This year has been fabulous for music so far, but I am an overachieving student with mental illnesses and a short attention span. What I mean by this is that when new albums drop, I rarely remember to listen to them. When I do listen to them, I rarely finish the entire thing, even if I’ve been looking forward to it for months. I’m pretty sure the only LP I’ve listened to this year is Wallows’ Tell Me That It’s Over, and considering I listen to the same old music for months at a time, this will probably last me until May (possibly longer, though good music is set to drop in May).
However, my only fix to this character flaw is keeping track of new singles as little snacks to eat in between dry spells, and may I say, there have been some giggity gems if I do say so myself.
- “mona lisa” by mxmtoon 02/08
This single represented a beacon of hope for me for many reasons. For one, it gave me the hope that there would be a new mxmtoon album in the future (dropping May 20th!!!!!!!), which was enough to keep me going until then. For another, this song is SO good.
The premise of always being the one writing the odes and arts for others hits a little too close to home considering you’re probably reading this on a blog written by a single teenager with no prospect of romance awaiting, but the song is so freaking amazing. The production feels so intentional and neat with fabulous layered vocals that could make Mark Zuckerberg cry his first tear and lyrics that reflect a coming of age within her experiences with romance. I will never get tired of mxmtoon’s voice and I don’t want to wait another second for her album to drop!
- “King by Florence” + the Machine 02/23
I have loved Florence + the Machine ever since I was a wee nine-year-old listening to “Dog Day Are Over” under the covers of my bed with my headphones on because I thought that my sisters would make fun of me for listening to something so indie and dramatic. She has followed me through my adolescence and into my awkward, acne-filled years where I began being proud of listening to something so cool and that no one at my tween age could relate to, which made me super interesting and unique. Now, we both grow together, she musically and me… well, I think I’ve grown some way, so the sentence works.
When “King” first dropped, it made me so happy that Florence could accompany me into the tumultuous later teenage years of my life. I was happy about this before the song dropped, but I was even happier after I listened to it. It’s classic Florence: it’s ethereal, it’s fantastical, it’s epic, it’s symphonic, it’s FLORENCE. It feels like a shift in her music to mold around her own ambitions as an artist, and I’m excited to see where this path will take both her and me as we both get older.
- “I’m Tired” by Labrinth and Zendaya 02/28
Hearing this song (and the endless slew of TikToks I’d been getting) convinced me to finally watch Euphoria after it being popular for so long, and BOY was I behind. Obviously I loved the show, but I was seriously missing out on the extent of Labrinth’s talent as someone supplying most of the soundtrack within the supplemental parts of the show.
This song is an absolutely incredible tribute to soul and and choral influence on music production, and to leave this single out of this article would make me eligible for conviction. Zendaya’s vocals are ANGELIC, and the way that Labrinth’s voice brings so much cohesion to the song and its backing elements is undeniably magical.
- “At the End of the Day” by Wallows 03/04
I will never have enough good things to say about this song. I would say I was a Wallows fan to an extremely novice degree before I heard this song, but I hate those three young men for making a song that makes me want to go to prom simply in order to dance to that song and then leave. Prom dresses are expensive, you know? I have also convinced my parents to love this song, and if they approve, everyone should.
It’s a fabulous song that sounds like strobe lights meeting disco balls, and I’ll never get enough of it. I am a terrible dancer, but you can thank Wallows for the heinousness that occurs when I hear even a second of this song.
- As It Was by Harry Styles 04/01
I love nothing more than being a basic teenage girl, and I am not ashamed in the slightest at the adrenaline that pumped through my body when I listened to this song for the first time. If anything, it only heightened my senses, therefore making the experience better. It felt like bedroom pop, and I’m excited to see a newer type of style from him as his first album was extremely acoustic and “Fine Line” played with a bit more productional tricks. “As It Was” feels like a child of his two previous albums along with some more confidence in his abilities and I’m thrilled that he’s finally putting out new music.
Perhaps I am not a true fan of Harry for saying this, but I have been personally resigned from the Fine Line era since halfway through quarantine when I’d listened to the album endlessly to the point where I can’t hear “Adore You” without getting nauseous. Did I scream it when I was in my nosebleeds during the tour? You bet your bottom dollar I did, and I’d do it again. But Sir Harry only has two albums out for me to peruse, and at this point, I am on my third phase of his self-titled album. That phase will definitely last me until May 20th, so I won’t complain as much, but I Taylor’s nine albums will keep me going (I know where I stand in the divorce).
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There’s never a shortage of new music these days, and I’m sure I missed a few world-shifting singles considering I only included five, but I love finding new music and will take any suggestions in the comments! Which singles have made your year better? I know I might have snubbed a few of my favorites, but I’m a busy gal and five singles is all I have time for with AP exams coming up! Give these fabulous songs a listen and leave me some recommendations if you feel so inclined.