As the year progresses at a somewhat alarming speed, I find moments of clarity on (almost) every New Music Friday. Clarity in the excitement that a new release brings me before even pressing play, clarity in the different emotions that a three-minute song can make me feel, and clarity in the constant reminder that I will always have music in my life. This month has been especially kind to me with several of my favorite artists and bands releasing new music or announcing new projects. The music I listened to this month includes those new releases that didn’t disappoint as well as some not-so-new favorites that fell into my playlists and quickly became long-term favorites.
Pure You – Nothing But Thieves
Releasing a deluxe version of their most recent album Dead Club City, Nothing But Thieves easily holds their spot as my favorite band. Of the two new songs and two acoustic versions, I find myself coming back to “Pure You” over and over again just to hear the buildup to the bridge and the drop off at the end. The heavy guitar feels similar to Hozier’s first album (more on him later) and unlike anything I’ve heard from them before. Ending the song with Conor Mason’s hauntingly beautiful voice singing “With no concept of anything else, I sit and dream of you, the purest you, the sweetest you, the darkest you, the cruelest you, the purest you, until my heart explodes” feels like a desperate attempt to put love into words, something that Nothing But Thieves has mastered in their more romantic songs over the years.
Dinner with Friends – Kacey Musgraves
It’s not often that the first line of a song makes my stomach drop, but when it does, it always catches me off guard. As soon as I heard “Dinner with friends in cities where none of us live,” I couldn’t help but think about my best friends and how, after graduating from college, we’re only able to meet up in places where at least one of us is a visitor. Kacey Musgraves’s new album was everything I could’ve possibly asked for and more. “Dinner with Friends” wraps me up in a warm blanket and coaxes me through the feelings that I tend to push aside, even if I have to skip it when it comes on shuffle sometimes.
Too Sweet – Hozier
Like most people who listen to music and follow Hozier on any form of social media, I waited for this release for what felt like a decade. And, as expected from one of the best artists of my lifetime, it didn’t disappoint. Something about the way he delivers each line, the deep bassline, and “You know you’re bright as the morning, as soft as the rain, pretty as a vine, as sweet as a grape” make me feel lightheaded, but I can’t possibly unpack that right now.
stranger – Olivia Rodrigo
I spent about an hour unpacking every single word of this song with my sister last night, yet I’m still not sure what to say about it. “There’s nothing left for me to sing” is one hell of a line to write after spending a majority of her career so far singing about the same subject as she worked through every one of her achingly raw emotions. Her growth as a woman and an artist is summed up in the line “and if I’m not enough for you, you’re not enough for me.” This is a direct parallel to her song “enough for you” off of SOUR, where she questioned her own worth after a breakup. Rodrigo’s ability to perfectly bring her debut and sophomore albums full circle while seemingly wrapping up this era of her music is enough for me to know that she’ll be at this level for a while.
NOT OKAY – ATEEZ
Naturally, ending February with a Japanese comeback from ATEEZ meant that I was going to spend the entirety of March obsessing over it. After doing just that, I think this is easily their strongest Japanese release. It feels like so much passion and thought was put into not only the song, but also the production, the music video, and the choreography. Members who don’t often get a chance to shine in regular releases stood out to me this time with Wooyoung taking the lead on the intro, the second half of each chorus, and the bridge. Mingi also made an impact, the rapper taking charge of the final chorus. And if you know anything about ATEEZ, you know that they don’t take the last 30 seconds of any song for granted. “NOT OKAY” was no exception.
Take a listen to the rest of my March favorites here:
daybreak 