is making their headlining debut
Interview: Amber Bintliff
Photos: Jamie Rice
The future of the alternative scene is female, and Daisy Grenade is leading the way. Born from the minds of the sickeningly sweet Keaton Whittaker and Dani Nigro in 2021, the Brooklyn-based duo unapologetically wields their femininity as if it were a deadly weapon, uncovering the nightmarish, chaotic, and unhinged truth behind girlhood with a poised musical precision.
With two EPs and a handful of singles under their belt, Daisy Grenade has steadily gained a cult following since their early days performing in night clubs across New York City. With both Whittaker and Nigro having backgrounds in musical theatre, it’s become no secret that the duo’s greatest strengths lie in their captivating live performances. They’ve carefully poured every piece of themselves into 20 to 30 minute opening sets complete with intense crowd engagement, unexpected surprises, and the occasional synchronized split over the last few years.
Now, Daisy Grenade is taking a step forward with their first-ever headlining tour across the United States this summer. “[The shows] are our favorite thing to do,” Nigro says. “Knowing that we’re gonna get extra time on stage and we’re gonna be with a crowd of people who have taken the time, money, and energy to come see us—it’s just gonna be amazing. Even if the show goes bad for some reason, I feel like it’ll still be an incredible experience.”
This headlining run for Daisy Grenade has been a long time coming. With an expected mix of excitement and nerves in the calm before the storm, the duo reflects on their past touring experiences and how it’s helped them prepare for this moment. “We’ve gotten a taste of everything across the board as far as being an opening band,” Whittaker says. “Crowds that absolutely love you and are so excited that you’re there and [also] crowds that could care less.”
“We’ve learned over the past couple years to just give the same show every time. Try your best, give everything you have, and you gotta play every show like you’re playing [Madison Square
“I think we’re getting a little bit more comfortable doing whatever we want”
Garden] for the first time,” Whittaker continues. Melodic Magazine’s conversation with the duo comes almost eight months since the pair took the stage of their hometown’s iconic arena while on tour supporting Pierce The Veil last summer, which sparked some online and in-person discourse about their place on the lineup. Some fans of the headliner were unhappy with the choice to have Daisy Grenade support, while others were ecstatic to see two of their favorite acts in the same night.
“I definitely learned a lot about crowd engagement,” Nigro adds. “Big room, small room, just [learning] how to make sure the folks who are there know that we’re listening and that we’re not there with a wall up putting on a show.”
From giving the crowd a chance to pick the duo’s cover song of the night to calling for every person to start jumping, Daisy Grenade simply wants the audience in front of them to know that the live experience revolves around them. “It’s not about us once we get on the stage, it’s about them,” Whittaker says. “It’s about sharing [it] with them and it’s about having some kind of negotiation with the audience always. It can’t just be about you up there. It’s a collective experience that we’re all having together.”
“It’s a collective experience that we’re all having together”
When it came time to release tickets for their headlining tour, the duo was shocked to see just how fast some cities were selling out. “New York sold out in presale, which was pretty crazy. I don’t know if Dani or I were expecting it to sell that fast,” Whittaker says. “We’re still working on some cities,— shoutout Boise, Idaho— but it’s obviously scary to just throw yourself out there in a way that you haven’t ever before. This will tell us what our draw is because we don’t really know [since] we have never headlined, and that’s really terrifying. But we at least know that New York will show up and show out. So that’s very cool.”
“Things are going well. Better than expected,” Nigro adds. “I don’t know that I expected anything actually. Really, it was not something I was able to wrap my brain around, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Even if they’re not sold out, it’s like, ‘All right, we’ll have a great show with 40 people in Boise, Idaho,’ and it’s gonna rock.”
The night before tickets went on sale, Whittaker says she received from a close friend and fellow musician, Chloe Moriondo, to help combat any anxious feelings. “I was expressing to her that I was very scared, and she said something really insightful to me,” Whittaker says. “She was like, ‘You can’t look
at me and tell me that you don’t think anyone is gonna buy tickets. That’s not true. That scared feeling is actually you trying to access gratitude that you know people are going to buy tickets. You need to search to find that and sit in that.’”
