Melissa Kacar

"No One Noticed" by The Marías explores themes of longing for human connection and isolation in the digital age, while yearning for someone to finally see her the way a lost love once did. Lamenting for the past and what could have been she sings, "No one tried to read my eyes," she sings in the second verse, "No one but you, wish it weren't true". This song poignantly captures the distinct sense of isolation that comes from being surrounded by room full of people, yet still feeling completely alone, as well as the notion that others may never fully grasp the depth of your inner thoughts and struggles in those moments. It was featured as the eleventh track on The Marías' 2024 sophomore album,  Submarine ,  which was one of my favorite new music discoveries from last year. "I remember just waking up one morning and sitting on my bed grabbing the guitar and just starting to play. The windows were open the birds, were chirping like it was just a...

With N ot For Radio , María Zardoya of  The Marías steps out on her own for the first time with her debut solo release, Melt . As the name of her side project suggests, this music was not made with the intention of it receiving any mainstream attention or commercial success. Instead, Melt became a deeply personal refection, one that fully embraces intimacy and vulnerability in ways she has never explored before. Written over the course of just three weeks in January 2024 in Upstate New York, María collaborated with Luca Buccellati and Sam Evian to craft the record against the backdrop of cold, isolated winter snowscapes. That distinct environment seeps into the music, shaping a gorgeous and atmospheric exploration of love, all centered around the overarching question: "Is love worth all of the pain?" María described Not For Radio as "…my alternate reality" and a pursuit of rediscovering a part of herself and exploring, on her own terms, the act of loving and losing...

"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...

2025 was yet another incredible year for new music! I narrowed it down to 30 of my favorite albums, spanning a wide range of artists and genres. Many of them are first‑time additions to my annual year‑end favorites list, which feels like a testament to how much I prioritized discovering and supporting new artists this year. Of course, there are some long‑time favorites sprinkled throughout, as well. Ultimately, this list reflects a little bit of everything I loved this year! This is always my favorite post to write and curate each year. It is loosely ranked, but every single one of these albums was truly the soundtrack of my year for one reason or another. I have covered many of them in depth too, so if you are interested in reading more about any of these, be sure to check out the links throughout the post and at the end. Enjoy! 💓 The Crux by Djo At its core, The Crux by Djo is a heartfelt ode to the people that have shaped him, along with his family and friends that have suppor...