October Music Column

By Jade Glaister

Another month, another supply of fantastic music! There must be something in the air this past month because many great artists released spectacular albums, and I am beyond thrilled. 

FINNEAS, having released a multitude of fantastic songs in the past and helped lots of artists produce their music, finally released his second album “Optimist.” And yes, I am still recovering from this, and you would be too after listening to the songs that he’s put together for this album. Voicing his thoughts on privilege and society, this album reminds me of Bo Burnham’s “Inside,” as the music causes you to reevaluate your entire existence… but it’s fun!

 Jeremy Zucker also released a new album, named “CRUSHER,” which displays his progression from his previous album “love is not dying.” Throughout his previous album, Zucker sings about losing himself and the rollercoaster of love. In contrast, “CRUSHER,” reflected by the transition from no to all capital letters in the album title (which is so cool), is more intense and about finding himself again. In this, Zucker reflects on his past and fully expresses his emotions through his songs, allowing listeners to understand his feelings and learn with him.

Another incredible album, “Music of the Spheres,” was released by Coldplay this month. This album presents an interesting layout as every other song is titled by a circular, galaxy, or heart emoji. Many typical album rules are abandoned as Coldplay mixes pop with the feeling of the cosmos while featuring the popular artists Selena Gomez, BTS, We are KING, and Jacob Collier. The highlight of this album is the song “People of The Pride” which showcases people’s right to be themselves. Altogether, this album is wonderfully put together and provides the lovely feeling of floating through space.

Now for some quick rundowns of recently released albums: “The debut farewell album” by Avenue Beat celebrated the breakup of the band with many great songs that honored the fun they had together. Elton John released an album full of covers, “The Lockdown Sessions,” featuring other famous artists. Oh Wonder created their album “22 Break” while the two artists in the band were breaking up during the pandemic and used the album to process. This album actually brought the couple back together, bringing an interesting perspective to the music. Lana Del Rey put many relatable emotions about her personal desires and the state of the world in her album “Blue Banisters.” Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under” is a mix of anger and beauty as he illustrates moments of his life with some spectacular orchestra highlights. The last collection of music recently released that you should listen to, in honor of the movie, is the soundtrack for “Dune” by Hans Zimmer.

Of course, we cannot forget about the great singles that were also released, so take a listen to these magnificent pieces: “Easy on Me” by Adele, “Boys” by Hippo Campus, “Feels Like” and “Rockland” by Gracie Abrams, “Soaked” by Léon, “BIG SHOT” by The Lumineeres, “I Don’t Want to Talk” by Wallows, and “Ancient History” by Smallpools.