Staged Haze

“Can you get pathetic for me?” croons Trophy Wife’s songwriter and front woman McKenzie Iazzetta. The line is a firecracker start for the Brooklyn-based alt-rock band’s song “So Hard,” which is one of three singles released off their sophomore album, Pathetic, that dropped today. It follows their 2024 album, Get Ugly. Pathetic’s two other singles, “Paragraph” and “Kind of Girl I Am,” retain the same haunting yet arresting sound.

Three quarters of the way through Madonna’s rager of a sequel to her 2005 album, Confessions On A Dancefloor, I fell asleep; however, this was only because I had been up in anticipation for days prior. According to her now leaked texts, the final fourth of Confessions II, is best for quiet contemplation unlike the earlier portions, further explaining how I managed to nod off during a momentous occasion.

We’re halfway into the year already! Check out our picks for the best albums of the year—so far, HERE.

July 2, 2026 marks the halfway point of 2026: and to that I say, what the hell? It feels like we were just compiling our “Best of 2025” list and gearing up for all of the anticipated releases of the new year: some confirmed and some unconfirmed (back then), some announced out of thin air and some by artists we didn’t even have on our radars.

Arbitrarily with the same title as their debut, Your Day Will Come is an expertly crafted foray into full-time artistry by Chanel Beads, the pseudonym of NYC/Seattle’s Shane Lavers. Having released A&B-side singles, plus EPs, the discography of this act is not limited to only two projects, but those familiar will know just how grand of an experience delving into their full length work is.

Carly Rae Jepsen has officially kicked off her next era with “On Wires,” the lead single from her newly announced double album Day and Night, arriving September 18. The ambitious 24-track record is divided into two distinct sonic worlds, with Day embracing organic instrumentation and ’70s-inspired psychedelic pop, while Night explores sleek, synth-driven dance music.

Julia Jacklin has announced her long-awaited fourth album, The Gem, arriving September 25 via 4AD, and shared its lead single, “Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You Soon).” It’s welcome news for fans of one of indie rock’s most emotionally perceptive songwriters. While Jacklin’s music often explores heartbreak, uncertainty, and longing, it never feels weighed down by sadness. That’s part of what has always drawn me to her work.

When you’re extremely successful at doing something, it can be stressful thinking about what’s next, especially when you accomplish that success at such a young age, like singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo did on her first album, Sour, and her second album, Guts.

I landed in Barcelona at eight a.m. on the morning of June 4th with one thing on my mind: showering, taking a nap, and getting to Primavera Sound Barcelona in time for Blood Orange’s set. So I guess I had three things on my mind. This year’s iteration taught me that festival stamina is a sport and requires a determination of what I assume is not unlike an Olympic champion. It also brought to light how pure the love for music of Primavera’s festival goers is.

After almost a decade of religiously attending the same festival (although in two different cities), in the past couple of years I decided to branch out and attend one other festival (also in two different cities, funnily enough). The fact that the new event added to my resumé was All Things Go makes sense: it’s a festival that puts extra effort on booking more women, sometimes even only female and non-binary artists.