Category: Music Reviews

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Fans of Hozier were ecstatic to hear of the release of a new single. Giving a small peek into it through various media platforms, it became popular on Tik Tok within a day of being posted. I am, of course, talking about the song “Nobody’s Soldier.” 

This single was released on Aug. 16, and if I had not found an entirely new appreciation for his lyrics and amazing voice from his album Unheard’s song “Too Sweet,” this song surely would have. Even this song has quickly risen to become his number one streamed track.  

You can practically feel the emotion in Hozier’s voice as he sings and it is incredible to listen to.  

The single opens with the highly anticipated “Nobody’s Soldier”, followed by “July”, and ending with “That You Are.” Fans would say that it is an amazing thing that he decided to continue releasing music instead of taking a break like he had said he might do before.  

“Nobody’s Soldier” features an upbeat tempo with a heavy bass line on an electric bass guitar and intense horns. An interesting detail is that you can hear a faint sound of what sounds like someone whistling the tune in the background throughout the piece. This all comes together to become an amazing work that aligns with Hozier’s soulful music and lyrics that are hard to come by. The lyrics “Sick to my skin / Watching the news again / Whatever you choose, you lose out in the long run” are an example of a song being relatable and relevant to our modern society in a subtle but impactful way.  

“July” is softer compared to the first and starts with a slightly jazzy tone and a piano melody. A soft chorus in the background adds incredible depth to the drums, and the subtle bass line creates a soft, calming jazz melody to our ears and hearts. You can feel a longing to be free and enjoy life. The chorus has outstanding lyrics, saying “July is still coming / It’s made real by the things you do” that truly bring the sense of longing for either freedom or perhaps a lover. This song also has a noticeably longer musical bridge than the other two songs.  

“That You Are” starts with a guitar with horns and some strings coming through very subtly. This song is not only slow and soft, but also has a second voice joining with Hozier to sing in the form of singer Bedouine. The song sounds like it should be in a heartwarming scene from a romantic movie. There is a feeling of a deep-seated longing to be where your cherished loved one is, and a devotion like no other. “The prayer is all of me / That I’d be Anywhere that you are, that you are” are the lyrics that best describe these feelings, and you can hear them sung by both artists together in a magnificent harmony in the chorus.  

What I admire more than anything else is Hozier’s ability to create such a range of tones and feelings within the span of three songs. His range in composition, music, and vocals is awe-inspiring. This newly released single is truly incredible, and I cannot praise it enough for it to fully convey that.  

Alyssa Tyler editor in chief  

In honor of my last review for the Collegio, I decided to reminisce over an album that was an everyday favorite my first year here. Kevin Pouya, better known by his last name, Pouya, released the album “Blood Was Never Thick as Water” in October of 2021. This album is one of my all-time favorites and I will always be open to listening to it.  

The album opens with ‘Dying Slowly,’ this song has an interesting beat. The opening minutes consists of smooth jazz, then around 1:30, there is the classic Pouya beat and lyrics. The depressing lyrics, “One more conversation, help me through the night. I’m stuck with deathbed text messages. Visions that burn through my skull. Wishin’ I could see you one more time before my time to go.” And “I set the bar so high, I’ll die before my prime. But if my words can live forever, then it’s worth my time.” These lyrics are some of my favorites out of Pouya’s discography.  

Second is ‘Wig Split,’ which is almost entirely different than the first track. Instead of a smooth beat, there is heavy bass, a co-artist, Denzel Curry, and more violent lyrics. ‘Don’t get your wig split for talkin’ like a witness, I got gorillas with me, point and shoot, no hit list. You’re deadbeat, now you’re laying six feet deep. Boy, you bark, we bite back, I don’t need no hype man.” I enjoy this song, but it stays on my workout playlist. 

Third is ‘Why Do We Get High’ offers a happy in between, the beat is fun and catchy, and the lyrics are thoughtful instead of violent. “I walk a tight rope between God and the reaper, and I’m ready for either, but they leave it up to me to choose my path.” This song is a staple in all my daily playlists to the chorus. “Why do we get high? To balance out the lows. Why do we sit by and watch the world implode? Not getting any younger and that’s getting really old.” 

