The Best Three Songs Released This Past Week Pt. 46

Noteworthy album & EP releases:

Quitters, Christian Lee Hutson
PEP, Lights
Attention: Miley Live, Miley Cyrus
Leave The Light On, Pillow Queens
THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND, PUP
Unlimited Love, Red Hot Chili Peppers

In chronological order:

“Highways” – Denitia
Release date – March 31

Right off the bat, I have to comment on the intro of this song reminded me SO much of John Mayer’s “Queen of California,” so I was instantly into it. Houston-born singer/songwriter Denitia has been releasing music for five years at this point, and though I’m not familiar with her previous work, my fair share of Googling tells me that her sound has changed over the years from indie to alt R&B to now what is seemingly folk music.

“Highways is a song about looking forward but taking the past along with you. I’ve had many friends and loved ones in my life and as time passes and I move from place to place, phase to phase, I hope to always take those connections with me wherever I go. I want to take home with me everywhere I go,” Denitia said in a statement about the song.

I tread lightly in this genre, and when I find something in this realm I do like, I stick with it. If you’re a fan of artists like Brandi Carlisle or Allison Ponthier, I suggest you give “Highways” a spin.

“As It Was” – Harry Styles
Release date – March 31

Can we really do a New Music Sunday post and NOT acknowledge Harry Styles’ “As It Was” as one of the best released this past week? The answer is no. And it seems like the rest of the world agrees, because the song became the most-streamed song in a single day in 2022 and the most streamed song in the US in a single day in Spotify history.

Sad bops are the best kind of bops, and “As It Was” showcases this all too well, tackling themes of sadness and isolation, (Answer the phone / Harry, you’re no good alone / why are you sitting at home on the floor / what kind of pills are you on?) Perhaps some sort of theme that will be elaborated on in the rest of the album, aptly titled “Harry’s Home.”

“Crash” – Alexander 23
Release date – April 1

It’s clear that as we continue to evolve as humans, so does the music we relate and listen to. In “Crash,” Alexander 23 sings about the loneliness of missing someone after the end of a relationship, but the beauty that comes with growing and realizing when people are not right for you. While I consider this to be a breakthrough while dealing with the emotions that follow a messy breakup, it doesn’t mean that it’s all sunshine and roses: like kacey Musgraves said, the whirlwind of emotions is justified. 

“Crash” has moments reminiscent of artists like Walk The Moon, Ed Sheeran, and Gracie Abrams. Not sure if Alexander took a cue from his touring mate John Mayer, but take a listen to the guitar-heavy bridge and let me know what you think.