Melissa Kacar

"So I" // Charli xcx Brat summer is officially here! 💚 I've had Charli xcx's new album on a constant repeat all month, it's absolutely one of the best records released this year so far. I have so many thoughts that I will be sharing in my upcoming full review , but until then I thought I'd share a few of my favorites! I usually only share one new song from each new album release on these lists, but between the standard album, the deluxe, and an extra special remix that were released this month - I couldn't resist to highlight them all! The first song I wanted to share from this album is the stunning "So I", which is paying tribute to Charli's friend and collaborator, SOPHIE, who passed away recently. This song is a beautiful memorial to her life and legacy, and the lasting impact she made on all who knew her and love her. It is an incredibly emotional moment from this record and among the best she has ever made to date. "Spring Breake...

I recently had the most amazing time seeing one of my favorite bands ever perform in New York City at Madison Square Garden ! This was my 5th time seeing 5 Seconds of Summer and they truly just keep getting better every time! They have been one of my favorite bands for nearly a decade and it is so crazy to think of how much time has passed since I started listening to them. The first show 5SOS show I went to was in 2015 at Hersheypark Stadium, nearly eight years ago to the day. I just turned 16 at the time and here I am now, just having turned 24 still being the biggest fan of their music. That connection and community is so special to be a part of for so long. Hearing them play so many of their older songs that they haven't performed in years transports me back to those days, music is so powerful in that way. Getting to hear so much of their newer music live for the first time and creating memories with those songs was so great too. Every 5SOS show I have ever been to always mak...

Raised on pop punk and bubblegum, 5 Seconds of Summer 's EVERYONE'S A STAR! is a sharp and at times satirical blend of everything the band has spent the past fifteen years building. Much of the record is rooted in the desire to poke fun at the idea of fame itself - both in the cultural sense of what it means to be a "rockstar" and also their own complicated relationships with being known in the modern age. They are fully transparent about all of the glamour, attention and darker undertones of their experiences growing up in the public eye. Now as they are entering their thirties, some even starting new chapters of marriage and fatherhood, they're able to now look back on the parts of their youth that they didn't have the space or clarity to process at the time.  For all of the cheeky, lighthearted moments, this album really digs into what it means to make it through the growing pains of early adulthood and come out on the other side of the struggles they may ...