Fourth is ‘I’ll always be around’ will always be a top five favorite for me. The opening immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the end of the song. When the weather is nice enough to have the windows down, this song is permanently queued. Pouya is known for his lyrics and beat, and this one was very easy to memorize, making it even better. “I’m not even at my pinnacle, I’m nowhere near my prime.” 

Fifth is ‘Out the Mud’ again, to sound like a broken record, this song is easily another one of my all-time favorites. The overall ‘feel’ of this track is similar to Wig Split, with deep bass and more aggressive lyrics. This track sits on all my playlists, from workouts, car-rides, and others. 

Sixth is ‘One deep in the Fleetwood’ I do skip this song normally, none of the lyrics stick out and the drums in the background are distracting.  

Seventh is ‘Walk In’ was created with Lu, another artist. The lyrics provide some inspirational and relatable advice, “To keep my destiny in order. When you’re older, you will thank me for it.” Then “Keep your head steady for the final mission or the bigger picture. It’s never you against the world, it’s you against the mirror.” 

Eighth is ‘Forever waiting for you at my window’ is yet again one of my all-time favorite songs. The beat, melody, chorus, and lyrics make it impossible to skip. “Now I gotta let this die, yeah. Visions in my mind, I see you every time I sleep at night. Close my eyes, I feel your fingers running up and own my spine, breathing down my neck you got me stuck inside the limbo, but I can stay forever waiting for you at my window.” And even if this song is not meant to be romantic, I let myself believe it is.  

Ninth is ‘Leave me alone’ is an upbeat and is another unskippable song. The mood of the song is vibrant and upbeat even with Pouya saying that he feels like the reaper is coming after him, and he is going to be next. 

Tenth is ‘stuck in admiration’ if I was forced to pick a top favorite of this song, it would be this one. With the lyrics, “’Cause I can’t be nobody but myself, I know I’m changin’ been trying to wrong my rights before I make it cremation, thinkin’ bout my past, it got me stuck in admiration, with you, baby, lately, I’ve been goin’ crazy with you stuck in my mind.” The song offers a smooth beat, interesting lyrics, and an overall fantastic rhythm, it’s almost impossible to beat.  

And finally, eleventh is, ‘the first step of becoming god is a bottle to the face’ This track is unremarkable compared to the others. This song reminds me closely to the first track, Dying Slowly. With the jazz themes and depressing lyrics, it’s a reminder of how the album began.  

Overall, I would love to say this is a no skip album, even with it being filled with some of my all-time favorite tracks, I still skip some songs. Those being ‘One deep in the Fleetwood’ ,‘Dying slowly’ and ‘The First Step of Becoming God is a Bottle to the Face,’ even with these skippable songs, five of the 11 tracks on this album have been on my top favorite songs for two and half years, earning this a 5/5. 

Megan Brownell social media editor  

On April 19th, Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). The album contained 16 tracks with four bonus tracks on four different edition vinyls.  

Quickly the album broke records, with 313 million Spotify streams on the first day of its release. This was only one of the many records broken, with one of the other big ones being that she filled the top 14 spots in the billboard hot 100. The lead single for the album, ‘Fortnight’ featuring Post Malone, took the number one spot.  

Swift also surprised fans at 2am eastern time on April 19th with a second half of the album, 15 more new tracks to enjoy including the four bonus tracks on streaming services. With this, all 31 tracks landed on the billboard hot 100 list, with the album itself going number one on the hot 200.  

‘Fortnight’ is the opening track to the album. I enjoyed it as the opener, setting a good tone for an album that no one was sure how it would sound like. Post Malone was the perfect feature on this track, their voices blended beautifully producing a great song.  

One of the most anticipated moments about the new album for fans was that it would be the ‘breakup’ album after her and long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyns split. Track fives ‘So Long, London’ showed her iconic gut-wrenching track five songs. During her relationship, she spent lots of time in London as that is where Alwyn is from. The song is almost a goodbye to the city, as what the relationship did to her is forcing her to say goodbye while sharing some of the hardships she went through in those six years.  

