Reasons Why An Album Becomes A Favorite: Five Zimbabwean Albums That Ticked All The Boxes.

We're always curious about the special bond between music lovers and their favorite albums. What makes an album more than just a collection of tracks, but a treasured companion that resonates with your soul? We dug deep to uncover the secrets behind this phenomenon, and we're excited to share our findings with you.

Sidenote: Years ago there was chaos on the TL this other night. It was Nova Bleq going against Noble Stylz fighting over criteria used to select best albums at the awards and that's the day we got to learn about "ticking boxes". It could be 3, 5 or 10 of them. The winner is one that ticks more boxes.

Today we have decided to open each one of them and present to you the classic albums from modern times in Zimbabwea music. From personal connections to timeless appeal, let's explore the 5 reasons why an album becomes your favorite and gift you with an album suggestion that resonates with the theme.

Personal Connection: The album resonates with your experiences, emotions, or thoughts, creating a strong bond. In this category we choose Takura's Someone Had To Do it because of the nostalgia, authenticity, and emotional impact it carries. SHTDi has this personal connection with everyone who had an ambition in 2018. The Shona Prince rose, he even dared to fill up HICC!

Musical Excellence: The album impresses with its sound, production quality, instrumentation, and creativity, making it a masterpiece. Musical excellence is almost vague innuendo because it is always subjective what we come to judge as beautiful music. But in this case would Vanga not be a general example of what is appealing to a broader audience. Whether you're soft or ninja, sweet or alpha the melodies from Kae Chaps are irresistible and excellent. He takes this!

Cohesion and Flow: The album has a unified theme, concept, or vibe that ties the tracks together seamlessly, making it a cohesive work of art. Life of Muvhimi by Voltz JT is a compelling example of having a unified theme in an album. It starts with the album title, setting a tone of message the rapper intends to convey and JT managed to do that with great ease.

Replay Value: You can listen to the album repeatedly without getting tired of it, discovering new layers and meanings over time. Okay this section is tricky. In mind is whether Holy Ten or Saintfloew deserve to be on this list. One can just go with Winky D or Few Kings to make life easier. There is also Chiwoniso Maraire's ancient voice if you need one that can make this worthy discussion. A lot, you see? So we decided to go all the way to a block in Chitungwiza where a young man by the name Tanto Wavie made history with fusing sungura and hip hop to make what he calls "TrapSu". His music when it comes to replay value? Tanto is the plug!

Timeless Appeal: The album remains relevant and enjoyable years after its release, transcending time and trends. Nutty O, DJ Tamuka & Executive Producer Exq have a shout for one of the greatest albums ever made from this country. You might need to bare with us for being too sensational about it. The reasons are solely tied on the album's timelessness and influence it has had on the music scene, in total. Yes, the idea to sell Nutty O abroad isn't as easy as securing care work in the UK or Ireland, but if qualifications are all that matters - Simba will long have been our top boy flying high the country's banner!

There you have it - whether it's a personal connection, musical excellence, or timeless appeal, these factors combine to create a deep and lasting bond between you and your favorite album.

At RiddimsAndRaps, we celebrate the power of music to move and inspire us. Share your favorite album with us and tell us what makes it special to you!