We are all finding ourselves in the transitional period between summer and fall. Some days, you may need an upbeat track filled with trumpets and electric guitars to get you out the door, and other days you might be searching for an introspective acoustic song to soundtrack your daily walk from the Townhouses to Canisius Hall. So whatever it is that you’re craving today, here is a mix of 2021 songs that has a little bit of everything you’ll love at one time or another.
“How Dare You Want More” by Bleachers
Bleachers’ triumphant return with their third album, “Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night ” shows true state-of-the-art production on every track with “How Dare You Want More” as the standout hit from the album. HDYWM features Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff’s signature trumpets, an instrument that he fiddled with on the band’s sophomore album, “Gone Now,” and added them to this album’s fourth single as well. HDYWM has something running through it that makes you feel like nothing can go wrong while Antonoff sings, “Lonely wants to stay forever/ But tonight, we’re gonna do a little better.”
“I’m Trying (Not Friends)” by Maisie Peters
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom just released her debut album at the end of August filled with teen angst, somber winters and pop hits (some co-written with friend Ed Sheeran). “I’m Trying (Not Friends)” tells the story of still resenting an ex for how they treated you even after you’ve claimed to move on and be mature. This passive-aggressive track’s hyper-specific lyricism, insanely catchy melody and impeccable one-liners detail a summer-classic-must-add so you too can scream out the line, “It’s a low when even in my dreams, you still don’t want me there”.
“A Concert Six Months From Now” by FINNEAS
The lead single to FINNEAS’s debut album “The Optimist,” “A Concert Six Months From Now” gives a somber sort of hope to confusing love that comes and goes, and then the world changes. His calming voice and delicate lyrics fit perfectly as we move into autumn. He even namedrops the seasonal classic “When Harry Met Sally ” and later sings, “We were never any good at being friends.”
“Justified” by Kacey Musgraves
The second single off Musgraves’ much-anticipated sophomore album, “star-crossed” hits hard to the theme of moving on after a vital chapter of your life. Kacey Musgraves is making country music like nobody else right now, combining Johnny Cash’s influences with current pop undertones. “Justified” is a perfect example of Musgraves’ hard-hitting songwriting skills which perfectly captures the conflicting emotions she felt after her divorce. Due to this, be ready to roll the windows down and belt out, “If I need just a little more time to deal with the fact that you should’ve treated me right/I’m more than just a little justified”.
“Meet Me At Our Spot” by THE ANXIETY, Tyler Cole and Willow
Willow Smith and Tyler Cole released this next summer classic through the group name “THE ANXIETY,” just like they had for their 2020 album. Luckily, this song gained most of its popularity this summer over a popular phone app, TikTok. Smith’s impeccably distinct vocals match extremely well with Cole’s utterly cool runs, making for a perfect driving song as we enter into summer/fall purgatory.
“Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” by Lorde
Lorde’s much-anticipated third album, “Solar Power” did not disappoint with its beach day, perfect summer attitude. But while leaving behind much of the emotional turmoil of “Melodrama”, Lorde continued to include her retrospective childhood track that each album has contained so far. “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” brings hope and closure to her past self, and sounds like what could be a long-lost TLC track that answers the question: “what would you tell your 15-year-old self?”
“One Foot in Front of the Other” by Griff
On this title track from her debut album, 20-year-old Griff describes what it’s like to realize that emotions take longer to heal as you start getting older. She describes what it’s like to bounce back from anything when you’re a kid, but feels strange when you try to move on when you’re older because “Things just take longer to heal these days”. This upbeat, new wave of pop sound is making its mark on pop music and new-age songwriting.
“Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish
The success of Eilish’s title track from her sophomore album, “Happier Than Ever” came from a multitude of reasons. The first two-and-a-half minutes are Billie Eilish as we have known her: a delicate voice accompanied by a ukelele. The only striking part of this section of the song is the hook, “When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever.” At the 2:37 minute mark, the song transforms into a brutally honest, larger-than-life rock song. The first time we hear Eilish’s belt, the sharpness of the lyrics meet with the brashness of the bass, and the ultimate scream-it-out-if-you-know-it ending that will be remembered for a long time.
Enjoy the nice weather while it lasts, get your steps in on those walks to class, and use these songs for every mood of the day for whatever it is that you need. Happy listening!
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