Track eight brings us to a fan favorite, ‘Florida!!!’ featuring Florence and the machine. This song is more upbeat and fun, as the chorus yells Florida accompanied with a repeated drumbeat. While the song makes me want to get up and jump along too, Florence and Taylor sound amazing together. The two sing about how Florida is somewhere to get away from everything in life, and the ups and downs of doing that.  

The album itself was almost promoted as an album about her and Alwyns breakup. This theory proved strong in fans as there was a pop-up event in LA the week before its release where many hints were shown towards this. Surprisingly though, there were quite a few songs written about her short-lived relationship with the 1975 singer Matty Healy. The song that resonates most with me that is about him is ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.’  

The song was filled with anger, sharing information of how the short-lived relationship ended. The bridge makes this song incredible. She pours out all the anger about what he did to her and how she cannot forgive him even after they were friends for years before dating. I would sit here and explain all the symbolism she expresses in the bridge, but you just must listen for yourself.  

The original version of the album ends with track 16, ‘Clara Bow’. It was a cute little song, singing about the ‘its girls’ of different decades and how they have changed over time. The reason I love this as a closing track is at the end she sings ‘you look like, Taylor Swift,’ being the first time, she sang her own name in a song. 

Overall, listen after listen I fall more in love with the album. The album does feel more special to bigger fans, as the lyrics and messages channel more to those who have followed her for some time. I give it a 10/10, and it may take you a few listens to really understand the music, but it will be worth your while.  

Alyssa Tyler editor in chief 

Chris Stapleton, a Grammy awarded artist released his fifth studio album, ‘Higher’ in November of 2023. After two songs released as early singles, all fans of Stapleton were  

What am I Gonna Do’ provides a catchy, easy to listen to beat with some depressing lyrics. Stapleton quotes in one of the bridges, “Been drinkin’ everything on that shelf, feels like I’m killin’ myself, you’re gone, and it hurts like hell, wishin’ I was anyone else.” I was surprised to see this as the opening track for this long-awaited album. However, even with the depressing lyrics, it is still a fun song to listen to.  

‘South Dakota’ opens with Stapletons iconic intro. With a strong drumbeat, guitar riffs, and his simple lyrics, this song is an easy favorite. 

‘Trust’ proves again that Stapleton can write a fantastic love song. With the chorus, “If you trust in true love and you trust in time, if you trust in forever, trust this heart of mine, we could lose ourselves, like lovers do, if you trust in me like I trust in you.” 

Weight Of Your World is perfect for anyone in a happy relationship. As a wedding photographer I’m preparing myself to hear this song endlessly during the ceremony and reception. It’s romantic, thoughtful, and ‘lovey-dovey.’ 

‘It Takes A Woman’ easily enters in the top three for my personal favorites. I attended Chris Stapletons concert in the Summer of 2023 and the love he has for his wife is palpable even in the nosebleeds. So, with the lyrics “You are my comfort, whenever I’m troubled, When I’m alone, you are my friend, you make me high, and keep my feet on the ground, whatever I need, you give it to me, it takes a woman.” Any listener can easily tell who this song was directed towards.  

‘The Fire’ grabbed my attention in a way that the other songs had not. This song has an entirely different feel to the other songs on the album, and, with the rest of Stapleton’s discography. This song is well done, and I do enjoy it, but I can’t place it in the top five for reasons I haven’t decided on yet.  

‘Think I’m In Love With You’ is easily my favorite song of this album, however there is a tie for my top track, but I will continue with that later. This song has a great beat, melody and fantastic lyrics. “Oh, you are the power over me, you are the truth that I believe, you are my life, you are my world, you are the air I’m breathing girl, you are the light I want to see, you’re all of everything to me, You are the reasons that I am.” The overall easiness of the song with the catchy lyrics makes this a definite song on my future wedding playlist.  

‘Loving you on my mind’ is the second track tied for first. One of the first reasons why I started to listen to Stapleton was due to his ability to write incredible love songs. With the lyrics, “I walk around and dream about you, every single minute of every single day, It’s all I can do to make it through until night, I can hardly wait, girl, the kind of loving you put on me, ain’t no way there’s a better kind, baby, just tell me when you want me, always got a lot of loving you on my mind.” This song, with many more of Stapleton’s will also be on my wedding playlist.  

