“Fearless” (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has returned with an inventive new album. In “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” instead of writing new songs and melodies, she’s returned to her roots by taking old songs of hers and reinventing and reimagining them, using the skills she’s learned as an artist since initially recording them. Favorites you may spot in the album include “Love Story,” “Forever & Always,” and, of course, the iconic “You Belong With Me.” Each track in this album retains the charm that made it a hit song in the first place, yet has a bit something extra to spice it up each time. I think Taylor made a great decision in releasing “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” and I cannot wait to hear more.
Rating: A+
“My Savior” by Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood released a spiritual masterpiece of an album titled “My Savior.” In her most recent album, Underwood covered many classic spiritual pieces, such as “How Great Thou Art,” “Jesus Loves Me,” and “Amazing Grace,” drawing from her Christian and faith-based roots. Each song is delivered just so masterfully, showing Underwood’s impressive vocal ability, range and control, and you can feel she believes every lyric she sings with every fiber of her being. While “Cowboy Casanova” might own my heart, I truly hope Carrie Underwood will continue to amaze with her wonderful renditions of religious pieces.
Rating: A
“MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
After the success of “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has released his fifth single, titled “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” He plans to release an album featuring this track titled “Montero” in the summer. To put it simply, this song is a bop. It has a positively intoxicating beat, great vocals from Lil Nas X that tie it all together, and a great chorus line. The song seems to be a bit of a personal reflection for Lil Nas X as well, with the song’s title including his real name, Montero. Overall, a great song to jam out to — and with a potential of Rihanna and Bad Bunny headlining the remix, it’s about to get even greater.
Rating: A
“Deja Vu” by Olivia Rodrigo
Following the immense popularity of “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo returns with “Deja Vu,” the second track in her upcoming album “SOUR.” While her initial hit single had some iconic verses that were absolutely perfect to sing in the car, the shower, or use as a Tik Tok sound, “Deja Vu” has a much more ethereal tone and is much softer in general. To be honest, it’s a quite forgettable song, with little volume change by Rodrigo and a similar tone throughout. I’m excited to hear what Rodrigo releases next for her album, but, for now, she’s a bit of a hit and a miss.
Rating: B-
