​WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS.
 
When it comes to television fiction, the screen has always loved Raven-Symoné. Her natural charisma and comedic-timing is what made her characters in The Cosby Show, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and The Cheetah Girls--among others-- so memorable and beloved. Her titular role as psychic Raven Baxter on the Disney Channel's Emmy-nominated That's So Raven (2003-2007) is no different. Rumors of a series reboot caused a gleeful stir, when production for Raven's Home finally began last year. A trailer released in June revealed that, after failed marriages, Raven and her best friend Chelsea (Anneliese van der Pol reprises) are bunking together with their children. Unbeknownst to Raven, her son Booker (Issac Ryan Brown) has inherited her future-telling visions.
 
I have to say, the Booker-narrated trailer worried me. Unlike the Girl Meets World spinoff of Boy Meets World (I don't get why the channel cancelled such a wonderful and popular program), Raven's Home was pushed in the media as a continuation of Baxter and Co.'s story. I think it's safe to say not many were expecting (or wanting) an offspring-focused show that had our favorite screwball BFF's in the background. This is especially true when said offspring is only 11-years-old; teenagers have a better chance at appealing to both youth and adults. However, if the first two episodes (the premiere was July 21st) are indicative of what the entire season will be like, viewers need not be apprehensive.
 
While the youngsters indeed have their focal storylines, the hilarious "Ray and Chels" aren't that far behind. Their adult woes aren't avoided in the dialogue. It's made patent their co-habitation is a course of survival, and being together is a silver lining. After rehashing how her husband cheated on her with an undercover cop who bagged him for tax fraud, Chelsea concludes "We're really lucky both of our marriages fell apart." She and Raven pause before they say "Whoa...that got dark." Their zingers come as they sass and humiliate their kids, and discuss the pitfalls of parenting (like inadvertently picking favorites). Raven's twins, Nina and Booker, are unaware of her gift, so she uses it to get the jump on them. Their shortcomings as parents are also used (and well) for laughs. Raven's good-intentioned trouble-making still spreads like a wildfire and her children get caught in the brush. With Chelsea still dimwitted and her 9-year-old son Levi light-years ahead of her, you wonder who's raising who. The buddies adorably team-up to keep things from totally falling through the cracks. That's So fans who now have their own little armies may find this material relatable. Symoné and van der Pol's chemistry is intact.
 
The kiddies may not be the preferred age, but they're darling and entertaining enough that you don't mind watching them. The matter-of-fact--and sometimes sarcastic--musings of the endearing Levi (Jason Maybaum) make for winsome humor, particularly against Booker's goofiness. Navia Robinson is a light as the sharp, mature and demure Nina, who struggles to find her place amongst her wacky bunch. She and Brown have believable love/hate "sibling" rapport. Sky Katz has a supporting part as their sassy and tough neighbor Tess, but she's a scene stealer. Her funny is unfussy and comes unpretentiously.
 
Balance and connection between these two age clusters is made by having Raven and Chelsea mother their progeny through their shenanigans. It's a smart way to follow through on continuation promises, as well as and cater to a new generation. Given Symoné and van der Pol's abilities though, they're a surer bet to appeal to both audiences. It wouldn't be risky to split the spotlight down the middle. Lucy and Ethel have more antics in them.
Watching Raven's Home, there's a comfortable, familiar energy. It's as if things picked up right where they left off, which is a relief. You can catch the series Fridays at 8pm EST on Disney Channel.

WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS.
 
