We’re a couple months removed from the release of Taylor Swift’s pop culture atomic bomb of an album, and I’ve been looking back on what could’ve been done differently. She reaches for so many great themes on this record only to fall flat with sloppy writing and bland production. But I’m here to guide you through some of my favorite female songwriters that take Swift’s ideas and expand them into fully formed musical worlds.

In this special dual edition, I compare songs I've listened to throughout the last two months, plus take a trip to The Met for this month's album.

This month was full of great builds, music across time, and the last days of summer.

If you listen to music, you probably use Spotify. This year has seen an increasing movement away from the platform, as users and artists alike bring to attention the various controversies and concerns that lie behind the iconic emerald circle. Have you ever taken a real look at where your music streaming money goes?

During a GRAMMY Museum conversation, a fan asks where Addison Rae got her album title from. She says she asked her friends what they thought her music sounded like, “And everybody was kind of like, ‘I don’t know, it just sounds like you.’” She recreated a confused laugh. “And I was like, ‘Okay, well, it sounds like me, it sounds like me… who am I? Addison.’” Who is Addison Rae? The answer is multilayered. This time, she’s a pop star.

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl was claimed to be a glamorous record meant to be an ode to the titular life of a showgirl. But instead, the album is littered with millennial-cringe-inducing attempts at satirical relevance, fictional stories that abandon poetry for awkward narrative prose, and attempts to write about her real life that result in a flaming pile of bitterness and a series of thinly-veiled phallic innuendos.

This month was defined by introspective writing, bittersweetness, and my move to New York City.

This June + July were full of '00s throwbacks, the consequences of capitalism, and drives around LA.

This month was defined by a special film feature and just phenomenal music.

This month was defined by my dad's influence, covers + remakes, and mostly a springtime trip to New York City.

This month was defined by the reemergence of the sun, songs that capture highly specific feelings, and of course, more Jeff Rosenstock. 

Catching up on all the music I haven't talked about!

This month was defined by incredible production, genre diversity, and things I’ve never heard before!

On MEGAPEARL , Reggie Pearl revels in their own perspective. Over jazzy retro-style arrangements complete with strings and horns, she regales us with tales of love, loss, and most of all, seeing the bigger picture. *  It’s an evolution from 2023’s Twilight Zone , a record about fresh (and sometimes disquieting) self-discovery in the midst of deep hurt. In Twilight , we hear a lot about other characters; Reggie is learning things about themself, yes, but through the lens of u

This month was defined by the return to school, music recommendations, and one very special playlist.

Maude Latour is in love. It’s in every note, every word, every thread sewn into this album. This reflects the record itself: messy,...

This month was defined by summer album listening, Kayla Pincus, and returning to things that didn’t grab me the first time around.

This month was defined by the start of summer, some new takes on old influences, and the redefining of cringe.

This month was defined by great delivery, epic synths, and…can you tell I took the AP Music Theory test?

This month had a lot of new releases, our first 9th song, and is characterized by the long-awaited return of the sun.