After a startlingly strong start to the year with last month’s Digest, our February edition admittedly takes a while to break out of first-gear. But it most certainly does by the middle of the list, thanks to stand-out releases from the likes of Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Lucius, and Miranda Lambert.
Backstreet Boys- “Hey” (RCA)
This new single serves to launch a 25 year retrospective of the iconic boy band’s biggest album, and bona fide pop cornerstone, Millennium. First off, holy crap does that sentence make me feel old. Secondly, I wish they were doing so with a track that better matches the turn-of-the-century spark that defined Millennium’s best moments. And yes, there are plenty of recent moments from the band that suggests they can still capture that sort of energy. “Hey” is fine, but it doesn’t possess the insatiable drama of “I Want It That Way”, the raucous contagion of “Larger Than Life”, or the gorgeously haunted aura of “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”.
Dierks Bentley- “She Hates Me” (Capitol)
Bentley slips back into the scuzzy, Nashville pseudo-rock of 2016’s Black album. And while it’s catchy enough and does begrudgingly grow on you thanks to the unflappable personality he brings to every recording, Dierks is capable of sooo much better. Ultimately, this is poor-man’s Puddle of Mudd, which is way below the standards he’s established for himself at this stage of his career.
The Black Keys- “The Night Before” (Easy Eye Sound)
I must still be coming down from the high of finally completing the site’s first Artist in Residence anthology, because my first thought when I saw this title was wondering whether this was a left-field cover of the fantastic gem off The Beatles’ Help! album. However, this is actually the launch to yet another new Black Keys era, setting the stage for the duo’s fourth studio album in almost as many years. That’s not something I’ll complain about, but this just feels a bit too tentative for such an occasion, not to mention a Keys record in general. They might want to let their creative juices gestate just a bit longer in between projects. This isn’t bad, but it isn’t super-memorable either.
Benson Boone- “Pretty Slowly” (Warner)
I’m way behind on reviewing this track, which first dropped last summer, but it’s a welcome inclusion here in a Digest that has an admittedly-mid start after such a standout installment last month. Boone’s records just pop in a way that grabs the listener with such joyfully dramatic force, thanks to his striking vocal range, charisma, and refusal to stick to a Top 40-friendly sonic structure. This song feels like the glorious love-child of your favorite records from The Lumineers, Harry Styles, and Ed Sheeran. He does return to that soft-loud-soft-loud template with the same frequency that Mumford & Sons ate a lot of shit for, but he’s as worthy of the same forgiveness we afforded them. His records just have that special it-factor, impressively infectious and gorgeous all the same.
Zach Bryan- “Dear Miss” (Warner)
The fact that I’m so frequently praising Zach Bryan for being both so ridiculously prolific and so ridiculously solid is not the byproduct of a stan-complex on my part, or just plain misplaced hype. Sometimes, an artist is just simply great, and to me, “Dear Miss” is more supporting evidence of Bryan’s general greatness in the present moment. And we’re all very fortunate to bear witness to this greatness unfolding before our eyes and ears. The very best singer-songwriters are able to do so much with so little, and that’s precisely what Bryan achieves here with this profoundly simple musical letter to the mother of the woman who stands beside him, for better or worse.
Sabrina Carpenter and Dolly Parton- “Please Please Please” (Island)
How can one not just simply grin at the mere thought of these two ladies being in the same vicinity of one another? Carpenter may not have yet demonstrated the lyrical poetic depth of a Dolly-disciple, but she’s certainly on the right path in the categories of witty charm, joyful exuberance, and knack with a good hook. All the while slathered in a heavy layer of harmless raunch, of course. (She does clean up her vocab here out of reverence for Queen Dolly, BTW). Her album work has also possessed some considerable nods to early-Kacey Musgraves, so the country pivot here isn’t that left-field either. This is the kind of pleasing bonus-track sustenance one could get used to.
Coldplay- “All My Love” (Parlophone)
This track was a definite stand-out from Moon Music, a fact I was thoroughly reminded of by the recent Grammy performance. Chris Martin’s voice remains a treasure, and when he applies those gifts to a tender piano ballad, the results are among the very best aural treasures in all of modern pop music.
Charley Crockett- “Lonesome Drifter” (Island)
The ever-prolific Crockett is quickly emerging as one of the truly great voices of his generation, but not necessarily based on the typical criteria of technical ability or range. Sure, he’s got plenty of that to offer. But what I’m referencing here is that unique quality of vocal character. That special kind of narrative, emotive sauce that instantly separates solid singers from truly great stylists and storytellers. Johnny Cash had it. Willie Nelson still has it. And Charley Crockett most definitely does as well. The kind of voice that instantly transplants the listener to the setting of the song through the sheer magical vessel of his voice. You’re on that highway right alongside him from the minute the needle drops.