As the tour approaches, Daisy Grenade says that fans might want to keep their eyes peeled for some new music while on the road. “We’ve been trying everything and seeing what we feel like sticks,” Whittaker explains. “I think our sound has grown quite a bit, but [has] also become very eclectic. There’s a lot of things that we can do and we’re not straying away from any of them.”
With their classic glitter-coated angst portrayed through a new pop-focused angle, Daisy Grenade is carving out their own definition of punk in this next era. Each of the duo’s three latest singles, “So Happy,” “Don’t Sweat It,” and “Good Luck (Wish You Hell),” all explore defining experiences of girlhood in ways that they’ve never tackled musically before. “I think genre is a little bit dead, and you can just do whatever the fuck you want. I think we’re getting a little bit more comfortable doing whatever we want, and if you don’t like it, that’s cool,” Whittaker says.
“We’ve gotten a taste of everything across the board as far as being an opening band”
Their rejection of traditional genre boundaries in punk and alternative music isn’t the only thing that sets Daisy Grenade apart. The duo’s advocacy and care for their community runs deep. One dollar of every ticket sold on this tour will be donated to the Let’s Give A Damn Foundation, an organization that empowers young creatives globally to use their platforms for advocacy.
“The CEO and founder is a good friend of mine, Nick Laparra. We’ve had a lot of conversations about what it means to be an artist in this climate and what it means to be an advocate as an artist,” Whittaker says. “He believes very strongly that artists are the revolutionary voice that we have in this hellscape that is our country at the moment. I think that Nick is a really amazing organizer, and he’s really good at assessing the urgency of where money needs to be thrown at, so the band and his organization really align on everything.”
“We wanted to pick an organization that we felt could give the biggest impact with the money that we were able to give. On our last tour, which was with Stand Atlantic, in the middle of it was when the SNAP benefits ran out because of the government shutdown,” Whittaker continues. “Nick, on day two, was like, ‘I’m starting a fund. We’re gonna go directly to families that need it.’ We were able to raise about $4,000 for families in need, which was really amazing.”
Daisy Grenade has partnered with numerous local organizations over the years to help directly impact communities however they can. In addition to Let’s Give A Damn, portions of the proceeds from their recently released cover of No Doubt’s “Hella Good” are also being donated to the Center for Reproductive Rights, an organization that helps protect bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom. No matter the cause, the duo is dedicated to making sure their community is safe, respected, and cared for far beyond the walls of their shows.
Daisy Grenade’s upcoming tour is shaping up to be a debut headliner for the herstory books. From this first batch of headlining shows to the recently announced news that they’ll be taking the Vans Warped Tour stage in D.C., Orlando, and Long Beach, the duo is gearing up for the summer of a lifetime. “Live music specifically is slowly becoming one of the last few ways we can get a bunch of people in a room together and on the same page,” Nigro says. “I want folks to leave the show understanding why going to shows, having shows, and putting on shows is so critical to life and community and making it through what we’re all dealing with right now.”
PUZZLES DEEP ELLUM
DALLAS, TX
Puzzles Deep Ellum brings new life to a shifting music district
Puzzles Deep Ellum is a rising venue in Dallas’ legendary Deep Ellum district, carving out a reputation as a dedicated performance space in a neighborhood long known for nightlife and live music.
As Deep Ellum has lost several clubs, including Rodeo Dallas and Lizard Lounge, in recent years, Puzzles stepped in last year to fill that gap. The venue mixes a forward-looking vision with the area’s legacy of experimentation.
Located among Deep Ellum’s street art, historic venues, and late-night traffic, Puzzles reflects its surroundings while offering a new hub for local and touring bands. Inside, the venue features industrial textures and dark finishes, giving the former Quixotic World space an edgy vibe, while combining its spacious interior that allows crowds to be fully engaged. Updated lighting rigs and crisp visuals add a modern club aesthetic.
@puzzlesdeepellum
Article: Clare Gehlich
Puzzles’ sound system delivers a deep low-end and clean highs. The venue’s adaptability is one of its defining strengths, as it shifts easily between DJ-driven nights, curated events, and live performances without losing momentum.
