5 New Releases for People Sick of Hearing About Taylor Swift
New music from Jay Som, Missy Elliott, and more.
A lot of fantastic music came out this week.
Yes, there was a new Taylor Swift album. And it was admittedly full of catchy and impressively well-produced songs, and Taylor Swift is going to be an unavoidable presence in the music and pop culture sphere for the visible future. We get it.
But if you're getting tired of hearing about her and her perfect boyfriend, there are plenty of excellent new releases that will provide catharsis to your angry, jaded, burned-out soul.
1. Jay Som — Anak Ko
Jay Som's latest LP, Anak Ko, is a masterful collection of exquisite indie rock. These songs are slow-burners that showcase Melina Duerte's incredible abilities as a songwriter, performer, and producer. This is indie at its purest and finest, switching from sweet to gritty with a moment's notice, with each song offering a journey within itself. Jay Som's music has matured tremendously over the years, and this album feels like an opus.
2. BROCKHAMPTON — GINGER
America's favorite misfit boy band keeps outdoing themselves. GINGER is a patchwork of traditional instruments and electronic ultra-modern production; of huge, choral harmonies and spare solos; and of affection, euphoria, rage, and pain. BROCKHAMPTON continues to make music that's radically honest about internal struggles but that emanates enough swagger to fill stadiums. Though the album is strong lyrically, the band shines most where it always has: The music that backs up its seamless bars and resounding choruses is just so damn beautiful.
3. Lana Del Rey — The Greatest
Lana Del Rey just released two new songs from the upcoming Norman F**king Rockwell, and "The Greatest" may be one of her actual greatest songs. She weaves countless pop culture references with existential despair to create a track that's both a heart-wrenching excavation of the present and a window into her timeless, enchanting dreamworld.
4. Missy Elliott — Iconology
On her surprise EP, Iconology, Missy Elliott lets us glimpse the mind of a superstar who knows that her name is synonymous with "legend." It's been fourteen years since Elliott has released a new album, so this is an event in and of itself. "Let's #ThrowItBack to a time when music just felt good and made us want to dance," she said of its release. This music will definitely get you tapping your feet, and it may make you want to bow down.
5. 1975 — People
"People" is one of 1975's angriest, most jarring tracks, and it feels like a cathartic howl from start to finish. It's a song that does justice to the anger and rage that's pervading America and the world right now. The relentlessly trippy video is as disorienting as any given moment on Twitter.