Dawes- “I Love L.A.” (Rounder)
The combination of Dawes and Randy Newman is one those combinations that is so clearly obvious that it’s easy to completely overlook. Then when they come to fruition, your first response is naturally, “Duh! What took so long?!”. All of these decades later, there is still not another organism in the popular music ecosystem like a Randy Newman song. It’s no surprise that Dawes does such a spot-on and reverent interpretation, all the while providing the recently ravaged Los Angeles community with a rousing anthem of perseverance.
Anderson East- “Say I Love You” (Elektra)
The modern crown-prince of blue-eyed soul returns with a simmering, surging performance that reminds us that his tremendous rasp is just as impactful within the confines of a tender whisper, as it is when he’s singing to the rafters. The supple reverb of the production dances with his vocals in such a sly but warm fashion that it provides an equally slithering but comforting embrace around the listener’s emotions. It’s great to have Anderson back.
Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robertson- “Hook Line” (Nonesuch)
An absolutely joyous jaunt with the kind of stellar musical dexterity and style that you’d expect from its sources. You’ll spend the entire two-and-a-half minutes battling two simultaneous endorphin highs; one caused by the uplifting rustic energy of the tune, and the other by the never-ending bewilderment over the talent of Giddens and anyone she surrounds herself with.
Charles Wesley Godwin- “It’s the Little Things” (Warner)
The title phrase of this song doesn’t just apply to the little life pleasures that Godwin’s singing about here, but also to all the wonderful vocal and stylistic nuances that he delivers his music with. From the cozy quirks of the production, to his subtly off-kilter turns-of-phrase or melodic dips, to the perfectly time moments when he leans ever so slightly into the gravel of his timbre. All the little things that easily make him one of my favorite voices to emerge in the past half-decade.
Patterson Hood & Waxahatchee- “The Forks of Cypress” (ATO)
Precisely the kind of simmering, dark folk that you’d expect from this collaboration, the Drive-By Truckers vocalist is truly able to let the subtle emotive powers of his wrenching rasp shine in a more stripped down setting. Wax’s unmistakable wail is the perfect harmonic foil for him as well, though we certainly would have welcomed a full-blown verse or bridge from the fast-rising roots darling herself.
Billy Idol- “Still Dancing” (BFI)
Though he’s released a handful of EPs over the past several years, “Still Dancing” serves as the lead single to Idol’s forthcoming LP, which continues the pace he’s established since the 90s with a full-length arriving every decade or so. His brand of glammy, brash 80’s New Wave punk is one of the pop music subsets most susceptible to poor aging, vocally and stylistically. To his credit though, Idol successfully avoids those pitfalls. His voice obviously isn’t defined by the youthful rebellion it was four decades ago, but it has retained its uniquely haunted touch, which sounds even more foreboding at this stage of his life. Additionally, the reflective narrative counterpoint to his original hit, “Dancing With Myself” makes the presentation of a near-70 year old man singing this music all the more palatable and rewarding. It’s still cocky, but tempered with a warm layer of life-experience and contentment.
Lady Gaga- “Abracadabra” (Interscope)
Now we’re cookin’. “Disease” was an excellent aphrodisiac for LG’s newest era, but this is where things really elevate into a main-event gear. Everything about this track just screams prime, vintage Lady Gaga. The fiery pop cacophony of the production. The sheer, non-sensical seduction of her ever-powerful vocals and offbeat lyrics. The onslaught of dance-worthy hooks throughout. The brilliantly haunting and on-brand weirdness and 80s-90s-worthy production of the music video. The diverse flourishes of Gaga’s artistic trajectory, especially over the past decade, have been marvelous to witness. But there’s no doubt that the flashy, drag-leaning dance-pop of her initial domination is clearly where her passion and strongest skill-sets lie. This is instantly on par with any of her classics from the The Fame, The Fame Monster, or Born This Way. It’s the kind of uniquely epic and fantastical pop box office event that she’s still the very best of her generation at delivering.
Miranda Lambert- “Run” (Big Loud)
This track was not initially one of the stand-out moments to me on Lambert’s excellent Postcards From Texas, but now that its selection as the next single prompted me to give it some standalone appraisal, my appreciation is truly growing. As a solo write that’s been in her vault for the past decade, speculation naturally suggests that this was inspired by her divorce from Blake Shelton, and it’s pretty much confirmed by the beautifully cutting line: “And you took too long to see I was unhappy, and I took too long to tell you that I was”. Lambert’s aching vocals and Jon Randall’s ever-tastefully organic production is gorgeously on-point, and the fact that this song stands up to the great tracks she was releasing in 2015, and is still releasing in 2025, only further affirms how impressively consistent she’s been across her entire discography.
Lizzo- “Love In Real Life” (Atlantic)
A freaking fantastic return bop from one of today’s very best bop architects. I love hearing her lean into these rockier influences, highlighted by the rip-roaring guitar riffs that give the chorus, and song as a whole, an infectiously fresh brand of swagger. It applies the perfect amount of new paint to Lizzo’s still very durable canvas of bright vocals, sparkling charisma, life-affirmation, and cross-genre curiosity. I’m certainly eager to hear how her recent personal strifes will inform her forthcoming album, but I’m equally relieved to see that those dramas have not hampered her reliability as one of music’s best feel-good acts.
