Swedish musicians Bladee and Ecco2k met as classmates and formed the now–disbanded grindcore band Krossad. To the surprise and unadulterated joy of fans, the two have returned to collaborate on a new album, distinguished by the Auto-Tune and mix of rap-and-hyperpop that characterized their earlier work. The project, however, is set apart from the collective’s discography as potentially its best release to date, with tracks steeped in sincerity and moments providing a glimpse of what might best be described as transcendence, especially with the nine-minute “5 Star Crest.” Taking up almost a third of the album’s runtime, it brings waves of emotions: joy, loss, and awe. “The Flag is Raised,” “White Meadow,” and the 2020 single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” continue to show off the pair’s effortless synergy, for a dreamy, seamless experience. The ultimate track? “Heaven Sings.”

Floridian Denzel Curry solidified his reputation as a defining voice of Soundcloud rap as a former member of rap collective Raider Klan, one of the first groups to make the platform the genre’s home at its budding stages in 2013. Since then, the rapper, known for his hard-hitting, introspective bars, has gained a lot of notoriety. He wastes no time on his jazz-infused latest, striving for absolute transparency with the first track, “Melt Session #1 [Feat. Robert Glasper],” revealing experiences of sexual abuse at a young age and his personal struggles with the objectification of women: “Why I feel like hiding a truth is finding a lie? / Dealt with thoughts of suicide, women I’ve objectified / Couldn’t see it through my eyes so for that, I apologize / I’m just hypnotized, working hard to empathize.” From track to track, Curry laments the systemic injustices he’s witnessed, providing listeners with insight into a world that could almost be interpreted as jaded, if it weren’t for the encouraging messages he weaves into his tracks, especially in the standout “Walkin”: “Ain’t no stoppin’ in this dirty, filthy, rotten nasty little world we call our home / They get blickies poppin’ / Ain’t no option for my partners so they resort to scams and robbin’ / Take away stress, we ganja-coppin’ / Blow it all out, it’s all forgotten / Walkin’ with my back against the sun.”

Just in time for spring, this Vancouver quartet seems to have found their momentum in this album of joyous bedroom pop, their third studio record. The group, Neil Smith on vocals/guitar, Christopher Vanderkooy on guitar/keyboards, Peter Wilton on bass/backup vocals, and Mikey Pascuzzi on drums, takes a sharp departure from their previous album, the heartbroken You And Your Friends, instead serving up what’s likely to be the new favorite feel-good soundtrack of the season. “Pepsi on the House,” the album’s upbeat anthem is perfect for a warm evening drive, with its contagious digital synths and provocative, cheeky lyrics: “Live a little won’t you, just to seem like your own age…Wake up and see that morning changes all / And everything else will go.” So hop in, put the keys in the ignition, and take From 2 to 3 out for a spin.

After six EPs and a rapid climb to stardom, lo-fi royalty Keshi’s latest project marks a defining moment in his career. Gabriel, the Texas musician’s 12-track debut studio album, displays his growth over the past five years, going back to his early Soundcloud days (where he produced and performed all instrumentals and vocals). Gabriel sees Keshi step into a new era, experimenting with a style more embedded in mainstream pop and EDM than his usual signature “sad boy” genre. Leading track “Get It” shows his musical progression. The track may surprise longtime followers, revealing a more materialistic and sexual, but also motivational and confident, side of Keshi. Standouts include “Touch,” an exploration of eroticism, “HELL/HEAVEN,” a breathtaking, desperate declaration of love, and the half-confessional, half-hopeful “LIMBO.”

Posthumous albums can be controversial, but the work that’s gone into the release of Forever, six years after the death of Phife Dawg, has proven to be a labor of love. The former member and rapper of the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest died of diabetes-related complications in 2016, just three days after he recorded the last verses of his career for “Forever,” the song the album is named for: “Today it seems like a blur / Never deferred from being just who we were / Four brothers with a mic and a dream, construction Timbs.” The project was the brainchild of Phife’s close friend and touring DJ Dion Liverpool, who spent the past six years meticulously following “blueprints” left behind by the late rapper in the form of music on hard drives and instructions he left via emails and letters. Their years of close collaboration allowed Liverpool to make executive decisions on samples and features as if the album were his own. It’s clear that Phife Dawg had completed a large chunk of the project before his death. His music, combined with Liverpool’s unhurried, conscientious choices, makes Forever a worthy and proper send-off for a hip-hop pioneer gone much too soon.