Welcome back: is anyone else shook that it’s already May? Anyway, I’m looking at the list of albums released in April that I need to listen to and I’m quite overwhelmed because I’m realizing in real time I’ve listened to approximately six or seven of them. An amazing problem to have, I suppose!
Noteworthy album & EP releases:
All Dressed Up For Nothing, Alfie Jukes
When, Alex Isley
The Pit, Arcy Drive
Tunnel Vision, Beach Bunny
SABLE, FaBLE, Bon Iver
Natural Pleasure, Broncho
Why Not More?, Coco Jones
Alex, Daughter of Swords
WITHERED, D4vd
The Crux, DJO
OBSESSION, The Driver Era
Weirdo, Emma-Jean Thackray
Stoner, Eyedress
Jellywish, Florist
At The Beach, In Every Life, Gigi Perez
Demos 26-30, googly eyes
CHILDSTAR, Grace VanderWaal
Raven, Isabel LaRosa
I Don’t Know How, But They Found Me, Jensen McRae
Send a Prayer My Way, Julien Baker & TORRES
Only Started Growing, Jenna Raine
Articulate Excuses, JP Saxe
Going, Going, Gone, Knox
Trash Mountain, Lily Seabird
Malcolm Todd, Malcolm Todd
Midwest Kid, Michael Marcagi
Welcome To My Blue Sky, Momma
I Heard That Noise, Quickly, Quickly
Little House, Rachel Chinouriri
Rowan Drake and Friends, Vol. 1, Rowan Drake
Bloodless, Samia
10, Sault
Are We All Angels, Scowl
A Complicated Woman, Self Esteem
Mortal Primetime, Sunflower Bean
I Know What I Want, Sydney Rose
Nobody Lives Here, SYML
Face Down in The Garden, Tennis
Growing Pains, Trousdale
Um Comma Jennifer Question Mark, Um, Jennifer?
Florileguim, Uwade
Planet Popstar, Wishy
INSIDE :, The Wrecks
In chronological order:
“Catch These Fists” – Wet Leg
Release date – April 1
You know when you play a song daily, sometimes multiple times a day, it’s going to land on the “Best Of” list at the end of the month. That’s exactly how I feel with Wet Leg’s new single, “Catch These Fists,” a song that makes me want to punch a hole through a wall then go run a marathon. The song is the band’s return to music after the release of their breakout, self-titled debut album, which dropped back in 2022, lamenting them as an artist to watch and landing them a spot on Harry Styles’ tour.
“Catch These Fists” is a deliciously catchy rock ‘n’ roll that many, if not all women can relate to. “Some guy comes up, says I’m his type / I just threw up in my mouth
When he just tried to ask me out / Yeah, don’t approach me / I just wanna dance with my friends,” lead singer Rhian Teasdale sings on the bridge: basically stating that she’s ready to throw hands if this dude refuses to leave her alone: quite #relatable.
“Catch These Fists” is (assumingly) the first of several singles that will drop ahead of Wet Leg’s highly anticipated sophomore album, moisturizer, which is set to drop on July 11 via Domino Recordings – Kristin
“Potion” – Djo
Release date – April 2
There are a handful of songs from Joe Keery’s new album The Crux that I could write about (and I actually did in my album review), but choosing “Potion,” the last promotional single from the record, as one of the highlights of the month just felt right. It showcases so much of Djo’s genius, lyrically, musically, and even emotionally (after all, this is a love song). It’s a more vulnerable song in comparison to his earlier discography, and it brings a new, somewhat unexpected approach melodically and production-wise.
When I first heard “Potion,” I could not figure out where the hell it was going. It felt like three different songs had been cut and later glued together, like a mosaic of different colors that only works because the artist knows what they’re doing and you (me) don’t. The vocals on the verse are an almost ridiculous falsetto that then jumps into Joe’s more comfortable singing voice, and it just grows into a beautiful chorus that emphasizes on the desperation to find someone that will, as the song, leave on the light for us. I think this track encompasses the essence of The Crux perfectly (one could easily say… it’s the crux… of… The Crux) and it’ll probably be one of my favorite songs for months on end. – Javi
“Next To Nothing” – Aly & AJ
Release date – April 4
“Next to Nothing” was Aly & AJ’s third single leading up to the release of their next album, Silver Deliver, which dropped this past Friday. “Next to Nothing” sounds like a warm solstice night, simultaneously evoking an early aughts Sheryl Crow summer single and a Laurel Canyon track. The song includes a cheeky invite for a lover to come visit California. “Next to Nothing” is a soft rock anthem, and the feelings summoned are also explicitly stated in the breezy lyrics: “I’ll write you a song/Take you to the beach/The windows are down, the radio’s on/And we got that summer feeling California.” – Caitlin
“Slip & Slide” – Alex Chapman, Tommy Genesis
Release date – April 4
If I were to pitch a concept for the music video of Alex Chapman and Tommy Genesis’ new club anthem, “Slip & Slide,” it would involve someone sitting in front of their computer, maybe looking at options on a dating site. I know most of that happens on phones these days but let’s suspend reality for a second, PLEASE. As this person mindlessly views profile after profile, we hear the loud metronome click of the mouse. Suddenly a pop up appears. It’s Tommy Genesis looking beautiful as she does. Song starts.