Two years ago, someone at the Disney Channel had the brilliant idea to do an original movie about the children of classic villains, with Hocus Pocus and High School Musical 's Kenny Ortega directing. In case you haven't already gathered, it was aptly titled Descendants. To give you a semi-brief synopsis, all "V.K'S" (a cute, villainous spin on the acronym for "preacher's kid") and their parents are banished to the Isle of the Lost, created by Belle and Beast (yep, that Belle and Beast). Their son, Ben, invites 4 V.K.'s to participate in his reform program of sorts, in the celestial land of Auradon. Maleficent (played by the always magnificent Kristin Chenoweth) sees this as an opportunity for her daughter, Mal (Dove Cameron), to attain Fairy Godmother's wand to break the isle's barrier. Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy) encourages her appearance-obsessed teen Evie (Sofia Carson) to find a prince, while Cruella De Vil (Wendy Raquel Robinson) urges her son Carlos (Cameron Boyce) to stay away from dogs. Jafar (Maz Jobrani) wants his thieving spawn, Jay (Booboo Stewart), to come back with some goodies. Each youth feels immense pressure to live up to their parent's iconic wickedness; Mal in particular. Executing Maleficent's plan runs accordingly, but the kiddos warm up to Auradon. Mal develops feelings for Ben, Evie learns she can rely on herself, Jay successfully channels his aggression into sports, and Carlos grows an affinity for dogs and explores his aptitudes in technology. The so-called "good kids" antagonize and snobbishly turn their backs on them though, including those that seemingly befriended them. This gives the quartet affirmation in their plot, and you're ready to see them succeed. However, they choose Auradon when push comes to shove. Mal goes on a tangent about how amazing love is, which whiffs of Disney's history with problematic romance tropes. To boot, she turns her mother into a small reptile. The rest of the parents are left watching their offspring party at a coronation on television. This is supposed to be the "right" outcome, but it doesn't feel that way. You're a little disgruntled the kids abandoned their parents and neutered themselves to stay where they weren't wanted. Then, before Mal's eyes glow green, you hear the hopeful final line: "You didn't think this was the end of the story...did you?"
 
Descendants 2 (written also by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott) opens with our V.K.'s turning Auradon's citizens out with "bad" apples, but it's just a daydream of Mal's. Her trademark purple hair has been dyed blonde and her leather duds have been swapped out for frilly, bright-colored dresses. Her high-profile romance with Ben has escalated to her impending status as a Lady of the Court, which is described as an "engagement to be engaged." She tries to confide in her friends that it's all making her skin crawl, but they've blissfully assimilated. Evie even admonishes Mal for not handing over her spell-book to the local museum, like Evie did her magic mirror. The museum...where there's an exhibit dedicated to the exile of their parents. *Shakes head* Instead of making mischief, Mal's been using the book to shape herself into a cookie-cutter Stepford girlfriend, but that doesn't matter to Ben. He makes it clear he wants no part of "Mally from the Block:" "I was giving you props for fitting in so well...this isn't the Isle of the Lost!" Prince Not-So-Charming doesn't realize how condescending his remarks were until he gets Mal's "Dear John" letter, relaying that she's gone back to her 'hood. He enlists her squad to help him find her and apologize. Mal ends up having to save his tail, as he's been kidnapped for wand ransom by Uma (China Anne McClain). Uma's the daughter of Ursula, and she has a long-standing beef with Mal. Her henchmen--I mean, pals--are the sons of Captain Hook and Gaston, Harry (Thomas Doherty) and Gil (Dylan Playfair).

​Album Review & Fan Commentary By Eddie J., Contributing Writer
 
The conception and execution of TLC's new self-titled album has brought some uncomfortable realities to light.
 
I should preface this review and commentary by saying that I'm probably one of the biggest TLC fans alive. I know all of the songs (including unreleased cuts and demos even TLC forgot they recorded), have heard every interview, watched every performance, and can point out every inaccuracy in their now 4-year-old VH1 biopic. So, be aware that my assessments aren't coming from a shallow,  "casual-listener" angle. Now that's been said...
 

​Part One: The Review
Likes: Way Back, Joy Ride
Dislikes: Scandalous, Aye Muthafu*ka, It's Sunny, Haters
Overall: Undeserving of being self-titled, TLC falls flat and short of expectations. A sea of mediocrity with a few gems here and there.
 
