Sadness is Sasha Sloan's brand. Her staggeringly good debut EP was literally called sad girl, while the followup was christened Loser. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise then, that the singer/songwriter's long-awaited debut LP, Only Child, is a dropkick to the heart. There are songs about loneliness, loss, alienation, body dysmorphia and general delusion. However, flecks of happiness and,...

Ariana Grande is a woman of her word. Last week, the 27-year-old casually tweeted that she would be dropping her 6th album this month. Today, she reveals the title of the lead single and the release date. "Positions," which is rumored to be a racy bedroom anthem, drops on October 23. The album, which is also called Positions, will arrive a week later on October 30. I know this because Ariana kindly...

It's only a matter of time before A Good Woman Is Hard To Find ends up on a streaming service and becomes a mini-phenomenon. All the elements are there. Abner Pastoll's festival favorite is a hard-boiled, revenge drama with a heroine to root for. The director deftly introduces us to a world of crushing cruelty and casual belittlement. One in which, the titular Good Woman could feasibly be pushed to...

Lana Del Rey introduces her much-anticipated Chemtrails Over The Country Club album with "Let Me Love You Like A Woman." Produced by Jack Antonoff, the stripped-back ballad finds the singer/songwriter leaning into Americana. "I come from a small town, how 'bout you? I only mention it 'cause I'm ready to leave LA," she begins the song. "And I want you to come, eighty miles North or South will...

Justin Bieber teams up with Benny Blanco for a deeply personal ballad called "Lonely," which addresses his life in the spotlight. "Everybody knows my name now, but something 'bout it still feels strange," the pop star begins over tinkling piano keys. "Like looking in the mirror trying to steady yourself and seeing somebody else." He then gets very real on the hard-hitting chorus. "What if you had it...

Few debut singles in recent history have been as influential and frequently ripped-off as Kiiara's "Gold." Meeting at the crossroads of pop and alt-electro, the distorted banger went viral in 2015 and ultimately climbed all the way to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, the 25-year-old has been figuring things out — both creatively and emotionally. That journey has been painstakingly...

A great artist has hits. A truly extraordinary one has those as well as hidden treasures that extend to the deepest, darkest recesses of their discography. And then there's Mariah Carey, who has 19 chart-toppers, beloved deep cuts and an album worth of flawless material sitting in the vault. Mimi finally dusts those pop relics off, and gives them a chance to shine on The Rarities (out now). Make no...

Daisy Dove Bloom might have taken 9 months to arrive, but Katy Perry's fifth album gestated for a lot longer. With songs dating back in 2017, Smile has evolved — seemingly in real time — with the superstar. From the tear-soaked bangers that begin the album to sunny serenity that ends it, Smile is a diary-like account of Katy's early 30s. One that she has been kind enough to share with the world....

If you're looking for clumsy jump scares and buckets of gore, Relic is not the film for you. Natalie Erika James, in one of 2020's most auspicious directorial debuts, focuses on atmosphere, tension and emotional nuance. This is the kind of fright fest that slowly seeps under your skin, and then lingers long after the final credits roll. Which is no small feat for a body horror that — on the face...

By conjuring a multi-layered pop album for grownups, Katy Perry pulls off an increasingly rare feat with Smile. This is pop with purpose that uplifts and inspires. Over the course of 12 bouncy bops and catchy toe-tappers, Katy takes us along on her journey of self-discovery — exploring themes like perseverance, acceptance and healing. If Witness represented the eye of a very public storm, Smile is...

Taylor Swift has already won Album Of The Year Grammys for both country and pop offerings. (Fearless and 1989, respectively). She could feasibly take home a third with folklore. Which is excitingly difficult to horn into any particular genre. There are country and pop elements in the mix, but also folk, indie and Americana. The result is a heady, rustic brew that evokes fog-smeared forests and log...

Melanie Martinez's After School EP arrived today (September 25) and it's another thoroughly demented collection of pop songs from the genre's most original voice. Apart from being exceptionally good, the 7-song set is also notable because it finds the 25-year-old side-stepping Cry Baby — the usual lens through which she creates. Instead, this is 100 percent undiluted Melanie Martinez. Everything...