February 2023 gave us veteran bands proving they still had gas in the tank and solo artists reclaiming their freedom from bad label contracts. Here are the five records we had on repeat.
RAYE - My 21st Century Blues
After spending years ghostwriting pop hits while her major label blocked her from releasing a full-length album, RAYE broke free and went independent. My 21st Century Blues is her answer: a fierce collage of gritty hip-hop beats, big-band horns, and blues confessionals.
"Escapism." (with 070 Shake) became a worldwide streaming phenomenon, but songs like "Ice Cream Man." show her true range, addressing sexual assault and industry exploitation with chilling honesty. Her vocals are commanding and ferocious throughout.
Paramore - This Is Why
Returning from a six-year break, Paramore avoided pop-punk nostalgia on This Is Why. Instead, they took cues from 2000s post-punk acts like Bloc Party and Talking Heads, building ten tight tracks around sharp guitar rhythms and danceable basslines.
Hayley Williams captures the burnout of daily doomscrolling on the frantic title track and "Running Out Of Time." The band sounds locked in and completely comfortable in their adult skin.
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You
Caroline Polachek’s second solo album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, is an eccentric art-pop ride. Working alongside producer Danny L Harle, she throws acoustic flamenco guitars, bagpipe leads, children's choirs, and breakbeats together into an addictive mix.
Her acrobatic vocal runs turn tracks like "Welcome To My Island" and "Billions" into surreal earworms. Polachek makes pop music like an artisan, packing every single second with surprising texture.
Gracie Abrams - Good Riddance
Recorded with Aaron Dessner at Long Pond Studios, Gracie Abrams’ debut Good Riddance is a quiet study in personal accountability. Across sixteen sparse tracks, she examines the guilt of breaking someone else's heart and walking away from a relationship that no longer worked.
Dessner's muted pianos and understated acoustic guitars let Abrams’ whispery delivery hit with intimacy on "Where do we go now?" and "I know it won't work." It is patient, melancholic bed-pop made for quiet listening.
Marlon Craft - Space 2
New York MC Marlon Craft keeps classic five-borough boom-bap alive on his six-track EP Space 2. Backed by live horns, Rhodes chords, and crisp unquantized drums, Craft reflects on mental fatigue, family loss, and working as an independent artist.
On "I Still Don't Cry," he processes trauma without any tough-guy bravado, delivering thoughtful bars with effortless flow. It is concise, soulful hip-hop that values penmanship over trends.
"We are breaking boundaries, shattering stereotypes, and amplifying the voices of a generation poised to change the world."
Views expressed in interviews belong to contributors and featured creatives.
