10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of July 16, 2021
We're currently in the dead of summer, and lucky for us, this week's new music drops were full of sizzling hot tracks, cool summer beats and everything in between.
Like always, it was tough to pick our very favorite 10 tracks of the week, but after sorting through these songs from rising stars like Shortly and Baby Queen to established greats including Alessia Cara and Conan Grey, we think we made the right choices.
Can't wait to listen? Keep scrolling for our 10 favorite things that happened in music the week of July 16, 2021.
1. Shortly Teases Their Debut Album With the Raw and Honest 'Science'
Detroit-based singer-songwriter Alexandra Maniak, also known as Shortly, is someone who needs to be on your radar in 2021. The artist (who also plays bass in Chloe Moriondo's band) is gearing up to release their debut album, Dancer, on Sep. 24, and the new release "Science" gives a glimpse into how they've fully bared their soul for this record. "It was originally a piece I wrote to vent about some of the harder and honestly kind of morbid feelings I felt about my childhood," Shortly explained in a press release. "It took a sec for the song to sit comfortably with me, originally, I didn't even want it on the album and recording it was really hard, but I felt like it needed to be recorded. After sitting with it for this long I can see where those feelings came from and I've coped with them, now I see what it is for real!"
2. Baby Queen Drops a Heartbreak Pop Anthem in the Form of 'You Shaped Hole'
Baby Queen has been releasing some serious bops this year ahead of her The Yearbook mixtape, releasing in September, but the latest, "You Shaped Hole," has to be our favorite. We've all been through the type of heartbreak where it feels like your ex is the only solution to all of your problems, and she captures that brilliantly on this upbeat pop track. "I was super heartbroken when I wrote this song, and my ex was dating this beautiful supermodel after dumping me in Clissold Park in North East London," Baby Queen explained in a press release. "I went through a bit of a wild phase, as one does, and was doing everything I could possibly do to feel better. At the time I had this image in my mind of a hole inside my body that was shaped exactly like my ex, and it was as if I was trying to fill that hole in any way I could, but the things I was filling it with never reached the corners or made me feel any better, they just cluttered my life."
3. Georgia Webster Spills Her Soul in Debut First Goodbye EP
Georgia Webster is a rising country artist who's found massive success on TikTok, and for good reason. We're not exaggerating when we say that Georgia Webster's music brings us back to Taylor Swift's country days, and her newly released debut EP First Goodbye shows the breadth of her talents as a songwriter. The EP features five instantly classic songs, including the titular "First Goodbye," but our favorite has to be the viral TikTok hit "Push & Pull." "I wrote 'Push & Pull' sophomore year, I was around 16 years old," Georgia told Sweety High in an interview. "I remember sitting down alone with my feelings and just being so frustrated and confused. I thought, 'what word or words will express how I'm feeling?' … I think the song really captures both the emotion and the relatability of the situation and I'm really happy with how it turned out."
4. Cody Lovaas Captures the Soul of Moving On With 'Make More Sense'
Cody Lovaas is an artist known for deep introspection and emotional candor in his writing, but we actually love that his latest release, "Make More Since" is more lighthearted than his usual fare. It's a song about that feeling you get when your gut knows it's time to move on from something, and its vibrant video is a ton of fun. "'Make More Sense' doesn't hold my deepest and darkest emotions, but I'm sure you get to hear enough of that in my other songs," Cody said in a press release. "This song is about when something that used to feel so good just doesn't feel right anymore, and you have no clue why."
5. Anjulie Gets Real With 'Big Bad World'
Anjulie has some incredible credentials, having collabed with everyone from Diplo to Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Nicki Minaj and Zedd, and it only takes one listen to the Canadian singer-songwriter's music to see why. Anjulie has major chops, and a very big message to convey with the new single "Big Bad World." "'Big Bad World' is a commentary on the way it feels to turn a blind eye to the horrors of humanity in a constantly connected, depersonalized and performative world." Anjulie said of the song in a press release. It's such a powerful idea, and something we can all learn a little from.
6. Matt LeGrand Waxes Poetic About Summer Love in 'Message in a Bottle'
There are few things we love more about summer than the opportunity for a thrilling summer romance, and songs that perfectly capture the essence of those feelings always get our hearts pumping. Matt LeGrand's "Message in a Bottle" is a prime example, describing a romance that unfolds by the sea, and we love the way its animated music video complements the story.
7. Noa Kirel Begs the World, 'Please Don't Suck'
Israeli pop sensation Noa Kirel just released her English language debut, "Please Don't Suck," and guess what? It doesn't suck in the slightest. With its bold, bouncy beat and samples of "Mr. Sandman" throughout, it's an instant anthemic pop track about just asking the world to let in the good and keep out the bad. "'Please Don't Suck' is a very universal song," Noa told Sweety High in an interview. "It can be about a relationship or hoping for better times. 2020 definitely sucked and I think we are all looking forward to a better 2021 and 2022."
8. Dylan Conrique Urges Us All to Be Wary of 'Advice From the Internet'
We love Dylan Conrique's foray into music, and each and every track she releases is destined to get stuck in our heads for months. Her latest is "Advice From the Internet," a song about the perils of getting too absorbed with the things you hear online, and an appeal to trust our friends and loved ones before online strangers. "This song means a lot to me because I know how the internet can be," Dylan said in an interview with Sweety High. "I used to search the internet for advice instead of asking my friends and I definitely got some weird responses from that. I also compare myself to people on social media and it only brings me, and all of us, down. So I really relate to this song and love the message behind the lyrics."
9. Alessia Cara Combats Insomnia With 'Sweet Dream'
If you ever have trouble falling asleep at night, just begging your body to cooperate and let you drift off, then you'll instantly relate to Alessia Cara's bold new single "Sweet Dream." It's a track about all the things you ruminate on and worry about when it's impossible to fall asleep, and just wishing that you could skip all the nonsense and immediately start dreaming all of your sweetest dreams. Appropriately, there's a dreamy and ethereal quality to the track, and we're seriously considering trying it out as a bedtime lullaby.
10. Conan Gray Lives Vicariously Through Others in 'People Watching'
If you've ever enjoyed hanging out at malls and just observing people, Conan Gray's new single, "People Watching" will be so relatable it's uncanny. It's about being a fly on the wall and watching other people's lives unfold, and maybe projecting a story onto them that isn't necessarily there, which can make you start to wish you were them. "The best place on earth to people watch is the cafe," Conan explained in a press release. "The perfect couples talking about their mornings, students studying, sweet couples who've sat at the same table for decades. It's wonderful. My best friend Ashley and I used to joke about the idea of us working at a cafe together, how terrible we'd be at our job because we'd get so distracted staring at people. So for the people watching video I brought Ashley to L.A. and thought I'd play the situation out, really show how much of a beautiful disaster it would be if I were to work at a cafe as I always say I should've."
Missed us last week? Click HERE for all the biggest and best things that happened in music the week of July 9.