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The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE
What is the purpose of a map? Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map. But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence... because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way. But why? To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps...
I’ve been a fan of Lizzo for a while now, and one of my most anticipated albums of the year was her follow-up to 2019’s Cuz I Love You. It was one of my favorites during its release year, and that album (and the ones before it) set the bar pretty high for the kind of fun and quality music I expect from Lizzo. (Don’t even get me started about her 2016 EP, Coconut Oil. I still love it.)
Lizzo’s latest release, Special, more than continued with that trend, delivering catchy retro 80s pop and disco beats, mixed with hip hop and funk. In terms of lyrics and messaging, Special is a pretty positive album overall, especially in its tone. However, it was also reflective and heartfelt too, especially with songs like 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready), Break Up Twice, and Special, just to name a few.
There are no features on the album, but honestly, Special didn’t need any. Lizzo’s artistry was on full display. What I thought was interesting was how she used a variety of samples to really drive home the aesthetic of the album, but they didn’t overpower the tracks.
The hype for Special was more than deserved. It really is one of my favorite albums of 2022, and I look forward to whatever Lizzo releases next.
Have you listened to Special yet? If so, what did you think about it?
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