Melissa Kacar

La La Land represents the importance of believing that the city of stars really is shining just for you, and that no dream is too big or too far away to reach. It serves as a reminder that if you pour yourself into the art you make, other people will inevitably feel that passion and connect with it. There is such a specific integrity in the pursuit of creating something long before anyone else notices it, or even with the chance that no one ever will, and this film honors that act beautifully. It also focuses on the importance of the people that come into your life for a brief period of time to inspire and guide you into the next stage of the person you're becoming - even if they aren't meant to stay forever. Their influence still will always linger though, and the mark they leave becomes a formative part of your own journey. La La Land is a love story, but it's also ultimately a portrait of two people chasing their dreams and learning how to build a life alongside one ano...

When looking back at Billie Eilish 's career thus far, her sophomore release Happier Than Ever  served as a pivotal stepping stone in her evolution. It is almost an impossible feat for any artist to be able to follow up a massive debut like Billie had with WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO? , Happier Than Ever stands out as a moment of artistic progression and experimentation in numerous ways.  The historic Grammys sweep that came for her debut album intensified the pressures and attention placed on her, often in ways that obviously would overwhelm anyone, nonetheless a teenage girl who just a couple of years prior just started making music with her brother, Finneas , in their childhood home. The level of scrutiny and high expectations that were placed upon her, for better or worse, greatly shaped the experience of creating this second album. "There are things we are super proud of on Happier Than Ever , but I know from thinking back and thinking about the year we made th...

The Terrible Thrills project was created as a concept by Jack Antonoff and his collaborators in 2010 to reimagine his band's music through the voices of a wide range of incredibly talented female artists. It began with Volume 1, with a collection of Steel Train songs reinterpreted and reshaped by some of the band's personal favorite musicians. The tradition continued with Bleachers for Volume 2, which featured new versions of Strange Desire in its entirety (which is so underrated), expanding the idea into this new chapter of his artistry.  In 2019, the project evolved again into a new format as an exclusive vinyl club series. Four songs were reimagined by incredible artists, paired with demos and alternate versions of tracks from Gone Now . It became such a unique, ever‑changing concept - one that grew over nearly a decade, adapting to each album cycle in its own way. On the band's webstore, they wrote; "The concept behind Terrible Thrills is to create a final vers...

Even though Miley Cyrus herself didn't write "Party in the U.S.A." , it still largely mirrors much of her own experience moving from Tennessee to California to achieve the American Dream and feeling homesick as she tries to find her place in the new city. In doing so, it also captures so much of her signature personality as well and is what she called an "all-American song" in a 2010 interview with MTV News .  Since its release in 2009, the song has garnered an impactful legacy as one of the defining songs of Miley's career . In many ways, "Party in the U.S.A." had an interesting journey long before she ever recorded it. It was originally written with the intent of being included on Jessie J 's debut album, but she decided to not record it as it didn't align with the style she was going for at the time. The song was meant to share her culture shock of being a British transplant moving to Los Angeles, which reflected in much of the scrapped...

"Relationships" served as the lead single off of HAIM 's 2025 album I quit and in many ways embodies the ethos of what the entire project represents. The song basks in the rush of leaving behind what - and who - no longer serves you or benefits your life - finally having the ability to fully live in the independence and freedom that comes with letting go of everything you once felt was holding you back.  As this song progresses, it feels like all of the baggage starts to fall to the wayside and the realization sets in that you're the one in control of your own life, the people that you allow to take space in it, and the energy you give to it. Throughout this song, Danielle continuously circles back to the blunt and necessary question that shapes it all - "Why am I in this relationship?" It largely feels aligned with the new version of yourself you're becoming in that process of self-discovery, with the all-encompassing and often bittersweet feelings o...