Melissa Kacar

Bass Persuades seemingly promised a rebirth for Miley as a massive, bass‑driven dance record, but somehow that never fully materializes within the project itself. The rollout was unusually quick, with the lead single announced, released, and then the full album arriving within about two weeks. Unfortunately, the music feels just as rushed as the promotion did, most disappointingly offering not much bass to be persuaded in a largely forgettable, lackluster chapter of her discography. Boring is worse than bad, and ultimately that's exactly what much of the criticism for this album boils down to. There are glimpses of something interesting conceptually, with flashes of the artist who has been known to push boundaries and reinvent herself with intention time and time again, but the highlights of this album are buried under songs that never rise to the level of persona Miley is capable of. Bass Persuades  somewhat picks up where Endless Summer Vacation and Something Beautiful left o...

As the lead single off Harry’s House in 2022, "As It Was" completely set the tone for the rest of the project. On this track, Harry Styles perfectly soundtracks the feeling of opening yourself up to the next chapter and embracing the idea that nothing is the same as it was, and maybe that's a good thing. The inevitability of change, and the willingness to let go and allow yourself to move forward, sits at the heart of everything this song represents. He repeatedly sings, "in this world, it's just us, you know it's not the same as it was", which at its core sums up the meaning of Harry's House so perfectly. It's a song rooted in dealing with a transitional period of life, which everyone will interpret differently in their own lives, but the emotional truth of it remains universal. It's an incredibly powerful song because it fully owns the fact that change is always going to come and instead of wallowing in what could have been or the fear of...

Open Wide showcases a fresh and evolved sound for Dublin rock band Inhaler . Wanting to start with a clean slate, the band ended up making some of their best and most cohesive work yet. This album marks their third release as a band and it's clear how far they've come as a band during the time that followed their 2023 sophomore release Cuts & Bruises . With  Open Wide , it is so evident that they weren't necessarily focused on crafting an album around the singles but instead wanting to make an album that feels like a full, complete body of work. The confidence in their sound and the clear artistic direction they had when making this is evident when listening to this album. Every single song is so electrifying and consistent in the energy and narrative at the heart of this record.  The release of their third album ushers in a new, exciting era for the band.  Open Wide was produced in collaboration with Kid Harpoon , who is best known as Harry Styles ' core collabor...

Harry Styles embarked on the creation of  Fine Line   with a new state of mind, wanting to push himself a little further than he ever has before. It is deeply honest and reflective; he fully embraced his creative freedom and lets it fully shine through in the music. It's fun, fresh and modern, while also incorporating elements of the rockstars that came before him. In an interview with  NPR , he talked about the way his mindset changed going into the creation of his sophomore album, especially following the positive reception of his debut solo album released two and a half years prior.  He said, "I think I had a lot of fear — whether it was conscious or subconsciously — just about getting it wrong. When I listen back to the first album now, although I still love it so much, I feel like I was almost bowling with the bumpers up a little bit. I can hear places where I was playing it safe." With  Fine Line , he fully leaned into some of the weirder psychedelic in...