The Best Songs of November // New Music Friday!

-

"Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call" // Bleachers


Is it too soon to say this is one of Bleachers' best songs yet? Because it is! "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call" is a song draped in nostalgia and really captures some of the melancholy feelings this season can bring. I never heard a song quite like this though, it evokes such a specific emotion in me that I don't even know if I can fully describe, but just feels like something that I needed to hear. All of the best Bleachers music does that for me though. While it is technically a Christmas song, it isn't overtly festive, which is a genre that is so hard to pull off but Jack and the rest of the band did it perfectly. I have been looking forward to finally hearing this song for a couple of years and it came at the perfect time. I have been listening to it on repeat every single day ever since it was released, I truly cannot get enough of it!

"Defying Gravity" // Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande

After many years of waiting, the Wicked film adaptation is finally here and it is everything I ever hoped it would be and more! It was truly the most amazing and magical film, I loved every single second of it. The entire cast was incredible and perfectly cast in their parts, but Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were truly born to play these roles. The entire soundtrack is so stunning and their musical chemistry is unlike anything I ever heard before. Every song has been stuck in my head ever since it was released, but the greatest moment is undoubtedly the breathtaking performance of "Defying Gravity".  I was in tears the entire time, like fully sobbing up until the very end in the theater! Something really did change within me in that moment! I know this saying has been a bit of a meme lately, but I really have been ~holding space~ with the lyrics of "Defying Gravity" and literally have not stopped thinking about Cynthia's performance since I saw it! It honestly may be one of my favorite scenes from any movie ever, I was so in awe of her the entire time. We really all do deserve the chance to fly! 

Check out my full review of the Wicked soundtrack!

"squabble up" // Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar surprise released his new album GNX this month and I was so blown away by every single song. He is such a captivating storyteller and incredible lyricist, plus the production on this entire record is so insane. I cannot recommend checking out the entire album enough, but "squabble up" is the one I'm highlighting for the sake of this list because it is such an earworm and really builds up this incredible momentum that follows through the rest of GNX. 

"Your House" // Inhaler

Inhaler released their lead single off of Open Wide, their third album set to be released in early 2025. It is produced by one of my favorites, Kid Harpoon, who really seems to be pushing their music in an exciting new direction. "Your House" is a blend of indie-rock and 70's psychedelia, with even a gospel choir incorporated. I am always looking forward to hearing more from Inhaler and their new album is already at the top of my most anticipated records of the new year!

"Alice of the Upper Class" // Halsey


Following the release of their deeply personal and emotional record The Great Impersonator last month, Halsey released a special bonus track titled "Alice of the Upper Class". It correlates to the Y2K section of her record, taking the themes of the classic Lewis Carroll fairytale Alice Through The Looking Glass and giving it a really cool pop-punk twist to it. It's angsty, bold and so thought-provoking as she tears apart what the American Dream really means.

"These Walls" // Dua Lipa featuring Pierre de Maere


"These Walls" has been one of my favorite songs from Dua Lipa's latest album Radical Optimism. It has such a euphoric sound that draws inspiration from some of the greatest Europop artists that have come before her. This month she released a very special and unique remix of this song, featuring new verses from French artist Pierre de Maere. Dua herself even sings a bit of the song in French too, which is so beautiful!

Check out my full review of Radical Optimism!

"Chlorine" // George Daniel


George is one of my favorite producers of all-time, so I love hearing these new solo electronic tracks he's been releasing over the past few months. "Chlorine" reminds me of some of the songs off of A Brief Inquiry or Notes On A Conditional Form, which is some of the best work The 1975 ever made. I really hope he releases a full-length solo project one day!

"Arcamarine" // Addison Rae & Arca


Addison Rae released a great new remix for her latest single "Aquamarine" featuring the innovative producer Arca. I actually think I like "Arcamarine" even more than the original and I really hope Addison continues to go in this direction with future releases. She has been making a lot of really cool and interesting creative decisions this year and I cannot wait to finally hear her full debut album *hopefully* soon!

"Close My Eyes (Live)" // Luke Hemmings


Luke Hemmings is set to release a full solo live album from his show in Los Angeles earlier this year, with the first song being one of my favorites from his EP released earlier this year. He has such a talent for expressing his deepest thoughts and fears within his music in a way I never heard before. "Close My Eyes" is one of the best moments on the EP for all of those reasons the live version only further elevates all of those emotions. Luke is one of my favorite vocalists ever and I have been lucky enough to see him perform with his band 5 Seconds of Summer so many times over the years. Their live albums are some of the best work they've ever released and I'm sure it will be the same with Luke's solo live album too!

Check out my full review of boy by Luke Hemmings!

"Somebody Else's" // Gwen Stefani


It's been really interesting hearing Gwen Stefani transition into more of a country pop sound with her latest album Bouquet, which as a whole was a little bit hit and miss for me. The opening track "Somebody Else's" was a highlight though, which is a song about letting go of the past and finding new love. It's really catchy and fits well with the rest of the solo music she released up to this point. It reminds me a lot of "Holy Ground" by Taylor Swift, which is a deeper cut from her discography that I love to hear the influence of with another artist. The entire Red album is kind of the blueprint for the country pop sound Gwen is going for, so in this instance she pulled it off really well!