‘White Horse’ was the first song on this album to be released as the lead single, and for good reason. Stapleton won the Grammy award, ‘Best Country Solo Performance and Country Song’ for 2023. Personally, I listen to Stapleton for his love songs, but this song is still a top favorite. The beat, melody, and overall vibe of the song make it easy to listen to and enjoy.  

‘Higher’ is another solid song, what mainly impressed me with this was the high-pitched vocals throughout the song.  

‘The Bottom’ is another seemingly upbeat song that features somewhat dark lyrics. “So, I don’t have a problem if I don’t see the bottom” Even with the slightly depressing lyrics, this song is still very fun to listen to.  

‘The Day I Die’ is slower compared to the last few songs and features more romantic lyrics. “When there’s a day that I can live without you, baby, it’ll be the day I die.” Even with the romantic lyrics, there are a few bridges that give the illusion that someone has passed away or is no longer in Stapleton’s life.  

‘Crosswind’ is upbeat, fun, and easy in my top five favorites. Personally, the lyrics of this song did not stick out to me. However, the beat and melody make it fun, personable, and easy to put on for anyone.  

‘Weight of Your World’ shows that when deciding the order of his albums, Stapleton knows how to mix up the flows. This song is slower with more romantic lyrics. Overall, this song didn’t stand out to me, but I am prepared to hear this at every wedding I attend for the next 20 years. 

‘Mountains Of My Mind’ closes out the album and personally, I think another song would have been a stronger finisher. However, I still won’t skip the song when it comes on.  

Overall, this album is an all-time favorite of mine, and I rate it 5/5. 

Alyssa Tyler editor in chief 

Hozier, an artist known for releasing music then disappearing for years, surprised many when releasing an album and an EP within one year.  

Unheard, the EP was teased throughout many social media platforms with the main song ‘Too Sweet’ This song has an extremely catchy chorus, which led to thousands of people posting videos to the song, dancing, showing off, or attempting to explain the reasoning behind it. 

The song was teased for weeks, and Unheard was released on March 22 of this past year. Beginning with Too Sweet, the song is approximately 4 minutes long and opens with the beat that everyone could recognize.  

The lyrics are moody, but somehow upbeat at the same time. While the chorus went viral for seemingly to ‘diss’ the person who is too sweet for Hozier, many argued that it was actually the opposite. Some speculated that Hozier was saying that the person the song is about is too sweet, and he doesn’t want to ‘taint’ them.  

Overall, this song went viral for a reason, and it is my favorite on this EP, I rate it 10/10. 

Three other songs were released with the EP, and they are not receiving as much attention as they should. Next is Wildflower and Barely, featuring Allison Russell. This song I would argue sounds more like the ‘stereotypical Hozier.’ The vocals are smooth, and it offers a very relaxing sound. However, even with the upbeat singing and music, the lyrics can seem dark. “(The diggers are digging the earth) Some close to the surface, some close to the casket//I feel as useful as dirt. //Unreal, unearth.” Overall, I rate this song 7.5/10. 

The next song is Empire Now, this one is the moodiest out of all the songs. During my first listen this song did not really stick out to me in any way, I found it to not necessarily fit the flow of the last two songs. However, it has begun to grow on me in the past few weeks. Overall, I rate this song a 6/10.  

To close out the EP, ‘Fare Well’ was another song that did not stick out to me in any special way. The lyrics were more upbeat compared to the others. Overall, I rate this a 5.5/10. 

Hozier will always have a special place in my heart and this EP will stay in many of my playlists for months and maybe years to come.  

Megan Brownell social media editor  

In preparation for Taylor Swift’s newest album coming out this week, I wanted to talk about my all-time favorite album of hers, Speak Now (TV).  

This album has a special place in my heart, when the original one came out in 2010, that is when I got into Taylor for the first time, and 14 years later I enjoy her music even more.  

Speak Now (TV) is the third re-recorded album of Swifts, coming out on July 7, 2023. With her version, Swift added six ‘from the vault tracks’ with the original 16 tracks.  

The opening song is ‘Mine’. It is a popular single from the era, but that opening beat with Swift singing is super iconic and makes me excited for the album. The song itself is pure nostalgia for me, it takes me back to singing the original version in my basement when I was 7, and now singing Taylor’s Version of it in my car with the same happy spirit.  

