Melissa Kacar

"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...

"What Was That" by Lorde Lorde summer is officially here! The lead single from her forthcoming album, "What Was That", feels like a true rebirth for Lorde as an artist. Collaborating with Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro for the first time, she's brought a fresh yet deeply emotional energy with this new song, and I couldn’t be happier that she's back. Listening to this gave me the same joy and euphoria I felt when I first heard Melodrama at 17 years old. It's hard to put into words right now, but this is such an exciting time for pop music and Lorde is one of the key voices that are really shaping this transformative and exciting new era for the culture.  "Egg" by Djo An early contender for my favorite album of the year is absolutely The Crux by Djo . Every song is incredible, and I can't recommend checking out the entire album enough, but one that really struck me is "Egg". It is such a profound and thought-provoking exploration of ide...

5 Seconds of Summer 's fourth album, CALM ,  serves as an important reflection of the band's evolution from where they started and where they're going as both artistically and personally.  CALM  was the follow-up to their biggest album to date,   Youngblood , which first introduced this more mature and developed alternative rock sound for the band. It is the foundation that all of the music they released after is built upon, both collectively as a band and as solo artists. Much of it is made up of a blend of influences, pairing it with both emotional depth and layered instrumentation.  The album's title is derived from an acronym of the member's first initials, Calum, Ashton, Luke and Michael. "And it's also a nod to our fans that coined us that name in our early days," lead singer Luke Hemmings said in an interview with New York Post . "They've been using that acronym for a long time. It kind of just sums up we're a little bit older and a...