The venue has quickly built a varied concert calendar, hosting rock, metal, electronic, and alternative acts, such as Pool Kids, Shayfer James, A Skylit Drive, and Green Jelly.
It also participates in district-wide events like the Deep Ellum Block Party, bringing in over 100 artists to contribute to multi-venue celebrations highlighting local and touring acts. The venue’s strategic bar placement and an efficient layout help maintain steady energy throughout the night, preventing the space from feeling cramped or disconnected.
By serving as a flexible space for different genres and audiences, Puzzles helps Deep Ellum maintain its identity as the heart of Dallas’s live music scene.
is kicking his feet across the globe
Interview: Avery Heeringa
Photos: Cameron Driskill, Juneau Janzen
Touring his sophomore album Kicking My Feet , the Australian pop singer is bringing sincerity with him wherever he goes.
“The album was about leaning into love and not feeling scared to be a little bit cringey.”
The romantic pull of Los Angeles is no stranger to immortalization in films, books, and pop songs. The perennially sunny city is, after all, home to much of the entertainment industry. But aside from the star-maker machinery lending some of its whimsy to the city, the hot, hazy sun often illuminates the juxtaposition of the city’s glamour and grit, at once revealing its lush beauty and its unforgiving harshness. For some, this friction creates a dizzying and at times unnerving stay in the city of angels. But for 23-year-old Aussie pop star Ruel, the city provided a backdrop that lent itself particularly well to the creation of a punchy sophomore record.
“I think if you’re in LA, it’s kind of hard to take time off,” Ruel tells Melodic Magazine over a Zoom call in early February, the day after his tour opener in Austin, Texas. “If I was still living in Sydney, I would be doing nothing. I’d be surfing every day, just hanging out with friends, being very unproductive. But living in LA now, it’s like all I want to do is work and keep writing and keep making. I feel the most creative there—or, most inspired.”
After touring his 2023 debut album 4TH WALL , Ruel permanently moved to Los Angeles. Once settled, he spent the next year and a half writing upwards of 200 songs for what would become last October’s Kicking My Feet, an 11-track record that leans into the sweeter, more sincere sides of the singer’s lyricism and details the extremes of infatuation. Now, Ruel is hitting the road again for his Kicking My Feet Tour, which will take him across the globe this spring.
“I moved to LA permanently [at] the start of 2024, and that was kind of what shaped the whole next album,” he says. “It was a lot of time that I was just working every single day, making songs with people and different producers and different writers over a year and a half.”
One of the first songs that took shape during this extended writing process was “The Suburbs,” Kicking My Feet ’s second single. The song opens with a dreamy set of falsetto vocal tracks stacked over guitar licks before launching into an infectious chorus about envisioning a domestic future with a romantic interest. “I could see us in the suburbs / Never thought I’d be that person / But with you, it sounds like paradise,” he sings in the song’s post-chorus. “The Suburbs” functions as a neat case study of Ruel’s strengths as both a writer and vocalist. He effortlessly toggles between heady notes up in the clouds and belts with suave gusto behind them. This song, along with album opener “Only Ever” and “Not What’s Going On” were among the first to secure a place on the eventual record’s final tracklist.
“There [were] so many songs that [I] just kept pulling in,” he says. “I think I had like 20 out of the 200 that [I thought] 100% needed to come out. Then I thought I’d bring it down to 10 just to cut the fat out.” Songs from that fruitful creative period like “Made It Awkward” and “Cats on the Ceiling” didn’t make the cut for the record, but earned a life of their own as singles in 2024.
As a whole, Kicking My Feet displays Ruel’s knack for blending his catchy pop sensibilities with his naturally soulful register. The result is a sweet set of soulful pop songs that lean R&B at times and alternative at other moments.
But long before sophomore albums and headlining tours, Ruel signed his first recording contract with RCA Records at 15 years old. In the years that followed, he gained attention for songs like 2018’s “Dazed & Confused” and 2019’s “Painkiller.” His collaboration “Want U Around” with the similarly soulful Omar Apollo in 2020 was another large entry point for many listeners. In 2023 released his first proper studio album 4TH WALL , which took a kaleidoscopic take on coming of age stories and received positive critical reception.
