By Carla Rubio
The new year calls for new songs, new albums, and new finds for every music lover.
In just the span of one week, a plethora of legendary award-winning artists hit the industry with new releases. Albums including Selena Gomez’s emotional “Rare,” Eminem’s 20 track long surprise “Music To Be Murdered By,” Halsey’s ultra pop “Manic,” and the late Mac Miller’s highly anticipated posthumous “Circles” album were released.
Continuing the year of comebacks, Selena Gomez returns with “Rare,” beginning in October with the back-to-back releases of the powerful ballad “Lose You to Love Me” and funky tunes of “Look At Her Now.”
Selena’s third studio album follows a hard couple of years since her 2015 album “Revival.” Gomez’s life took a hard turn as she had to battle with lupus, resulting in needing a kidney transplant. In addition, her life in the spotlight became too overwhelming after a few high-profile relationships (and breakups) as well as red carpet backlash because of the way she looked, ending in her break from social media.
That same week, rap god Eminem (aka Slim Shady) dropped yet another surprise album, “Music To Be Murdered By,” for his die-hard fans without warning. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s album of the same name, Shady (Eminem’s well-known alternate persona) takes lyrically genius shots at critics and haters yet again and collaborates with artists such as Ed Sheeran, the late Juice WRLD, Anderson Park, and Royce Da 5’9.
“I trust that everyone is enjoying the music. As the title of the album suggests, this was meant for your listening pleasure while you are being done in,” Hitchcock says in the violent 15th track, “Little Engine.”
“Circles,” the album created before the late hip hop artist’s, Mac Miller, tragic overdose in September of 2018 was released by his trusted composer Jon Brion. Adding elements of live percussion, strings, and various overdubs, the composer was tasked with finishing the album to accompany his previous album “Swimming” and honoring the artist. With a duration of 12 chilling tracks, fans listen with a hole in their heart as the artist sings about his problems with drugs and the brutally honest truth about his life.
“A lot of things I regret, but I just say, “I forget.” Why can’t it just be easy? Why does everybody need me to stay?” laments Miller in the first officially released song of the album.
The newest of these artists, pop sensation Halsey, searches for happiness in her utterly manic and chaotic life. The artist’s third album “Manic,” displays inner battles she faces (including her rocky relationship with rapper G-Eazy and the three miscarriages she has endured throughout her life) with songs such as the first track “Ashley,” the number one hit “Without Me,” and the aggressive “I HATE EVERYBODY.”
“It’s crazy when, the thing you love the most is the detriment. Let that sink in. You can think again when the hand you wanna hold is a weapon and you’re nothin’ but skin,” recounts in the chill-inducing third track, “Graveyard.”
With various albums to listen to, music fans will be jamming out with headphones on this weekend as the world around them disappears.
