The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has become one of the biggest icons in music history, breaking record after record, including headlining the most successful tour (Eras Tour) and winning the most American Music Awards. Releasing her first album at just 16 years old, she has truly made an imprint on the pop music industry; whether you love or hate her music, it is undeniable that she has taken over the genre. On October 3, Swift returned with her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl. The album’s lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia”, became the fastest song to reach 100 million streams, adding to Swift’s long list of career accolades. Swift has made recent headlines after becoming engaged to Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, about whom most of her newest songs seem to be written. The album has only one featured artist, Sabrina Carpenter, but it perfectly fits what fans wanted from the singer’s highly anticipated album. My favorite song off the album is “Opalite”, which has an extremely catchy chorus. Filled with catchy melodies and her signature pop sound, Swift has successfully added another record-breaking album to her discography.
After the Sun Goes Down – Khalid
R&B and Indie singer Khalid has become a well-respected artist and songwriter, producing and singing hits like “Talk”, “Young Dumb & Broke”, and “Better”. He has released music with popular artists including Billie Eilish, Halsey, Benny Blanco, and Ed Sheeran. On October 10, he released his fourth studio album, After the Sun Goes Down, merging his R&B-like voice with a dance-pop sound. There isn’t a single slow song on the album, each sounding similar to Khalid’s signature sound but with a completely new twist. The best song on the album, in my opinion, is “Out of Body”.Co-produced by legendary producer Darkchild (Rodney Jerkins), who has helped create hits with artists like Beyoncé, the Spice Girls, and Michael Jackson, the song features a Bollywood-like hook, before a beat drop signals the dance-pop sound you can hear throughout the album.
Son of Spergy – Daniel Caesar
Ashton Simmonds, better known as Daniel Caesar, has made a name for himself as one of the biggest R&B and Soul artists of the present day. He’s showcased his soft, melodic voice on hit songs like “Always”, “Best Part”, and “Superhero”. After collaborating with artists like H.E.R., Kali Uchis, and GIVĒON, the Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer is back with his fourth album, Son of Spergy, which was released on October 23. The album follows his own personal journey and newfound understanding of his father’s lessons, drawing similar ties to that of Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMATICA album. The album features collaborations with artists like Sampha, Bon Iver, and Yebba, prompting a more Indie vibe. The best song is arguably “Root of All Evil”, a simple yet effectively catchy tune with peaceful instrumentals, slow and steady singing by Caesar, and an extremely well-written chorus. Overall, the album truly feels like you are on a journey as you float and bob your head along to Caesar’s peaceful voice and conflicted lyricism. Each song has a strong moral lesson if you pay attention to the lyrics, but if you are not a listener for words, simply lie your head back and relax: Caesar has hit another home run.
TEN: The Story Goes On – TWICE
Korean Pop (K-Pop) group TWICE has been extremely successful across the world, starting after seven contestants on a 2015 reality show SIXTEEN were chosen to create a new K-Pop group (two other eliminated contestants joined later). While success seemed far-fetched for the group, they exceeded expectations, becoming the first all-female group to sell out SoFi Stadium as well as headlining the Lollapalooza festival last year, among other accolades. Their newest album, TEN: The Story Goes On, marks the group’s fifth project as they reflect on the first ten years of their careers. Teased less than a month before the release of the album, it features ten songs, where nine of them are individual songs sung by one of the members, and one is done by the group altogether. The best song on the album is “FIX A DRINK”, sung by member Jeongyeon, who puts a country-like tune to her English and Korean mixed lyrics, adding a rather different style to the entire album as a whole. TWICE will be going on a world tour, visiting Phoenix on January 28, 2026, at the Mortgage Matchup Center (previously PHX Arena).