Kicking My Feet refines Ruel’s sound and plays to his strengths, compiling a set of tight pop songs into a breezy listening experience that doesn’t fall victim to the tropes of easy listening pop. In bringing these songs to the stage for Kicking My Feet ’s accompanying tour, Ruel says the fresh nature of the material makes it easy to slip back into the emotional headspace they were written in. “I definitely feel like I try to convey every emotion for the song live, whether it’s happening kind of subconsciously or knowingly trying to do it,” he says. “I think I’ve played the album to [an] audience twice, so those sorts of feelings are coming up still, back to when I wrote them.”
“But I think after playing 70 shows, that’s when it starts to kind of feel a little bit more robotic,” he adds. “You have to find different ways to enjoy them, by [different] arrangements or just changing up things for the fun of it. But right now, I think how they were written is the most fun way to play them.”
Since the full record’s release in October, Ruel has yet to stop creating. Before jumping into tour rehearsals in Los Angeles for much of January, he spent the holidays back home and enjoyed an enviously warm Australian summer. In the midst of preparing for opening night, he says he spent some time writing new music. “I’m not great at writing on the road,” Ruel says. “I’m gonna try my best, but I find it hard to do both at the same time. So I’m happy I got some writing in before tour.”
“I think touring can be very wholesome if you let it be.”
Most recently, Ruel released Kicking My Feet (Live Sessions), which, as the name indicates, reimagines some of the record’s songs into new live arrangements. One of those new versions is a “Saloon Version” of the album’s most recent single “Wild Guess,” a breezy cut about a breakup. “Oh, out in the wild west / You can keep what you take from me,” he admonishes, “Now I wish you a nice life / Now I won’t be your baby anymore.”
Keeping with the wild west theme, the song’s music video takes a comedic spaghetti western approach to the push and pull of a breakup. Dressed in Western attire, Ruel stars opposite the comic and actress Mary Beth Barone (who some may recognize from Prime’s Overcompensating or her podcast Ride, co-hosted with actor Benito Skinner).
“Boy singers,” Barone said with her signature dry, sarcastic delivery during an episode of her Ride podcast last October. “There is some music I don’t think boys should be allowed to listen to, I wanted to say that. And also, there are some boy singers that have rights, Ruel being one of them… he’s the only one for right now.”
In the video, the duo riff off of one another in between the song’s choruses and verses, making the music video a mini-movie of its own. “I really wanted to get someone who was a comic from the start,” Ruel says. “I’d rather that than another artist or actor that felt [too] serious. I wanted someone to just kind of take it and run with it and turn it into a bit of a comedy.”
All of the music videos for Kicking My Feet ’s singles (three so far) are vivid and crisp depictions of the song’s thematic makeup. Take the hospital room resuscitation in the video for “I Can Die Now,” or the white picket fence dream (including a prosthetically aged Ruel) of “The Suburbs” for example. “I think usually I have something in mind pretty much immediately after I write a song of what the [visual] world is,” Ruel says. The visual world of Kicking My Feet often includes a palette of blue, red, tan, and white, which in effect has created a kind of distinct visual identity that represents the feeling of the album.
The album’s title comes from a track of the same name packed with gushy lines of infatuation and longing. “I’ll make a fool in front of everyone / It’s written on my face,” he sings atop soft guitar strums and building percussion, “I could implode from the look that you give to me.” The song’s standout line finds Ruel likening himself to “Tom Cruise on Oprah, while everyone stares,” referencing the infamous 2005 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, in which Cruise excitedly proclaimed his love for actress Katie Holmes while jumping on a couch.
“I think when I started writing this record, I tried to fully lean into the sincerity of love, and being earnest, and being a little bit cringey, and a little bit overly honest about love,” Ruel says. “I think leaning into that made me love [the record] a lot more. When I felt like I wasn’t afraid of that, I wanted the whole album to feel like that.”
