The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift dropped Oct. 3 marking her return with a new album about a year after her last release. The album centers on the girlish but pressured life of a showgirl. Incorporating themes of fame, love and performance. The album leans heavily into pop and quickly puts itself at top charts after only one week of being released. As for listeners, there are many mixed reviews, with many others praising the album with positivity.
The country album, I’m the Problem by Morgan Wallen was released on May 16 and made a significant impact on the charts. The album features a confessional journey as Morgan Wallen takes ownership for his personal struggles and relationships. The majority of fans on social media have expressed they strongly relate to the deep message conveyed in this album. Due to the reliability and vulnerability this album is seen as raw and honest, which creates a personal relationship with the album causing it to make top charts with over 3.4 billion streams on Spotify.
Rosalias fourth album, LUX released on Nov.7. A huge project that blends four different genres and 13 languages. This album uses stories and paints images about experiences of love, lust and a devotion to God. Rolling Stone gave LUX a five star review and mentioned it a sounds nothing like any music out now. Other critics called it a masterpiece and fans on social media state it to be a “religious experience” for the deep emotion it evokes. The album achieved huge success, breaking Spotify records for a female Spanish-language artist.
Lady Gaga’s album, Mayhem was released on March 7 and immediately gained popularity as well as reviews from fans comparing it to her previous albums, such as The Fame and Born This Way. The album quickly became a massive success, accumulating over 5 billion streams on Spotify and becoming her most succesful album. Top publications offered high praise. Rolling Stone called it “the years strongest pop release yet.” The main themes of the album center around embracing chaos and self acceptance. As the album grows in popularity and critical reviews, it continues to be praised as a strong and nostalgic-sounding album.
