We all have signature artists for our different playlists, and whenever they release new music, we’re over the moon, counting the days until it’s released after pre-saving the album. Throughout this article, I’ll be sharing with you some recently released albums in hopes of expanding your already vast playlists.
First, we have “Werewolf” by The Brook & The Bluff. This relatively small band is often described as an indie-folk, soul and rock band. Released March 6, “Werewolf” has 10 tracks, coming to about 33 minutes of playtime. Many of these songs fit into that indie rock category but may also remind some of mild country.
Next, we have an album by Mitski, an alternative and indie artist who originally gained traction on TikTok in 2020 and 2021 with her hit song “Washing Machine Heart.” Her newest album “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me,” was released Feb. 27 and contains 11 tracks, totaling at 34 minutes of playtime. The songs certainly fit into her genre and some remind me of other alternative songs like “Let Down” by Radiohead.
Next is “Mt Tam,” released on Jan. 30, by Jordy Searcy, an indie-pop artist who kick-started his career thanks to his audition for “The Voice.” Even though he is labeled as an indie-pop artist, you can also find religious pieces throughout his discography. “Mt Tam” has 10 songs and runs for 30 minutes.
For a different pair of genres — hip-hop and pop-rap — is Jack Harlow with his album “Monica.” Jack Harlow gained popularity after being featured on Lil Nas X’s song, “Industry Baby.” After a few years of releasing singles and some collaboration with other artists , Harlow comes back with this nine-track album, totaling about 28 minutes.
To follow the same tone, we have Don Toliver. Toliver was recently featured in “F1: The Movie” on a song with Doja Cat, but he also released the album “OCTANE” on Jan. 30. Blending hip-hop and R&B, this album contains 18 songs, coming to about 49 minutes of playtime. It also features many artists, including popular rapper Travis Scott, who originally featured Tolliver on “CAN’T SAY” from his album “ASTROWORLD.”
Next, released March 20, making it the most recent, is “ARIRANG” by BTS. After four long years, this beloved K-Pop group reunites, blending hip-hop, pop, and EDM in this 14-track album, coming to 41 minutes of playtime. One song of note on this album is “No. 29.” Upon first listen it may not sound like much, but it is actually the ringing of The Great Bell of Seongdeok, South Korea’s twenty-ninth national treasure.
And finally, to finish it off, released by Danny L Harle on Feb. 13 is the album “Cerulean.” Harle has been put into the dance and electronic genre, which is supported by this album’s contents. For this album, Harle acts more as a producer, creating music while other musicians provide the vocals. Large and small artists alike are featured on this album to fill this role, just a few being PinkPantheress, Dua Lipa, Clairo and Oklou.
While these are the only albums mentioned, I’m sure many more have been released that I’m not aware of. In addition, there are a few albums expected to come out soon, speculated or confirmed, like Olivia Rodrigo’s third album or Conan Gray’s “Wishbone Deluxe.”