Shatter the Standards
@thestandards.bsky.social
We are dedicated to celebrating milestones, unearthing lesser-known musical gems, and promoting discussions around albums and new music that might not receive ample attention in mainstream conversations.
https://www.shatterthestandards.com
https://www.shatterthestandards.com
A husband-wife duo’s debut trades VanJess’ polish for devotional quiet, making neo-soul that prays in plain sentences.
Album Review: Separate from the Noise by threetwenty
A husband-wife duo’s debut trades VanJess polish for devotional quiet, making neo-soul that prays in plain sentences.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:05 AM
A husband-wife duo’s debut trades VanJess’ polish for devotional quiet, making neo-soul that prays in plain sentences.
The anonymous British collective builds an album from affirmations, prayers, and warnings designed to be said out loud until they sink in. Whether this sounds like medicine depends on your mood.
Album Review: Chapter 1 by SAULT
The anonymous British collective builds an album from affirmations, prayers, and warnings designed to be said out loud until they sink in. Whether this sounds like medicine depends on your mood.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:05 AM
The anonymous British collective builds an album from affirmations, prayers, and warnings designed to be said out loud until they sink in. Whether this sounds like medicine depends on your mood.
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 9th. We know it can be a task, so let’s help you cut through.
New Music Drops: January 9, 2026
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 9th. We know it can be a task, so let’s help you cut through.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:05 AM
As new albums and singles get constantly flooded into our radar, look no further than skimming through the release week of January 9th. We know it can be a task, so let’s help you cut through.
Brooklyn rapper SALIMATA’s third full-length arrives via MIKE’s 10k Global, written partly in Marseille but anchored in the borough’s swagger.
Album Review: The Happening by SALIMATA
Brooklyn rapper SALIMATA's third full-length arrives via MIKE's 10k Global, written partly in Marseille but anchored in the borough’s swagger.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Brooklyn rapper SALIMATA’s third full-length arrives via MIKE’s 10k Global, written partly in Marseille but anchored in the borough’s swagger.
A Def Jam debut built on rent panic, grief, and the grind’s diminishing returns. Pray 4 Me is the New Jersey rapper’s public reckoning with industry purgatory.
Album Review: Pray 4 Me by Chris Patrick
A Def Jam debut built on rent panic, grief, and the grind's diminishing returns. Pray 4 Me is the New Jersey rapper's public reckoning with industry purgatory.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:05 PM
A Def Jam debut built on rent panic, grief, and the grind’s diminishing returns. Pray 4 Me is the New Jersey rapper’s public reckoning with industry purgatory.
Five entries deep, the annual session moves to South Florida. What started as a Brooklyn livestream experiment has become a ritual built on first-take duty, and whoever’s willing to show their face.
Album Review: Trillstatik 5 by Bun B & Statik Selektah
Five entries deep, the annual session moves to South Florida. What started as a Brooklyn livestream experiment has become a ritual built on first-take duty, and whoever’s willing to show their face.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Five entries deep, the annual session moves to South Florida. What started as a Brooklyn livestream experiment has become a ritual built on first-take duty, and whoever’s willing to show their face.
After two decades of writing, Skyzoo returns to weigh what mattered against what didn't—and finds the answer in his penmanship, his pairs, and his prayers.
Album Review: Views of a Lifetime by Skyzoo
After two decades of writing, Skyzoo returns to weigh what mattered against what didn't—and finds the answer in his penmanship, his pairs, and his prayers.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
After two decades of writing, Skyzoo returns to weigh what mattered against what didn't—and finds the answer in his penmanship, his pairs, and his prayers.
A former college athlete from Bellflower bets everything on the booth, armed with God talk, boxing instincts, and an obsessive need to prove he's not a runner-up.
Album Review: Opened Gates by Mark Lux
A former college athlete from Bellflower bets everything on the booth, armed with God talk, boxing instincts, and an obsessive need to prove he's not a runner-up.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:05 PM
A former college athlete from Bellflower bets everything on the booth, armed with God talk, boxing instincts, and an obsessive need to prove he's not a runner-up.
Six years after Reality Show, Jazmine Sullivan returned with a project that altered R&B confession as collective testimony, building a narrative cycle from the candid voices of the women in her life.
