i used to think i could fly, Tate McRae

Tate McRae is best known for social media success of sassy, poppy TikTok hits like"you broke me first" and "she's all i wanna be." i used to think i could fly is her first full-length album and it's pretty much exactly what you would expect from her-- both in a good way and a not-so-good way.

i used to think i could fly is perfectly cheeky, but it's not exactly bold. Tate McRae has unique, raspy vocal talent and she performs the heck out of her songs, but pre-released"she's all i wanna be" is really the only truly great song on this album. I would come back to i used to think i could fly to learn these songs to sing them at a concert because I think they would translate extremely well to a sassy pop concert, but in the context of an album, they all kind of blend together.

Stand-out tracks: "she's all i wanna be" "what's your problem?"

My favorites: "feel like shit" "go away"

"don't come back" is trappy and smooth and holds up well as the first track of the album following the intro. "what's your problem?" is everything you want from a scream-sing angry break-up song. "she's all i wanna be" is the ultimate dance-around-your-room teenage crush song-- it's got fun guitars and a dancey vocal line that I'm sure comes across really well when performed thanks to Tate's dance background. "feel like shit" is how Tate McRae takes on processing heartbreak-- with a little more angst and self-deprecation than similar artists like Olivia Rodrigo. "go away" has a thrumming bass line that actually does a nice job of illustrating the pining that the lyrics and raw vocals of this song portray too.

i used to think i could fly is a solid debut album that is just enough to keep the wheels turning on Tate McRae's career, but just falls short of catapulting her to superstardom.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS

LIVESOS, 5 Seconds of Summer

I originally wasn't going to write a review of this one since it's a live album, but this is just such a fun live album it deserves a spot on the 500 album list.

For a little bit of context, LIVESOS (what a fantastic title by the way) was recorded at the House of Blues in LA in 2014 at one of the stand-alone shows 5 Seconds of Summer played while on tour with One Direction at 18 years old, fresh off the release of their debut album. It's hard to rate these songs on a scale similar to other studio albums I've listened to since the performance quality of each song plays a factor in how I feel about each one so:

Stand-out/favorite tracks: "Out of My Limit - Live" "Heartache on the Big Screen - Live" "What I Like About You - Live" "She Looks So Perfect - Live"

This album is nostalgic, fun, and such an easy listen, particularly if you're living with post-concert depression. And it shows off 5SOS doing what they do best-- performing the heck out of the best of their discography.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

FULLY OBSESSED

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish is one of the biggest music artists of the last decade, and with a darkly unique debut unlike what you would normally expect from a teen pop star, it's no wonder WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? became a sensation.

Throughout the entirety of WWAFA, WDWG? the fantastically unpredictable and addicting production of tracks like "you should see me in a crown" is mixed with delicately powerful vocals in tracks like "i love you" and the simple ethereal impression left by tracks like "when the party's over." Billie Eilish doesn't dumb herself down to the stereotypes of a teen idol even a little bit, and creating her own sickly delicious sound gives her all the more power as an artist. Quite simply, WWAFA, WDWG? beautifully illustrates late-night fears, thoughts, and dark dreams.

Stand-out tracks: "bury a friend" "i love you"

My favorites: "when the party's over" "you should see me in a crown"

This album starts with quirky "!!!!!!!" and the unexpectedly provocative hit "bad guy"- these songs are just the tip of the iceberg when entering the world of WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? "wish you were gay" could easily have been spun into a coffee-house-style love song, but it's trippy bass production and edgier lyricism make it that unique style Billie Eilish has claimed as her own. "when the party's over" is a stunning and haunting piano ballad that I truly don't have the words to describe except that I could listen to it forever. The only moment that feels truly teenage is "my strange addiction" that's laced with audio clips from The Office between angsty, lamenting lyricism. "bury a friend" deserves every bit of recognition that "bad guy" got-- it's incredibly and confidently sinister with arguably the best production of the entire album. "i love you" is one of the albums best tracks; it's a gorgeously melancholy acoustic ballad that illustrates the tragedy of disappointing love. "goodbye" is a serene and mystifying conclusion to the album that ties up some ends while leaving others tempting listeners to press play again.

On WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Billie Eilish crowns herself as the queen of delivering the unexpected in the world of electro-pop-- and she does it with a perfect blend of teenage confidence and the frightening needle-sharp precision of a well-seasoned artist.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

FULLY OBSESSED