In keeping with the exuberance detailed on several of the record’s songs, the album’s namesake track was initially titled “Tom Cruise on Oprah.” The song even included a sample of the infamous clip before Ruel changed direction. “That was all part of the
“I love to know exactly what I’m doing at every hour of every day for a few weeks...”
because my life is the opposite of that when I’m not on tour.”
song,” he says. “Then we tried to get that cleared, and we realized that Mr. Cruise isn’t probably the easiest person to [reach].” Ultimately, the “Kicking My Feet” was the title that stuck. (“I don’t want to get a cease and desist from Mr. Cruise.”)
Now on tour for the foreseeable future, Ruel has his sights set on perfecting his show as it travels across the globe, and will hopefully carve out some time to work on new music along the way. “As first shows go, it was pretty good,” he says of opening night. “I can’t wait till this feels like I’m on autopilot and feels like second nature, because right now I’m thinking about literally a billion things that could go wrong and a billion different things that are new. It’s kind of hard to really enjoy it all, because you’re just trying to make sure the show gets from start to finish.”
As indicated by his creatively fruitful year and a half in Los Angeles, Ruel can tend to be a creature of habit. He says touring will help re-establish a comfortable routine for him to relish for the next several months. “I think I’ve just missed it,” he says. “After so [much time] writing, I’ve been just yearning to have a bit of [a] schedule. I love a schedule. I love to know exactly what I’m doing at every hour of every day for a few weeks, because my life is the opposite of that when I’m not on tour.”
In bringing the punchy, endearing songs of Kicking My Feet to the stage, “I just hope it kind of reiterates what the album made everybody feel and pushes that a little deeper,” he says. “The album, for the most part, was just talking about leaning into love and not feeling scared to be a little bit cringey, I guess.”
“I try to be as myself as I can [be] on stage and not try to put up this kind of persona, and I think that’s what I kind of feel with the fans,” he adds. “I think touring can be very wholesome if you let it [be]. A lot of artists try to, I don’t know, put on the nonchalant performance persona, but I feel like if you try and make it as wholesome as possible, that’s what will make it sustainable and [will make people] have a better time.”
Ruel will trek across the states throughout this spring before performing at a few Lollapalooza South America dates in March. “There’s definitely still a lot planned post-tour,” he says. “I’ve got songs to put out, and I really want to just keep feeding the fans [for] as long as possible.”
proves punk was never just a phase
Interview: Audrey van Schagen
Photos: Micala Austin
Punk has been with Bryce Vine ever since he plugged in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1999) video game and heard “Superman” by LA-based punk rock band Goldfinger.
While playing this video game, Vine digested the punk rock genre and the feeling it gave him, which he now recalls as the moment when music first took hold of him. As a depressed, confused kid, punk rock was the genre of music that gave Vine something to lean on in his childhood, which he used as an escape. “All this music [I was discovering] was super energetic and I could sweat it out on my own,” Vine says. “I felt related to, and it was just kind of low stakes, fun music.”
In high school, Vine had a band, but couldn’t afford to record tracks although he wanted to produce a record in light of his adolescent love for the punk genre. Fast forward to today, his new album captures his punk love that was with him ever since he was a kid.
Vine’s fifth album LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID!, out this month, explores a punk edge to his pop and alternative influences. This album is one of a kind, according to Vine, because it experiments with the punk genre, reminiscent of the type of music the kid version of Vine would listen to.
Vine says that this record is for kids who “just need a place to put all that energy, where they can rock out and have some positive sad songs.”
Infused with both an energetic and nostalgic feel, the album’s tracks explore themes of relationship troubles, miscommunications, and wondering where people who were present in your life as a kid are now. With this album, Vine found a healthy balance in his artistry that allowed him to step back and make something that he would love. “Everyone’s got an original story in life and mine started with pop-punk, and punk as a songwriter,” Vine says. “I wanted to kind of do [the album] for myself, for fun, instead of stressing myself out and trying to figure out what I want to do next as an artist.”
“You can’t evolve if you’re not also kind of always stretching and trying to outgrow more growing pains.”
Sounds of eras past are constantly making their way into today’s music with the help of trends and platforms like TikTok. People who weren’t alive during these eras are now connecting with and even developing a longing for them, which is a concept intriguing to Vine. He says he hopes his fans will appreciate his 2000s-influenced album, LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID!, as a time capsule of the era, and perhaps develop nostalgia for a time period they’d never known.
