A lot of great music has come our way this past year (and past week), so I wanted to make a short list of some great new albums you may have heard of and why you should definitely check them out if you haven’t already.
- Maroon 5- Red Pill Blues – November 3
The most recently released album on the list, Red Pill Blues is Maroon 5’s sixth album. Formed officially in 1997 then again in 2001, Maroon 5 rose to fame after the release of Songs About Jane in 2002 (which captured John Mayer’s attention and resulted in Maroon 5 joining his 2003 tour).
“What Lovers Do” is their most popular track on Red Pill Blues at the moment; featuring SZA, this smooth song combines a typical Maroon 5 foot-stomping beat with some unique echoing in the background and Adam Levine’s trademark vocal range. But the songs that really display Levine’s talent have to be “Help Me Out” (featuring Julia Michaels) and “Wait,” where Levine climbs an impressive vocal stepladder.
All in all, Red Pill Blues gives off some majorly chill, West Coast vibes through Levine’s voice, the smooth synth, and the consistent back beats.
- Imagine Dragons- Evolve– June 23
Formed in Las Vegas in 2008, Imagine Dragons skyrocketed to stardom after Train’s lead singer fell ill and was unable to perform at a Las Vegas festival, so Imagine Dragons was asked to perform for over 20,000 people in their place. Evolve is the band’s third album after Smoke + Mirrors (2015) and Night Visions (2012).
This album was released last summer; I’m sure everyone remembers the stadium-shaking anthems, “Thunder” and “Believer” that were being played everywhere, and are the album’s most popular songs. But Evolve has some other really great songs you just can’t miss. “Whatever It Takes” alternates between front-man Dan Reynolds’s quick, low-voiced lyrics and a slow, tension-filled chorus sure to bring some chills to your spine. “Start Over,” is airy and positive, and one of the ending tracks on the album that shows Reynolds’s recovery from a depression he’s battled against since childhood.
Evolve is characteristically Imagine Dragons, combining powerful sound with meaningful lyrics that promote action, yet also inspires.
- Khalid- American Teen– March 3
This 19-year-old broke onto the music scene in 2016, only a year after he began playing music. Reaching number 2 on the Billboard Twitter Emerging Artists Chart, hitting 35 million plays for his song, “Location,” on Spotify, and selling out every venue for his month-long “Location Tour” Khalid has a host of impressive credentials for anyone, let alone someone as young as him. American Teen is his first album, which features his well-known hit, “Location.”
His second track, as well as his second most popular song is called “Young Dumb & Broke;” chronicling the emotions embodying high school students, this song pairs Khalid’s delightfully moody vocals with modern beats. “Saved” is one you may not know as well, but it’s definitely worth a listen. It’s a heartfelt tune about young love that includes slight guitar picks and though it’s upbeat, “Saved” is offset by Khalid’s entirely relatable, melancholy hopefulness.
Through Khalid’s unique, drifting voice and understanding lyrics, American Teen produces a trance-like atmosphere, very worthy of all the great attention he has garnered this past year.
Hopefully this list has been helpful in our endless search for great new music.