Melissa Kacar

"Say Yes To Heaven" // Lana Del Rey Nearly ten years after this song leaked in late 2013, Lana Del Rey finally released the fan-favorite "Say Yes To Heaven". It was initially written for her sophomore album, Ultraviolence , but ended up getting scrapped and never officially released until now. The leaked version has been having a huge viral moment on TikTok and now has potential to be one of the biggest hits of her career, which is something that I really don't think anyone could have seen coming. It is such a sweet and simple ballad that highlights all of the best parts of her as an artist and her vocal range. I believe it is all newly re-recorded vocals and instrumentals too, it is beautifully done in every way. On YouTube, there is an extensive collection of unreleased material that has leaked over the years, but "Say Yes To Heaven" is the first of hopefully many more that will have new life in an official recording.  "AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM...

Los Angeles has been the number one place I have wanted to visit for years and I was so happy I finally got to go to celebrate my 18th birthday and high school graduation. It was so surreal to actually be in Los Angeles and see all of these iconic places I have only ever seen pictures of before. It felt like I've been there before without ever actually being there, a feeling I have never had before when going to a new place. The trip was nothing less of amazing and I loved every second of it. Newark, NJ → Los Angeles, CA It felt so unreal to be landing at LAX after a 6 hour flight across the country. I couldn't believe all of my dreams were coming true in that moment. Once we got the bags and the rental car, it was already pretty late at night. the first thing we decided to do was go to the iconic West Coast fast-food chain, In-N-Out Burger. With it being our first time on the West Coast, it was basically a no-brainer that we had to try In-N-Out first! I ordered the ...

strawberries on a summer evening is a collection of some of my essential summer songs, past and present.  This playlist is based on some of the songs and artists that have consistently been the soundtrack to my summers over the years, along with some newer releases that I know I will have on repeat all season.  Many songs and albums capture the feeling of summer so perfectly for me, which I will be sharing more of in future playlists, but with  strawberries on a summer evening  I wanted to specifically curate it based on some of my favorite fun, up-tempo, summer bops that I can listen to a million times and never get tired of.  The title and theme is inspired by the opening lines of " Watermelon Sugar " by Harry Styles , who is an artist heavily featured throughout this playlist. His album  Fine Line   specifically has always sounded like summer to me and is perfect to listen to this time of year. Artists like Ariana Grande , Taylor Swift , and Dua Li...

"Training Season (Extended)" // Dua Lipa Training season's (finally) over! Dua Lipa is back with another smash hit, "Training Season", which serves as the second single for her upcoming album. She previewed it at The Grammy's this month and I was counting down the days until I would be able to listen to it again! It's been on repeat ever since!  Much like "Houdini" , she also released an extended cut of the song, which I absolutely love even more than the standard version. The production is absolutely incredible!  I am so excited for the rest of her album ! "Deeper Well" // Kacey Musgraves Last month I mentioned that we were long overdue for new music from Kacey and it seems like she heard my call! "Deeper Well" is the title track of her upcoming album and it feels like a return to the Golden Hour sound. It is such a beautiful and reflective song, that lets her talents shine so brightly. Her album is coming out next mon...

"Broken Man" // St. Vincent One of the best songs of the entire year so far is the lead single from St. Vincent 's upcoming album called "Broken Man".  I love the industrial grunge direction she seems to be going in, this sound suits her so well and I cannot wait to hear more!  I already know her new album is going to be a major contender for album of the year for me!  "Take Me To The River" // Lorde I always know it's about to be a great day when we get new music from Lorde ! As a part of A24's Taking Heads tribute album to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stop Making Sense , Lorde released her cover of "Take Me To The River". This particular song also holds a lot of sentimental meaning for her too, as it was the very first song she ever heard from the band when she was 12 years old. She never misses with her covers and always finds a way to make them all her own. The lyric "Love is a notion that I can't forget, my sweet s...