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...

"The Less I Know The Better" by Tame Impala is undeniably one of the most influential songs of the past decade. Since its release in 2015, I've heard echoes of its hazy, psychedelic electronic production and iconic bassline across countless tracks by other artists. Kevin Parker recorded the entirety of  Currents  on his own, which makes its impact even more impressive. This track stands out as a defining moment from an album that helped shape the direction of indie rock music for years to come. The song tells an ironic and funny story of unrequited love, as he sings about seeing his ex leave a party with someone else. "Someone said they left together, I ran out the door to get her, she was holding hands with Trevor, not the greatest feeling ever," he sings. "Said, 'pull yourself together, you should try your luck with Heather', then I heard they slept together, oh, the less I know the better". The defeated sarcasm in his delivery is so casual...

Following the announcement that Taylor Swift has officially purchased the master recordings of her first six albums, a pursuit widely publicized since 2019, her journey to reclaim her music has reached a defining milestone. This moment, along with the path she took to get here, marks a significant turning point in Taylor's career. She has been very vocal about re-recording her first six albums as a way to reclaim ownership of her early work after the rights to the original master recordings were sold by Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta to Scooter Braun and his company, Ithica Holdings in 2019 for $300 million. In a 2019 letter, Taylor says she was never given the option to buy the rights back to her albums, and the masters being sold to Scooter Braun was her "worst case scenario". She continued by saying, "This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term 'loyalty' is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that ...