"Heart of Gold" // Shawn Mendes


I really enjoyed much of Shawn Mendes' latest self-titled album titled Shawn - not to be confused with his other self-titled album, Shawn Mendes, from 2018 👀. He took a few years away from releasing music and I've been long awaiting a new album from him. Shawn takes a much more low-key and stripped back approach to the music this time around, an overall major change of pace for him. "Heart of Gold" is a moment on this album that stuck out to me the most, it is a beautiful tribute to his friend that passed away in 2018 from a drug overdose. It is very raw and emotional, as he expresses his regrets for losing touch with him over the years and not being there when he was struggling most. 


Thanks for reading! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm very thankful for everyone that has taken the time to read and support my writing over the past year, it really means a lot to me. It's hard to believe we are already approaching the end of 2024! My New Music Friday series has been one of my favorites to curate every month for the past couple of years, I will definitely be continuing it into 2025. I have a lot of new content coming in the next month to finish up the year, I hope you'll come back soon to check it out! 

-Melissa ♡


Photo credit to all owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar


Related Posts:

Wicked Soundtrack // Target Exclusive Vinyl

Halsey with Live String Ensemble in Newark, New Jersey

Room 93 by Halsey // 10 Year Anniversary EP Review

Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa // Album Review














The 1975 Live From Real World Studios // 7" vinyl "All I Need To Hear" & "I Like America & America Likes Me"










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

ARIANA GRANDE GOD IS A WOMAN FRAGRANCE REVIEW

-
Image
When all is said and done, you'll believe God is a Woman!  I absolutely love all of the  fragrances   Ariana Grande  has released over the years, so when I found out that she was coming out with another I was so excited! Her song " God is a Woman " is also so iconic and one of my all-time favorites, so that made me look forward to it even more. I have been using it consistently for several months so I will able to give the most in-depth review I possibly can of this product. In the United States , God is a Woman  is sold exclusively at Ulta in three sizes; 1 oz for $45, 1.7 oz for $55, and 3.4 oz for $65. A travel size bottle is also available for $24. This pricing is consistent throughout the rest of Ariana's fragrances, so if you were looking to purchase another scent this is the range to expect. It is also available internationally at select retailers. God is a Woman  is cruelty free, 100% vegan and made with clean ingredients that are 91% naturally der...
Read more

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (isolated vocals) by Billie Eilish // 2024 Record Store Day Exclusive Vinyl

-
Image
Happy Record Store Day! One of my most anticipated releases for the Black Friday drop this year was a special version of Billie Eilish 's incredible album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT , which features only her isolated vocals. You can only slightly hear parts of the instrumentals in the background because she recorded the songs without headphones, but this variant of the album puts a major emphasis on only her gorgeous vocals. It's a really cool concept, it almost sounds like you're in the studio with her hearing it recorded live.  There is so much depth to her vocal comps with all of the hidden vocals and ad libs that are hidden underneath the production. There are so many small details that otherwise get buried in each song that now get the chance to fully shine. Billie and Finneas ' creative process is so fascinating, and this record give a glimpse into the way all of these songs came together. An album like HIT ME HARD AND SOFT  is meticulously produced and every layer is s...
Read more

SAFIYA NYGAARD x COLOURPOP COLLECTION REVIEW 🦇♥

-
Image
For my first post of  the new year, I wanted to share my thoughts on one of my favorite makeup releases, the Safiya Nygaard x Colourpop collection ! Safiya is one of my favorite YouTubers and Colourpop is my favorite makeup brand, so this is a really exciting collaboration!  Safiya consistently makes a variety of really high quality and interesting videos that mainly focus on beauty and fashion. I admire how much time and research she puts into what she does, all of the work that is put into these videos really shows in the finished product. If you haven't watched her channel before, I really can't recommend it enough!  In August 2017, she started a series called " bad makeup science ", which is the basis of this new Colourpop lipstick collection. There are 6 lipstick shades that correlate with a shade she created in one of her videos. You can check out the playlist of videos that inspired her collection here . I recently re-watched the whole series again...
Read more

Wicked // Target Exclusive Vinyl Soundtrack featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo & Part 1 Film Review

-
Image
After many years of waiting, the Wicked film adaptation is finally here and it is everything I ever hoped it would be and more! It was truly the most amazing and magical film, I loved every single second of it. The entire cast was incredible and perfectly cast in their parts, but Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande  were truly born to play these roles. They both manage to find a way to pay homage to all of the Elphaba's and Glinda's that came before them, while still being able to carve out their own spaces in Oz history.  Wicked  details the origin story of the beloved characters from  The Wizard of Oz ,  specifically Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. Their origin story is complicated and tragic at times, but it is also filled with so much love. In the very first song of the film, Glinda poses the question that shapes the entire story, "Are people born Wicked? Or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them?" Cynthia and A...
Read more