10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of November 19, 2021
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we're thankful for a lot of things this week—including some seriously stellar music from our favorite artists out there.
While Adele's new record-shattering album 30 is so good we could probably make our entire top 10 around it, we also have to recognize the other artists wowing us over the last week, from big names like Alesso and Hayley Kiyoko to up-and-comers such as Will Joseph Cook and Baker Grace. To find out what we're listening to, keep reading to discover our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Nov. 19, 2021.
1. Will Joseph Cook Gets Us in the Holiday Spirit With 'No Time to Be Alone'
We're struggling to believe that it'll be December in less than two weeks, but U.K. singer-songwriter Will Joseph Cook's new original holiday single, "No Time to Be Alone," makes us feel like it couldn't come soon enough. The soothing track is sweet and sentimental, with just a hint of festive whimsy to make it perfect for the season. "I actually first wrote the song whilst isolating with COVID," Will told Sweety High. "Not quite the energy you would expect! My friend Eric and I were texting and started to ping each other jazz-inspired chord progressions with this lyrical idea about tiny little passing moments serving as grand statements of love. The opening verse sums up that idea up well—seeing something nice walking home but instead of just smiling to yourself, you're kinda bummed out you're not sharing it with that person. As the song grew it felt more and more wintery and then the chorus just came to me and I was like, 'Ohhhh… it's a Christmas song. can I do that?' Then I went for it and here we are."
2. Baker Grace Tackles Overthinking and Insomnia in 'Midnight Thoughts'
Here's an anthem for all of the overthinkers out there. Singer-songwriter Baker Grace's soulful new single "Midnight Thoughts" is an ode to overanalyzing life and relationships, and it's bound to get stuck in your head when you're lying awake at night, wishing sleep would come. "I was feeling pretty down on myself that day realizing I had been caught up in stress and anxiety and missing out on life and not being there for people I love," Baker told Sweety High in an interview. "I think my intention in writing the song was just to get those feelings off my chest. When we took it to the studio, I was in a much better place and I wanted the song to represent the power that comes from admitting your mistakes and growing forward, so we turned it into a banger."
3. K.Flay Bares It All in New Outside Voices EP
Alt-rock queen K.Flay never fails to delight us while tugging at our heartstrings with her musical releases, and her gorgeous new five-track EP Outside Voices is no exception. The leading track, "Nothing Can Kill Us," is upbeat yet bittersweet, and we haven't stopped listening since the music video first dropped a couple of weeks ago. "Outside Voices is the counterpart to Inside Voices," K.Flay said in a press release. "It's me pausing, taking a moment to reflect on the chaos of the world and of myself, and considering how I might be able to temper that chaos. How I've been complicit. How can I change? How can I find beauty in pain? This whole double EP project is an exercise in non-repression in airing my own bits of shame and vulnerability in the hopes that other people connect to those feelings too."
4. Beach Bunny Rocks Out in New Music Video for 'Oxygen'
Illinois-based rock band Beach Bunny is currently out on a sold-out North American tour, and you only have to watch the music video for their single "Oxygen" to find out why. In the video, frontwoman Lili Triflio rocks out in a boldly decorated spaceship bedroom, singing about how, even when the world is against her, there's that one person who makes everything worthwhile. It's a powerful love song about a relationship that's essential to you as breathing, and we only wish we could see the band performing it on tour.
5. Skylar Grey Captures Alienation in 'Vampire at the Swimming Pool'
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Skylar Grey's music oozes with cool confidence, but that doesn't mean that she's always felt that way. Her new song, "Vampire at the Swimming Pool" is all about the alienation you can feel when you refuse to blend in with everyone else, and Skylar's stunning, hypnotic voice really drives the point home. "This is one of my favorite lyrics I've ever written because it really describes the way I feel in most social settings," Skylar said in a press release. "Imagine a vampire at a pool party trying to stay out of the sun while everyone else is on floaties. I'm that awkward. Plus, I just really love vampires. As a kid I used to wear all black to church and run around biting people."
6. Chloe Moriondo Teams Up With Thomas Headon and Alfie Templeman for Feel-Good Track 'Dizzy'
It seems that Chloe Moriondo has been releasing epic track after epic track in 2021, and her new collab with Thomas Headon and Alfie Templeman is just as infectious and irresistible as we suspected it would be. It's a feel-good track about friendship and freedom, and a tune you can't resist whistling along to. Plus, its fancifully animated and boldly colored lyric video fits the song perfectly. "It's been super exciting to be on 'Dizzy' with Chloe and Alfie," Thomas explained in a press release. "They're great friends of mine already, so to now have a song with the three of us is so cool. It's fun and feels new and is also just really catchy. We had a lot of fun making it and I can't wait til we can all play it together one day."
7. FLETCHER Joins Hayley Kiyoko for the Ultimate Flirty Duet, 'Cherry'
From the moment we saw their names together, we knew FLETCHER and Hayley Kiyoko's first duet "Cherry" would be a masterpiece, and it's exceeded all of our expectations. The song is an upbeat and carefree flirtation between both artists, resulting in an unforgettable synth-pop track. "Cherry is the prequel to my most recent single 'girls girls girls,'" FLETCHER explained in a press release. "It's the curiosity you have about someone before you're intimate with them and kind of wondering what it would be like. When I was creating it I couldn't get the idea out of my head of having Hayley Kiyoko on it. We then went into the studio together and made it a million times better. It's a moment for the girls, gays and theys."
8. Masego and Devin Morrison Collab on New Single 'Yamz'
With Thanksgiving next week, we just had to include this somewhat festive, somewhat sensual R&B collab between Masego and Devin Morrison. The smooth R&B track has a relaxed vibe, with lyrics about finding your way in life, and finding fulfillment and satisfaction in "sweet, sweet yams." The music video is all about various characters striving to attain their own version of the titular "yamz," and we think this is a song that'll have staying power way beyond the holiday.
9. Alesso Drops Hot New Dance Track 'Somebody to Use'
We don't know if DJ Alesso ever misses, and his latest release "Somebody to Use" is an instant hit that we're pretty sure we're about to hear everywhere. The vocals are phenomenal, while the sound is fresh, with a beat that's bound to get anyone who hears it up and moving. It's catchy yet thoughtful, with rich emotion behind it that really makes both the vocals and the rich synth sounds soar. Just listen, and we bet you'll be hooked.
10. Adele Unveils Her Highly-Anticipated New Album, 30
Anytime Adele releases a new album, it is a global event, and the fact that it's been six long years since 25 makes this one her most highly anticipated album of all time. And guess what? The wait has been entirely worth it. The album features 12 tracks that might be Adele's rawest and most powerful yet. "I've learned a lot of blistering home truths about myself along the way," Adele shared on an Instagram post. "I've shed many layers but also wrapped myself in new ones. Discovered genuinely useful and wholesome mentalities to lead with, and I feel like I've finally found my feeling again. I'd go as far as to say that I've never felt more peaceful in my life." Just watch the incredibly raw performance of "To Be Loved" in the video below, and we dare you not to shed a tear.
Missed our favorite tracks of last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 releases the week of Nov. 12, 2021.