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“Air Guitar” by Sobs (released on Oct. 26)
From the bright colors of the album cover to the heavy guitar sounds on the title track, “Air Guitar” by Singaporean band Sobs feels as though listeners have walked straight into a late ’90s romantic-comedy.
The entire album tells the story of lead singer Celine Autumn’s unstable relationships. The feeling of butterflies from falling in love for the first time seems to dissipate as time passes and Autumn is left to hang on to whatever else the relationship offers.
Autumn’s bright blue hair on the album cover and blurred background already tells listeners that the story will be told from a rosy lens, similar to most ’90s rom-coms.
It’s the kind of album young girls will cry and dance to while reminiscing about their first kiss from the “one who got away.”
Behind clunky guitars and a strong backbone of drums, “Air Guitar” is pop music at its finest. It sounds cheery, but is rooted in sadness.
Pop music used to lean heavy on emotions, but over the past few years, it drew away from that teenage angst. Sobs reminds us that there is a subtle beauty in teenagers playing “air guitar” in their rooms while crying about their ex-lovers.
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“My Mind & Me” by Selena Gomez (released on Nov. 3)
It can be easy to belittle the problems of pop stars. They’re surrounded by wealth and people who are ready to serve their every need after all.
Singer Selena Gomez has opened up about their mental health struggles and has shown us that no one should be placed on a pedestal, let alone celebrities.
Her latest single “My Mind & Me” was released a day before her documentary of the same name on Apple TV+.
Gomez has gone through a slew of physical struggles including revealing her lupus diagnosis, an immune system disorder that attacks tissues, which led to her receiving a kidney transplant from close friend and actress Francia Raisa in 2017.
In April 2020, Gomez revealed she has bipolar disorder, a struggle which is hard enough to endure without being in the limelight.
In “My Mind & Me,” Gomez opens up the details of her struggles.
During the chorus, a gentle acoustic guitar merges with the simple piano melody of the verses as Gomez’s breathy voice sings “My mind and me / We don't get along sometimes / And it gets hard to breathe.”
With a stripped down production, Gomez peels back the layers of her mind and gives listeners an opportunity to see exactly what resides there.
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Saumya’s album of the week: “The Sale” by Julien Chang (released Nov. 4)
At the age of 17, Baltimore music student Julien Chang began writing songs for his debut album “Jules” which was released in 2019.
It was psychedelic and effervescent. It's the kind of album that can only come from a teenager recording music in his basement in secret, hidden in view until it is ready to erupt into the soundscape.
It came out of nowhere but garnered the attention of music fans and critics alike who were impressed by his masterful production.
At every turn, Chang sought to surprise listeners and his latest album “The Sale” is no different.
It’s funkier, featuring more solidified guitar rhythms than his debut album. But it is still an exploration of everything music can offer.
Chang continues to place instrumentation at the forefront. His vocals aren’t strong and are layered on top of each other. His voice fades into the background as his multi-instrumental sensibilities take the wheel.
We drift through deep bass, subtle guitars and addicting drum beats. It’s never clear where we are going, but listeners can’t wait to reach wherever Chang is taking us.
Chang is an exciting artist because he is unconventional, inspired by everything from classical piano to synths. He isn’t here to be “popular” but rather to create enticing music atmospheres for his fans.