Speak Now houses one of the best track fives, ‘Dear John’. The song is six minutes full of an emotional breakup song of Swift thinking back about her relationship and how she should have seen the signs. The song is ‘supposedly’ about her ex-boyfriend from 2009, John Mayer. Because of this, Mayer tried to sue Swift about name dropping him in her song, but Swift won by saying the song was not specifically about him, but the title leans towards a ‘Dear John Letter’. I love the song though, the lyrics cut deep, and she expresses the pain of the age gap, singing ‘don’t you think 19’s too young’.  

Moving down to track 13, is my favorite on the album and top three in Swift’s entire discography, ‘Last Kiss’. This is another one of her longer songs, being another six minutes of heartbreak. This song is about a different boyfriend though, Joe Jonas. This is how it leans into a different type of heartbreak. Swift had dated Jonas back in 2008, so it had been longer since they were broken up. Jonas also famously broke up with her over the phone, which Swift shows with how the intro is the same amount of time the phone call was. She sings about thinking of their last kiss, and how she misses him as she thinks back, wanting to linger on that last kiss.  

Track 14 though, is ‘Long Live’. This song is super special to me in my own way, but for Swift she dedicates it to the fans. She had played the song at every tour since the Speak Now tour, and to make it even more special, she waited to add the song to the eras tour setlist until she had released her version of the song, debuting it in Kansas City on July 7th.  

Moving on to the vault tracks, Swift again gave us even more incredible songs for us to enjoy. I love each of them, sharing a different love with each. ‘Castles Crumbling’ is my favorite out of the six. It hints towards what her feelings were back in 2009 after the whole incident with Kanye West, being scared the castle (her fame) she worked so hard to build was crumbling so suddenly.  

I already had so much love for this album before, and Taylor’s version of it grew that love even more. There was nothing more special than getting to hear her vocals all grown up as I listened to it at 20 years old after doing the same at age 7. It then gets a 10/10 from me, and I hope you readers can go listen to it and feel the same love for it I do.  

Megan Brownell social media editor  

On Mar 29, Beyonce released part two to her Renaissance album, Cowboy Carter. This album instantly was showing a switch to country, a newer take for Beyonce.  

Quickly, the album already has hit the billboard charts, with three songs in the top ten. ‘Texas Hold Em,’ as a single hit the charts first and peaked at number one for two weeks. When the full album came out, it shot back up to number two after dropping to number 11. The other two songs were ‘II Most Wanted’ featuring Miley Cyrus shooting up to number six, and her cover of the famous Dolly Parton song, ‘Jolele’ came in at number seven. The album went to number one on the Billboard hot 200, being her eighth album to achieve this. 

The album overall was kind of interesting, it went through almost all sections, different kinds of songs in each. I noticed this as I loved the first few songs, which almost shocked me about how much I loved it already since I am not a huge country person. Then it was like a quick switch, one song from another, different and the next few songs after that followed the same vibes.  

This huge 27 track list album starts with ‘Ameriican Requiem’. This is right when I started to love the vibes of this album. And it surely did shock me. As I said before, I am not a big fan of country music. I don’t know why, but I have just never enjoyed it. Listening to it felt like I was listening to a different type of country I had not been introduced to yet, and I liked it. This wasn’t an album I wanted to get up and dance to; it was one I imagined lying in bed and taking all the music in.  

From this first sort of ‘section’ came my favorite song, ‘16 Carriages’. I really enjoyed this song. It was written so beautifully, and Beyonce sounds amazing in it. It felt like an empowering song that I want to keep listening to and enjoy even more.  

Beyonce also did two covers on this album, ‘Blackbird’ by the Beatles and ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton. I loved her cover of blackbird. She added her own personal little zest, and I loved it, she sounded incredible, and I loved hearing the song in a female voice as well. ‘Jolene’ was good, but not as good as blackbird in my opinion.  

Something I found different and interesting, was she had a few 30 second speeches from Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Linda Matrell that separated out these different ‘sections’ of the music. Listening to the album and not expecting it threw me off a little bit, but it was an interesting take that I enjoyed the idea of.  