“I just figured that even though a lot of my fans weren’t around for the early 2000s, they’ll feel that energy I felt when I was young, because that’s where it’s coming from,” Vine says. “I needed that at the time, it made me feel better, and the fans tell me a lot that my music makes them feel better, so I keep trying to remember that as being a pretty important element.”
Vine emphasizes the importance of incorporating influences from the bands that he grew up on,
including the punk rock band Rancid and ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Taking influences to the next level, Vine had a fullcircle moment of covering the 1997 ska punk song “Superman” with Goldfinger, the song from Tony Hawk’s video game that initially pumped punk into his veins.
As if that weren’t full-circle enough, Vine was also able to get Tony Hawk featured on the song, ultimately allowing him to collaborate with both of the people responsible for him discovering punk. “Superman” was Vine’s third single off of LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID!, coming after “Yea Yea Yea” and “Still Want You,” prior to its full release. Produced by Goldfinger’s frontman, John Feldmann (blink 182, The Used, Avril Lavigne), the song dives into the ska and punk influences that shaped Vine’s music taste as a kid.
Last May, Vine released his 12-track alternative pop and hip-hop album Motel California, begging the question of how he was able to make LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! in such a short turnaround.
To answer that question, Vine says a lot of the new album’s songs were already done when he first collaborated with Feldmann, when they produced his 2021 song, “Empty Bottles” featuring Mod Sun. At the time, the duo had written a bunch of punk tracks, and while Vine wasn’t expecting it, Feldmann’s label suggested they turn the collection of songs into a full album. Vine, having just released Motel California, went back to the drawing board to write more songs and in no time LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! was done, becoming a bigger project than anticipated.
Vine has been in the music industry for over a decade, with his hit “Sour Patch Kids” appearing on his EP Lazy Fair back in 2014. However, Vine says there needs to be moments of development in between projects, or else you’ll fall victim to staying in the same place and writing about the same things. “I like to think you just mature, or I try to mature with the music that I’m making at the same time,” Vine says. “You can’t evolve if you’re not also kind of always stretching and trying to outgrow more growing pains. You know, get better. Have more restraints. Spend more time with people that matter. Be less selfish. Be grateful for the things you have in this world, be excited for the things you don’t yet.”
Circling back to how this new album is different from any one of his works, Vine says the decision to create LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID! was the path he wanted to take, setting his own boundaries. “I always said if I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and not doing it how I wanted to do it, even if it’s not the way it’s supposed to go, I’m gonna stop anyway so I might as well just do that,” Vine says. “It’s either stop or do it how I want to do it.”
“Everyone’s got an original story in life and mine started with pop-punk”
“I’m trying to create the same environment that got me excited about being a live performer when I was a kid”
A visit to Vine’s social media pages quickly displays a bio that reads “6x platinum, used to drive lyft.” Despite having this available for the public to also see, Vine said it’s actually for him to see over and over again to put things into perspective, since a lot of times people just assume others, like him, became who they are instantly, without a journey attached to their name. “The fact you get to do this is a gift, not a guarantee,” Vine says. “So every time I see that I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right.’”
Looking back at when he was driving for Lyft and not a professional musician yet, he says that “at that time, I wanted more in my life and now I have it and sometimes I still want more.” Yet Vine says, “I don’t look too much back at that young guy who was still enjoying playing his music for strangers and Lyft at three a.m. while I drove around L.A. It wasn’t what I wanted ideally, but it was there, it was a part of the development. You got to appreciate that.”
On February 19, Vine will begin his tour for LETS DO SOMETHING STUPID! The 13-city run will start in Denver and wrap up in Boston next month. Vine will be playing smaller venue sizes on this tour, which he says are the perfect spaces for the punk genre to thrive in.
“Punk shows aren’t meant to be played in the bigger stadiums and stuff like that a lot of the time,” Vine says. “It feels like a [show] you play in a small club. That’s how I found a lot of the bands I liked when I was coming up.”
