March served as a rain cloud, pouring droplets of new music all month long. Here are a few tracks from your managing editor and editor in chief to pay attention to before April hits full steam.
“twilight zone” by Ariana Grande (Clay)
After Grande’s stellar effort “eternal sunshine,” I knew following it up would be a tall order. But Grande succeeds with ease on “twilight zone,” one of the many new tracks on the album’s extension. This track is celestial, vulnerable and worth your attention, as she exits from her best era yet.
“Hindsight Is Happiness” by Kelsea Ballerini (Clay)
Ballerini is tired of being seen as the lead visual of divorce. She conveys in “Hindsight Is Happiness” that hindsight is 20/20, and she is more than happy to move on from her ex-husband, fellow country music star Morgan Evans. This song is a final farewell for herself — not him, and that is an important distinction that she wants to make.
“The Giver” by Chappell Roan (Clay)
As a fan of country music, I can identify the trend of pop artists throwing on a cowboy hat and adopting a twang in hopes of being “hip.” Chappell Roan’s “The Giver” is an ode, rather than a bandwagon attempt. “The Giver” is everything that country music is — humorous, fiddle-infused and boot-stompy. I appreciate Chappell Roan’s submission to the country scene, and I will be intrigued to see what country radio does with it.
“Daddy’s Mugshot” by Laci Kaye Booth (Clay)
For those unfamiliar with Booth’s debut record, “The Loneliest Girl in the World,” do yourself a favor and check it out alongside “Daddy’s Mugshot,” the (I am assuming) lead single to her follow-up album. This sizzling single haunts the listener with “I might look like my mama, but I smile like my daddy’s mugshot” as a hook in the chorus. “Daddy’s Mugshot” is for anyone feeling a flame of rebellion ignited with family pride. Check it out.
“Orlando in Love” by Japanese Breakfast (Kharley)
This song may be short, but it is certainly a sweet listen. This Virginia Woolf-inspired tune has become one of the most popular songs on the artist’s new album, “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women).” Japanese Breakfast whimsically tells the story of a protagonist who lives by the sea and longs for love. The ethereal instrumentation pairs nicely with imagery- and allusion-packed lyrics like “She came to him from the water / like Venus from a shell.”
“Can we talk about Isaac?” by Rachel Chinouriri (Kharley)
I was happy to see the “All I Ever Asked” singer release this tune earlier in the month. Chinouriri’s songs tend to become staples in my playlists. With the college semester beginning to wrap up and due dates for final projects nearing, the lyrics “I feel underdressed and I look like a mess” and the song’s narrative — which is seemingly about a tumultuous situationship — will surely resonate with many in the student population.
