By Mikayla Silcox
Elm Staff Writer
As fall begins and the world returns to a time of new beginnings, it is hard not to miss the excitement of summer. This 2022 summer music wrap-up will recreate the warmth and happiness of the past season.
“emails i can’t send” by Sabrina Carpenter
This summer, Sabrina Carpenter released an album both Olivia Rodrigo fans and haters have been waiting for.
After Rodrigo purportedly shaded Carpenter in her hit song “Drivers License,” the pressure was on Carpenter to respond through her first album, which she did perfectly.
The entire album is full of intensity, and Carpenter conveyed her strength to show that she is above all of the pain and pettiness.
In Carpenter’s song “Bad for Business,” she said, “If I’m just writing happy songs, will anybody sing along?”
This lyric encompasses the vibe of her album. Carpenter penned powerful, passive aggressive lyrics to unleash her feelings, especially toward the recent hate she was receiving from fans.
Carpenter has come a long way from the timid music she used to write, like her first single, “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying.” Through her music evolution, Carpenter gifted this summer the soundtrack of independence.
“Hold the Girl” by Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama continues to rise in popularity, especially after her multi-genre, self-realizing new album.
“Hold the Girl” combines pop-punk and R&B to create an out-of-body experience. Sawayama’s homemade harmonies made each song feel both magical and haunting.
In “Catch me in the Air,” Sawayama’s music is larger than life, which pairs well with the album’s theme of freeing oneself.
You can listen to this album anywhere and feel as if you are the only person in the world, adding flare to the theme of the summer of self-love.
“Superache” by Conan Gray
Conan Gray has done it again. Like Gray’s last album, “Kid Krow,” the artist compiled a heart-wrenching group of songs in which he transforms his experiences into art.
In an interview with Seventeen, Gray said, “You will probably be surprised to learn that I’ve never actually dated anyone.” This shocked fans, who felt as if Gray’s musical portrayal of love and heartbreak was too realistic to be anything but truthful.
Throughout “Superache,” Gray tackles a variety of subjects, including familial struggles, the disillusionment of glorified love, and memories of past love. Gray’s skilled storytelling makes the listener feel as if they are a part of every song.
Gray’s elaborate bridges feel desperate and all encompassing, making the listener feel wrapped up in both the fictional scenario Grey is describing. Whether you’ve felt that pain before or not, you will still feel torn apart and have the urge to scream-sing the songs.
His signature desperation in every song leaves the listener feeling powerful and satisfied. Yet again, another non-skip pop album.
“SZNZ Summer” by Weezer
It has been 30 years and Weezer has not failed to stop producing their awkwardly charming, alt-rock albums.
Unique to their other albums, SZNZ is a musical project in which a new record is released on the first day of each season’s solstice. Each has its own theme based on the season, which makes “SZNZ: Summer” the perfect embodiment of the summer.
Weezer combines the more pop-centered aspects of albums like “OK Human” with the older, more alternative movements in their albums like “Pinkerton” to successfully recreate the sound of summer: happy pop sounds and the thrill of heavy guitar.
While the band has not progressed in terms of developed lyrics, “SZNZ: Summer” sounds like the lighthearted fun of the season.
In terms of emotion and artistry, “SZNZ: Summer” is lacking, but it gets across exactly what it wishes to accomplish and helps keep the summer soundtrack from being too emotionally draining.
Photo provided by Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: The story of singer-songwriter Conan Gray is that of an underdog. After making YouTube videos throughout highschool, Gray hit it big with his 2019 song “Heather.” Today, Gray has over 20 million Spotify followers and is touring with his friend, Olivia Rodrigo.