Her allure pulls the person into the computer into a club inside his device. She strips off their button down and rips their wife beater. The song is in full effect now. Loads of other Computer Club goers enter the frame. Each dance on the floor corresponds to keys being pressed on the keyboard. Unclear if this creates a butterfly effect of something else, (we can figure that out in pre-production). As a space clears amidst the dancers’ bodies, our original subject locks eyes with their future love. They start doing their dance thing, eventually they kiss and that’s it. Love. Love is really simple and easy when you think about it.
Chapman is no stranger to releasing club bangers and this is yet another for his timeless oeuvre. Chapman’s bountiful electronic dance production is the perfect bed for Tommy to lay down her salacious and lustful lyrics. Ultimately this song reminds me of sexy DDR which, if I’m being honest, the only thing missing from DDR is more skin and making out. I’m full of pitches today. – Ilana
“CUNTISSIMO” – MARINA
Release date – April 10
“CUNTISSIMO” is MARINA’s third and most exciting single leading up to her June 6th album Princess of Power. The track feels like MARINA’S “primadonna girl” era grown into an embodied and enviable woman. The song was written exclusively by MARINA and produced by her and CJ Baran, known for his work with artists like Panic! At The Disco and Carly Rae Jepsen.
In the music video, MARINA channels Marie Antoinette in an Italian villa and dons a star on her cheek instead of the heart previously associated with her Electra Heart era—perhaps showing a new commitment to self and stardom rather than love. The lyrics “I’M A STAR I’M A STAR I’M A STAR” would assume so. The chorus references iconic women such as Selma Hayek and Thelma and Louise, with MARINA urging listeners to leave their exes on read and protect their energy. In addition to the gorgeous music video, MARINA’s incredible Coachella performance of “CUNTISSIMO” on YouTube was one of the most viewed live recordings from weekend two. – Caitlin
“Headphones On” – Addison Rae
Release date – April 18
On “Headphones On,” Addison Rae worked with frequent collaborators Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd to create her most vulnerable track yet. The music video for the song is directed by Mitch Ryan, who also directed the video for “High Fashion.” In it, Rae works at an Icelandic convenience store and rides two horses: one a mechanical horse outside of the aforementioned store, and another, a beautiful white horse ridden on a foggy beach. The imagery expresses that putting on your headphones allows the ability to transcend current circumstances.
“Headphones On” showcases Rae’s sophisticated creative direction and evoke a Tumblr and “indie sleaze” aesthetic with the use of wire headphones, wind swept pink hair with a very heavy side part, and an air of recent nostalgia. The lyrics are also more honest and more in-depth than previous songs.
“Headphones On” celebrates life’s trials and tribulations, realizing it’s all a part of the experience. “I know the lows are what makes the highs higher/So I tell myself this is a reminder/Life’s no fun through clear waters.” – Caitlin
“Mystical Magical” – Benson Boone
Release date – April 24
Benson Boone’s “Mystical Magical,” released April 24, arrived just days after a headline-grabbing Coachella Weekend 1 performance that sparked both confusion and backlash. During his set, Boone brought out Queen guitarist Brian May for a surprise rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”—a bold move that didn’t land with the crowd the way he probably hoped. Videos of the lukewarm reception quickly circulated online, leading to criticism that Boone was trying too hard to prove himself on one of the biggest stages in music. But instead of backing down, he leaned into the drama: during Weekend 2, he trolled the moment by performing with a cardboard cutout of May, a self-aware gesture that quickly went viral. In the middle of all this, Boone began teasing “Mystical Magical” on TikTok, setting the stage for a redemption arc built on humor and pure pop charm.
The track itself marked a shift in tone—light, glittery, and soaked in nostalgia. Produced with a shimmering pop-rock gloss, “Mystical Magical” interpolates Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” and leans into Boone’s falsetto and flair for theatricality. It was the second single from his upcoming album American Heart (due June 20) and felt designed to show a different side of him: playful, confident, and not taking himself too seriously. The lyric video, directed by Matt Eastin, matched the track’s dreamy energy and helped recenter the narrative around Boone’s actual music, rather than festival drama. Coming off a rough weekend, “Mystical Magical” was a smart, catchy way to remind people why he’s here in the first place. – Jesse
“What Was That” – Lorde
Release date – April 24
There’s not much I can say about Lorde’s new single that I didn’t already cover in my piece about her epic comeback with “What Was That,” but it still deserves a spot here. After teasing the track on TikTok, joining Charli XCX at Coachella, and pulling off a surprise fan event in Washington Square Park (I waited two hours and still didn’t make the video—it’s fine, I don’t care at all), she dropped her first new song in years. Produced by Dan Nigro and Jim-E Stack, it’s a lowkey, moody track that feels like Lorde processing things in real time—confused, a little dazed, and totally locked into a specific emotional headspace.
The lyrics hit hard, especially if you’ve ever tried to make sense of a relationship after it’s ended. She sings about “MDMA in the back garden,” remembers saying, “This is the best cigarette of my life,” and confesses, “Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything.” There’s a mix of memory, regret, and emotional distance, and the New York references make it feel even more grounded—nights out “down at Baby’s All Right” and zoning out while “they talk current affairs.” It’s messy in the best way—raw, specific, and emotionally tangled. And as a longtime fan, it feels like a gift. Lorde is back in world-building mode, and if Virgin is anything like this track, we’re in for something honest, chaotic, and completely worth the wait. – Jesse
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