August 4

Current Joys –  ‘LOVE + POP’

Current Joys is the project of Nick Ratttigan, better known as one of the primary members of Surf Curse. During the writing process, Current Joys were very inspired by Lil Peep’s music and featured a cover of Peep’s “Walk Away as the Door Slams” as the album opener. Unlike previous releases from Current Joys, this album appears to be much more collaborative including features from Lil Yachty, Slow Hollows, Oddbody, YOUR ANGEL, and more

The Front Bottoms – ‘You Are Who You Hang Out With’

You might listen to this album for the first time and write it off as your typical happy folk-pop or indie-rock album, but if you listen to the lyrics you’ll discover an album about the hardships of life in your mid-30s. The perfect album to listen to with friends—or to listen to while thinking too hard about getting closer to your 30s and feeling like you’re not going anywhere in your life while all of your friends are making these big accomplishments in their lives with work and relationships and you just feel like your life is stagnant and stuck in a circle of work and sleep (totally hypothetical of course, I’m totally fine).

Trippie Redd – ‘A Love Letter to You 5’

Trippie Redd fans are getting blessed again with another album this year, A Love Letter to You 5. Trippie has said he believes that this album could be the best body of music he’s ever released and that he’s been working on it for years. He has a long legacy from dropping hit after hit so we trust this album will deliver.

August 18

Birdy – ‘Portraits’

From her humble beginnings as a YouTube cover artist, Birdy has quickly become a household name in the indie music scene. Right from the start, “Portraits”, shows us a different side of the Birdy we know and love, channeling an energy more similar to Maggie Rogers, Florence + The Machine, and Sarah Kingsley. It’s high energy with soaring synths and shows the versatility of her voice.

Dizzy – ‘Dizzy’

Dizzy’s new album takes the Canadian indie-rock band in a more pop direction, and we’re here for it. Tracks like “Open Up Wide” have vocalist Katie Munshaw’s soft vocals atop fuzzy guitars and a steady beat. We can’t wait to dive into the deep world of our dark and introspective emotions with this album and hopefully learn something about ourselves along the way.  

Hozier – ‘Unreal Unearth’

People who majored in English in college are known for drinking their $8 iced oat milk lattes and being fans of Hozier, but this new album gives them another reason to love him even more. Unreal Unearth appears to be rooted deep in old literature, most notably with tracks like “Francesca”. The song is based on the tale of Francesca de Rimini, which you can find in Dante’s Divine Comedy, where Dante discovers her and her lover Paolo and references the second circle of hell, lust. “Eat Your Young” deals with the third circle, gluttony, and “All Things End” deals with the sixth, heresy. And regardless if you care about the circles of hell or not, this is definitely a must-listen for August.

Reneé Rapp – ‘Snow Angel’

For all of you that thought it was going to be an Olivia Rodrigo summer, we’ve got news for you. Reneé Rapp’s Snow Angel is coming in hot (or… cold, I guess?). The titular track “Snow Angel” is just one of the many songs that show how great this album is going to be. It begins with a serene piano intro, gradually building up to a powerful and emotional display of resilience. Rapp’s voice effortlessly shifts between delicate vulnerability and raw power, displaying her honed control from her years in musical theater. The track was also produced by Alexander 23, who is also joining her on her “SNOW ANGEL” tour.

Idina Menzel – ‘Drama Queen’

We all know her as the ice queen Elsa, but maybe it’s time we know her as the pop-dance music artist that this album proves she can be. Despite how different Drama Queen may sound from Menzel’s more famous song “Let It Go”, there seems to be a very similar sentiment in this album. The first track on the album, “Move”, is an energetic anthem urging listeners to be true to themselves, break free from the shadows, and refuse to let others steal their spotlight. Sounds very similar to Frozen (but also every other Disney movie too).

Jon Batiste – ‘World Music Radio’

The groovy, multifaceted musical wizard is back and better than ever. Jon Batiste is planning on releasing his new album World Music Radio later this month. You might be wondering what “world music” may mean and so are we, but we’ll take any opportunity for a trip. With special features like Lil Wayne, Lana del Rey, Kenny G, and more contributing to this album, there’s no doubt in our minds that we’ll be mesmerized by these songs. Jon says he feels a renewed sense of liberation and exploration in his life and he’s excited to share all he’s learned with his fans. And we’ll gladly accept.

August 25

Victoria Monét – ‘JAGUAR II’

Following the release of JAGUAR in 2020, Victoria Monét is set to release JAGUAR II on August 25th. The album will include the R&B musician’s singles “Smoke,” “Party Girls,” and “On My Mama.” “Smoke” is a fun tribute to weed (think of Rick James’ “Mary Jane”) filled with plenty of weed one-liners. The track also features Lucky Daye who performs verses and background vocals on this joint track. Other artists featured on the album include Earth, Wind & Fire, and Buju Banton.

Charlotte Cardin – ‘99 Nights’

August seems to be filled with plenty of female powerhouses releasing new music, and Charlotte Cardin is no exception. 99 Nights follows Cardin’s debut album Phoenix which received critical acclaim. One of the tracks included on the album is “Looping” which was co-written by Jason Brando, Charlotte Cardin, Mr Hudson, Felix Joseph, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, and Marvin Hamlisch. In regards to the song, Cardin said, “I thought I was writing about Mr. Hudson’s dog who sees life in black and white. Jay was under the impression we were writing about my obsessive thought patterns. Felix was randomly sampling Barbra Streisand’s ‘The Way We Were.’ And somehow all of this made sense. Or did it? Fuck, I’m looping again.”

Burna Boy – ‘I Told Them…’

The category is Sonic Showcase: Albums Unleashed. His voice is as smooth as butter melting on a hot pan… If you said “Who is Burna Boy?”, congratulations, you’re correct. Damini is out with his seventh studio album this month, with music that will cure your end-of-summer blues. Get ready to wine and grind.

Quavo – ‘Rocket Power’

Buckle up for a blast off with Quavo as he takes us to another planet with his new album Rocket Power—we suspect he’s equally as excited about the recent alien news. The Migos rapper shares that this album explores all of his emotions and the healing he’s done over the past year and is about family, keeping Takeoff’s rocket name alive forever. Grab your tissues and hug your besties because Quavo is about to have us all in our feelings.