Milestones: Heaux Tales by Jazmine Sullivan
Six years after Reality Show, Jazmine Sullivan returned with a project that altered R&B confession as collective testimony, building a narrative cycle from the candid voices of the women in her life.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Six years after Reality Show, Jazmine Sullivan returned with a project that altered R&B confession as collective testimony, building a narrative cycle from the candid voices of the women in her life.
The Mississippi emcee builds a tribute to slab culture around his Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, stacking Houston legends on the closer and letting comedian Karlous Miller play DJ throughout.
Album Review: Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz by Big K.R.I.T.
The Mississippi emcee builds a tribute to slab culture around his Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, stacking Houston legends on the closer and letting comedian Karlous Miller play DJ throughout.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:06 PM
The Mississippi emcee builds a tribute to slab culture around his Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, stacking Houston legends on the closer and letting comedian Karlous Miller play DJ throughout.
The Atlanta rapper’s sixth album in four years confronts survival, faith, and violence with the urgency of someone who knows the odds and keeps moving anyway.
Album Review: MARCO PLUS vs. tha Underworld by MARCO PLUS
The Atlanta rapper’s sixth album in four years confronts survival, faith, and violence with the urgency of someone who knows the odds and keeps moving anyway.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:05 PM
The Atlanta rapper’s sixth album in four years confronts survival, faith, and violence with the urgency of someone who knows the odds and keeps moving anyway.
Ashanti Mutinta’s fifth album abandons the industrial fortress of her earlier work for something riskier. It’s the sound of someone who survived and isn’t sure what to do with the extra time.
Album Review: Only Dust Remains by Backxwash
Ashanti Mutinta’s fifth album abandons the industrial fortress of her earlier work for something riskier. It’s the sound of someone who survived and isn’t sure what to do with the extra time.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Ashanti Mutinta’s fifth album abandons the industrial fortress of her earlier work for something riskier. It’s the sound of someone who survived and isn’t sure what to do with the extra time.
“Industry plant” sounds like music discourse until you watch who it gets used on and how. Doechii's record turns the accusation into a mirror and leaves it there. Read over at Blackpolitan.
Doechii and the Misogynoir Behind Industry Plant Talk
“Industry plant” sounds like music discourse until you watch who it gets used on and how. Doechii's record turns the accusation into a mirror and leaves it there.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:05 PM
“Industry plant” sounds like music discourse until you watch who it gets used on and how. Doechii's record turns the accusation into a mirror and leaves it there. Read over at Blackpolitan.
Max B's first full-length since walking out of Northern State Prison leans on a horror-movie gimmick instead of the lived experience that could’ve made it essential.
Album Review: Public Domain 7: The Purge by Max B
Max B's first full-length since walking out of Northern State Prison leans on a horror-movie gimmick instead of the lived experience that could’ve made it essential.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Max B's first full-length since walking out of Northern State Prison leans on a horror-movie gimmick instead of the lived experience that could’ve made it essential.
The charts fell silent in late 2025, letting non-rap fans yap, and forcing a necessary reset. A new generation now builds locally rather than chasing the global algorithm.
Rappers to Watch in 2026
The charts fell silent in late 2025 and forced a necessary reset. A new generation now builds locally rather than chasing the global algorithm.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:05 PM
The charts fell silent in late 2025, letting non-rap fans yap, and forcing a necessary reset. A new generation now builds locally rather than chasing the global algorithm.
The artists sprouting as we approach 2026 are not interested in providing background music for passive consumption. These twenty artists are building discographies meant to survive the skip button.
R&B Artists to Watch in 2026
The artists sprouting as we approach 2026 are not interested in providing background music for passive consumption. These twenty artists are building discographies meant to survive the skip button.
www.shatterthestandards.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:05 AM
The artists sprouting as we approach 2026 are not interested in providing background music for passive consumption. These twenty artists are building discographies meant to survive the skip button.
With releases from Nas & DJ Premier to redveil, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
December 2025 Roundups: The Best Albums of the Month
With releases from Nas & DJ Premier to redveil, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
With releases from Nas & DJ Premier to redveil, here are notable releases in November that stood out to us as the best albums of the month.
