On Instagram, Beyoncé declared, “This ain't a Country album. This is a Beyoncé album,” and she delivered on that promise. A massive 27-track record, COWBOY CARTER touches on family, religion, romance, adultery, America’s shortfalls, and Beyoncé’s reputation, backed by swarths of eclectic instrumentals from twanging banjos and fiddles.
Read MoreAt the end of each month, Afterglow presents a staff-picked list of new albums and singles that left a lasting impression on our ears.
Read MoreIn her seventh studio album, Mitski implores listeners to observe an exploration of her beloved orchestral sound through a folk-fueled lens; paired with an ever-developing lyrical reflection on herself and past relationships.
Read More“Bartender” goes rather critically and commercially unnoticed as the 12th song on Del Rey’s 6th album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, and ironically that might be exactly what the indie darling intended with this piano-backed plea for serenity and normalcy.
Read MoreOn its 10th anniversary, Retired from Sad, New Career in Business and its central themes of self-discovery, maturity, and fear of the unknown are just as relevant as they were a decade ago.
Read MoreHBO’s “Girls” brings a painfully accurate soundtrack in every episode through its six-season run. Still, the season three episode “Beach House” stands out among the crowd with its millennial melodies.
Read MoreAt the end of each month, Afterglow presents a staff-picked list of new albums and singles that left a lasting impression on our ears.
Read More“The Bug Collector” is an agonizing display of what it means to love someone for everything they are. Heynderickx holds a mirror up to her listeners and forces them to realize how they value their loved ones.
Read MoreCould any artist ever top Nina Simone’s heartbreaking cover of “The Other Woman?” Probably not, but Jeff Buckley and Lana Del Rey offer sensationally different covers from the perspective of “The Other Woman.”
Read MoreAt the end of each month, Afterglow presents a staff-picked list of new albums and singles that left a lasting impression on our ears.
Read MoreCohen’s beautifully tragic lyrics, paired with Buckley’s commanding voice and stripped down acoustic guitar, create a lasting legacy cementing both artists as legends.
Read MoreMale validation is a prevalent subject in modern society, especially for young women. Throughout her discography, Mitski offers a soul-barring portrayal of how this quest for approval can take a toll on one’s emotional psyche and doesn’t hold back in the slightest.
Read MoreFiona Apple tears her listeners apart one last time with “I Know,” presenting a woman so hopelessly in love that she will never leave her lover, no matter how long she endures being second place to the committed relationship he is in.
Read MoreSinging from a woman’s perspective, Fiona Apple gives “Across the Universe” a level of sincerity that The Beatles never could.
Read MoreMany often ridicule the “Nice Guy” phenomenon, but entitled attitudes toward women aren’t uncommon in music. TV Girl’s “Louise” and “Hate Yourself” are great examples, with lyrics that villainize women who won’t give them the time of day.
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