Every Friday, we deliberately select new singles and albums from artists across the genres. This week, let's recap the recently released music from alternative rock queen Alanis Morissette, and enjoy strong emotionally-charged tunes from Billie Eilish, Bastille, and Sam Smith.
The OG emo queen has just dropped her first album in eight years! In Such Pretty Forks in the Road, Morissette reflects on her present state of mind, addictions, mental health, and motherhood in 11 highly emotional, piano-driven ballads. Produced by Alex Hope (who’s also worked with Troye Sivan, Tegan and Sara, and Selena Gomez), this new album has the potential to match the success of Morissette’s wildly acclaimed Jagged Little Pill.
Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. makes a comeback with its second full-length album A Hero’s Death. Clever, poetic and—if we dare say subversive—lyrics, plus non-conformist sounds reflect a darker, angstier form of expression, and reveal how much the foursome has grown since their debut album.
Alt-pop act Dominic Fike is rebooting his career with the release of his first album What Could Possibly Go Wrong. This debut collection contains 14 genre-bending tracks that expertly harmonize pop and rock sounds with Fike’s sharping rapping skills, and reveals his tendency to simultaneously explore multiple concepts with reckless abandon.
The Grammy-winning artist has unveiled her single “my future,” which was written right at the beginning of the quarantine. Eilish starts it off slow, setting the tempo with breathy, wistful crooning, but just before the two-minute mark, the song picks up the beat and tries for something more positive. The result is a slow-burning ballad that takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride—in the same way the quarantine does.
British alternative group Bastille continues to explore new sonic territory with this latest release. This time around, Dan Smith and Co. scraps out the electronic and synth sounds, and goes all in head-banging angsty rock with the help of Blur's Graham Coxon on guitar and vocals.
After several frustrating delays, Sam Smith’s latest single is finally out. “My Oasis,” a dreamy track written and performed in collaboration with Nigerian reggae artist Burna Boy, is rumored to be the first cut from Smith’s upcoming EP. Originally slated for release in May, this latest album has been pushed back and its title changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
American singer/songwriter Angel Olsen is gearing up for the release of her fifth studio album Whole New Mess, less than a year after launching the critically-acclaimed All Mirrors. The new album's title track takes inspiration, in Olsen’s words, from a recent breakup and the loss of a friendship.
Swift broke the music industry two weeks ago with the surprise drop of her folk-indie LP folklore. This week, the pop star followed up the fanfare with a stripped-down rendition of lead single “cardigan.” The result is a simpler, less adorned, but more poignant, version that lonely hearts can listen to on repeat the whole weekend.
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