Shatter the Standards

Shatter the Standards

Home
Album Reviews
BLAST
Blackpolitan
Lists
Milestones
Soulpolitan
Wednesday Roundups
bmr
Words Past da Margin

Guides

The Handguide to Lucky Daye
David Brown left a cult at eight, got cut from American Idol at nineteen, and starved in LA at thirty. Lucky Daye is what happened after all of it…
 • Shatter the Standards and Janelle K. Moore
There Is Only One Chaka Khan
Since the mid-seventies, Chaka Khan has been a colorful chameleon on and off the stage. She is widely known for her spontaneity and has constantly found…
 • Blackpolitan and Raya Sinclair
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (Kids / Young Stars)
Each guide is based on this run of albums, believed to be part of Michael Jackson’s roots. It then branches out into post-1995, drawn from that tree…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
Falling in Love with Bruno Mars All Over Again
A world-class superstar who needs no introduction enters a new chapter in romantic mode. The biggest release of 2026, an overwhelmingly entertaining…
 • Shatter the Standards and Darryl Keyes
The Jackson 5 Follower Groups Before 1994
The Jackson 5 template proved too profitable to retire. Family harmony meets youth marketing. These nine albums trace the Jackson 5’s afterlife in…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
Revisiting 2006 in Rap Music
The South had been knocking on the door for years. In 2006, it kicked the door off the hinges. Mainstream success meant compromise for most artists…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (R&B Roots)
A young genius studied the masters before becoming one. MJ absorbed Jackie Wilson’s screams, Smokey Robinson’s falsetto, etc. Sixteen albums that shaped…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
Singers Painting R&B in the Colors of Heart-Flutters
After “So Sick” conquered the charts, a wave of melodic R&B singers found their audience in Tokyo. These Ne-Yo disciples built careers on falsetto and…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Handguide to J. Cole
From Fayetteville dorm rooms to platinum plaques. The mixtapes that built his name. The albums that tested his audience. A complete guide to J. Cole’s…
 • Shatter the Standards and Kamarion
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (Mellow / Sensitive)
Each guide is based on this run of albums, believed to be part of Michael Jackson’s roots. It then branches out into post-1995, drawn from that tree…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Lineage of Michael Jackson (Dance / Boogie)
Each guide is based on this run of albums, believed to be part of Michael Jackson’s roots. It then branches out into post-1995, drawn from that tree…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
The Handguide to Michael Jackson
As we’re approaching three months to the biopic, what better way to go down memory lane to the King of Pop, whose resume speaks for itself. From Jackson…
 • Shatter the Standards, Brandon O'Sullivan, and Phil
© 2026 Shatter the Standards, LLC. · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture