10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of October 7, 2022

Now that we're a week into October, it's starting to truly feel like fall—and this week's new music releases are giving us the chill autumn vibe we're craving.

This week was a big one, with new albums from Charlie Puth and WILLOW, new song collections from Cat Burns and GAYLE and so much more. We had to put extra thought into narrowing down this week's incredible releases, so keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of October 7, 2022.

 

1. Kathleen Turns Anxious Overthinking to Music With 'Beautiful Waters'

L.A.-based singer-songwriter Kathleen never fails to surprise us with her creative and ever-evolving approach to songwriting, and her new single "Beautiful Waters" has a lot to say, delivered with an urgent punk edge. With its driving percussion and bassline, it's reminiscent of Pixies' most memorable tracks, musically encapsulating a never-ending loop of anxious overthinking we know so well. "I wrote the poem that became the lyrics for 'Beautiful Waters' during a particularly dark period of self-hatred and was trying to describe every sensation of it to myself," Kathleen shared in a press release.  "The song came out in an intense, almost violent burst. I was quite literally chasing after the song trying to catch it as it came out, which I think is why it sounds so frantic."

 

2. Newcomer MARIS Shares Her Debut Music Video, 'Heavenly Bodies'

Indie-pop singer MARIS may be new to the scene, but you'd never know that from the confidence in her lyricism and vocals. After releasing her first-ever single "Heavenly Bodies" last month, she revealed the striking music video this week, further demonstrating her ability to instantly captivate her audience. The song comes to life, unfurling through MARIS's bold interpretive dance, shot across Los Angeles. "Making the music video for 'Heavenly Bodies' was the manifestation of years' worth of dreaming," MARIS revealed in a press release. "From the time 'Heavenly Bodies' was just a demo, I had massive ideas for what the visual world could be. I've made a few different PowerPoints, then wrote out a rough shot list, which my co-director, Caro, ironed out and added her film expertise to." She plans to drop her first EP early next year, and we already know it's going to be everything.

 

3. corook Plays With the Giddy Secretiveness of New Love in 'your mom'

You can always count on singer-songwriter corook to write the rawest and most relatable tracks, and while we first chuckled at the title of her new single "your mom," it turns out the old joke is only the very surface of this bittersweet queer love song. With a playful indie-pop sound, and driven by corook's loving, tender vocals, it touches on young love, and the challenges that come with dating someone who hasn't come out yet. The touching music video also stars corook's real-life girlfriend. "I wrote this song when I was dating a girl in the closet," corook explained in a press release. "I was really fortunate to have already come out so I wanted to extend support if she wanted it, as well as the time and space to make her own decisions about it. I think the line 'You don't have to tell your mom about me' can relate to so many couples in that giddy beginning, living in their little love bubble not wanting to pop it too soon. I hope this song gives people the patience, love and compassion that they truly deserve during the coming out process."

 

4. Sadie Jean Can't Let Go in New Song 'Locksmith'

If you're like us and became obsessed with singer-songwriter Sadie Jean and her moving vocals after she released "WYD Now?" earlier this year, get excited, because she just dropped the sequel. The new song is called "Locksmith," continuing the story of a lost love that just can't be let go. In the acoustic-backed track, Sadie promises to never write another song about her first love, but wonders if they might be able to pick things back up in a decade, holding on to that last bit of hope, despite everything. "Locksmith" is a song about that one person who you will always have a soft spot for, no matter how long it's been. Experiencing a love that never really goes away is so weird and exhausting and sad," Sadie shared with Sweety High in an interview. "I wrote this song to give myself some sort of closure, without fully closing the door."

 

Also read about: Sadie Jean Keeps Hope for Her Lost First Love in Stunning New Single 'Locksmith'

 

5. Aidan Bissett Wows With Debut EP I'm Alright If You're OK

If you're not already swooning over Aidan Bissett this year, it's time to start paying attention. The 19-year-old singer-songwriter immediately won us over when he dropped the song "Twenty Something" this summer, and it turns out the track was just one part of the story of his I'm Alright If You're OK EP. In over five infectious indie-rock tracks, Aidan walks us through the stages of a relationship, and its inevitable demise, exploring precisely what doomed it from the start. "The themes for this EP are sacrifice and self-acceptance," Aidan said in an interview with Sweety High. "I hope with each song, listeners can hear each emotional stage I was in during this relationship. I hope that people can learn from my mistakes and focus on their own mental health in relationships, as well as their significant others. It's important to not lose yourself in a relationship." He also dropped a music video for the track "All That I'm Craving" today, and it captures the vibe of both Aidan and the new EP over three perfect minutes.

 

Also read about: Aidan Bissett Breaks Down Every Track of His Debut EP, I'm Alright If You're OK

 

6. Thomas Day Sees Deeper and Brings Joy With Uplifting Single 'Wildflower'

There's a good reason that Thomas Day has quickly risen in rank as one of TikTok's biggest musical heartthrobs. While he's definitely got the looks and the charm—as well as one of the best voices in the biz—he also offers something more, with an insight and authenticity that speaks directly to his fans. His new single, "Wildflower," is perfect proof of this, serving as an anthem for uplifting and inspiring all of those who have to pretend they're okay, despite being anything but. "This song came to me in the most interesting way," Thomas shared in an interview with Sweety High. "I was in NYC for a trip to write songs and it was a Thursday morning. I was leaving my hotel and I noticed this girl was sitting on a park bench and I thought she was super pretty. As I was walking, we both noticed each other and smiled, then she trailed next to me going to her location. At one point, we stopped at a light, and she was listening to music and I saw she had a sad playlist on. Which made me think, no matter how pretty or amazing your life can look, everyone experiences pain and can get lost. This is my song to help anyone who feels alone."

 

Also read about: Thomas Day Sees Through the Facade With His Uplifting New Song 'Wildflower'

 

7. GAYLE Drops Debut EP, a study of the human experience volume two

GAYLE is another one of our favorite, fastest-growing artists, and with each subsequent release, she's shown us that "abcdefu" was only the beginning. Her second EP, a study of the human experience volume two jumps off of what she established in volume one, sharing what it means to her to be human and what she's experienced going through it. The EP's new tracks balance vulnerability and edge to be always relatable, but never predictable. "The main themes are honestly just things about my life," GAYLE told Sweety High in an interview. "I talk from a sarcastic and egotistical perspective about how myself and other people care too much about being cool. I was able to talk about very pivotal moments that made me question life, sometimes in a more positive light, other times in ways that acknowledge my sadness or anger. But then some songs say, 'Okay well, that was a lot, but I'm just gonna have fun!' and bring the theme of how we're able to compartmentalize, even with so many terrible things that are out of our control going on in the world. The EP as a whole kind of deals with how I feel like the world's on fire sometimes, so what are we going to do about it, and sometimes that's just having fun with your friends and not worrying about it."

 

Also read about: GAYLE Breaks Down the Tracks From a study of the human experience volume two

 

8. Cat Burns Stuns With Double Singles 'people pleaser' and 'sleep at night'

Maybe it's cheating to include two new Cat Burns tracks in our roundup this week, but we don't care, because they both dropped today and are more than worthy of their own spots on the list. The English singer-songwriter is known for her soulful take on pop, with the new songs "people pleaser" and "sleep at night" both being standouts and fan favorites from her recent tour with Ed Sheeran. Though both tracks have opposite vibes, the two also feel like they go hand-in-hand, with the former about putting aside your own needs for others, and the second about doing the honorable thing, even when it comes to those who have done you wrong. "'people pleaser' is what it says on the tin, my struggles with being a people pleaser and why I am one," Cat revealed in a press release. "'sleep at night' is a really personal song for me; it's about being deeply hurt and wronged by someone but deciding to take the high road and not say anything bad about them because you're a good person."

 

9. Charlie Puth Shares His 3rd Studio Album, CHARLIE

Is it just us, or does the new Charlie Puth album feel different? The self-titled CHARLIE is his third studio album, and it's our favorite by miles, as it seems like Charlie has finally dropped the facade to express his own vulnerable, unguarded and silly self. The new stuff feels like the real Charlie, and that's only made his approach to music even stronger. "I've been doing this for eight years, but CHARLIE is finally me," Charlie said in a press release. "For a long time, I was trying to be 'the cool guy,' but that was a foggy piece of glass in front of the world. Now, the glass is broken. There's no window. You can reach right in."

 

10. WILLOW Embraces Her Villain Era in New <CopingMechanism> Album

We'll say this without hesitation—WILLOW is a pop-punk queen. She always manages to walk a fine line between timelessness and modernity, and her new <CopingMechanism> album is the culmination of everything she's built musically so far. It's clear that with this fifth studio album, she wasn't afraid to dig into the deeper, darker sides of herself and say everything she hasn't been willing to up until now. "No words can describe the gratitude and joy that I feel in this moment," she wrote about the release in an Instagram post. We have to say we're grateful for the album, too.

 

Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of September 30, 2022.