One of the hardest things at the beginning of the fall semester is knowing the summer releases will never hit the same.
Driving around with the windows down while blasting a recently released song or album that hasn’t been beaten to death by TikTok is truly unmatched.
What I saw this summer was the continuation of recession pop, with many continuing to lean into the hyperpop nostalgia of the 2010s.
Recession-pop is a high-energy pop subgenre stemming from periods of economic recession with the common theme of escapism, according to an Oct. 11, 2024 Berklee College of Music article.
While the United States is not currently in a recession, the current political climate leaves many longing to escape — which is evident in the U.S. music industry.
University of California, Los Angeles’ Anderson School of Management issued a recession watch in March, indicating there may be one on the horizon, according to a March 19, Los Angeles Times article.
This summer saw some amazing albums and singles that aided in the idyllic escapism I need, here is some music that helped with that.
“Speedo” by Dana and Alden | Rating 9/10
The jazz duo, Dana and Alden, dropped their album “Speedo” in late June and helped me glamorize my hot summer evenings.
Known for their song “Dragonfly” released on their album “Quiet Music for Young People,” on August 4, 2023.
The song was popularized on TikTok in 2024 and the duo has been pushing out jazz bangers for the last two years — this album is no exception.
Not one song is the same and each adopts elements of different genres, somehow making a beautiful collage of jazz.
One moment you will be listening to a song like “Lisbon in Rain,” where there is a slower, louder and mystical feeling that blends jazz styles similar to Samantha Sang.
Then the tracklist switches to songs such as “Rick Pablo,” which has a heavy blues and funk influence.
Having these different music styles throughout the album allowed for different instruments to shine; some songs are heavy on saxophone and some spotlight the drums.
While some may love the blend of these different styles, when you are vibing with a particular mood, it can be jarring to have that switch.
A good example of this is “Cacio e Pepe,” which has a harsh and ominous tone that is layered with a voice sample of an older person describing making the dish.
However I noticed the duo uses their voices and voice samplings as instruments rather than the main focus of the song.
“Daydrinking in Springfield,” is an airy jazz-rock song in which the duo’s voices are incredibly light, nearly being taken over by the guitar and drums.
This album truly feels like one is lying in the grass while you bask in the summer breeze as the sky turns bright orange.
“Secret (EP)” by Ve’ondre | Rating: 8.5/10
The underrated artist, Ve’ondre, released an electronic-pop EP in August and is the future of electronic music.
Rising in popularity after rapping on Aliyah’s Interlude “IT GIRL (Fan Remix) (feat. Ve’ondre),” she shamelessly represents her trans identity through her music.
“Body” was one of four singles featured on her EP and is definitely in my top 10 favorite songs of the summer.
The electronic beat makes me feel like I should be driving on the bikes from the movie “Tron: Legacy” on Highway 17.
Her use of different electronic sounds somehow captures this futuristic robot feel that is parallel with sci-fi movies.
You can see her lean into this through the album art used for her singles and in music videos.
It’s not just the beat of the music that is amazing; the lyrics of her songs tackle personal yet universal problems faced by the transgender community.
Another single featured on the album is “Gay,” which exudes the definition of an electronic pop song.
The chorus is “If you think I make you gay / You prolly are,” referring to when heterosexual people struggled with their identity because of their attraction to a trans person.
Some of the songs were very akin to the early 2000s MySpace electronic-scene era, with some of them heavily relying on autotune.
At times, the autotune in her voice detracted from the beat, as evident in the song “Secret.”
Though it can be jarring, Ve’ondre takes elements of these popularized techniques and makes them her own, even if it can come off as a bit harsh.
The genre has seen a decline in Black representation, despite the genre’s origins stemming from the 1980s Black club scene, according to a July 5, 2020 Respect My Region article.
With her approach to the genre, her lyricism takes an uplifted-party approach to topics that aren’t talked about.
This is an incredibly different approach to the EDM genre than what has been released recently.
Overall, I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future we hear Ve’ondre becoming one of the staples for the club scene.
“The Subway” by Chappell Roan | Rating: 9/10
To be expected, Chappell Roan made her way into my playlists with her highly anticipated single “The Subway,” released on July 31.
Unbeknownst to me, she teased this song in June 2024 during her Governors Ball Music Festival performance in New York City.
Despite the fans’ pressure to release the song, Roan waited saying she wasn’t ready to release the song because the song was too painful, according to an Aug. 4 Vogue article.
This is incredibly apparent in the emotions and lyrics in the song, describing the struggle of getting over an ex.
“Made you the villain, evil for just moving on / I see your shadow, I see it even with the lights off,” Roan said in her song.
The music throughout the song is a soulful pop ballad, leaving the listener yearning for someone that they may not have thought of in years.
At a time when same-sex marriage sought to be overturned, according to an Aug. 11 ABC News article.
Hearing a woman pine over her relationship with another woman has never been more confirming to my sexuality. I don’t feel alone in my feelings and I feel seen.
That being said, it feels like it was released at a time when yearning singles are the hits of the summer. Making “The Subway” feel not as standout as it would have been if it were released sooner.
This is mainly because of the recent popularization of sombr and his songs “undressed” released on March 21 and “back to friends” dropped last year on Dec. 27.
Despite this, overall, I feel like Roan has been able to continuously put out intentional music but something that is mainstream and universal to everyone.
All in all, I found myself longing for escape during the summer, and these albums honestly helped to achieve that.
I didn’t staunchly listen to these albums and found myself more listening to older albums on repeat.
Despite the stark differences in these artists and albums, the one thing that connects them is allowing people to have an idyllic version of their lives just for a moment.
