Melissa Kacar

Something Beautiful , Miley Cyrus ' "one-of-a-kind pop opera" fully defies modern pop conventions and sets out to create something completely singular in her discography. With an emphasis on high fashion, as well as avant-garde storytelling and aesthetics, this project brings her artistry to new heights. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar , Miley described this album as "...hypnotizing and glamorous. It's a concept album that's an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music."  Coming off her massive 2023 album,  Endless Summer Vacation , Miley earned her biggest commercial success yet - which was a rare and impressive achievement after nearly twenty years in the industry. "Flowers" was the defining song of that year, and she ended up winning her very first Grammy for it as well. With that momentum, Miley easily could have capitalized on the success of "Flowers" even further by making another relatively safe, r...

"Mr. Mountebank" by Djo The Crux (Deluxe) gives so much more insight into the journey Djo took while writing this album and all of the different directions he could've taken with it narratively. It's more than just a regular deluxe album, it's more so a companion project of twelve songs that were written during the same creative period as The Crux , but didn't make the initial cut. That said, they don't feel like leftovers. Each track truly feels like a natural expansion of the time in his life that inspired this music, and collectively, they feel like a culmination of some of the more unhinged parts of himself that he had to work through to arrive at the final version of The Crux . "Mr. Mountebank" is one of my many favorites, he goes fully Djo XCX on it, diving into a wild and abrasive hyperpop sound that's completely different from anything he's made before. It offers a sharp commentary on fame and virality, especially in the wake of ...

Released as the lead single from Noah Cyrus' 2020 EP THE END OF EVERYTHING , "July" is a beautiful and deeply reflective ballad that blends folk and country influences into something intimate and timeless. It's nostalgic tone radiates a warmth that so perfectly captures the feeling of summer.  Written at a songwriting camp in Bali in July 2019 alongside collaborators PJ Harding and Michael Sonier, the song's inspiration stemmed from a significant breakup she had gone through exactly one year prior. In an interview with  Rolling Stone , Noah said, "I was thinking about a relationship I was in for a few years that ended on the Fourth of July. That's kind of what had been on my mind the past couple of days and once we started the words just flowed."  In "July", Noah looks back on the cyclical nature of that relationship a year in hindsight, now being able to see all that she was able to overcome. "You know I, I'm afraid of change, gue...

"Fame Is A Gun" is so addictive and dramatic in all the best ways. It stands out as one of the biggest highlights on Addison Rae 's self‑titled debut , which is already packed with instant pop classics. There's something very Warholian about this song, both in the production and the performance. It taps into that idea of image as art and the public gaze as the most valuable currency. Throughout the album, Addison reflects on her complicated relationship with fame and being a persona online, fully wanting to make the most of her 15 minutes, so to speak. But here, she fully inhabits the role of the ultra-confident star that is empowered by the attention, regardless of it being positive or negative. "Fame Is A Gun" blurs the lines between reality and aesthetic in a way that's really smart. "Fame is a gun and I point it blind, crash and burn, girl, baby, swallow it dry, you got a front row seat and I got a taste of the glamorous life" she sings in...

"Carla's Song" by Harry Styles Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally  is here and it is such an incredible return to one of the defining artists of our time. One undeniable career highlight for Harry is the album's final track, "Carla's Song" . It's hard to even put into words how special this song is. It feels like a celebration of the music that shapes us and the people who enter our lives and change the way we listen, share, and connect. There's something so moving about the way he captures that exchange; how you show someone the songs you love, and they show you theirs, and suddenly your world is bigger because of it. It also feels like a beautiful reflection of the relationship between artist and listener, and the way he understands what his music represents to so many people right now in the moment, and also the ways in which this art will outlive all of us. As a closing track, it's powerful, emotional, and unlike anything I've hear...