Let's just get it out of the way: God, the universe, the spirit of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, or any other energy did TLC a solid by "inspiring" Jay-Z to drop his newest album on the same day as theirs. Their self-titled release went quietly into the night like Sam Fisher. It crept just beneath the gaze of black Twitter, which swarmed with celebratory, tea-sipping tweets about the lyrical content of Jay-Z's 4:44. This spared TLC the dragging that otherwise would have been inevitable, because this is arguably the worst album they've ever done. The 17-track deluxe LP is a product of a Kickstarter fundraiser, so for all intents and purposes, hardly anyone knows it exists yet. What little fandom I have left within me is relieved. After the initial high-hopes and fan support, followed by social media flubs, drama, and general public dissent regarding TLC's integrity, the quality of this project (or lack thereof) is an added insult.
 
In fate's irony, Left Eye was destined to represent the middle acronym of the group's name, as she was their creative nucleus. Want to know what happens to a cell when you remove its nucleus? Listen to TLC. Aside from 2 or 3 tracks, the album is a smorgasbord of uninspired nonevents. Its dated ditties are comprised of monotonous and lifeless music, with aimless and cliché, if not corny, lyrics. "We don't need scrubs chasing waterfalls" is one of the first "catchy," nonsensical hooks you'll hear in the opening "No Introduction," setting the lyrical tone for the rest of the record. The highlights were "Joy Ride" and the lead single, "Way Back." "Joy Ride" is an amazing, 'soul-meets-jazz' pop song with funk icing. It's a sound that's different, yet, just familiar enough for T-Boz and Chilli to bring it to life. A domineering bass holds a bright brass section, thumping electric guitars and syncopated piano chords in place, while T-Boz and Chilli's stacked harmonies fill every crevice of the lyrics. It's only the second song in their entire discography where just T-Boz and Chilli did all of the background vocals, so it is clear the intent was to make a personal connection, and it worked. Still, it can only be appreciated outside the context of its tumultuous, poorly crafted surroundings. Hearing it as the  intended conclusion will leave a sour aftertaste and an overwhelming bitter-sweetness that the "Ride" is definitely over for one of the most iconic girl-groups in history. "Way Back" is a mid-tempo ode to 1990's west-coast hip-hop. It suits the ladies' voices well, and it has enough synth bass and percussive knocks to feel fresh, rather than dated. It's what you would expect from TLC, but just a tad safer in subject-matter to be construed as the lead single. It's melodic structure and "feel good" chord progression makes it a standout. It's biggest fault, however, is Snoop Dogg's featured verse. He talked about nothing for over a minute: he likes weed and women, is looking for one or both, and is on a song with TLC. If alive, I know Left Eye would have given a hot 16 bars--or even a warm 8 bar--that would've been exponentially more intriguing. Also, why couldn't the one guest spot on the record be for a female rapper? Given the platform TLC established, you'd think it would be, but I digress. 

​Single Review.
 
Teasing an upcoming single with snippets, cryptic social media posts and pseudo scavenger hunts used to be a sporadic thing in popular music. It was usually reserved for "comebacks," returns from hiatuses, or shifts in musical style. Now, it's a standard promotional tool for all new material, no matter how ordinary or ineffectual. The tactic has become a catfish of sorts. Even when the snippets sound appetizing, the main course ends up tasting bland or just plain awful. So, when Demi Lovato started to rib her new single "Sorry Not Sorry" on Instagram, I didn't get too invested. The few electronic notes I heard had a little bump to it. I concluded, "At least one part of this song will have some flavor." The seconds-long warped vocal warned "Payback is a bad b***h, baby, I'm the baddest." I rolled my eyes and thought, "Demetria is still in this childish, bravado mode," and left it at that.
 
