As a lover of anything indie, I’m always searching for new music with meaningful lyrics and a catchy tune. With loads of new music being released every day, it’s hard to keep track of the newest hits. Oftentimes, a lot of really amazing songs fall under the radar due to a lack of publicity. So, in no particular order, here are a few songs that deserve a bit more attention:
- “House With No Mirrors”– Sasha Sloan
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Sloan, who has been very open about her struggles with eating disorders, uses this song to lament her body image issues. In an interview with Apple Music, she explained why the song is more contemplative than celebratory, saying, “A problem I have with a lot of body image songs is that they’re really empowering. It doesn’t feel real. Someone screaming on the radio that I’m beautiful doesn’t do it for me.” The lyrics acknowledge how hard it is to live in a world of social media and constant comparison. “If I lived in a house with no mirrors/ Where the walls didn’t talk back to me,” she sings, “Maybe I’d dream a bit bigger/ If there was nothin’ to see.”
- “Cool Girl”– dodie
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I highly recommend checking out the music video to this song. Utilizing slightly out-of-sync choreography to symbolize trying to fit in but standing out anyway, dodie creates a tribute to the “cool girl” monologue from Gone Girl. She refuses to submit to all of her boyfriend’s wants, singing, “How much of a tongue can I bite until we notice blood?/ Spit to the left, carry on, just smile and say you’re good.”
- “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”– Holly Humberstone
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In an interview with Clash, Humberstone explained that the song was about “losing momentum and feeling like your emotions will slowly destroy the relationship you’re in and you altogether.” A fast-paced song that gracefully handles the topic of feeling control slip from your fingers, I often find myself leaving this song on repeat.
- “moneydontfixlonely”– Sophia Messa
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Messa addresses the problem of thinking that gifting things to someone will create or salvage a relationship. “But money don’t fix lonely/ If it did, you’d owe me,” the chorus begins, “I just wanted you to wanna hold me, you don’t own me.” A slick slow song, the lyrics will definitely get stuck in a loop inside your brain.
- “Watching You”– Robinson
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This music video is another must-watch, discussing the pain of watching someone you love pine for someone else. A more somber version of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” the video follows a girl who films her friend as he connects with another girl, secretly wishing that she was with him the whole time. “It’s so hard to pretend when you ask me what I think/ When she hurts you again,” Robinson laments. Anyone who’s ever had to help a friend they were crushing on court someone else can connect to the song’s anguish.
- “Older”– Shallou & Daya
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A song for the hopelessly single romantic, the song’s chorus ends with the lines, “Maybe one day when I am older/ I might understand why love/ Just doesn’t happen to everyone who wants it.” The song conveys the despair of someone who is looking for a soulmate to bring them happiness rather than being content with themselves.
- “tomorrow tonight”– Loote
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A catchy hit about regretting a break-up, this song is another good one to put on repeat. The beginning of the chorus is the catchiest part, starting with “So I pour another shot/ And I pretend that it’s your lips/ Chase you down, another round/ Until I taste your whiskey kiss.”
- “VICES”– Mothica
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Discussing struggles in a fast-paced tune, Mothica accurately captures being in the throws of addiction. “I’m alone with all my thoughts,” she sings, “So I gotta drink ‘em up ‘til I’m numb.” At first glance, it’s just a fun song, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find meaningful lyrics that describe the feeling of wanting to numb pain by any means possible.
- “Safe With You”– Delaney Jane
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Have you ever gone to a party and then realized that it really wasn’t your scene? Then this is the perfect song for you. It describes a girl left by her friends and feeling uncomfortable at the outskirts of the party, only to find the one person that makes her feel truly safe.
- “My Mistake”– Gabrielle Aplin
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Gabrielle Aplin is one of my favorite artists, and severely underrated for having founded her own independent record label. It was really difficult for me to choose a song to put on this list, but I decided on one of her 2018 releases. The song tackles the issue of becoming attached to your pain, with lines like, “There’s magic in this misery/ So no matter what you say/ I don’t think I’ll ever change.” Aplin said during a press release that she and the other writers “decided to be brutally honest. Not try to flower anything up or be poetic. Just purely the feeling of accepting you feel awful…owning it.”