By Schona Dhawan '25
Throughout the first half of 2024, huge artists have released new heavenly or ear-deafening albums. A few of these singers include Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzy McAlpine, and Taylor Swift. While hundreds of prominent artists have released albums recently, I will be reviewing this category of artists in this article.
Eternal Sunshine - Ariana Grande
A day late to the album that was not highly promoted, I listened to Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine on the bus to school. I tend to listen to music on my commute, which means I would have time to focus and evaluate my opinion on the album. But almost as soon as my bus ride started, the album was over. The 36 minute listen provides the most annunciation Ariana has given us since the start of her career, but doesn’t make up for the lack of material. Throughout the 13 tracks, we receive some details of the heartbreak she experienced from her ex-husband, as well as justification to the "home wrecker" allegations she’s received lately. While she tries to cover up or even rise above the scandal she’s created that lost her millions of fans, the album doesn’t rise anywhere near the top of my ranking in comparison to her other albums.
I’ve considered myself a longtime fan of Ariana Grande and I previously would’ve done anything to go see her on tour, but now I’ve put that thought out of my mind. The track “true story” also disgusts me because she clearly cannot accept her wrongdoings, yet tries to spin the story or ignore it. Thanks to this album, my opinion on her as a person has become negative. The album might have a few catchy songs, like its intro or the track, “bye,” but there was a lack in overall potential. I do enjoy the deep lyrics she gave to us in “imperfect for you,” which was my favorite track, however the album didn't amaze me like her previous projects. I can confidently say that I consider this her worst album.
COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé
Beyoncé’s new album, which came out on March 29, gave us her own take on country music, as well as a tribute to legends. The album as a whole represents country music in several ways. It includes “JOLENE,” and “BLACKBIRD,” two classics that are iconic staples in country music. She honors famous musicians in interludes and introduces tracks along the album. While I’m not usually a fan of interludes, COWBOY CARTER features several spoken tracks that I believe are necessary to the album. The opening track, “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” creates high expectations for the album. Not only is the opening track one of my favorites, but the closing track “AMEN” connects back to the album's opener, making it a full circle journey through different takes on country music. The 27 songs consist of softer tracks, covers, and an unusual and upbeat combination of country and hip-hop, which is Beyoncé’s usual style. Country music typically consists of personal and unique stories that are clearly displayed throughout this album and this album has also marked Beyoncé's rightful place in country music.
Several years ago at the CMA’s, Beyoncé experienced backlash for performing at the award show. Her experience of intense hate and racist comments from listeners across the country inspired COWBOY CARTER. While the album isn’t typical of country music, Beyoncé deserves recognition for breaking barriers inside the genre. Many fans of country music were upset with the album because it didn’t strictly fit inside the boundaries of country music, but I believe she took a step in the right direction. Musical genres are supposed to evolve overtime and Beyoncé is doing just that. Not only are country fans upset, but they continue to comment about her race in relation to her place in the genre. The foundation of country music was originally dominated by Black artists, but is currently taken over by white artists. Race shouldn’t be an issue and doesn’t define the boundaries of any genre in music. The people who dislike the album and ask Beyoncé to stick to hip-hop cannot accept a modern take on country music, as well as an album that is a tribute to country legends. However, despite the criticism, Beyoncé’s album clearly rises above the racism and aims to make her mark on the genre. Personally, I enjoyed the album as a whole, especially tracks like “JUST FOR FUN,” “BODYGUARD,” and “TYRANT.” I hope Beyoncé gives us at least one more country album, but for now I’ll continue to keep listening to COWBOY CARTER nonstop.
GUTS (spilled)
On September 8, 2023 Olivia Rodrigo released GUTS. She released special vinyls with songs from the deluxe version of her album, which came out later on March 22 called GUTS (spilled). The 5 songs hit the charts quickly that Friday, and definitely exceeded my expectations. My favorite track, “girl i’ve always been,” sounds like she took inspiration from the famous book, The Hunger Games. Olivia also wrote her first love song, “so american,” which has been the fan favorite out of the newly released tracks. It also includes softer tracks with touching lyrics like “scared of my guitar” and “stranger.” Overall, the 5 new tracks she released did not disappoint fans and measured up to the rest of the album's success.
Older - Lizzy McAlpine
In recent months, I’ve discovered Lizzy McAlpine and quickly became a huge fan. So, of course I anxiously waited for weeks to listen to her latest album, which came out on April 5th. Overall, I found that Older tells individual heartbreaking stories in its 14 tracks, regardless if they are upbeat or soft. The two singles released before the album,“I Guess” and “Older,” created high expectations for myself and other listeners, setting a melancholic mood. When I first listened to the album as a whole, I immediately loved it because of the lyrics and occasional upbeat songs. By now I can confidently say I listen to it at least once a day, especially my favorites like “Drunk, Running,” “Staying,” “Vortex,” and “Come Down Soon.” Not only did Lizzy McAlpine meet my expectations, but exceeded them and the achievements of her other albums.
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT - Taylor Swift
While I have been a devoted Taylor Swift fan for several years, it feels as if the only torture this album provided was to its listeners. TTPD was predicted to have 16 tracks revolving around her ex, Joe Alwyn. However, she ended dropping The Anthology at 2am on release day, which turned it into 31 tracks detailing her delusions during a 2 week “situationship" with the infamous Matty Healy. Fans were extremely confused, but clearly more disappointed over the elevator style music. The 2 hours and 3 minutes I originally spent listening to the album ended up giving me a headache, and I could not separate one song from the next. Personally, I believe the worst parts included any time where she victimized herself and blamed her fans. While I sympathize with Swift for the the hate she receives, detailing her negative experience about the tour she is still currently on and attacking her fans for pretending to praise her and constantly asking for more comes off as extremely entitled. My first thought when I heard "I Can Do It with A Broken Heart" and the lyrics “I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing” from “But Daddy I Love Him” made me question why she published this TTPD if she clearly doesn’t want to produce music or appreciate her fans anymore. Similar to Ariana Grande's new project, this album changed the way I think of her.
However, even though my overall opinion is negative, Aaron Dessner saved the album. Without him, TTPD would be absolutely horrible! The Anthology rescued the original 16 tracks, but I still find myself only listening to 8 out of 31 songs, only 1 from the original album. Even though I believe Swifties, her major fan base, didn’t need this album, “Peter” is the one song I have fallen in love with. I wish Taylor had given us this song earlier, especially since it fits into Folklore so well with its combination of heartbreak, storytelling, and symbolism. All in all, TTPD has overall disappointed me and comes off as a rushed breakup album that I do not intend to put in my top 5.
Photos Courtesy of Getty Images and Kevin Mazur
Edited by Catherine Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant
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