Fall has been jam-packed full of new music releases, from Madison Beer’s new single, “Showed Me (How I Fell in Love With You)” to Taylor Swift’s teasers regarding her new album, Midnights, which will be released on the 21st. While there are plenty of hits just waiting to be released, here are a few bangers you may have missed:
1. Difficult– Gracie Abrams
Released on October 7th, “Difficult” covers a wide variety of internal struggles, from the fear of living on your own to romanticizing a significant other. Abrams captures the inability to fully describe emotional turmoil, singing, “To name this feelin’/ Would take a hundred thousand years, some kind of grievin’/ But over what I never had, so I’ve been speakin’/ To my therapist, I call her every weekend.” It’s a catchy tune that hides some deeply resonant lyrics, and it’s perfect for when you want to roll down the windows, stick your arm out, and pretend that you’re in a movie.
2. Never Be the Same– Gabrielle Aplin
Part of Aplin’s album, Phosphorescent, which is set to be released on January 13th, “Never Be the Same” is about the realization that you become a different person after a relationship. The song centers around a girl who has just returned home from a breakup and has lost her sense of self. “It’s all fun and games/ ‘Til you realize that you’ve changed,” she sings, “You’ll never be the same/ Don’t recognize myself, my face, my name.” Insanely catchy and extremely relatable, this song is for your late-night solo concert sessions.
3. Conversations– FLETCHER
Track 6 on FLETCHER’s new album, Girl of My Dreams, “Conversations” is a fast-paced song that describes the complex conversations we have with ourselves in our heads. She perfectly captures the turbulent emotions that can run through our minds and prevent us from falling asleep, singing, “Now it’s 3 A.M. lookin’ at the ceilin’/ Existential crisis mode/ All alone, feelin’ all my feelings/ Hangin’ out ‘til the stars go home.” The song’s rapid bridge mirrors the rapid thoughts that blur through our brains. Perfect for an impromptu dance party or a midnight mental breakdown, this song is definitely one you should have on every playlist.
4. casualty of your dreams– Maggie Lindemann
Maggie Lindemann is an absolute pop punk princess. Track 4 on her new album, SUCKERPUNCH, “casualty of your dreams” is about escaping a relationship that has turned toxic. “Green flags turned red from all my bleeding/ I fell quickly for words misleading,” Lindemann wails, “Don’t come crawling back with your healing/ ‘Cause I’m not strong enough to fight the feeling.” It’s the perfect song to listen to in a dark room, eyes closed, just letting the emotion envelop you.
5. tired of california– Nessa Barrett
I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve been almost exclusively listening to “tired of california” since its release on October 7th, a week before Barrett’s debut album, young forever. She laments the fakeness of the entertainment industry and those pursuing fame, singing, “I’m so tired of California, I’m so tired of LA/ Where the real thing comes as often as the California rain/ I got all these legal toxins in my blood and in my brain/ I keep saying that I’m leaving, but it doesn’t work that way.” The song’s slick chorus easily gets stuck in your head, and Barrett’s inclusion of a children’s choir to sing the bridge gives it a bone-chilling quality reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.”