Social distancing has given me the opportunity to catch up on all things entertainment; movies or shows I’ve always wanted to watch, books I want to read, and this week – albums I’ve been so excited to listen to and review. I’ve spent a few days catching up on some of the latest releases, here are my thoughts!
1. 5SOS
I think this may have been the album release I was most excited to listen to. I’ve been a 5SOS fan since 2014 and love seeing them grow and try out different sounds with each album release. Their 4th album, “Calm”, came out on March 27th, with few tracks we’d already known and loved, such as ‘Easier’ and ‘Teeth’. It is a shorter album for them, only 12 songs, 39 minutes total. With this album, and YoungBlood (released in 2018), we seem them shift from your typical pop boy band to having this edgy, cool, rock vibe and I’m here for it! My favorite tracks so far are ‘Red Desert’, ‘Wildflower’, “Not In The Same Way’ and ‘Thin White Lies’
2. Niall Horan
I’ve always been a Niall girl, since the One Direction days, and I’m happy that his solo career has been so successful. I loved his first album “Flicker”, so I was pumped for the release of “Heartbreak Weather” on March 13th. Prior to the release, Horan dropped ‘Nice To Meet Ya, ‘Put A Little Love On Me’, and ‘No Judgement’ each with a totally different sound, so I was unsure of what to expect as far as sound goes. The album is a perfect combination of his new sound of more upbeat pop songs and the slow love ballads he does really well. My favorites so far are ‘Black and White’, ‘Small Talk’, ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Cross Your Mind’
3. Justin Bieber
I always go through phases with Justin Bieber, where sometimes I love him and his music, and sometimes I don’t. However, his previous album, “Purpose” (released in 2015) is my favorite album he’s ever put out, so I figured since it’s been five years I’d give “Changes” a chance, which came out on February 14th. Prior to the release, Bieber dropped ‘Yummy’ which I was not a fan of and “Intentions’ featuring Quavo which I liked a lot. In addition to Quavo, Bieber also has some pretty fire features on this album including Post Malone, Clever, Lil Dicky, Travis Scott, Kehlani, and Summer Walker. As a whole, I liked the album! I don’t think it’s super different from his other music, but it’s definitely got a chill, sound and good vibes to it. My favorites so far are ‘Forever’ featuring Post Malone and Clever, ‘Running Over’ featuring Lil Dicky, and ‘Changes’
4. The Weeknd
When The Weeknd dropped “Starboy” in 2016, I listened to that album every day for weeks, so I was super excited to check out “After Hours” which dropped on March 20th. We got some sneak peeks into the album with the release of ‘Heartless’ and ‘Blinding Lights’ (which I have on repeat). After listening, I do like the album, but personally, it’s definitely not my favorite he’s ever released. For me, I don’t think I would listen to this on a daily basis, but I definitely think its perfect for when I’m in more of a feels mood! More recently, The Weeknd dropped the deluxe version of the album with some bonus tracks and remixes as well. My favorites off the album so far are ‘Blinding Lights’, ‘Faith’ and ‘Save Your Tears’
5. Dua Lipa
I’ve never been a huge Dua Lipa fan, I just know and listen to her more popular tracks, but when I heard so many rave reviews of her new album, I knew I needed to give it a listen. “Future Nostalgia” came out on March 27th and has 11 tracks. Prior to listening to the album, I’d only heard ‘Don’t Start Now’ (on Tik Tok 8000 times) so I was excited to hopefully find some new tracks to enjoy. I actually really like this album, more than I thought I would; it just makes me want to dance around my apartment. I may have to go back and fully listen to her first album. My favorites so far are ‘Levitating’, “Hallucinate’, and ‘Break My Heart’