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

Lily Kincade is in full transition mode. Seven months after the release of her debut album Cinematic (2025), she and I meet on a sunny April Nashville morning to talk about the upcoming release of the deluxe version of the album, which will be out August 7th. “It's like a little post credit scene, tying up the story, but also… giving some excitement, getting some mystery for the next era,” Lily describes the four additional songs in the deluxe edition. These songs will be mas

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

Holly Humberstone, photos by Kirk Stauffer. Downtown Seattle was already unusually crowded for a Wednesday as people anticipated the World Cup. But in a sea of sports fans, a group stuck out: young adults, primarily women and gay male couples, waiting to enter Holly Humberstone’s Seattle stop at the Showbox on the Cruel World Tour. Humberstone debuted during quarantine and released the successful EPs Falling Asleep At The Wheel (2020) and The Walls Are Way Too Thin (2021). He

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

Elayna LaPeer discusses the stories of songs in her discography.