In some ways, this fall season has been a series of emotions, including feelings like anger, heartbreak, sadness, and even happiness. Music has always been the perfect way to demonstrate how to feel in the moment.
Listening to music helps me organize my emotions. After a long day of classes, it’s nice to be able to relax for one hour and just listen to your favorite songs.
This fall has brought a lot of new experiences and music into my life, and three albums stuck out the most this past fall season. Let’s take a deep dive into my top three albums this season.
First, have you dated in your early twenties and been heartbroken? This album is for you.
Secret of Us (Deluxe) — Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams initially released Secret of Us in June 2024, but a deluxe version of the album was released in October 2024. She added four brand-new songs, including three live recordings of I Love You Sorry, I Knew It, I Knew You, and Free Now. Secret of Us is Abrams’ sophomore album and received much recognition on the Billboard Top 200. The album is peaking at the No. 5 spot. The album spent 20 weeks on the chart, and its peak position since the release was the No. 2 spot.
This album brought many different feelings to my mind. It gives me a rundown of what it means to have ups and downs in relationships and to find self-worth after a harsh breakup. Some honorable mentions of the album would have to be Felt Good About You, That’s So True, and Packing It Up.
Felt Good About You stood out to me the most because it explores the complexities of a romantic relationship that begins with high hopes but moves slowly into disappointment and regret.
That’s So True is another song on the album but speaks more to how it may feel when you hear about an ex-partner starting to date someone else. This feeling is always hard for everyone because you can still not move on from the relationship. But by the end of the day, you begin to realize the past relationship isn’t as sweet as it sounds, and your well-being shouldn’t be in that relationship.
Packing It Up is my favorite song on the entire album. It speaks of giving up on love until meeting someone who completely changes Abrams’ life. Everyone has experienced a harsh breakup, and when in the recovery stage, you meet a person who ends up falling in love with someone you don’t expect.
Pretty— Artemas
Artemas is well known for his one hit, I Like the Way You Kiss Me, but released his debut album, Pretty, on February 9th, 2024.
This album brings various mixes and gives the audience a feeling of what it means to begin a relationship and the downfalls of failed talking stages of new relationships. When we meet someone new and hope to be in a relationship with this person, we develop many feelings that we cannot control. Not being able to read what this new person wants from you can be very frustrating. Some honorable mentions of the album are: Just Want You to Feel Something and If You Think I’m Pretty.
Both of these songs give a perspective of what it means to be in the beginning stage of talking to someone new romantically, but they also give another perspective of how you may feel about the person not being straightforward about what they really want with you.
Just want you to feel something is my favorite song out of the album as it speaks to what it means to be receiving mixed signals from the person you are in a talking stage with. Mixed signals from the person you hope to enter a relationship with are challenging and frustrating because they make it seem like you are being led on and not worth romantically towards that person.
If You Think I’m Pretty is another favorite song of mine as it speaks more about what it means to be in a very early stage of talking with a person and the physicality involved. Artemas is explicitly talking about a girl he is seeing, and he thinks she’s so pretty that they should be together even though she may be bad for him. We have all been in that situation at least once, and our conscience always thinks we will be okay because we are in that puppy love stage.
Think Later— Tate McRae
Tate McRae released her second album, Think Later, on December 8th, 2023. This will always be my favorite album of all time as it gives many different perspectives and raw emotions of falling in love and the perspective of friendships falling apart due to jealousy. When we fall in love, it can be frustrating because all the emotions you are feeling about this person are coming at you so fast and you do not know how to exactly feel at the moment. I will say it’s tough to pick my honorable mentions of this album as all of the songs are so meaningful to me. But my favorites would have to be We’re not alike, Cut my hair, and Run for the hills.
We’re not alike speaks about how you are friends with a person you thought was your friend, but you find out they did an action that results in the end of a friendship. Tate speaks very openly about her feelings in this song, as she expressed in one of her lyrics, “ So when did you decide you want him instead?” This brings the idea of when your friend gets with your ex-partner after a break up between you two.
Cut my hair is another favorite of mine on the album as it speaks very closely to how I felt after being in failed relationships because it helps bring purpose that it’s okay to be on your own, but also be petty as you want to show your ex-partner that you can succeed without them. “Want you so bad, I hate it // Good Girls, so overrated //Just wanna cut my hair.” This line helps me think about what it means to be in the healing stage after a recent break, but then you realize your worth but still feel the need to want to be with them.
Run for the Hills speaks a lot about what it means to be in a complicated relationship that isn’t exactly over. When we are in a relationship with a person, they can either be good or bad for you. In this situation, Tate Mcrae speaks on what it feels like to be in a relationship with someone terrible for their own well-being. Being in a situation like this can be really difficult as it will bring bad feelings for yourself. It makes you feel you cannot leave a situation and are willing to stay in the problem because you need them. I have felt this feeling many times because you later realize it’s okay to not have them in your life.
This fall has brought many different emotions, and these albums helped me frame how to express my feelings about falling in love, realizing my worth in a relationship, or even friendships.