I was naïve to think it would be a while before I’d find a true exception to the sentence, “It’s hard to become a successful nepo baby if you don’t have a lot of raw talent already”. Unfortunately, Stella Lefty is an exception. Imagine editing an album the way you might edit a photo on your iPhone. You turn up the “surface level lyricism” level to the max, and you tone down the “mainstream country production” level halfway. Just enough that it could be Americana but sounds li

Petal, Ariana Grande’s album of “unfiltered rage”, is not so unfiltered. Ariana Grande is already an anomaly on my list of favorite artists, considering that I’m a lyrics girl and she’s best known for her vocal work. I was curious, going into my first listen of petal, to hear the “unfiltered rage” Grande has spoken of throughout its rollout. I was disappointed when I finished it. Where was the anger? The album cover for petal by Ariana Grande It’s not entirely that the concep

Alina's fourth EP, better left behind, released on July 24th, is more polished than ever. After signing with Columbia Records last year, the singer/songwriter has kept herself very busy, and it shows in the quality of her ever improving work. The better left behind album cover, design by Alina Adams “Waiting On Me”, a lax but contemplative song, has the perfect feel for an opening track. It’s quick to hook you – new sounds enter throughout the song, ensuring you’re never bore

I love Suki Waterhouse the same way I love a good metaphor; I love her lacy lyrics, blurry voice, and the liquid state of her energy. In other words, she executes things in ways they can’t physically be executed. She’s there for the vibes, hence no matter what a song is about, it’s almost guaranteed to completely electrify the moment. Loveland opens with total Old Hollywood flamboyance. The marching band sound opening on “Back in Love” is an incredible way to foreshadow the r

Maybe Gracie Abrams isn’t being self-deprecating labelling herself “daughter from hell”. I, too, have historically felt bad for my parents when everything in my life was going well, but my relentless anxiety was preventing me from enjoying life to its full capacity. “My nightmare actualized: got what I wanted, it doesn’t sit right”, a lyric from “Look At My Life”, summarizes being an anxious-avoidant workaholic with imposter syndrome. Abrams yearns, ruminates, and eulogizes h

Bebe Stockwell in the Volume 1 photoshoot – photo by Katherine Goguen The most shocking thing about Bebe Stockwell’s second album Volume 1 might not be her bold claim that when love is right, you just know it, or her preference for the more temperate New England climate over the always warm Los Angeles climate. Rather, your biggest surprise might be learning that Stockwell is 24 years old. Stockwell’s voice provided great company as I sewed while listening to the album for th

Ella Jane's first EP as an independent artist, Sparkwheel, is her best work yet. The record can be summarized by bubbly production, snappy presentation, and golden imagery. Emphasis on the imagery – the album cover is incredibly on point to the sonic and lyrical visuals. A partly cloudy spring evening in LA is Ella’s backdrop. She wears black, her tattoos are vivid, and the sun shines perfectly on a chunk of her hair, showcasing red dye. This is exactly the woman and setting

Teenage music journalist Louise Geri reviews pop artist Maisie Peters' third album "Florescence".