Messy by Olivia Dean
The beauty of music is that there are various ways of interpreting songs based on what resonates. Olivia Dean’s title track “Messy” feels that way, that it can be a song about relationships with others, yourself, or just life. Her pop-soul proficiency shines throughout her debut album, but this specific song with its dreamy guitar and light beats fit under a calming psychedelic soul genre. Dean reclaims the word ‘messy’ as something positive rather than its negative connotation, “It’s okay if it’s messy/ I’m on your side.” The drums pick up and strengthen after the bridge and its hypnotizing hums, continuing the chorus.
Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo fans have been anticipating Olivia’s return to music, and her new single, “Vampire”, made the wait worth it. A slow piano ballad at the beginning deceives you into believing it’s just another sad slow song. Rodridgo’s talent for writing riveting, honest, and poetic music still stands true with lyrics like, “Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise”. Her songwriting ability has helped her release tracks like this, telling a story, and expressing the disappointment and fury she feels recounting a past relationship. The bridge further shows her indignation and that emotion thunders on, “...you can’t love anyone, cause that would mean you had a heart”
the car by glaive
glaive releasing this as the last song before his album “i care so much that i dont care at all” which comes out on July 14th, gets us more excited to see what's coming. What glaive does best is writing aggressive, blunt lyrics that contrast the upbeat and quick melody played behind it. In an interview, Glaive admits this is the only song not written from his point of view, but rather, from a friend’s perspective of getting cheated on. The second sentence sets the tone for the rest of the song, a badass recap of the “imaginary” cheating scandal between himself, the girl, and the boy in question. Being known for his hyper-pop expertise, glaive has proved himself to be efficient in different musical aspects other than the expected hyper-pop song, which this track along with the other pre-released songs, has shown.
Running Blind by Aluna, Tchami, Kareen Lomax
For an enticing electric dance song ideal for the summertime, turn to “Running Blind”. With an addicting melody, compelling piano chords, and metaphoric lyricism, Aluna and Tchami collaborate and successfully produce together for the first time. The build-up before the beat drop is note-worthy for its merge of smooth vocals and dynamic rhythm. “Freedom is locked in my mind/ Gotta believe it” a song that contains powerful songwriting with a beat to dance to, all around a 10/10 song perfect for July!
Pretty Girls by midwxst
Known for his gift in mixing hyper-pop with rap, midwxst has released, yet again, a genre-defying single. Contrary to his previous albums with sad-boy writing, ‘Pretty Girls’ depicts a clearly complicated relationship, but filled with more confusion and lust. With cool guitar riffs mixed with a production of energized rhythm, this song showcases his dexterity in making music. The track ends off with a beautiful saxophone and a voicemail, from the assumed pretty girl, as the outro.
Think Fast by Dominic Fike (feat. Weezer)
This is the third track on Dominic Fike’s new album, “Sunburn”, inspired by Weezer’s “Undone - The Sweater Song”, he makes this song a perfect example of just one of the musical directions he takes. “Think Fast” leans into the pop-rock aspect of song-making, but still adds rap, with a lively guitar and a tenacious chorus hook. While the album entirely takes creative freedom and has no boundary for a specific genre, sampling from 90’s rockers, Weezer, you can still hear how he has incorporated his unique sound into the track making it his own. A blithe and passionate contemplation of life's fast-paced momentum, “Think fast/ you only get one try”.
F’d Up by LAYA
No bullshit, confident and daring. Three words describing the track to add to your hot girl summer playlist. Laya’s soothing vocals juxtapose the unflinching lyrics with a playful bass, a striking beat, and a catchy chorus. The song is about not dealing with someone’s trivial drama, doing the mature thing, and moving on, “Quit with all the cap/ You got me fucked up”. The groovy R&B song ends with a beautiful instrumental ballad, a thrilling sign-off.
Written by Amy Kapel
Graphic by Ryan Murray