March has been an excellent month for new releases after a slow start to the year due to all the uncertainty about the future of live music. Along with established artists like Taylor Swift releasing singles for the album re-recordings, many artists like Julia Michaels, Girl in Red, and Ashe dropped lead singles off upcoming debut albums. Here are the top 5 songs from March that I think deserve your ears.
You All Over Me
By Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is offering the first taste of songs out of the Fearless (Taylor’s Version) vault. I didn’t know what to expect from a song written by 18-year-old Taylor, but it turned out it was exactly what I needed. Taylor and Aaron Dessner perfectly captured the authentic sounds of Fearless so it blends into the existing album perfectly. I’m so excited to hear all the re-recordings and vault songs on April 9th.
All Your Exes
By Julia Michaels
Julia Michaels is one of the most iconic songwriters in pop at the moment. She’s behind major pop songs like “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, “Bad Liar” by Selena Gomez, and even “Unlearn” by Gracie Abrams later on this list. This all comes alongside an incredible artist career. “All Your Exes” is Julia’s second single off her upcoming debut album. It’s a jealousy-fueled pop song all about wishing your ex didn’t have a past with anyone else. It bounces around production-wise, but Julia’s witty lyrics and signature witty honesty continue to shine through.
Unlearn
By Gracie Abrams & Benny Blanco
Gracie Abrams has proved to be a quiet storm in quarantine releasing her debut EP Minor. Benny has been shaping the sound of radio pop since the 2010s. This month, they teamed up to craft a song for Benny’s artist project about unlearning toxic habits formed in an abusive relationship so you can accept love from a genuine person. The emotionally vulnerable song comes with a simple video playing on the rom-com trope that pints of ice cream heals all wounds.
Serotonin
By Girl In Red
Early in the month, Girl In Red dropped another new single and an album announcement. “Serotonin” details the painful reality of dealing with intrusive thoughts and mental health issues no one likes to talk about because they can’t be neatly packaged. In the verses she quite literally lists all these different intrusive thoughts she has, making the song as relatable and comforting as it is jarring.
Till Forever Falls Apart
By Ashe & Finneas
Ashe, who’s skyrocketed to prominence with singer-songwriter hit “Moral of the Story”, teams up with her good friend Finneas, best known for his work as Billie Eilish’s producer and brother, to create a sweeping duet about love and climate change. This romantic duet immediately drew me in because the hook only promises to love the other person “until forever falls apart”. Forever has always felt too sweeping to promise, and this song carries that awareness as the chorus details the climate change disasters that will likely befall California putting an end to their forever.