Blue Ivy must have committed to attending FSU and/or becoming the mascot for All-Night Yahtzee because if XXV isn't a direct descendant of and resulting homage to Beyonce's Renaissance, I'm not sure what's going on in the world anymore from an artistic and creative standpoint.

The album has a lot of standouts. The production is slick and inviting. The hots are hot, the ice is icy, the highs are flying, and the lows fuel the dirty hellscape. The rapping, the ball culture, the early hip-hop just keep giving. I don't know if it is the flat-out fantastic arrangements or the for-the-Gods singing that deserves the most accolades. I know that it took the comingling of the two to craft such a work of art. Much like the RuPaul "call-in", it just all works/werks.

I am allowed to breathe in this world because Maddy Schatz sings. Yes we've heard umpteen covers of Feelin' Good over the years. Some have soared and some have sank, but believe that the buoyancy that Schatz brings to the track is nearly indescribable. I'm lightheaded. She has this rich alto that opens the song and the phrase ends on a guttural basement note and the hairs stand up, but then, she literally flips into this stratospheric soprano and you can't help but see stars.

And yet, Feelin' Good is not my favorite track on the album. Nope, that award goes to possibly my fave performance of the year! I Feel Love is transcendent. I don't know if it's a longing for my disco days (lol, I was a child and couldn't get into them) but from a cultural standpoint, this took me to a place that I didn't know I needed to revisit. I wish John Haas had arranged the 8-minute deluxe club mix because this paltry 1:17 gives us just a taste of what soloist Tyler Jones is about to throw down. For me, he sounds more like Sylvester than Donna, and the performance is sublime.

Starting with the formidability that was 2019's Reign, then leading directly in the jewel that is 2021's Forever, XXV isn't just a stunning achievement for All-Night Yahtzee, I daresay it's a crowning glory.

You cannot help but root for albums like XXV. It delivers so much of what you ask for from other music projects. It is advanced, huge in sound (both energy and talent), well-balanced, and has an identity. I can only imagine what it was like being in the studio with All-Night Yahtzee bringing this project to life, with its infectious energy and eccentric artistic style. Perhaps the album's major critiques center on one's affinity for a purer a cappella sound versus one that is heavily forward-thinking.

There is no denying the fervor in which All-Night Yahtzee performs a song. Every track on XXV is delivered with the right amount of intensity, life, believability, and any other nuance you deem necessary for good music.

The album's opener Snakeskin / G.U.Y. is a clear-cut representation of what listeners are in for as they traverse XXV. The artistry is innovative, the sounds pop with a zest for authenticity and theatrics, and the solo work is incomparable. I had the joy of reviewing the group's single upon release, which you can read here. The track feeds extremely well into establishing the album as a production juggernaut.

Some of the best moments on XXV occur when All-Night Yahtzee sings duets. Queen and Higher are two obvious examples. Kolby Brown and Megan Almonte are irresistibly dynamic on Queen. The two embody vocal royalty, playing off each other with grace and magnetism, deployed through swift singing and seductive stylings. Foundationally, All-Night Yahtzee is stunning, combining tastefully processed backing vocals with loads of attitude to add on to the appeal.

In terms of leaving an impression, Jackson Knight and Jaeden Spinelli deliver similarly on Higher. From the get-go, All-Night Yahtzee pushes the envelope with an unbelievable wall of sound that is massive, but the two leads keep the train from going off the rails with outstanding technical solos. The track is controlled and well-rounded, while remaining thrilling.

I Want Love is a lesson in how to use one's musical superpowers for good. Every aspect of All-Night Yahtzee's game is on point on this track. Makaira Fisk's solo delivers blow after blow vocally, while the group matches her vigor. It is accomplished thanks to a smart arrangement that forces listeners to pay attention to every little detail. Similar to other tracks, it displays a flawless key change that feels and sounds oh-so-good!

If you want to nit-pick anything on the album, it is possibly the notion that it may not be for everyone. The project's production level is some of the highest I have heard in a cappella in quite some time. There are moments of distorted vocals, otherworldly percussion, and other feats that sound downright amazing. And it all works in All-Night Yahtzee's favor. So, a cappella purists beware.

XXV is phenomenal. It lacks nothing and gives you everything. If you keep an open mind, you will experience truly stirring music.

When we look at the difference between good and great groups, there has been one factor that truly sets the top groups apart: personality. It's not enough for a group to have strong arrangements and individual performers. The top groups have a sound that feels almost tailor-made to them. Yahtzee returns to RARB with another album of hard-hitting R&B that can really tickle the brain at times. However, there's a problem with this album: XXV is so focused on the style that every track begins to feel exactly the same.

Let's start at the top. Snakeskin / G.U.Y is quite an opening statement. This track wastes no time in setting the expectations for the album. A voiceover introduction sets the stage for an almost hyper-sexualized vibe. This piece is ever-growing and evolving, and I kinda love it. It's hard to know which soloist is responsible for which sections, but Megan Almonte, Talia Schatz, and Jackson Knight each have different moments where they present themselves as strong and sensual. Those two adjectives feel oxymoronic together, but somehow that is the combination. Alejo Rodriguez's arrangement will keep you constantly guessing, but everything is moving towards setting the stage. By the end of the piece, I'm absolutely hooked and wanting more.

Here's the problem: you get more. A lot more. Let's take a look at Feelin' Good. This is the closest approximation to a downtempo piece across the entire album. However, this track is rather infamous for how notably powerful and driving it is. Yahtzee does a fantastic job of putting its own spin on it. Darby Lestin's arrangement has some really cool twists and turns, such as having the solo shortchange some longer phrases to catch the listener off-guard, or the use of minor digital effects at the end to give extra color to the piece. Maddy Schatz's solo is all kinds of powerful and intricate. By every metric, this track is fabulous. However, in the long lineup of powerful and sexy pieces, this song becomes just another addition to the list.

Somewhere near the end of the album, I find myself starting to stare at the playlist and asking, "When is this album done?". Every track starts to feel very similar. Yahtzee has established its personality with this hard-hitting, hyper-sexualized vibe. At some point, the narrative twists away from songs in the style of All-Night Yahtzee, and instead feels more like a cookie cutter playlist. This album desperately needs a song to act as a change of pace.

As I was reviewing, I constantly found myself listening to tracks multiple times over simply to keep them in my brain as I wrote. There are no bad moments throughout XXV. On the contrary, there are many great moments across the board. However, there's nothing unique across any one track. I had to go back to tracks multiple times just to remember what I was listening to. Ultimately, here's what I heard from All-Night Yahtzee: the group's sound is big and sexy, but feels like a one-trick pony. Take a listen and enjoy it for what it is, and I'll patiently wait for the next album for something different.