Leah Mason’s 'HEXED' is a Spellbinding Introduction to a Rising Star in Pop Music

Leah Mason has found her place in pop music with her highly-anticipated debut album, HEXED, released on August 9th. Following her EP Honeydew & Hennessy, Leah emerged as one of Nashville’s most exciting young stars and was named an “undeniable talent” by People Magazine. Now HEXED represents Leah as self-assured and unfiltered– at 24, she has been navigating intense emotions, significant life choices, first loves, heartbreaks, evolving friendships, and self-discovery. For fans of Halsey and Holly Humberstone, Leah Mason captures a mix of relatable songs that range from angst-filled anthems to poignant reflections on love and loss.

Stand-out tracks: ‘HEXED’ ‘Dime Bag’ ‘YOUR BOYFRIEND SUCKS’

My favorites: ‘Insomnia’ ‘Ball’ ‘1st Prize Money’

From its catchy hook to its witchy imagery, the title track ‘HEXED’ is an immediate attention-grabber. It’s a perfectly edgy anthem about falling back in with an ex, as Leah repeatedly calls out: "One time is a fluke / Twice is just bad luck / But three times is a pattern / And I’m sitting here like / F*ck!" ‘Kissing Friends’ features a gritty bassline that complements its messy yet relatable storyline, culminating in Mason's explosive outburst: "Kissing friends is a bad idea!" ‘Klepto’ is a quintessential I-hate-my-ex anthem, showcasing perfectly balanced synth-pop production that rounds out Leah on a three-for-three run of pop hits.

After three power-packed tracks to create the pull into HEXED, ‘Dime Bag’ is the synthy-piano ballad that truly puts Leah Mason’s artistry at the forefront. Blown out for the big moments of frustration and pared back for moments of emotional vulnerability, the track culminates in the wickedly blasé: “You know this breakup is a crime/And I lied about the liquor that I drank last night.”

‘Insomnia’ and ‘YOUR BOYFRIEND SUCKS’ taps into a nostalgic 2010s-pop production style, with the former sounding like it would be at home on Tove Lo’s Queen of the Clouds and the latter on Charli XCX’s Sucker. Leah’s vocals never shine brighter than when she soars from the bridge of ‘Insomnia’ into its final chorus: “I thought I’d be up until my deathbed/But I can finally, I can finally rest/With your body next to mine.” Don’t be fooled by her hopeless romantic demeanor though, it doesn’t last long; she’s ready to throw punches as she belts out the chorus of ‘YOUR BOYFRIEND SUCKS’: “Girl run cause your boyfriend sucks/Say the word I’ll do the dirty work/Throw his shit into a pile with a smile/Watch it burn.”

The back half of HEXED holds the deeper cuts of the album, with ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,’ ‘Midas Touch,’ and ‘Spirits.’ The ‘Interlude’ interpolates ‘Spirits,’ leading into the heaviest pop hitters to close out the album. ‘Ball’ and ‘Prize Money’ are Mason at her most cutting. She nonchalantly blames the end of her relationship on the fate of a Magic 8 Ball: “Do I take my vengeance/Feeling a little hellish/Need the go ahead to get it/Crossing my fingers for “definitely yes”/And if it says “no” then I’m gonna shake it again” and hits one last punch by calling out the paradox of life in the spotlight: “I kill myself trying to climb the gate/They dangle the keys right in my face/And tell me ‘No’/But I know if I had a faucet made of gold/Paparazzi in my face/Face in Centerfold/Star of Rolling Stone/They would want something from me.”

With HEXED, Leah Mason firmly establishes herself as a powerhouse in contemporary pop. She delivers an album that is both intensely personal and universally resonant, cementing her place as a compelling and relatable voice that cannot be ignored.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: KINDA OBSESSED

Reneé Rapp's 'Snow Angel' Balances Bold Risks and Raw Emotion

Reneé Rapp is a timeless multitalented performer, a star with a charismatic presence and powerful vocals that have made her a standout on Broadway, television, film - and in the recording studio. With her full-length album debut, Snow Angel, Rapp takes bold risks and achieves pop brilliance while crafting a deeply personal narrative that captures her most human emotions on her own terms.

Stand-out tracks: 'Talk Too Much' 'Pretty Girls'

My favorites: 'I Hate Boston' 'Snow Angel'

Groovy, grungy 'Talk Too Much' is full of vivid, self-deprecating imagery, as Rapp toes the line of a fragile relationship on the brink of destruction: "I'm here again/Talking myself out of my own happiness/I'll make it up till I quit." Its voicemail-style bridge is Rapp's stylistic identity out in full force, layering a messy narrative with powerhouse vocals.

Reneé's vocals shine the brightest on stripped-back ballads like 'I Hate Boston,' 'Gemini Moon,' and 'I Wish.' Whether she's mourning romantic love lost or the inevitable loss of loved ones, she soars through cutting lines like "How'd you make me hate Boston?/The whole thing is haunted/How do you sleep?" and softly glides with humility and sincerity through lines like "I wish I could still see the world through those eyes/Could still see the colors, but they're not as clear or as bright/Oh, the older we get, the colors, they change/Yeah, hair turns to gray, but the blue's here to stay."