As Navy Blue once intoned, he lives this life for his ancestors—and through Song of Sage: Post Panic!, he’s created music that honors them and all of us striving to overcome pain.
Anniversaries: Song of Sage: Post Panic! by Navy Blue
As Navy Blue once intoned, he lives this life for his ancestors—and through Song of Sage: Post Panic!, he’s created music that honors them and all of us striving to overcome pain.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 23, 2025 at 1:01 PM
As Navy Blue once intoned, he lives this life for his ancestors—and through Song of Sage: Post Panic!, he’s created music that honors them and all of us striving to overcome pain.
The double standard that makes Ravyn Lenae, Alemeda, and their peers explain themselves for chasing the same reach everyone else celebrates. Read over at Blackpolitan.
The Quiet Double Standard Around Artistic Integrity
The double standard that makes Ravyn Lenae, Alemeda, and their peers explain themselves for chasing the same reach everyone else celebrates.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The double standard that makes Ravyn Lenae, Alemeda, and their peers explain themselves for chasing the same reach everyone else celebrates. Read over at Blackpolitan.
2010 R&B wasn’t shy about appetite, but it still needed craft to make it land. These five albums show singers using the same old tools in sharper, riskier ways.
Five 2010 R&B Albums Where Desire Runs the Script
2010 R&B wasn’t shy about appetite, but it still needed craft to make it land. These five albums show singers using the same old tools in sharper, riskier ways.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:00 PM
2010 R&B wasn’t shy about appetite, but it still needed craft to make it land. These five albums show singers using the same old tools in sharper, riskier ways.
2010 didn’t need a “new sound” to move units or shift the conversation. It needed veterans willing to sharpen their edges and take swings with the same old tools.
Five 2010 Rap Albums, Veteran Moves Only
2010 didn’t need a “new sound” to move units or shift the conversation. It needed veterans willing to sharpen their edges and take swings with the same old tools.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
2010 didn’t need a “new sound” to move units or shift the conversation. It needed veterans willing to sharpen their edges and take swings with the same old tools.
The Breakthrough is the triumphant crescendo that still leaves room for what comes after—affirming Mary J. Blige is a lifelong work-in-progress. And that may be the greatest breakthrough of all.
Milestones: The Breakthrough by Mary J. Blige
The Breakthrough is the triumphant crescendo that still leaves room for what comes after—affirming Mary J. Blige is a lifelong work-in-progress. And that may be the greatest breakthrough of all.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
The Breakthrough is the triumphant crescendo that still leaves room for what comes after—affirming Mary J. Blige is a lifelong work-in-progress. And that may be the greatest breakthrough of all.
We introduce 10 albums that seem to sit under the influence of Voodoo. Although it could take us forever to list the rest, it goes from 2017 and beyond, carrying D’Angelo’s spirit.
The Lineage of D’Angelo’s Voodoo (The Forgotten Gems)
We introduce 10 albums that seem to sit under the influence of Voodoo. Although it could take us forever to list the rest, it goes from 2017 and beyond, carrying D’Angelo’s spirit.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
We introduce 10 albums that seem to sit under the influence of Voodoo. Although it could take us forever to list the rest, it goes from 2017 and beyond, carrying D’Angelo’s spirit.
With Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx got them in full. The comedian-turned-crooner delivered an album that may not have shocked the world, but it certainly seduced it. And that is nothing to laugh at.
Anniversaries: Unpredictable by Jamie Foxx
With Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx got them in full. The comedian-turned-crooner delivered an album that may not have shocked the world, but it certainly seduced it. And that is nothing to laugh at.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
With Unpredictable, Jamie Foxx got them in full. The comedian-turned-crooner delivered an album that may not have shocked the world, but it certainly seduced it. And that is nothing to laugh at.
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on December 19th, featuring CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Niontay, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Darla Dean Lewis, and many others.
New Music Drops: December 19, 2025
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on December 19th, featuring CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Niontay, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Darla Dean Lewis, and many others.
www.shatterthestandards.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Here’s your upcoming rundown of albums/singles releasing on December 19th, featuring CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Niontay, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Darla Dean Lewis, and many others.