Melissa Kacar

"Angel Of My Dreams" is such an unexpected and unique direction for JADE to be taking with her debut single, in all of the best ways. To enter into a new chapter of her career as a solo artist with a song that serves as such a poignant and defiant commentary on how fickle fame can be and opening up about her own experiences in the music industry is such a powerful note to open on. Coming out of Little Mix - one of the most successful girl groups in history, who went on hiatus in 2021 - this song serves as a bold reintroduction of who JADE is as a solo artist. She opens up about the love/hate relationship she has with fame and the industry as a whole, with such an unfiltered approach. "Angel of my dreams, I will always love you and hate you, it's not fair, it's so bittersweet, I will always want you and need you, you don't care," she sings in the chorus.  The song is so captivating and doesn't follow the traditional pop song structure at all. It ope...

Addison Rae 's self-titled debut album is a refreshingly sincere and euphoric burst of pop, glittering with personality and unshakable self-belief. She brings a radiant dose of positivity with her music, which not only shines throughout this entire album, but also reflects in her public persona as well. She is the girl she says she is, which makes even the campiest, tongue-in-cheek lyrics feel rooted in something genuine. Addison fills a space in pop that's been missing: something playful, glitzy, and heartfelt all at once. "It's a journey, the music is very introspective," Addison said in an interview with Elle. She added that it is "...kind of a look in the mirror at myself and I think a very optimistic approach at the hard times in life." Despite her uniquely unconventional rise as one of the earliest breakout TikTok stars, Addison has managed to carve out a new lane for herself, one that far surpasses her social media beginnings. She has been build...

"David" by Lorde A day as special as this only comes around once every four years! Lorde finally released her long-awaited fourth album,  Virgin ,   and it's everything I hoped it would be and more. It offers a glimpse into her mind in the most unfiltered, raw way. There are so many songs that I love and feel so connected to, but I was truly speechless after hearing the closing track "David" for the first time. There is something so haunting and cathartic about this song, it is such a powerful way to close this incredible record.  Check out my full review of Virgin by Lorde! "Times Like These" by Addison Rae "Times Like These" is one of the many standout tracks off of Addison's self-titled album , which is overall such a confident and clear debut from one of pop's most exciting new artists. This is one of the most vulnerable and heartbreakingly honest moments of the album, which feels so representative of the greater storyline of Addi...

"Don't Smile" closes out Sabrina Carpenter 's Short n' Sweet on a lush, understated note, which beautifully contrasts some of the more playful energy that made up so much of the rest of the album. It's a glittery, jazzy slow burn that is so full of emotion. This is such a refreshing sound for Sabrina to be experimenting with, especially as it allows her vocal range to shine so effortlessly.  I often think of it as if it were the song rolling at the ending credits of this album, fading out as the metaphorical party ends. On this song she takes the common phrase "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" and reverses it to "Don't smile because it happened, baby, cry because it's over".  In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, she opened up about the inspiration behind the song; "That title is so... it's on every Pinterest board, on every sewn pillow, but the opposite; don't cry because it...

Punisher , Phoebe Bridgers ' 2020 sophomore album, is a stunning example of lyrical precision and expansive, atmospheric world-building. It offers a deeply moving, hyper-specific glimpse into her mind, one that explores the emotional push and pull of wanting to escape the life she leads while also longing to remain in the comfort of familiarity. Each song is personal, intimate, and rich in specificity.  With this record, she solidified her space as one of the most important storytellers of this generation. Phoebe's songwriting is uniquely specific in the way that it is conversational and diaristic, while also being able to capture the universal moments and emotions that are often impossible to articulate in such an impactful way.  Punisher  is filled with some of my favorite lyrics ever written - "I wish I wrote it, but I didn't, so I learn the words" is very much the feeling I have every single time I hear this album. Each song on this album has so many really po...