Melissa Kacar

"Issues" marked Julia Michaels ' debut as a solo artist in 2017 , which was the start of a bold new chapter in her artistic journey. By this time, she had been better known for her behind the scenes work co-writing some of the biggest tracks in pop music, including contributions to number one albums like Selena Gomez 's Revival and Justin Bieber 's Purpose , among others. With "Issues", she stepped into the spotlight for the first time, sharing her own voice and perspective. It was the lead single for her debut EP Nervous System , which was one of my favorite releases of 2017 and remains such a great hidden gem of pop perfection. She wrote this song with her frequent co-writer, Justin Tranter . The song was also produced by Stargate and Benny Blanco , who she has collaborated with many times as well by that point too. This song is very confessional and intimate, which made it difficult for her to give to another artist to record it. "It was never r...

With So Close To What , Tate McRae showcases herself in a way like never before, making it her strongest and most confident body of work yet. This album not only highlights her growth as a vocalist and songwriter but also reveals a deeper emotional and artistic maturity. It is bolder and more candid than any of her work thus far, as she opens up about her newfound sense of womanhood, falling in love, and the complexities of navigating relationships and personal growth in the spotlight. The ambiguous title of this album embodies both sides of Tate that this record explores. "While I was writing the album, I was on tour, living the same day over and over again. It felt like I was trying to change, but I couldn't quite," Tate said in an interview with Vogue.  "I was feeling grown up for the first time, but I'm still 21, which was confusing. I really felt like a woman for the first time - feeling confident about my sexuality and empowered - but then some days waking...

In many regards, Rare   was a fresh start for Selena Gomez , a new chapter for her as she was ready to leave her past hardships behind and rediscover herself in a way like never before. On this album, she sings about her newfound independence and spreads a message of self-love and self-empowerment to all who listen. It shines a spotlight on all of the qualities that are within us all that make us each special and rare. Selena's strength and vulnerability shines through in everything she does and so much of this album puts an emphasis on not letting the past define her, instead learning from the experiences. During the process of creating this album, Selena was struggling with major health issues and  Rare  is truly a testament to her endurance and strength in overcoming that battle. Every song is so positive and joyous, it really is some of her best work yet. Conceptually it is very cohesive in that regard as well.  This album was the follow up to Revival , whic...

Sabrina Carpenter 's Short n' Sweet is a vibrant blend of sugar, spice, and everything nice! These twelve tracks are truly future pop classics. She somehow finds a way to deliver the most infectious hooks with true sincerity and raw emotion, all while also unexpectedly incorporating so many hilarious and quotable one liners. The album's title doesn't necessarily only pertain to her short stature, which is five feet to be exact, but more so is a reference to her love life and the most impactful relationships she's had. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Sabrina explained, "I called it Short n' Sweet for multiple reasons. It was not because I'm vertically challenged...I thought about some of these relationships and how some of them were the shortest I've ever had, and they affected me the most." Although the virality of songs like "Nonsense" and "Feather", along with a string of massive festival performances and o...