Bruno Mars (left) and Anderson .Paak, of Silk Sonic, accept the best group award at the BET Awards on June 27, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Bruno Mars (left) and Anderson .Paak, of Silk Sonic, accept the best group award at the BET Awards on June 27, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello | AP file photo
Taylor Swift attends a premiere for the short film “All Too Well†at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Nov. 12, in New York.
Evan Agostini | Invision/AP file photo
This cover image released by Columbia Records shows “30†by Adele.
From Adele to Silk Sonic, the music that has recently been released is nothing short of an early holiday gift. Many notable albums have come out and one even being an old album re-recorded (courtesy of Taylor Swift). These records all have one thing in common: a craftsmanship that has produced wonderful tracks for us to listen to.
We’ll start with the release of Taylor Swift’s re-recording of her album “Red.†For those unfamiliar with the circumstances under which Swift is releasing albums from previous years, let me explain. Taylor Swift’s first six albums are owned by Big Machine Records, and when Swift left the label, they sold those six albums to another entity without giving her an opportunity to purchase them. In response, Swift is re-recording these six albums and releasing them as “(Taylor’s Version)â€s in order to have ownership over them. In addition to re-recording the songs already found on the albums, she is adding songs that were written for the albums but not released at the time they were put out.
The latest one of these re-recordings is her album “Red.†Two songs that have made a big impact are “All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s version)†and “I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).†The first one gives fans a sad and lamenting song about one of Swift’s past relationships, and the second one is an upbeat song that anyone can sing along to. The 10-minute version of “All Too Well†was also accompanied by a short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. The performance by the two gave a new life to the song and should be watched by anyone who found themselves enjoying the song. This re-recording was just another addition to the successes that Swift continues to collect and it is another wonderful album for Swifties everywhere.
Adele released her fourth studio album titled, “30,†which handles issues that the singer has recently gone through, such as divorce, depression and her journey to define how she plays into life. Her powerful voice matched with her soulful lyrics makes a beautiful and inspiring album that reaches to all ages. One song that stuck out in my listening was the song “I Drink Wine.†The musicality is elevated by the lyrics filled with sayings such as “can’t fight fire with fire.â€
Adele’s voice is used in this album to capture a wide range of emotions. One worry before the release of the album was that the songs and their contained lyrics would be far too specific to a divorced 30-year-old woman. This is found not to be the case. Adele proves once again that her music can be sung by anyone who finds themselves feeling the emotions of simply being a human. This album is a showcase of Adele’s maturity in her recent situations and is a heartfelt message to those who take the time to listen and absorb it.
The last album that I have found myself encapsulated by is “An Evening With Silk Sonic†by Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak, who are Silk Sonic. This album is full of tunes that are simply a joy to listen to. My personal favorites have become “Fly As Me†and “777,†both of which are upbeat and great for car rides. Both “Smokin Out The Window†and “Leave The Door Open†are singles from the album that performed very well and are graced with the classic Bruno Mars sound.
This album is an upbeat and fun listen for those who find Mars’ music to be fun. The aesthetic of the album is a throwback to the ’70s and ’80s, which adds a layer of nostalgia for those who already like the music from that time period.
All together, the recent releases of music have proven to be quite amazing. Continuing to find wonderful new music is something that brings joy to many, so having these recent releases in lieu of the holiday season seems fitting. If you haven’t taken the time to give these albums a listen, I highly recommend taking a moment to or simply turning one of them on for your car rides home.