After listening to the whole album, I think with Beyonce leaning into more countries she tried out a few different kinds of countries, which gives us the different ‘sections. With that, I think with my disinterest in country this is why I did not really enjoy the other sections of the album. I loved the first section, and a few songs in the last I enjoyed as well.  

Overall, though, it saddens me to give it a 6/10. I had so much hope in the beginning, but thankfully the end showed me some more that I could enjoy for my typical music taste. I for sure want to continue listening to the tracks I do enjoy, because those alone are a 10/10 and I look forward to getting to know those lyrics more.  

Megan Brownell social media editor  

Red TV is the second re-recorded album Taylor Swift put out, coming out on November 12, 2021. This 30-track album was her version of the original ‘Red’ album that came out in 2012. This version contains the original 20 tracks, plus 9 from the vault songs.  

Quickly the album shot up to number one on the billboard hot 200 list, with 26 of the songs hitting the hot 100 list.  

‘State of Grace’ is what begins the album. It has an iconic opening beat, which Swift also used to open her ‘Red Tour’ back in 2013. Though this isn’t one of my favorites on the album, I really enjoy it as an opening track. I feel as if the opening beat eases you into the album, having a steady pace that’s not too fast but not too slow. I love the lyrics too, saying about how she never saw him coming and how now she will never be the same.  

During this original era, she released two singles before the album’s release, ‘We are never ever getting back together’ (WANEGBT), and ‘Begin again’. WANEGBT is an iconic single from this era, being a Taylor Swift song a lot of people know with a very recognizable chorus. ‘Begin Again’ isn’t as popular compared to other singles on the album. I love this song though, talking all about starting over with someone she had missed.  

‘22’ and ‘I Knew you were trouble’ are two other very popular songs from the red era. ‘22’ is a super fun song, one that makes you want to dance, and it sings all about how exciting it is to be 22. There is some sad backstory to this song though. When Swift turned 22, it was extra important to her because her 21st birthday was ruined. We get to hear all about that moment in her song ‘the moment I knew, which is my favorite on the album. The song tells a story about how she’s looking back and is angry, angry that he didn’t show up to her birthday when he said we would. This was her boyfriend back in 2012, Jake Gyllenhaal. My favorite part of this song is how well Swift spills out her hurt into lyrics, showing anger, sadness, and pain all at once. It’s even more incredible hearing that anger in the re-recording, already hearing her vocals sound even better, and you still get to hear the pain in her voice that resonates with the song.  

The extra song on the album is a very special song, ‘Ronan’. This song was written by Swift and Maya Thompson, a mother who lost her three-year-old son to cancer. They wrote this touching song together in honor of her son, after Swift read Maya’s blog. The song follows her perspective, what it was like when he was here, but as well as the hurt that comes with losing a child.  

Moving down to the vault tracks, two are recognizable. This is because both ‘Better Man’ and ‘Babe’ were already released by Little Big Town and Sugarland. This is because Swift wrote them originally, but when they did not make the original Red album, she gave them the songs. With her version in 2021, she decided to release her recording of them.  

My favorite vault track though, is the highly anticipated ‘All too well (10-minute version). For a few years, fans had speculated about a ten-minute version of the song ‘all too well’, after Swift teased it in an interview. After all those years, Swift released it in her version of Red. It is incredible, 10 full minutes of an already heartbreak filled song sharing even more behind the story.  

The album overall has some great songs, but also some just good songs. This gives me an 8/10. The album contains some songs where it depends on my mood if I really enjoy them, but also some songs I absolutely adore. I still love this album though, giving lots of autumn vibes with many good songs to vibe with.  

Megan Brownell social media editor 

This past weekend, Olivia Rodrigo released the deluxe version of her newest Guts album, Guts Spilled. She announced it at one of her shows in Chicago, during the last song her and her dancers pulled out papers that said ‘guts deluxe out Friday’ with all five track names. Four of the tracks have been out technically though, they were a part of a four-part set vinyl collection exclusively at Target, and the bonus track was a surprise. It was four different songs, ‘obsessed,’ ‘girl i’ve always been,’ ‘scared of my guitar’ and ‘stranger.’ She also added one more unheard track, ‘so american.’  

