by Shannon Smith
Ava Max’s single “Lovin Myself” is tailored to integrate into your pop listening patterns. From the very first breathy coo, Ava Max’s “Lovin Myself” draws you into a glittering affirmation of personal power with equal parts synth-pop strut and engaging vocal phrasing. It’s bold, beat-driven, and brimming with finesse and pop intelligence. Underneath the neon sheen lies a well-crafted pop song.
Max’s performance walks a thrilling tightrope between vocal muscle and vulnerability. Her technique shines its range and how she maneuvers between chest and head voice, with each [...]
by Shannon Smith
When Alex Warren stepped onto the Stagecoach Festival stage in April 2025 to debut his new single “Bloodline,” joined by genre-crossing phenom Jelly Roll, there was already a hum in the air. That hum has grown into a full-throated track with an emotionally charged pop song with elements of country hybrid that stares generational trauma in the face and dares to write a new ending.
“Bloodline” delivers an emotionally gripping blend of pop structure, country grit, and folk-pop lift. It’s a story song about generational pain and the defiant hope that says: you can stop the cycle [...]
by Shannon Smith
In naming their fifth studio release Lucius, the band (Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Dan Molad, and Peter Lalish), invites us to listen and look inward, at them, and consequently, at ourselves. This self-titled album, released May 2, 2025, emerges like a handwritten letter sealed in wax, unfiltered and vulnerable, its sonic palette washed in sunlight and shadow. Recorded between Altamira Sound and Sounds Like a Fire in Los Angeles, it balances the intimacy of home recording with the glisten of professional touch, mirroring the album’s central theme: to be both raw and refined, honest and shaped.
Like striking a match in the dark, [...]
By Shannon Smith
Jessie Murph’s latest single, “Gucci Mane,” released on April 4, 2025, via Columbia Records, represents her continued presence on the scene. At 20 years old, the Alabama native explores a personal theme, reflecting on her upbringing, familial relationships, and the complexities of newfound success. The track notably interpolates Gucci Mane’s 2009 classic “Lemonade,” providing a familiar backdrop for Murph’s engaging singing.
Murph has rapidly emerged as a genre-blending artist, seamlessly integrating elements of country, pop, and hip-hop into her music. Her debut album, That [...]