The length of the tour also allows him to give each show his all, since touring is exhausting in itself, and the intimacy of smaller venues allow more room for connection. “I’m trying to create the same environment that got me excited about being a live performer when I was a kid,” he says.
When he was younger, Vine would’ve never imagined that one day he’d get to bring punk to life on his very own album, let alone visit Tony Hawk’s studio. Vine says it was one of childhood dreams to see the skateboarding legend’s 20-foot half-pipe with his own eyes. Not only did that dream come true, but Hawk himself explained to Vine how to drop into the half-pipe on a board. Although Vine didn’t attempt the monstrous half-pipe himself, getting to stand with Hawk and chat was a dream fulfilled in its own right.
Grab your record player
Sunday Best
Nick Jonas
Review by: Reagan Denning
2016 really is back—just ask Nick Jonas, who just released his latest solo project Sunday Best. The LP delivers a pop-leaning sound with nods to the soulful, church-rooted influences that he grew up with. Between “I Need You” and “You Got Me,” Jonas celebrates the love he shares with his wife Priyanka Chopra. “I Need You” is a tender piano ballad, with Jonas singing about her being “proof of heaven” and imagining a love that could last “’til the decades turn to centuries.” This LP is as open and vulnerable as we’ve ever seen Jonas, sharing moments from his family life, personal battles and his experience living with Type 1 Diabetes.
luck…or something Hilary Duff
Review by: Reagan Denning
There was once a time when Hilary Duff was the blueprint for pop girls everywhere. After a decade long hiatus, she’s finally making her return with her latest LP luck… or something. For those of us who grew up blasting Metamorphosis
through our iPod Nano’s and watching her grow from beloved Disney actress into a full fledged pop it-girl, this release feels extra special. Of course, it’s all about new music to sing, dance, and cry to—but more than that, it’s about who we were when her voice found us for the first time, and who we’ve become since.
HEAD FIRST (EP)
Corbyn Besson
Review by: Gabi Cuevas
Corbyn Besson, former member of boyband Why Don’t We, has just released his debut EP HEAD FIRST. The EP showcases Corbyn as who he is now as a solo artist after Why Don’t We’s end. The six-track EP is a collection of songs that captures both the vulnerable and fun chapters of his growth, throwing himself into this new era with newfound confidence and freedom.
Piss In The Wind
Joji
Review by: Cedric Concepcion
Joji has always been good at making music that feels halfthere, like it showed up late and might leave early without saying
goodbye. His new record Piss In The Wind leans into that instinct completely. It’s not an album that wants to impress you so much as sit next to you, shrug a little, and let the moment pass. The structure alone tells you what kind of record this is: 14 interludes, 7 full songs, and a whole lot of negative space. For some listeners, it may be a frustrating listen since Joji usually releases songs with more length, but it also feels intentional. These songs don’t rush to explain themselves. They show up, do one small emotional thing, and disappear.
Prizefighter
Mumford & Sons
Review by: Ann Korwan
Mumford & Sons have proven once again that they have no plans of slowing down. Less than a year after the release of their fifth album, Rushmere, they are back with their sixth album, Prizefighter. The album feels more like an extension of their 2025 release rather than something completely of its own, but is nonetheless an exciting act for loyal fans. Featuring tracks like “Rubber Band Man,” a song in collaboration with Hozier, and “The Banjo Song,” the record leans confidently into the band’s signature blend of stomping folk rhythms and arena-sized choruses while allowing space for subtler, more reflective moments.
Stardust (EP) Freya Skye
Review by: Clare Gehlich
Sixteen-year-old Freya Skye is continuing to prove she’s wise beyond her years with her latest EP, stardust, showcasing a depth and emotional maturity rare for her age. Following the explosive success of her Top 40 hit “silent treatment,” which gave fans a glimpse into her newfound confidence and musical style, stardust plays like a coming-of-age breakup arc—moving from confusion and hurt to clarity, boundaries, and healing. Throughout the EP, Skye guides listeners through stages of heartbreak and self-preservation, culminating in the sense that she’s protecting her own healing.
Do You Still Love Me?