In a rare moment, the teasers correctly represented the final product. "Sorry Not Sorry" is a zesty and contagious electro-R&B/hip-hop brew, produced by Warren "Oak" Felder (according to Tidal credits). Felder's resume includes extensive work with Nicki Minaj, Alessia Cara, Kehlani and Elle Varner. Lovato got her start and excelled in pop-rock, but the vocal stylings that serve as evidence of her upbringing with soul music make you crave and delight in her R&B deviations. The shrillness of her voice is still something for the ears to contend with, however. Lovato co-wrote the song with Felder, Zaire Koalo, Trevor Brown and Sean Douglas. Koalo and Brown collaborated with Felder on Kehlani's  debut LP, SweetSexySavage. "Sorry Not Sorry's" premise of making your enemies sick with how well you've recovered from their inflictions is what girl-pop is made of. While the lyrics are well-formed for the most part, the superfluous expletives in the pre-chorus follow the trend of being overly conversational and casual. I said to a friend, "Songwriters are lazy with lyrics these days. They read like text messages." The previously quoted "payback" line is trailed with "You're f**king with a savage." This leads me to Lovato's "Ford tough" kick.
 
If you've kept up with Lovato's career, you're aware she's known for her unfiltered, and sometimes impulsive, reactions (especially on social media). She proudly touts her brand of frankness as some type of weapon against dishonesty and "fakeness." This demonstrates that, despite being nearly 25 years old and overcoming obstacles that would age anyone, she still lacks the maturity and wisdom to understand that honesty and brashness aren't synonymous. While commenting on her 2015 album Confident, she said: "There's nobody in the pop industry that says 'Don't f**k with me...I'll kick your ass'...that's the thing; I'm totally that." When artists face adversity and barrages of naysayers, it's comprehensible that they'd want to assert themselves. The tough guy/tough girl shtick quickly gets old and becomes off-putting, though. Christina Aguilera was 13 years in the game, still talking about her haters on Lotus. Anyhow, lyrical and boasting annoyances notwithstanding, "Sorry Not Sorry" is a bop. I'll be purchasing the "clean" version. You can hear the song below. 

Album Review.
Likes: Power, Miss You More, Pendulum
Overall: Proof reflection albums aren't always depressing. Sturdier vocals, decent lyrics, techno club-friendly
 
Since breaking away from contemporary Christian rock (that is still such a surprising, random fun fact), Katy Perry's been known for her tasty pop confections. The new Witness is just as sweet, but the content reveals a more contemplative and restless Perry. She queries what the best path to contentment and fulfillment is (ex. "Mind Maze), and is eager to drop bad habits and cyclic relationships (ex. Deja Vu). On "Power," she sings of ending generational submission and taking back the identity that she lost in an oppressive partner. If she's not combating toxic love, she bemoans affairs of those past (ex. "Save as Draft"). Even this isn't done without self-analyzation, as she questions the motives for her longing on "Miss You More:" "But your mind plays tricks with distance; always makes things feel so unfinished...I miss you more than I loved you."
 
Her musings aren't limited to interpersonal concerns. "Bigger Than Me" and single "Chained to the Rhythm" (which has a great video, by the way) discuss seeking the superficial comforts of complacency and avoidance at the expense of progression. "Hey Hey Hey"  is a little more socio-politically overt, dealing with false assumptions about femininity. It puts you in the mind of No Doubt's "I'm Just a Girl" and Chrisette Michele's "Porcelain Doll." There's irony in the personal growth and social themes. Over the years, Perry's been accused of LGBT-insensitive moves and cultural appropriation. The latter topic was formally addressed by the singer in an interview with activist and Pod Save the People podcast host, DeRay McKesson.
 
