Winter is the season of hot chocolate, fireplaces, and blankets. As the days get shorter and the evenings grow longer, one of the best ways to pass the time is listening to music. Below are some of the newest and best-received releases.
Popstar Sabrina Carpenter recently released her 6th studio album Short and Sweet. After ten years of trying to break her way into the intimidating music industry, Carpenter released her single, “Espresso”, which wowed audiences with its upbeat and fun tempo. The singer’s 12-track album proved to be a gateway for some very sweet performances, as she soon kicked off her highly anticipated, sold-out arena tour. With all this newfound success, it’s clear that fans adore her new music. Morris Knolls student, Sydney Caesar, shared, “I love all the songs, everything is so catchy!” With her album recently going platinum, it goes without saying that there is nothing Sabrina Carpenter can’t do.
TikTok sensation Addison Rae is hopping on the train of influencers-turned-singers with her new single, “Diet Pepsi”. With her smooth, whispery vocals, new and old fans alike are flocking to listen to this song on repeat in the hopes of Rae releasing more hits. In a similar fashion, alternative pop sensation Tate McRae has also released a new single, titled, “it’s ok, i’m ok”, and fans are going wild. With prior hits like “She’s All I Wanna Be” and “Greedy”, the rising sensation has been continuing to establish her place in the music industry. Conan Gray is already jumping into winter with his new song, “Holidays”, giving listeners a chilly and nostalgic feeling as the air grows colder. This melodic tune, filled with passionate lyrics and a chilling piano, is sure to get you ready for the snowy season.
In June, rising pop singer Gracie Abrams released her second album, The Secret of Us. It instantly became a hit with fans and made her a household name with songs appearing on local radios. Abrams collaborated with Taylor Swift in their song, “Us”, on this album, bringing in listeners from both fan bases and showing that she is truly taking the world by storm. Shortly after songs like “Risk” and “Close to You” blew up, Gracie Abrams released the deluxe version of her album, featuring four new songs and three performances, including “That’s So True” and the live version of fan favorite “I Love You, I’m Sorry”.
One of the most adored collaborations of the past year was Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile”, and for a reason. The pop-country ballad covered new ground for both artists, and fans were shocked by the selection of swooping melodies and sweet lyrics. Junior Amelia Raybould said, “This is a really good song and a much-needed collab. They both have such amazing voices”. After seeing the wave of success from this song, the artists have released a live version of the song to the utmost delight of their audience. Lady Gaga has also released her own song, “Disease”, which many speculate to be the start of a new era for the pop singer. Its dark and mysterious visuals and video enthralled viewers and made everyone wonder what Lady Gaga has in store for us next.
Representing the multitude of indie releases this fall, James Bay teamed up with the Lumineers and Noah Kahn to create “Up All Night”, a beautiful blend of country and folk music. Knolls student Regan Johnson revealed, “I love this song so much, and I love the artists who worked on it. It makes me want to dance!”
Over the summer, Charli XCX released Brat, which overjoyed people who were fans of her dancey, techno style of music. After being a member of the music industry for over a decade, with hits like “I Love It” and “Boom Clap”, Charli is finally making her way into the mainstream side of music. Many have shown their love and reveled in the success of the album by even declaring this past summer as “Brat Summer”. In October, the artist released a deluxe version of her album, featuring collaborations for every song on Brat, including fan favorites “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish and “Girl, So Confusing” featuring Lorde.
While there was so much music released in the past few months, these are some of the most talked about songs and albums. Any one of these works is guaranteed to get you in the perfect mood for the chilling weather and upcoming late-night study sessions.