Though it is too early for the billboard charts, the album and songs have already soared to the top of the Apple Music and Spotify charts.  

The first track of the deluxe is ‘obsessed.’ This is definitely my favorite of the five. It leans into her rock vibe, and the chorus just makes you want to jump up and down. The story of it is really interesting too. The lyrics explain how she’s obsessed with her boyfriend at the time’s ex, sharing all the details she knows about her and how she feels.  

The next song is ‘girl i’ve always been.’ I honestly loved the transition from obsessed to this song. It showed a completely fresh style to what Rodrigo normally has in her music, it was closer to pop country, with it beginning with her talking in the studio before the guitar started playing. It honestly gave me Lucy Gray Baird from the new Hunger Games movie vibes. It is super fun to dance to and the lyrics are catchy, and I already know most of them.  

The third song is ‘Scared of my guitar.’ It is a softer and slower song, saying how she’s scared of it because it tells her the right thing when it comes to her ex. I love this song as well, singing it in the car really getting to feel the song.  

Next up is ‘strangers,’ the last vinyl track. The last three of these are just really playing the guitar and recording the song. With this, they are still so good, highlighting the lyrics rather than a back track that can distract. This one is also slower again, singing about how she’s moved on from her ex-boyfriend and that he’s now just a stranger she knows everything about.  

The last song on the deluxe is ‘so american.’ What is so exciting about this song is it is Olivia’s first love song. It proved great, I loved it. Her current boyfriend, Louis Partridge is from England, so the lyrics show about when she does silly little American things, he says she’s ‘so american.’ It was so cute, saying if he keeps it up, she’s going to marry him, and how in love she is.  

I loved these additions to the album. It gave us more songs to enjoy, and she proved her incredible range with distinctive styles. In the end, I give them a 10/10, and cannot wait to keep listening to them and hear ‘obsessed’ live during her ‘Guts World Tour.’  

Megan Brownell social media editor  

On March 8, Ariana Grande released her newest album, ‘Eternal Sunshine’. She had just recently been going through a divorce and was receiving backlash after she quickly started dating Ethan Slater, as he was married. The album was shown off as a breakup album, revealing how her marriage to her now ex-husband Dalton Gomez went.  

Within the first week, the album jumped to number one on the billboard hot 100 chart. 12 out of the 13 songs also charted on the charts, with ‘we can’t be friends (wait for your love)’ going number one.  

Grande did release one single from the album, ‘yes, and?’ The first single was released on Jan 12, as the response to all the drama going around the internet with Grande and Slater. I honestly love this song; it has a great beat and feels like a clapback to what the internet was saying. It gives me vibes of yes, I am with him while going through a divorce, and what about it? It shows off her care-free attitude and that she loves him no matter what people say.  

To open the album, track one is titled ‘intro (end of the world).’ It feels like an interesting choice, it starts off slow and it is not even two minutes, throwing me off during my first listen. Track two is what sparked me back to life, ‘bye.’ It was very vibey, showed me more of what the album would be. It made me want to dance and saying ‘boy bye’ multiple times was so enjoyable showing off that ‘don’t care’ attitude once again.  

Track eight brings the next quickly popular song, ‘the boy is mine.’ This slower gets a little slower, but it still provides a funky beat that is fun to dance to. The song leans into the always protecting her new boyfriend, saying that he belongs to her and there is nothing anyone one can do.  

My favorite song after my first listen would have to be ‘we can’t be friends (wait for your love).’ It was a gutsier, spelling of feelings one which I really enjoyed. It tells the feelings of waiting on someone’s love and how it hurts because they cannot be friends. Ariana also sounds amazing in the song, showing not just her beautiful lyrics but her amazing voice as well.  

‘Ordinary things’ brings us to close out the album. I enjoyed the song itself, which was a good slower one to dance too. The cutest part though, the song ended with her grandmother on the phone, as she says the song features Nonna. As the album gets closer though, with how it ended I’m expecting one more song, as it leaves me wanting more.  

Overall, I enjoyed this album even from my first ever listen. It had a lot of upbeat dance type of songs, with even the slower ones being great to dance to. I give it an 8/10, wanting to hear it all again and hopefully really get into the songs more to really enjoy them.