Week of February 28th, 2026
Credit: YouTube
Amid my busy junior year with piles on piles of exams, essays, projects, and whatever other curveballs the world decides to throw at me, this week’s music definitely showed a great combination of multiple songs that helped uplift my stressful week. Although I thought only a few songs stood out during this week’s listen of New Music Fridays, many still had great voicing, stories, and relatable feelings, making for an enjoyable listen. I enjoyed listening to “Honour” by Elmeine for a breezy R&B-inspired feeling. Then I switched the mood up with inspiration from alt-royalty Mitski’s eighth studio album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me.” Some of my favorite songs from the album include “If I Leave” and “Cats”. International sensation K-Pop girl group also made a comeback with their newest mini EP featuring electric songs like “GO” after a multi-year hiatus from the group’s ensemble. For a good country-style time, “Sorry… I meant tonight” by Megan Moroney gave a cheery and ‘IDGAF’ feeling. For more cool tracks from the week, check out below!
1. Most Streamed Song of the Week – “Risk It All” by Bruno Mars (8.75/10)
Following a successful year in 2024 (yes, Bruno is the genius behind hit songs “Die With A Smile” and “APT” approaching a combined total of 6-billion streams within just barely two years of release–a truly impressive stat), Bruno releases his newest and long-anticipated album, “The Romantic.” Marking over 10 years since Mars’ last solo album, “24K Magic” in 2016, “Risk It All” is the lead track of his newest album. The song blends Bruno’s classic style of singing and romantic scene-building with an ode to Latin music. Congos, guitars, trumpets, and an undertone of violin solos are a must build the song brick by brick; it emphasizes Bruno’s heartfelt commitment to his romantic partner as grand, presentable, and glorious. Written like a poetic prose, “Risk It All” can even feel like a Latin version of a (spoiler alert) happy-ending to (director’s name’s) “La La Land.”
2. Lyrical Standout and Sonic Standout – “How I Get” by Laufey (9.75/10)
This week, I looked towards Laufey for guidance on how to deal with a regretful feeling that is so commonly experienced but hardly vocalized in music’s typical ‘sad heartbreak genre’. How do you deal with the war between your brain’s logic to leave a toxic environment versus your heart’s desire to stay, and not suffer the sorrowful regret of leaving? Laufey doesn’t answer the question; she simply lets you see the struggle and represents the reality of being left with the pain with no solutions in sight. She even questions human nature’s paradoxical tendency, showing how she stays for the glimpses of hope, love, and joy she gets from her toxic relationship. It’s described as Laufey as a cigarette: as something virulent but highly cravable. Laufey’s brilliance in lyrics is painfully clear here, even bringing out her own cello-playing skills to shift from pianissimos to fortes in the song’s peak moment of needing to leave the relationship. Laufey continues to give a voice to the traditional classic-style of music and sounds refreshing in that nature.
4. Hidden Gem – “ALICE” by Erin LeCount (8/10)
“I think about you often, but I don’t want you back,” sings 23-year-old singer, Erin LeCount, on her newest song “ALICE.” Just releasing the song as part of her EP “PAREIDOLIA”, the ‘essex-girl’ is definitely an artist to be on the lookout for. With about 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of now, the artist is inclined to grow with a unique voice and way of blending notes of hyperpop with classical arrangements. The song “ALICE” focuses on a seductive relationship that is the wrongest idea that the singer can come up with, but shows the gravitation towards the danger in the romantic partner. It’s a bit similar to Laufey’s environment, except LeCount embraces the shameful feeling of embarking on her muse, pulling her “in like the hunger with a drink.” It’s a song that feels fitting as a finale to a soundtrack focusing on battles, emotional, physical, or societal.
5. Personal Favorite – “Nightingale lane.” by RAYE (10/10)
Off of vocal powerhouse RAYE’s upcoming highly-anticipated second studio album, “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.,” comes “Nightingale Lane.” The story begins with a focus on the reminiscence of her first love and describes the feeling of kissing him in the “South London suburbs.” Already from the intensely specific imagery, you can tell RAYE’s newest song is highly personal, as has always been the case with her ‘I’m going to bring you into my corrupted problems’ songs like “GENESIS” and “Oscar Winning Tears.” But what’s different from her normal trope is that she depicts a feeling of sadness in efforts to show the rising feeling of optimism that can exist after surviving a storm. It’s a song that brings the imagery of a phoenix rising from the ashes to a genuine portrayal and focuses on the singer’s excitement that she will eventually find the right person who can love her purely like her first love did way back when. The song gives a glimpse into RAYE’s newest project and continues to cement the artist’s creative and brilliant musical mind.
