Happy 50th anniversary to Judee Sill, one of the greatest, most underrated albums of the Seventies that could easily be the long-lost cousin of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon. From the acoustic opener “Crayon Angels” to the euphoric penultimate track “Enchanted Sky Machines,” her self-titled debut acts as both a fan favorite and a starting point for new listeners.
Take “Jesus Was a Cross Maker,” the album’s lead single, which Sill wrote about her devastating breakup with J.D. Souther. Joni Mitchell’s producer Henry Lewy worked on the album, but Sill specifically brought in Graham Nash — hot off the success of his supergroup CSNY — to produce the track. “I thought it could be a hit record,” Nash recalled in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year. “Because of my involvement, I think it brought her song to a wider audience. I knew exactly how to get it where she wanted.”
Although “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” failed to chart, Sill often cited it as one of the best songs she’d ever written, and it’s remained a favorite for fans of her music. You can watch her perform it in the sepia-toned clip above — shortly before the four-minute mark — onstage at the University of Southern California on April 1st, 1973. There are so few known videos of Sill performing, and it’s endearing to watch her climb the song’s octaves while sitting in flip-flops, her guitar resting across her white peasant shirt.
More than 40 years after her death of a drug overdose, Sill is finally getting the recognition she deserves; she’s the subject of the upcoming documentary Soldier of the Heart: The Judee Sill Story. In the meantime, though, we can enjoy her albums on streaming services. “I just think it’s utterly remarkable,” Souther said of the album. “Quite possibly the best first album I’ve ever heard of anyone’s.”
Skrilla is clearly leaning further into the lane that made “Doot Doot (6 7)” take off, and his new song and music video “RYLO” makes that direction obvious. The mood mirrors that same shadowy energy, built around somber piano lines, light but tense percussion, and added layers of strings and laser like effects that heighten the atmosphere. The track nods to fellow MC Rylo Rodriguez, matching his presence with gritty street scenes, money driven boasts, and sharp, cinematic details throughout the verses.
There is a long instrumental stretch before the final hook that slightly slows the pacing, taking away some of the track’s drive. Still, fans of the Philly rapper will likely find plenty to enjoy here, while those who were not sold on his earlier work probably will not be converted by this release. As Skrilla’s visibility continues to grow and edges closer to oversaturation, it will be interesting to see whether he expands his sound or stays locked into this formula. That answer may come on his next album, which he teased in the video description under the title The Face Of Zombie Land.
Release Date: January 4, 2026
Genre: Hip-Hop
Album: The Face Of Zombie Land
Crashing out with all my crashouts,
I just snorted a 30 milligram, hope I don't pass out,
Why the f**k these n***as keep on acting like thеy crashouts?
Riding around, four choppers, and I'm dolo-ing the fast route
