doesn't diminish how good Ann One is. The fact that she is flawlessly capturing the essence of #feelghood music, is amazing.

The album wraps up with Spacexxx, which brings Styliztik Jones back in the picture. this track has a great mixture of synths and electronic sounds, as well as acoustic sounding instruments like flutes, vibraphone, & drums, and Jones floats over everything, similar to Andree 3000 in the Outkast track, Aquemini.

This album is for fans of R&B, neo-soul, hip-hop, and lovers of feel good music. Los Angeles based Ann One has put together an amazing album. It's cohesive, imaginative, the vocals are silky, and it's a great follow up to This Ain't Love. Seriously... watch that video. Not only is the song SO GOOD, the asthetic is GORGEOUS.

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