Arrival of Albums

Hadley Harris, staff writer

This hot summer had some hot albums drop, captivating fans with a range of love, heartbreak, self-discovery and experimental approach. Artists branched out, playing with their sounds and genres through a mix of pop, alternative, rock and techno sound. During the months of June and July, mainstream artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Ariana Grande and Charli XCX delivered albums filled with variety and taste. 

Artists that did take a 180 to their usual sound include Charli XCX going from “Brat,” an electropop album, to “Music, Fashion, Film,” a predominantly rock album.  Olivia Rodrigo, charted love songs on her new album “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” which differs from her top hits “Driver's License” on “Guts” which consist of heartbreak and melancholy. Rodrigo’s songs “Maggots for Brains” to “Cigarette Smoke” transitions to the anxious, depriving stage of a relationship telling a story. Artist Gracie Abrams continues with moody alternative pop, in the album “Daughter from Hell.”  

Outside of mainstream singers, upcoming artist Ravyn Lenae who sings hit song “Love me Not” just recently dropped album “Blue Island,” that opens with a distorted electric guitar arpeggio that feels faintly grungy, as described by The Guardian. Sienna Spiro, another upcoming artist, emerges as the world's next pop vocal superhero, acclaimed by Variety. She took storm with her hit song “Die on This Hill,” making highlight of her strong alto and raspy voice.    

In this day and age, visual appeal is everything to viewers and listeners of music with the interference of social media. The majority of artists have an abundance of teen fans that have such a love for their writing style, sound and even the visuals of their albums. “Grande writes through her heart, and you can feel your own experiences because she writes in such a connecting way, in “petal,” said junior, Kunal Sajjan.  

“I feel like these artists and their albums helps you feel more understood like if you were going through a breakup or a situation-ship they write about those issues and their struggles which helps me feel less crazy,” said junior, Samantha Murray.  

“The music released through my teenage years shows that other people are going through the same things which makes me feel recognized and not the only one going through something,” says sophomore, Aisha Sachdeva.    

In the light of feeling connected to artists, whether it is through their lyrics, beats, or visuals, many listeners have been gearing up to secure tickets to these artist upcoming tours. Students have secured tickets to these concerts and gave their two cents on if the concerts and their high prices are worth seeing their favorite artist in person    

  “I have been wanting to go to an Ariana Grande concert since I was seven or eight years old, so I was willing to do anything to get those tickets, my dad had to go through Ticketmaster wars, which consist of waiting in a queue for hours, and finally was able to get them. The tickets may have been pricey, but it is worth the experience,” says Sachdeva.    

Reeling back to these new summer albums that dropped, the albums can be compared to past albums that have dropped sharing either the same tone or sound.  For instance, Lenae's album “Blue Island” has a blend of metallic buzz rock and indie pop which is resembled in Hayley Williams album “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” encapsulating pop rock and indie pop, with both albums tying in personal acknowledgment and change through one’s life in the lyricism. Rodrigo’s new album (YSPSFAGSIL) has this surface of being a love album and then transcending into an unraveling relationship that fills one with such sadness that even the love songs come out laced with melancholy, stated by Rodrigo herself in an interview with Genius.  In the realm of self-realization and melancholy it is important to mention Lordes' album “Melodrama” that touches on complicated, bittersweet feelings mixed with bliss and love frequency, as summed up by Pithfork, a music magazine. 

Both albums have an angsty but fun approach while also provoking such raw emotions, making them great albums to listen to if looking for a next listen. Rocking into discussion on XCX’s album that is labeled to be rock album, really having more of a grungy 2000s sound as well which would pair well with Lilly Allen’s album released back in 2006 “Alright Still,” having more of a pop approach with influence of hip hop and experimental sound that is palatable to “Music, Fashion, Film.”