Hey Young World,

This is the February 2024 edition of 1520’s Record Report, our series of monthly articles in which we recommend things we’re currently into.

We’ve picked the name Record Report in honor of Hip Hop magazine The Source, which’s album review section went under that name and, when we were growing up, told us what was worth copping and what wasn’t. In our own small way, we hope to do the same.

2004 ‘til Infinity

This year, every edition of 1520’s Record Report will include a recommendation of an album, a movie or a video game that came out 20 years ago, in 2004, a year that is very close to our hearts and whose pop culture fundamentally shaped who we (and many other Millennials) are today.

Neon (TV Series)

NEON is a relatively new, Daddy Yankee-produced Netflix Original that tells the fictional story of an up-and-coming reggaeton artist and his crew. Not only is it a fun, heartfelt watch, but it also offers insights into an enormously relevant and influential subculture that too many people that are supposedly in the business of reaching young consumers know next to nothing about.

JYOCHO - Guide and Devote (EP)

Some of you might recognise JYOCHO from several of our album of the year lists. It should therefore be no surprise that their new EP also shot to the top of the official 1520 charts. If you haven’t heard any of their music before, you could just press play below, but if you want to know what you can expect first: imagine a more uptempo version of American Football-esque emo and math rock, but composed by, like, Lord of the Rings elves, with Japanese vocals? Something like that. Whatever it is, they’re the best band on the planet right now.

2004 ‘til Infinity: Usher - Confessions

Given the very recent Super Bowl performance, we figured this would be the perfect month to look back on Usher’s seminal 2004 album Confessions. I wrote the following about it in 2019, for it’s 15th birthday:

Yeah, Confessions Part II, Burn, Caught Up, Superstar and on and on. Few R&B albums (or any albums really) have even come close in the last 15 years [Marius in 2024: or ever], both in terms of quality and impact. Happy 15th Birthday, Confessions. My world wouldn't be the same without you.

Nuff said.

P.S. In 2004, in high school, I convinced our ballroom dance teacher (yes, we had mandatory ballroom dance lessons) that we should dance the waltz to Yeah, and I ended up dancing to it with one of the popular girls. Usher would have been so proud.

One Love,

Marius | 1520