The title track of Snow Angel begins unassuming, but by the time it transcends to its electric, goosebumps-raising second chorus, it stands out from Rapp's other ballads by its sheer power. The emotionality laced through, "The seasons change, addictions strange/I loved back then what I hate today/I wish I went a different way" - that's the force that will carry Reneé Rapp to the forefront of mainstream success.

Poppier tracks like 'Poison Poison,' 'So What Now,' and 'Tummy Hurts' fill out the tracklist with Reneé's bold flair. But if Reneé Rapp is going to get herself a massive hit, it's going to be synthy 'Pretty Girls.' The female anthem offers the nostalgic excitement and uncertainties that come with falling in love, especially when falling for one you know you can't have.

Despite the dramatic flair and boldness that characterize much of the album, Reneé Rapp wraps up Snow Angel with a poignant sense of maturity, humility, and promise for the future. In the final lines of '23' she sings, "I hope I'll see 24/ hope I'll understand more/I hope my bed is off the floor/I hope that I can care less/But I'm afraid to care less." By sharing her aspirations alongside her fears, Rapp concludes the project with a lingering sense of hope, which serves as a reminder that while boldness is essential, so is the strength found in our innate humanity.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: KINDA OBSESSED

Megan Moroney's 'Am I Okay?' Redefines Country Music with Honesty and Heart

The next great female storyteller and self-proclaimed "emo cowgirl" of country music has emerged, and her name is Megan Moroney. She's inadvertently changing the genre by inserting honesty and integrity back into the country which arguably hasn't been seen since the early days of Taylor Swift. Maroney's sophomore album Am I Okay?, released July 12 on Sony Music, exemplifies the power of wearing your heart on your sleeve through heartbreak. Leaning on the rich raspiness of her mild twang to emphasize the emotionality of her lyrics and the authenticity of the lyricism and instrumentation of every track on her album, Maroney is undeniably the future of country music.

Stand out tracks: "Am I Okay?" "Man on the Moon" "Miss Universe" "The Girls"

My favorites: "No Caller ID" "28th of June" "Indifferent" "Hope You're Happy"

The album opens with its stellar title track 'Am I Okay?' which sees Maroney realizing that the relationship she's found doesn't have her saying "Oh hell no/No way," but rather is allowing her to avoid writing a "sad song soundtrack." Backed by a rich and nostalgic guitar-led instrumentation, Megan's illustrious and unique vocal quality shines through as she proclaims, "I think I'm really happy/I think I wanna stay/Oh my god/Am I okay?" Megan's lucky streak continues into 'Third Times the Charm.' Seemingly against her better judgment, she rekindles a relationship that has failed her in the past, but this time it "put a brand new kind of wind back in my sails/Took my heart off of the shelf."

Have no fear, the emo cowgirl isn't gone forever - 'No Caller ID' is proof of that. One of Maroney's lyrical and vocal high points on Am I Okay?, the track is sufficiently scathing while she laments repeatedly letting her heart get broken by the same old games. The track builds to its powerful bridge where she's left asking "Don't you get tired of hurtin' me?/I'm tired of hurtin' me." Where 'No Caller ID' leaves off, she picks back up with even deeper heartbreak on '28th of June;' illustrating the ever-so-human feeling of the hurt of knowing an anniversary is no longer anything but a regular day: "Another 365 have come and gone/Today would've been a day that we'd celebrate/And now it's just another Tuesday." This is the closest track in years that comes close to the tangible emotion felt in early 2000s tracks like Taylor Swift's 'Time McGraw' and Carrie Underwood's 'You Won't Find This.'

Megan abandons all restraint going into should-be radio hit 'Man on the Moon.' With the classic references to NASA, space, "out of this world", rockets - all those fun little metaphorical lyrical games - Megan Moroney hits the nail on the head with a song-of-the-summer-tinged country-girl power anthem. And while 'Man on the Man' is the most fun version of Moroney, 'Miss Universe' is the track from Am I Okay? that you turn on if you just really need to hate your ex's new fling. Yet again tapping into the themed imagery, this time of glitz and glamor, Moroney powers through a bass-heavy pounder that's full of shamelessly raging lyricism: "At least it wasn't a county pageant I lost that boy to/But I want runner-up roses, want the sash for second place."

The hidden gems of Am I Okay? linger in the tracks that don't even touch upon romantic love; 'The Girls' is the song that's meant to be sung driving with the windows down with your best friend, listened to at sunset with your mom, in a stadium with your sister. 'Heaven by Noon' is the love song to those we wish we'd had a little more time with before they're gone. And she toes the line between all types of love lost with stunningly sincere 'I Hope You're Happy,' where Megan croons "I hope you finally make your way to California/I hope you find someone that loves you like I do...I hope you're happy/And I hope I never know."

Our beloved emo cowgirl closes Am I Okay? with the ultimate show of love for the people who have given her the life she's dreamed of, rather than the loves who have torn her down: "Keep it together, I can keep it together/For the room full of people here who love me better/Than he could've, or would've and should've, I know." With her star power, love for her supporters, and a sophomore album like Am I Okay?, Megan Moroney's career is looking like it will be more than just okay, it will be exceptional.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED