If your music library feels a little stale (or if, like me, you’ve been listening to SZA’s “SOS” on repeat and are looking for something new), look no further: here are four recently released albums by women that will surely become your new obsession.
“Desire, I Want To Turn Into You” – Caroline Polachek
Haters will say it’s autotune, but longtime fans of Caroline Polachek can tell you that her glass-clear vocals and pristine production are no fraud. I’ve been eager for more of Polachek’s dreamy, rose-tinted songwriting since her incredible debut album “Pang,” and “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You” does not disappoint.
The album glides between maximalism and minimalism with ease as velvety smooth as Polachek’s vocals. High-energy tracks like “Welcome to My Island,” “Bunny Is a Rider” and “Fly to You” imbue the record with frantic urgency, the bright, sparkly synths bouncing around your skull like champagne bubbles. Polachek’s piercing and desperate vocal delivery on these songs is perfectly punctuated by high-pitched screams and tumbling vocal runs.
Then, there are songs like “Pretty In Possible,” “Crude Drawing of An Angel” and “Billions,” which move the way that time does in a dream. Even on these syrupy slow instrumentals, Polachek’s vocals rise above the production like sunlight on water. Especially with the melodic “da da da da” refrain on “Pretty In Possible,” these tracks feel as soothing as lullabies.
Favorite tracks: “Welcome to My Island,” “Pretty In Possible,” “Bunny Is A Rider,” “Sunset” and “Billions”
“Red Moon in Venus” – Kali Uchis
As an astrology buff, I was already biased to love Kali Uchis’ new album before I even listened to it. Venus is the planet of romance, connection and beauty. Appropriately, “Red Moon in Venus” is steeped in the sounds of love at its most intense and intimate.
This is an album that loves love. Unabashedly heartfelt lyrics like “I want to be around you every day” (“Worth the Wait”) and “Love between two human beings can be so wonderful” (“Love between…”) should sound like cheesy platitudes, but with Uchis’ rich, sincere vocal delivery, it is impossible not to fall for romance’s dizzying spell.
And this album does feel like a spell at times. Uchis chants lines like “I wish you roses while you can still smell” (“I Wish you Roses”) and “Can we be happy now?” (“Happy Now”) with all the fervor of a witch casting a charm, like she is manifesting good for the song’s recipient through the sheer power of her vocals.
Favorite tracks: “I Wish you Roses,” “Love between…”, “All Mine,” “Como Te Quiero Yo” and “Hasta Cuando”
“MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO” – Karol G
Many listeners may know Karol G through her reggaeton and trap hits. However, on her latest album “MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO,” Karol G becomes a master of genre-blending while keeping her crown as the princess of reggaeton.
“GUCCI LOS PAÑOS” dabbles in the distinctive instrumentals of traditional Mexican music. Karol G’s gorgeous vocals burst with heart and soul, perfectly suiting the genre. “TUS GAFITAS” is an unexpected indie rock jam that expresses intense angst and melodrama.
The straight-up reggaeton songs on this album are just as great as the genre-benders. Tracks like “OJOS FERRARI” and “DAÑAMOS LA AMISTAD” overflow with the usual charm and hype of Karol G’s discography. However, the highlight of the album has to be the anthem “TQG,” a catchy collaboration with Shakira that oozes charisma and confidence.
Favorite tracks: “TQG,” “TUS GAFITAS,” “OJOS FERRARI,” “MERCURIO” and “DAÑAMOS LA AMISTAD”
This Is Why – Paramore
I know that I should probably be embarrassed by my middle school obsession with Paramore, but it’s hard for me to feel much shame when they keep releasing such bangers. Although Paramore’s last album, 2017’s “After Laughter,” sparkled and glowed with clean pop production and happy-go-lucky lyricism, “This Is Why” takes the band back to its pop-punk roots.
It’s easy to understand why this record is so cynical compared to the previous one; after all, the world has gone through an entire pandemic since 2017. The title track “This Is Why” has a prickly but ultra-catchy chorus that succinctly captures the jaded cynicism of post-pandemic sociality: “This is why I don’t leave the house / You say the coast is clear but you won’t catch me out.” I can’t stop singing it.
Songs like “The News” and “C’est Comme Ça” are similarly frantic and fast-paced headbangers. However, the band also dips into a more low-key variation of moodiness with tracks like “Big Man, Little Dignity,” “Crave” and “Thick Skull.” Even with these more groovy and laidback instrumentals, frontwoman Hayley Williams’ vocals brim with angst.
Favorite Tracks: “This Is Why,” “The News,” “Running Out Of Time,” “You First” and “Crave”