Ella Mai
Review by: Ashanti Meadows
Grammy award-winning R&B artist Ella Mai has released her third studio album, Do You Still Love Me?, boasting 14 tracks that follow the story of love, relationships, and the minute details and complexities in between. There is a push and pull that is palpable at the beginning
of the album, with Mai seemingly resisting the connection to another while still acknowledging the growing feelings of affection in her heart. Tracks like “There Goes My Heart Again” and “Somebody’s Son” embody this energy perfectly. Across the songs, Mai’s guard is up, comes down, goes back up, and finishes down again as the relationship progresses.
A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (Anniversary Deluxe) Panic! At The Disco Review by:
Emily McCormack
“After disbanding just a short two years ago, American rock band Panic! At The Disco is back to celebrate their 2006 debut record, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, showcasing three sections: remastered songs, never-beforeheard demos, and spectacular “”Live in Denver”” recordings. While first 13 tracks on the deluxe showcase a more polished album, the real experience begins in the second part of the album: the demos—true demos of the tracks that paved the way for Panic!’s strong discography. The live recordings may be juiciest section of the project, featuring Ryan Ross, Jon Walker, Spencer Smith, and Brendon Urie sharing the stage. The deluxe edition is a delightful trip through mid-2000s nostalgia, mixed with a bit of behind-thescenes insight into the legendary Panic! debut. While there are no new or previously unreleased tracks included, the expanded edition serves as a neat compilation with all of its original charm and unparalleled whimsy.
The Fall Off J. Cole
Review by:
Rae Bozeman
“For the past 10 years, this album has been hand crafted with one intention: a personal challenge to myself to create my best work. To do on my last what I was unable to do on my first.” These words come from GRAMMY award-winning rapper J. Cole about his final album before retirement, The Fall Off. It’s an album consisting of 24 songs total, and a multitude of famous faces make an appearance as features, such as Erykah Badu, Burna Boy, Future, Tems, PJ, and Petey Pablo.
How Did I Get Here?
Louis Tomlinson
Review by: Reagan Denning
Having found Faith In the Future, Louis Tomlinson is finally standing in the present on his latest LP How Did I Get Here? is jam packed with tracks that are ready to be added to your summer 2026 playlists while also tugging at your heart strings. If this is where he’s arrived, it’s clear that the best of Louis Tomlinson is still ahead.
The Art of Being A Mess (Deluxe)
Lauren Spencer Smith
Review by:
Ally Franzo
The Art Of Being A Mess (Deluxe) by Lauren Spencer Smith is a real, honest, and deeply personal pop record that throws itself headfirst into the messy, beautiful chaos of human emotion. The deluxe version of this album not only adds six new songs to the singer’s critically acclaimed sophomore record, but also offers a new depth to the themes of love and self-acceptance that already resonated throughout. With the honest lyrics and the soulful singing, she encourages us to accept the highs and lows of life and reminds us that it is perfectly okay to feel everything all at once. This deluxe version of the album is both cathartic and comforting.
locket
Madison Beer
Review
by: Ally Franzo
Madison Beer has released her new album locket, and it arrives as her most personal and confessional work yet. On her third studio album, Beer steps boldly into the messy yet beautiful contradictions of the post breakup psyche—equal parts vulnerable and empowered. The album showcases Beer as she matures beyond pop singles and now digs deeper into emotional nuance while still embracing the pop landscape she thrives in. From the gentle, atmospheric opener “locket theme” to the tender closer “nothing at all,” the album feels like a diary that is locked tight, but offered freely.
Before I Forget
The Kid LAROI
Review by:
Shauna Hilferty
Three years and one scrapped album later, The Kid LAROI delivers his most vulnerable project yet. Seeped in sorrow, BEFORE I FORGET is a pointblank breakup album. BEFORE I FORGET expands on the fracture of a relationship, acceptance, and ultimately closure. Leaning heavily into an ‘80s-inspired synth sound mixed with early 2000s R&B influences, the project brings a new intimacy that the singersongwriter calls “my favorite thing I’ve ever made.” Songs like “ME & YOU” and “Tell Your Friends” set the tone of longing and reflection that can be heard throughout the album.
