Melissa Kacar

"A&W" // Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey is back and she's cooler than ever! "A&W" represents so much of what Lana is about as an artist and showcases every side that makes her music so special. It is a seven-minute masterpiece that takes the listener on such an emotional journey, with some of her most heart-wrenching and vulnerable lyrics yet. "I'm a princess, I'm divisive, ask me why why why I'm like this, maybe I'm just kind of like this", she sings in the first half of the song. The switch-up in the trap-inspired second half was so unexpected and feels like an ode to some of her early unreleased work. I already know that Did You Know There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard is going to be a top contender for my favorite album of the year, just based on how much I love this song and the title track alone! I could go on and on about "A&W", but I'll save it for when I write my full review of the album next month...

This Is Why is the sixth album by Paramore, their first in almost six years. It incorporates pop-punk elements reminiscent of their early work, but at the same time feels so modern and fresh - a dichotomy that many of their peers from that era haven't been able to achieve themselves. They pull off the post-punk alternative rock sound perfectly and the elements of new-wave and dream-pop are so well done too. This album has so many strong moments, from Hayley Williams' incredible vocals to the lyricism and the instrumentals. I was only a casual listener of Paramore before This Is Why was released, but the three singles they put out leading up to this album really caught my attention and made me look forward to hearing the rest of the record.  This album is so introspective, with themes focusing on self-doubts, fears and regrets. The backdrop of it being written in the time of a pandemic, along with all of the historical and political events we have collectively gone through in...

The 2023 Grammy Awards were the perfect celebration of all the incredible music that was released in the past year and the artists that defined it! There were so many highlights and iconic moments from the show and the red carpet this year. So much talent was present in every single category, it was impossible to predict who would have ultimately won for each!  One of the biggest winners of the night was Harry Styles , who won both Best Pop Vocal Performance and the biggest award - Album of the Year . Watching his evolution over the years and seeing his career continuously reach new heights has truly been so beautiful to witness as a long-time fan - you know it's not the same as it was! The Album of the Year category was especially stacked with so many amazing albums, but Harry's House was so deserving of the honor. It was my personal favorite album of 2022 , it still just keeps getting better and better with each listen. All 13 songs feel like taking a glimpse inside Harry...