Over the past year, the music scene’s most prominent figures have gifted fans with timeless additions to their discographies. From Beyoncé’s genre-bending Cowboy Carter to Ariana Grande’s sentimental eternal sunshine, multiple artists have further solidified themselves as legends in their craft.
Additionally, we have also seen the rise of many artists across genres, including jazz-classical, multi-hyphenate Laufey and the Midwest princess, Chappell Roan. Their artistry and natural talent as performers certainly set them apart from many, so it’s refreshing to see them finally receive their flowers.
Laufey
With the release of her sophomore album, Bewitched, Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey casted a spell on me and the rest of the world with her lovesick melodies and heartfelt lyricism. Upon listening, Bewitched transports audiences into a fairytale brimming with dreamy jazz, pop and classical instrumentation.
The first track, “Dreamer,” seemingly pays homage to traditional pop classics as it opens with an a cappella style like “Old Cape Cod” by Patti Page. Other songs, including “Second Best” and “Letter To My 13-Year-Old Self,” reflect Laufey’s melancholic sentiments as her enthralling vocals tug at your heartstrings. In “California and Me,” she collaborates with the illustrious Philharmonia Orchestra to evoke a tender imagery of California’s landscape as she navigates through her anonymous lover’s absence. The final track, “Bewitched,” perfectly captures the album’s hopeless romanticism with its elegant orchestration and enchanting chorus, making you feel as if you are setting foot into a ballroom.
With tracks including “From the Start” and “Promise” receiving mass attention across TikTok and other social media platforms, Bewitched earned Laufey her first Grammy nomination and win for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. With songs off her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, faring similarly, Laufey’s ability to bewitch listeners flourishes with each new release.
Chappell Roan
Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, encapsulates her campy, drag queen persona with glitzy and theatrical elements to craft rejuvenating pop music. Each song features full-bodied pop tunes and lyrics which seamlessly underline her innate ability to woo any audience with idiosyncratic vocals, upholding her reign as a synth-pop supernova.
The album’s opener, “Femininomenon,” features a high-powered chorus embellished with quirky lines, such as “Get it hot like Papa John.” In the fifth track, “Casual,” Roan channels a soul-stirring ballad about the sorrow and contempt arising from a situationship, with one’s significant other only viewing their relationship as casual. “HOT TO GO!” trades the more distressing sounds of heartache for an earworm of a chorus accompanied by a series of arm movements spelling out the song’s title — a parallel to the “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People. The 11th track, “Pink Pony Club,” celebrates the liberation gained from performing, evidenced by the repetitions of the lines, “I’m gonna keep on dancing at the / Pink Pony Club.” The song references Roan’s move from her home state of Missouri to Los Angeles in 2018, signaling the transition of her career.
The “Red Wine Supernova” singer’s first signs of success trace back a decade ago when singer-songwriter Troye Sivan supported her on social media for her original song “Die Young,” recorded when she released music as Kayleigh Rose. Her most recent ascent to stardom stems from viral videos of her Tiny Desk Concert and charming performances as an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS Tour. Roan’s newest single, “Good Luck, Babe!,” is also amassing critical acclaim, further establishing herself as not only the Midwest’s but everyone’s pop princess.