Musically, Witness isn't a melting pot. It sounds intentionally idealized for a techno dance club, and it  doesn't get any more discotheque than the hater kiss-off single "Swish Swish" with Nicki Minaj. Pop priest Max Martin continues his long-standing tango with Perry, producing 7/15 tracks. Noah "Mailbox" Passovoy, best known for his work with Maroon 5, also has several co-collaborating credits. He teamed up with hip-hop's Mike Will Made it for the toothsome bedroom player, "Tsunami." British singer-songwriter Jack Garratt joined him on the aforementioned "Power," which features a quite unexpected sample of Smokey Robinson's "Being with You." How the tender 1981 hit is manipulated to support "Power's" winding tenaciousness is kind of fascinating. Passovoy worked on the "feel good" cut "Pendulum" as well,  with genre factotum Jeff Bhasker. Choir in tow, the heartening song has dusts of funk that make you suspect that it too samples an R&B classic. As appetizing as this album is, parts of it do fade into the background and require a constant refreshing of memory. Paradoxically, the title track is a primary example of this.
 
In terms of vocals, I stated in my review for 2013's Prism that Perry's voice was shrill and "seemingly limited" at times, fuller and emotive at others. The vocals are sturdy and consistent on Witness. Any shots at diversifying don't miss because she wisely doesn't go outside of the bounds of her aptitudes.
 
Only time will tell if Witness will be considered a landmark record in Katy Perry's discography. If nothing else, it will be known as the moment she was called to action.

​Album Review.
Overall: The themes are promising and the music's okay, but the lyrical execution is shoddy
 
In early June, I kept seeing social media posts about a singer/songwriter named Sza. I believe her name is pronounced like "Sizz-Uh." *Mariah Got to Be Real voice* "Don't ask me their name; it started with a T," haha. I thought to myself "Harpo, who dis woman? Where did she come from? What is all this fuss about?" So, I did a little investigating, and here I am, doing an album review. 26-year-old Sza (born
Solána Imani Rowe) released 2 digital mix-tapes before signing a recording contract with RCA. CTRL is her first LP on the label. As many know, "CTRL" is the computer keyboard acronym for "control." When Janet Jackson did a concept album on this topic, it was about possessing control. Sza's record is about how she can't even catch a glimpse of it, much less attain it. She rues being one of those textbook "20 Somethings," whose paralyzing insecurity leads to a slew of exacerbating bad decisions, like picking jerks for romantic partners. She explains how being mistreated, neglected and cheated on by said jerks strengthens her neediness (ex. "Supermodel") and inferiority complex (ex. "Drew Barrymore"). Desperate for any type of attention or "love," she continues to tolerate objectionable behaviors, including being a "side-chick" ("The Weekend"). Sounds really rich in theme, right? As the saying goes, "Nothing  is what it seems."
 
Some songwriters purposely structure their lyrics in an abstract or unusual way, or use several metaphors and analogies in one song. This is particularly true in hip-hop. If one is skilled in the technique, it can bolster the efficacy of the message. Sza's application of the technique isn't yet refined. Therefore, most of her lyrics seem like a nebulous mess of assorted parts. It's as if she just started writing whatever came to her mind, regardless of whether or not it was consistent, cohesive or flowing. The lyrics don't even come off as esoteric. She also employs spoken "interview" interludes (which are high-in-fashion in R&B and hip-hop right now), but they lack profundity and fall flat.
 
Like Miley Cyrus, Shakira or Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, Sza's vocals are unique, quirky and what I often describe as "an acquired taste." You either can tolerate what you hear or you can't. In this case, her voice doesn't bother me.
 
CTRL is musically very relaxed, but the tracks will still get stuck in your head. Slabs of R&B (ex. "Go Gina") and hip-hop (ex. "Doves in the Wind") are tangled in cheerless acoustic guitars and other rock slices. "Prom" has the most gummy pop flair, with an 80's touch. Flashes of early Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and the film 13 Going on 30 went before me the moment I heard it. Producers Carter Lang and The Antydote, of the independent label Top Dawg Entertainment, have majority of the credits.
 
In completing my investigation, I've concluded that Sza has potential, but I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about. I appreciate her candor and rock infusions, but CTRL wasn't the audio orgasm or imprinting record it's propped up to be. It's content delivery is not that sophisticated.