heavy on hooks and synths, malcolm todd's first ep is blunted and brimming with carefree, adolescent energy.

these four quaint tracks are beautiful in their own right, cut from the same magical cloth as the songs off "the record", but they are ultimately not strong enough to be quite as impactful.

boygenius's full-length endeavor is so warm and touching, inviting us into heart-wrenching, deeply personal lyrics, stellar instrumentation, and simply gorgeous vocal performances.

the all-female supergroup's first musical statement is cinematic and slow-burning, with haunting harmonies, incisive lyricism, and firecracker chemistry.

on exclusive pharrell production that reeks of millions and royalty, brothers pusha t and malice relentlessly spit calculated, inventive bars alongside primetime features on an airtight and instantly-classic project.

on his latest project, porter finally feels unabashedly authentic, freeroaming into indie rock and lighthearted lyrics while still holding true to his signature energetic electropop and deep, personal themes.

unflinchingly vulnerable, "nurture" is blissful and healing, like sunlight on both sides of the face. for nearly an hour, porter reminds us of every reason to keep living, with weightless melodies and introspective lyrics infused with endless love.

"worlds" is colossal, epic, and simply bursting with bittersweet as porter gradually departs from mainstream EDM with touching, inspired songwriting.

the beautiful "stranger in the alps" is solemn and crushing, as it finds bridgers resting her wispy, wistful vocals on a pool of dark, poignant instrumentals.

"imaginal disk" is anthemic and ethereal, consoling and beautiful. it finds a perfect balance between tomorrow and now, boasting both orchestral and synthesized instruments, twinkling and sweeping chords, and phenomenal, cohesive songwriting.

the new universe fabricated in "mercurial world" is strobing, sensational, and psychedelic, with hype discotheque anthems and trippy electronic experimentation alike.

each song in this electric ep has magdalena bay tinkering around with sparkling, synthetic sounds that platform mica's sugary, sentimental vocals.

having finetuned her elegant, disney-esque style, laufey captures soaring orchestral highs and gifts sweet bossa nova moments to slow dance to on her latest and greatest project.

gorgeous and stripped-back, "everything i know about love" reads like a diary, quaintly exploring the swoons and woes of twenty-first century girlhood.

a stellar breakthrough ep with laufey's signature scatting, warm, bold songwriting, and her atmospheric jazz/lofi blended sound.

on this heartwarming project, clairo feels complete: mature, confident, instrumentally precise and abundant, and back with total earworms and softspoken moments alike.

soft, subtle, and quaint, "sling" is stripped-back, relying on jazzier, more atmospheric instrumentals and poignant lyrics for a touching and soul-baring fireplace experience.

a distinct flavor of percussion-heavy bedroom pop with infectious hooks and soft, shimmering lyrics dominate this fantastic, little project.

though "heaven knows" is ultimately more impactful, this project sees pink reach a next level of maturity and experience in songwriting while still being endlessly upbeat.

an exciting step up from "to hell with it": the production is much more instrumentally lush, and the grooves are back in spades.