Telefone by Noname

Noname - Telefone

by Julia Bernicker Editor-in-Chief

Encompassing ten poetic tracks sitting somewhere in between hip-hop and neo-soul, Noname’s debut album, Telefone, is a no-skips soundtrack for any occasion. The bright and eye-catching cover art matches each track’s bubbly rhythm, which Noname raps over with an effortless cool. Her verses are weaved together with the album’s many feature artists— which include big names like Smino and Saba on “Shadow Man”, as well Ravyn Lenae and Xavier Omar. For a debut album, Telefone is stacked, further proving Noname is the rapper everyone wants to know. What makes this album a 10/10 pick, however, is its triumph as an instant mood booster. The sunny melodies and meandering piano rhythms are as chill as can be, making it perfect to put on shuffle and settle in with a puzzle, road trip with the windows down, or even brush those teeth. It’s hard to pick out specific tracks to recommend since each one is so consistently good, but try out “Sunny Duet” and “Shadow Man” to get a feel for Noname’s breezy style and clever lyrics.

1. Yesterday 2. Sunny Duet 3. Diddy Bop 4. All I Need 5. Reality Check 6. Freedom Interlude 7. Casket Pretty 8. Forever 9. Bye Bye Baby 10. Shadow Man