Lucius- “Gold Rush” (Fantasy)
Another turn back toward their indie-rock origins with guitarist Peter Lalish and drummer Dan Molad returning to the folder, “Gold Rush” continues to prove that there’s simply no style where the golden harmonies of Jess Wolf and Holly Laessig don’t sound natural and flat-out fantastic. That Cher-recalling “ohhh-ohhhhhhhh” at the climax of the chorus? I live for it during each successive listen. They seem forever tailored and understandably content with their status as an indy darling, but why the mainstream rock and alt scenes haven’t added them to their increasingly bland playlists will forever be a mystery to me. Sweeter than liquid gold, indeed.
The Lumineers- “You’re All I Got”/”So Long” (Dualtone)
A spine-tingling twofer like only the Lumineers could provide. There simply aren’t enough conversations being had about Wesley Schultz’s voice being among the most devastatingly gripping of his generation, because it certainly is, and these performances only further solidify this fact.
Jessica Simpson- “Use My Heart Against Me” (Nashville Canyon)
Look, there’s no denying that Jessica Simpson is one of the most infamous critical whipping-posts of the past two decades in popular music. Plenty of that was brought on by herself (that 2004 “Who Will Save Your Soul” duet with Jewel is still torturing me at night), while much of it lays at the feet of the viscous 2000s media culture. Any way you slice it, her musical emergence is certainly a surprise; the fact that it’s launched via a pretty convincing Americana detour was nowhere to be found on anyone’s 2025 bingo card. It’s not going to be mistaken for anything groundbreaking, but teaming up with JD McPherson is good place to start when seeking modern roots street-cred. If I didn’t know who the artist was upfront, it would have still caught my attention in a positively curious way. It’s not fair to take those attributes away once you find out it’s Ms. Chicken of the Sea. This is a pleasantly surprising and effective stylistic turn that Simpson sounds far more natural tackling than anyone could have ever given her the benefit of the doubt for. That doesn’t mean I think she’s the next Sierra Ferrell, but any attempts to compete with Sabrina Carpenter and the like would not have garnered anywhere near this level of quality. Katy Perry should pay attention once she returns from space.
The Stylistics featuring Shania Twain- “Yes, I Will” (Greatest)
A complete swerve of a combination, but one that renders delightfully lovely results. A perfectly-timed Valentine’s Day release, not because it checks all the predictably sweet and saccharine Hallmark boxes, but because it avoids them by simply focusing on celebrating a romance and life that aren’t perfect, but realistically persevering. The Philadelphia Soul troop’s vocals sound impressively unchanged decades on after their peak, and their stylistic influence brings out a new colorful shade to a singer’s voice who has been forced to weather physical changes since her own heyday.
Randy Travis- “Horses In Heaven” (Warner)
Another AI-assisted track, “Horses In Heaven” serves as the follow-up to Travis’ notable 2024 release, “Where That Came From”, for which its own controversially conflicting implications we’ve already discussed in essay form. The difference maker for me in this quandary remains the undeniable euphoria that the creation of these records clearly brings Randy Travis himself. You might as well suspend reality for a few moments and lose yourself in the beauty of the record, because it does sound pretty damn terrific and believable. When the vocals start the song with the sweet boom of “There are…”, you would be forgiven for thinking this was the start of “Three Wooden Crosses”.
Morgan Wallen- “I’m the Problem” (Big Loud)
A solidly brooding ambience that suits his voice well, and a modern Outlaw-leaning narrative that likely mirrors Wallen’s own real-life conflict between defensiveness and accountability as it relates to his litany of missteps. It’s honestly a pretty universal ball of emotions that we all battle with, and these are the reasons that, for better or worse, have transformed Wallen into such a relatable and egregiously unflappable superstar. My biggest concern at this point is the relative monotony in tone and style between this and the two preceding singles from his latest thirty-plus opus that’s on deck. The stylistic variety of the releases from One Thing At a Time was the ultimate secret to its success. If I’m the Problem lacks that diversity, that’s going to be its own biggest problem.
Yola- “Temporary” (S-Curve)
“Temporary” may not necessarily pack the guttural or immediate wallop as predecessors “Future Enemies” and “Symphony”, but it’s been well-established at this point that the softer, more subtle moments from Yola are among the very best. The more relaxed and lighter bounce in her vocals floats confidently and comfortably against the dance-soul sparkle of the track. Fingers crossed that we’re getting more than just an EP this year from this enormous talent. Tracks like this however provide a temporary comfort in the meantime.
Lola Young- “Messy” (Island)
The American breakout track for this European hitmaker succeeds for many reasons, but mostly for just how committed the entire performance is to the lyrical core of this gritty break-up tune. The visual aesthetic, the production, and Young’s spot-on unfiltered deliveries all serve as a battle-cry for our inner-needs to simply be ourselves, contradictions and warts and all.
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