My Women in Music Recap: Spring '26

How is it possible that the busiest calendar season I’ve probably ever had has come to an end? This spring, I published 25-ish articles (and wrote many more), took 16 credit hours, and kept up four side hustles.

I keep two consistent playlists a year: for spring and summer, and for fall and winter. So, what was my soundtrack this spring?

I kicked off my spring and summer playlist with a couple songs from summer 2022, a result of Nashville breaking 70 degrees starting in March (I’m used to this happening in May at earliest). “Vicious”, “Tornado Warnings” and “Bad for Business” by Sabrina Carpenter lounge near the start of my playlist. Similarly, Maude Latour’s “One More Weekend”, a 2021 favorite, was on my mind.

The album cover for Cruel World by Holly Humberstone

Upon Holly Humberstone’s April release of Cruel World, it became my “album of the spring”. I hadn’t previously been a huge listener of Humberstone’s music aside from a couple songs on her 2022 EP The Walls Are Way Too Thin. When “To Love Somebody” came on my Spotify daylist in March, I fell in love with her music again. My favorites on the album have been “Red Chevy”, “Drunk Dialling”, “White Noise”, and the title track. The album has the energy I imagine Ibiza would have: beach by day, club by night.

I suppose I could just as easily say that Maisie Peters’ Florescence was the album of the spring, but I was well into summer break when it came out. The stripped contemplative tracks “If You Let Me (with Marcus Mumford)”, “Flat Earther” and “Houses” shook me. I would 10/10 recommend listening to these songs on a small town walk on a misty morning. When you want a beat, you can just turn on “Old Fashioned” and “Vampire Time”.

The album cover for you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo

The last big album that came out this spring was you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo. “Stupid Song”, “U + Me = <3” and “Expectations” are song of the summer contenders. I feel seen by “Maggots for Brains” and “What’s Wrong With Me”. “Honeybee”, “Begged” and “Cigarette Smoke” are a deadly trio. They show the spiral of slowly falling out of love.

I dipped my toes further into the past (but not too far), adding “All You Had To Do Was Stay” (2014) by Taylor Swift and “Thinking of You” (2008) by Katy Perry. I also visited 90s country music with Alison Krauss’s “Forget About It”, which was on my fall playlist too.

The EP cover for Something is a shell . by Sofia Isella

Sofia Isella’s “Evergreen Soldier”, off her latest EP Something is a shell ., gutted me. With foggy production and mystical guitar plucking and vocal stacks, Isella effectively made me feel isolated and deranged with nostalgia. It had an effect on me that no other song of hers has.

I rediscovered a couple albums and artists, such as Maggie Rogers. Years ago, I'd casually listened to “Light On” and “Overnight”. When “Don’t Forget Me” came on my Spotify daylist this April, I was hooked again. I continued my Lizzy McAlpine arc from earlier this year and found “Nobody Likes A Secret”, off her 2022 record five seconds flat. I used to study to SZA’s Ctrl album, and this year that record reappeared with “Drew Barrymore”. Sadie Jean, who’s been flitting around my musical sphere for years, stunned me with the relaxed pop song “The One That I Want (But I Don’t Know Why)”. I love the line, “I just didn’t think I’d ever keep on rooting for you”.

The single cover for how2get2me / pocket by ALINA

Several artists had “comeback” singles, which I put in quotes because I think that word is dramatic unless it’s referring to an artist who releases every few years and goes radio silent in the interim. Alina followed up her 2025 EP catching lightning with “how2get2me”, which I heard the live debut of. Suki Waterhouse released “Tiny Raisin” preceding her upcoming album Loveland. I loved the title track of Tiffany Johnson’s debut album Temptress, following three EPs. Gracie Abrams released the lead for her upcoming album Daughter from Hell “Hit the Wall”. Insane lyrics – “I wanna be stable, but I do cave/I use when I’m able, I downgrade”. Emma Ogier released her first single since signing with Lost Highway Records, “Believing”. The song thrives from its descriptive visuals, “Maybe in a whisper, ice is gonna be dripping off a building/come winter, we’ll all be changed”. Finally, Ariana Grande debuted her eighth studio album petal with “Hate That I Made You Love Me”, a floaty synth-pop song.

The single cover for Drop Dead by Olivia Rodrigo

So, what was my song of the spring?

Basic answer, I know, but “Drop Dead” by Olivia Rodrigo. Fun build and future nostalgia, but the bottom line is that it’s a popular song. There’s an underlying connotation, when determining the song of the season, that most people who are active online will know the lyrics to whichever song graces the esteemed title.

As we enter the new season, I look forward to hearing the upcoming albums from Gracie Abrams and Suki Waterhouse.

Listen to my current playlist here!

The playlist cover for "Spring and Summer 2026"

For my fellow lyrical gals – some of my favorite lyrics from songs on my playlist:

“I can be your social hand grenade, tick, tick, tick, boom” – “Cruel World” by Holly Humberstone

“I did what I promised, I did what I swore/and soldier, I brought my body to your door” – “Evergreen Soldier” by Sofia Isella

“When forever’s over, I won’t remember how much I loved you anymore” – “Forget About It” by Alison Krauss

“Give me something I can handle: a good lover, or someone that’s nice to me” – “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers

“I’m starting to have side effects from hating you this much” – “Nobody Likes A Secret” by Lizzy McAlpine

“I’m not a problem you can solve” – “Hit the Wall” by Gracie Abrams

“You said you love me, God, that made me feel ugly/resort to my cold dorm, feels like I’m still waiting for us and it’s over and I don’t wanna think about it/but I can’t stop thinking ‘bout it” – “Too Young For That” by Emma Ogier

“Tears dry, lights off, fall asleep, baby, so the hurt stops/and I’m beautiful, beautiful alone” – “If You Let Me” by Maisie Peters

“Months waiting on your holy rapture just to realize you were never gonna come… There’s nothing like a girl and her favorite conspiracy… I was flying in the face of science, but it sure was something, believing like that” – “Flat Earther” by Maisie Peters

“I wanna tell you, oh, that I’ve missed you more than life/that I was wrong to let you out my sight” – “Vampire Time” by Maisie Peters

“It’s too hard to describe this in a way that feels honest/but even when I’m quiet, I love you, baby, I promise” – “Honeybee” by Olivia Rodrigo

“Pretend it’s not hurting, they say it’s a virtue to not let good love slip away” – “Begged” by Olivia Rodrigo

“Went to the doctor and she said I was fine/tried meditation with a bottle of wine/feels like somebody put a weight on my chest, I should talk to a friend, but I can’t get out of bed” – “What’s Wrong With Me” by Olivia Rodrigo

“I regret you and how long I stayed, I resent you for not being brave/tell me something honest so the memories turn dark… Some nights can be so fucking lonely but it’s better than begging for you to stand up for me… You’ll be miles away tomorrow, why’d I try at all?” – “Cigarette Smoke” by Olivia Rodrigo

“What can I do but think of you?” – “Maggots for Brains” by Olivia Rodrigo