Downloads of the week
Nicki Minaj
“Lookin Ass N - - ga”
★½
Despite spending much of her early career molding her image as a human Barbie doll, Nicki Minaj is now railing against objectification in the first taste from her upcoming third album, “The Pink Print.” But the attempt to assert herself with this tough, sparse cut of hip-hop isn’t entirely convincing, and the New Yorker’s repetitious use of the N-word is just plain boring. Minaj’s big return is off to a stuttering start.
Warning: Graphic content
Mariah Carey
“You’re Mine (Eternal)”
½ a star
Sappiness is to be expected around Valentine’s Day, but even so, Mariah’s new single (from her upcoming album, due in May) is so unbearably saccharine that it could make the entire staff of Hallmark vomit blood. Fingers snap and the songstress coos in her familiar style, but the only thing this weak R&B ballad will put you in the mood for is a nice nap.
Wiz Khalifa
“We Dem Boyz”
½ a star
It’s been a long time since Wiz Khalifa said anything of great importance, but on his new track (from the forthcoming “Blacc Hollywood” album), he barely says anything at all. Doing what sounds like the worst Chief Keef impression ever, the Pittsburgh rapper simply resorts to shouting “hol’ up” ad nauseam over a feeble beat for four laughable minutes. Nice work if you can get it.
Warning: Graphic content
Suzanne Vega
“Don’t Uncork What You Can’t Contain”
★★
The New York folk singer’s latest album is called “Tales From the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles,” but try not to let that absurd title put you off. It’s a solid document of Vega’s singular songwriting style, and on this peculiarly entertaining track, she even manages to drop in a 50 Cent rip and make a tongue-in-cheek reference to Macklemore. If her allegories don’t do it for you, then Vega’s sense of humor is a good fallback.
Lake Street Dive
“You Go Down Smooth”
★★★
This Boston-based outfit has been a minor concern until their stellar appearance at a New York concert to celebrate the music of “Inside Llewyn Davis” last year. Now it seems their star is on the rise. “You Go Down Smooth” is a highlight from their fourth album, “Bad Self Portraits,” and takes swing rhythms, doo-wop harmonies and singer Rachael Price’s stirringly soulful voice to create something that is nearly impossible to dislike.
Sean Paul feat. Konshens
“Want Dem All”
★½
Listening to Sean Paul bleat like a robotic sheep is tough to endure for an entire album, so if you’re looking for a quick dose from his latest collection, “Full Frequency,” this is your best bet. The hard beat of “Want Dem All” shows he can make it count in the club. But that’s not enough to hide the fact that the dancehall star is essentially regurgitating watered-down versions of what he did a decade ago.
Guided by Voices
“Littlest League Possible”
★★★
Ohio’s Guided By Voices have been an institution since the late ’80s, and have attracted famous fans such as the Strokes and White House spokesman Jay Carney along the way. This lead track from their ingeniously titled new album, “Motivational Jumpsuit,” is another indie-rock earworm that matches anything from their illustrious history.
Angel Olsen
“Forgiven/Forgotten”
★★½
The Missouri singer-songwriter has plugged in her guitars for her second album, “Burn Your Fire for No Witness,” and the rougher rock-’n’-roll sound suits her vocal abilities very well. On this lead single, she inhabits a smoldering space between Nico and PJ Harvey that’s wonderfully unsettling. It may not be original, but Olsen is progressing in a direction that makes you want to follow.