Melissa Kacar

To usher in this new season of growth and renewal, María Zardoya has released Bloom , the second installment of her Not For Radio solo project. She introduced the project last Fall with her stunning debut, Melt , which is a collection deeply rooted in nature and the stillness of winter. Throughout that record, she circled the core question, "Is love worth all of the pain?" and spent the entire album grappling with the answer. Now, María returns with a three song EP that explores what happens when she finally allows herself to fall fully into love. Once again, this project is deeply tied to nature and and the changing of seasons, this time leaning into the symbolism of Spring and likening her own personal growth to the world blooming around her physically and metaphorically.  Sonically, it lives in the same sonic universe as Melt and much of her work with  The Marías , but with a noticeably more optimistic tone. It feels like such a beautiful extension of everything that has...

"End of Beginning" is a powerful reflection on a time - and even more so, a place - that continues to represent a very specific chapter of Djo 's life. At the heart of it, the song tells a coming‑of‑age story and serves as a love letter to the people and the city that shaped so much of who he is today. For Joe Keery , who has been releasing music under the pseudonym Djo since his debut album in 2019, this song marked a major breakthrough moment for him. Released in 2022, it captured the feeling of being on the precipice of a major life change while simultaneously looking back at how formative living in Chicago was for him. After moving there for college, he spent much of his early twenties auditioning for acting jobs, playing in his band Post Animal, waiting tables, and building a life there as a young adult on his own for the first time.  "And when I'm back in Chicago, I feel it, another version of me, I was in it," he sings in the chorus. "I wave go...

"drop dead" by Olivia Rodrigo I already know this is going to end up being one of, if not the , top songs of my entire year. It's only been a few days and I'm already completely obsessed. "drop dead" is such a cute, sweet love song, and she captures that initial spark and breathlessness of meeting someone and falling in love for the first time in a way truly only Olivia can. It's so sharply written - especially that second verse, which I haven't been able to get out of my head since the moment I first heard it - and so earnest in the way she depicts herself falling so hard and so fast. you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is absolutely my most anticipated album of the year, I have been waiting so long for new music from her and "drop dead" is such a strong introduction into what I'm sure is going to be an incredible record to come!  "Living Room" by Not For Radio To usher in this new season of growth and renewal, María ...

Released in 1989 as the lead single off of her fourth album of the same name, Madonna 's "Like A Prayer" stands as one of the biggest highlights of her long and storied career. It also marked a clear shift towards a more mature audience and perspective in her writing as well. The track is a unique blend of pop, dance, and rock, with gospel elements woven throughout in a way that brings the entire song to life. That mix of distinct genres plays a major role in shaping the core of the song. The religious undertones, paired with the provocative ambiguity woven throughout the lyrics, create a double meaning that becomes a defining feature of what makes "Like A Prayer" so enduring and influential decades later, albeit very controversial at the time. It invites multiple interpretations at once, moving with a sensual theatricality that feels unmistakably Madonna. "Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone, I hear you call my name and it feels like home," ...