Headphones plugged in? Volume turned up? Because this week we're covering new releases from Elton John, Katy B, Machine Gun Kelly, and more!
"Adrenaline" - X Ambassadors
Released: August 13, 2021
Album: The Beautiful Liar, releasing September 24
Highlights:
- Deliciously aggressive guitar riffs that pound a dark rhythm
- Sam Harris's delightful vocal range shows off how can he twist and layers words just by changing up highs and lows
- Triumphant, cathartic feel percussion brings, especially towards the song's end
Standout Lyrics: "Feel it coming in / Yea it's coming in fast, coming in hot like a meteor / Burning me up like a dinosaur / Walls are closing in / I need a kick in the teeth, something to gimme a reason for... / Something that's worth dying for..."
"Papercuts" - Machine Gun Kelly
Released: August 12, 2021
Album: Upcoming Born with Horns
Highlights:
- Simple acoustic guitar introduces the song before giving way to the stellar electric guitar solo and heavier rock elements
- Fun infusion of punk, grunge, and alternative that hearkens back to '90s radio
- Brutally raw, honest lyrics dealing with internal feelings of sadness and self-destruction
Standout Lyrics: "Everybody's so nice lately (Everybody's not nice) / Polarized feelings, I don't wear them on my face lately (I don't wear them on my face) / Internalized everything the headlines so lately (Everything they say)"
"We Can Come Together" - Love Regenerator ft. Eli Brown
Released: August 13, 2021
Album: Single collaboration
Highlights:
- Bright, jarring piano notes that mimic and transcend the heavier, DJ-produced beats
- The rhythm is absolutely addicting and will make you want to dance
- Perfect summer anthem for house parties or raves in the likes of Calvin Harris's previous bangers
Standout Lyrics: "I feel like the time for us is come together / I realized that it can make us better"
"Cold Heart" (PNAU Remix) - Elton John and Dua Lipa
Released: August 13, 2021
Album: Collaboration
Highlights:
- The simplicity of word language and use to deliver such powerful, heart-wrenching emotions many can relate to
- Elton's ghostly sad piano notes layered with jilting, snappy beats that don't shift or change pace
- Lipa's and John's melding voices are scintillating and the track's clear highlight
Standout Lyrics: "Cold, cold heart / Hardened by you / Some things look better, baby / Just passin' through"
"Under My Skin" - Katy B
Released: August 12, 2021
Album: Unknown
Highlights:
- Reflective lyrical content vivid with imagery of fullness and emptiness to describe the feeling of a regretful relationship
- Katy B's vocals are low and husky to mirror the wistfulness of the lyrics
- The musical composition is creative and funky, with fleeting shifts in the percussion mixing with darker electronic synths
Standout Lyrics: "I'm driving in your car, volume pushed right up to max / All those late nights, I try and dream them back / One by one to find just a piece of truth"
Let us know who else you'd like to see on next week's music review in the comments!
