16 years after the arrival of her debut and returning with her fifth major release in just over two years, it’s truly impressive that Taylor Swift is still shattering records. It seemed like it was out of reach that any album would ever sell over a million in its first week ever again, but this … Continue reading Taylor Swift – Midnights
Bedroom Pop
Rex Orange County – WHO CARES?
For someone who was once dubbed “The Internet’s new favourite sad boy” after rising to prominence overnight following heavy contributions to Tyler, the Creator’s Flower Boy album, Rex Orange County’s latest project is exceptionally positive and uplifting. While the British indie-pop singer wastes no time diving into some of his usual topics of depression, imposter syndrome and crushing … Continue reading Rex Orange County – WHO CARES?
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Any follow-up after capturing all four of the Grammys’ top categories with a debut album released at age 17 would have been an extremely tall order. While one of music’s brightest new stars may have ever so slightly fallen victim to the sophomore slump – or at the very least, the astronomical expectations she created … Continue reading Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Clairo – Sling
Two years after her beloved and critically acclaimed debut Immunity, breaking out onto the scene in a massive way at the age of only 19, bedroom pop singer/songwriter Clairo is already at the stage of her career where she’s receiving the Jack Antonoff treatment. Apparently the producer who never rests for an instant, Antonoff once … Continue reading Clairo – Sling
Olivia Rodrigo – SOUR
While it seems like more and more teen stars are rising to popularity every day, it feels like it’s been a very long time since someone had the kind of overnight success and overwhelming support that 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo is currently experiencing. The closest comparison might be someone like Billie Eilish, but even she had … Continue reading Olivia Rodrigo – SOUR
girl in red – if i could make it go quiet
The influence of TikTok on the music industry can’t be understated enough, but its nature of blowing up songs off of a tiny soundbite can cause the actual artists behind these smash hits to remain in relative obscurity. That’s evidently not been the case for girl in red, who is resonating with Gen Z in … Continue reading girl in red – if i could make it go quiet
Madison Beer – Life Support
Madison Beer, the former teen YouTube sensation and Disney tabloid fascination (you can thank a Bieber co-sign for that one) is now 21 years old and has been building up buzz on social media towards the release of her debut studio album. A highly personal journey into a dark pop soundscape, Beer sings mostly through … Continue reading Madison Beer – Life Support
Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
20-year-old singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks has been attracting critical attention in her home country of the UK for a couple years now, and she’s managed to bring that energy across the Atlantic just in time for her debut studio album. With a deeply soulful sound drawing influences from funk and jazz yet recorded in … Continue reading Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams
beabadoobee – Fake It Flowers
It feels like we’ve been hearing the name beabadoobee as someone to watch for a long time, opening up for acts like the 1975 and Clairo and getting shoutouts from some of the planet’s biggest musical stars, so it’s surprising that she’s still only 20 years old. Now with a TikTok smash hit to her … Continue reading beabadoobee – Fake It Flowers
NIKI – MOONCHILD
21-year-old Indonesian pop and R&B artist NIKI has garnered quite a bit of attention after signing to the wildly popular 88Rising label, which intends to provide a platform for Asian artists in North America. After contributing to most of the highlights on the label’s uneven collaborative effort, Head in The Clouds II, last year, my … Continue reading NIKI – MOONCHILD
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 