Niall Horan’s Horny 'Nice to Meet Ya' Solidifies His Role as One Direction’s Robbie Williams
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Yes: Niall Horan, “Nice to Meet Ya” – Who knew young Niall had it in him? “Nice to Meet Ya” is his horniest solo song to date, and a recollection of ‘90s/’00s English pop music (as opposed to the Oasis-worship fellow former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson has been experimenting with recently. They’re both pulling from solid eras.) I like this tune a lot! Horan’s going full Robbie Williams. That obviously makes Harry Styles the Gary Barlow. I will not expound upon this further. —Maria Sherman
Yes: Carly Rae Jepsen, “Don’t Speak” (No Doubt cover) – I imagine listening to this cover is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Carly Rae Jepsen karaoke (with a live band, no less) and I am fully okay with that. This is a fun take on the 1995 classic, albeit, not very inventive. But then again, why mess with perfection? Jepsen appreciates the hits, you know? —MS
Y: DaBaby, “Vibez” – What a time to be alive, an era (okay, a week) when the most exciting, highly anticipated rap release is by a Charlotte, North Carolina newcomer named DaBaby and not, say, Kanye West. I’m late to the party, but “Vibez” is the single that has sold me on him. When he assures, “We in Suburbans back to back and we gon’ fill ‘em up with vibes,” in the chorus, I believe him—this is fun, a celebratory song perfect for weekend carousing.
Yes: Sleater-Kinney, “Animal” – After Sleater-Kinney split ways with dummer Janet Weiss earlier this year, lifelong fans of the band (myself included) have approached each new track with trepidation—not necessarily for concern over quality, just the kind of anxiety that can arise when a legacy act makes a big change. “Animal” is evidence enough that there’s nothing to worry about. It is as ferocious a track as the band has ever released. “ANIMAL is a song about rebellion, retaliation and rage,” guitarist Corin Tucker said in a statement. “It is a song about letting go of all politeness and filters and letting the ‘animal’ side speak. The vocals for this song were recorded in St. Vincent’s home studio, a perfect place to unleash a voice like this.” And how! —MS
Big yes: Summer Walker, Over It – My only complaint about this album is that it goes against my personal philosophy, which is that no album should have more than 15 songs on it. Despite the 18-song length, Summer Walker’s highly anticipated sophomore album is it. It delivers on all the angsty and glamorous smokin’ a j R&B vibes that you could possibly want. You know you’re in for a ride when an album starts off with, “Am I really that much to handle?” Whew. —Ashley Reese
Yes, with reservations: DIIV, Deceiver – You know when you listen to an album and you already know a few songs in that it’s going to require another listen before you really like it? That pretty much sums up DIIV’s third album Deceiver, the follow up to their excellent (and, in my opinion, criminally underrated) 2016 album, Is the Is Are. Deceiver is a very emotionally wrought album for DIIV lead singer Zachary Cole Smith, who has gone through the wringer of addiction and rehab throughout his entire musical career, and by all means, the album is very good. Lyrically, it’s absolutely beautiful. But, at the risk of sounding petty, I found it sleepier than DIIV’s usual fare. They really leaned heavy into the shoegaze with this one, so if that’s your thing, then you’ll love this album. I certainly found an adrenaline rush in the last few tracks, but I was left wanting a little more. But hey, maybe I’m just greedy. —AR
WHEW YES: Angel Olsen, All Mirrors – As much as my Spotify algorithm has tried to bully me into doing so, I’ve never given Angel Olsen’s discography a proper shake. I love “Shut Up Kiss Me” (great music video too) and always enjoyed whatever songs of her’s that I’ve stumbled across, but I’ve never listened to an Angel Olsen album from start to finish. That is, until now. And, well, I guess it’s time to start because All Mirrors is fantastic. Angel Olsen knows has perfected cathartic build-up, and that has only been made more clear on this album. The song “Impasse” in particular left me breathless. I only wish that the synth elements of “Lark” and “Mirrors” has a stronger presence throughout the album, because they were hittin’. —AR
Yes: Carly Rae Jepsen, “Don’t Speak” (No Doubt cover) – I imagine listening to this cover is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Carly Rae Jepsen karaoke (with a live band, no less) and I am fully okay with that. This is a fun take on the 1995 classic, albeit, not very inventive. But then again, why mess with perfection? Jepsen appreciates the hits, you know? —MS
Y: DaBaby, “Vibez” – What a time to be alive, an era (okay, a week) when the most exciting, highly anticipated rap release is by a Charlotte, North Carolina newcomer named DaBaby and not, say, Kanye West. I’m late to the party, but “Vibez” is the single that has sold me on him. When he assures, “We in Suburbans back to back and we gon’ fill ‘em up with vibes,” in the chorus, I believe him—this is fun, a celebratory song perfect for weekend carousing.
Also, unless you work in an open-minded office, I’d suggest not pressing play on the music video above. It is the very definition of NSFW. —MS
Yes: Sleater-Kinney, “Animal” – After Sleater-Kinney split ways with dummer Janet Weiss earlier this year, lifelong fans of the band (myself included) have approached each new track with trepidation—not necessarily for concern over quality, just the kind of anxiety that can arise when a legacy act makes a big change. “Animal” is evidence enough that there’s nothing to worry about. It is as ferocious a track as the band has ever released. “ANIMAL is a song about rebellion, retaliation and rage,” guitarist Corin Tucker said in a statement. “It is a song about letting go of all politeness and filters and letting the ‘animal’ side speak. The vocals for this song were recorded in St. Vincent’s home studio, a perfect place to unleash a voice like this.” And how! —MS
Big yes: Summer Walker, Over It – My only complaint about this album is that it goes against my personal philosophy, which is that no album should have more than 15 songs on it. Despite the 18-song length, Summer Walker’s highly anticipated sophomore album is it. It delivers on all the angsty and glamorous smokin’ a j R&B vibes that you could possibly want. You know you’re in for a ride when an album starts off with, “Am I really that much to handle?” Whew. —Ashley Reese
Yes, with reservations: DIIV, Deceiver – You know when you listen to an album and you already know a few songs in that it’s going to require another listen before you really like it? That pretty much sums up DIIV’s third album Deceiver, the follow up to their excellent (and, in my opinion, criminally underrated) 2016 album, Is the Is Are. Deceiver is a very emotionally wrought album for DIIV lead singer Zachary Cole Smith, who has gone through the wringer of addiction and rehab throughout his entire musical career, and by all means, the album is very good. Lyrically, it’s absolutely beautiful. But, at the risk of sounding petty, I found it sleepier than DIIV’s usual fare. They really leaned heavy into the shoegaze with this one, so if that’s your thing, then you’ll love this album. I certainly found an adrenaline rush in the last few tracks, but I was left wanting a little more. But hey, maybe I’m just greedy. —AR
WHEW YES: Angel Olsen, All Mirrors – As much as my Spotify algorithm has tried to bully me into doing so, I’ve never given Angel Olsen’s discography a proper shake. I love “Shut Up Kiss Me” (great music video too) and always enjoyed whatever songs of her’s that I’ve stumbled across, but I’ve never listened to an Angel Olsen album from start to finish. That is, until now. And, well, I guess it’s time to start because All Mirrors is fantastic. Angel Olsen knows has perfected cathartic build-up, and that has only been made more clear on this album. The song “Impasse” in particular left me breathless. I only wish that the synth elements of “Lark” and “Mirrors” has a stronger presence throughout the album, because they were hittin’. —AR
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