Throughout the month of October and early November many artists released new music and produced memorable, catchy songs. Artists including Adele, Justin Bieber, and Ed Sheeran continue to rank high on Hot 100 Billboard songs. 

“Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran

“Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran was the first song that popped up on my newly released songs. It has been ranked high on Billboard charts since its release date. I normally enjoy Ed Sheeran songs, but this song didn’t hit the mark for me. The song was  upbeat and catchy, but very repetitive. This will be a song that I can never get out of my head, in a bad way.  I was prepared to hear a song like, “Castle on a Hill” or “Galway Girl” and was disappointed. The lyrics didn’t have much meaning like his hit song “Perfect”. I would simply rather listen to his old songs. 

“Easy on Me” by Adele

Adele’s “Easy on Me” has been #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 ever since it’s release date and according to the New York Times has streamed over 54 million times. Adele hasn’t released music since 2015, so I was ecstatic to listen to her new song. “Easy on Me” is beautifully written and proves that Adele  cannot write a bad song. The song is emotional, catchy, and reminds me of her song, “Someone Like You”. Out of all the songs I listened to, “Easy on Me” had the most meaningful lyrics, but isn’t sappy. This song is great to blast in the car with the windows down. 

“BIG SHOT” by The Lumineers

The Lumineers are always on my Spotify playlists with their signature folk-rock songs. I thought that “BIG SHOT”  differed from the band’s traditional sound, but I was pleasantly surprised. The song was about trying to be your best self, but not always succeeding. The band said “BIG SHOT” was about eventually becoming humble. I thought it was very relatable and conveyed an important message. Lyrics like, “We are all big shots in our own stories,” really stuck out to me. As for the music itself, it was exactly what I would predict the Lumineers to produce, beautifully composed. I am intrigued to see what their new album will have in store. 

“Just A Notion” by ABBA

ABBA is notorious for their memorable songs from “Mamma Mia” and dominated the European charts in the 1970s. “Just A Notion” is upbeat, cheerful, and fun. Let me tell you, this song is a serotonin boost. The song was originally written in 1978 and feels nostalgic. As for the music, it makes me want to be in a musical with its lively beat. What can I say, I will always be an ABBA fan.

“Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes

Lastly, “Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes might be the worst song I have ever listened to, but one I won’t forget because of its lyrics that continuously pop up in my head. Originally, I thought that the song was a jingle for Applebees because of the many commercials it is featured in. “Fancy Like” has the strangest lyrics I’ve ever heard. Honestly, I believe that Walker Hayes should’ve spent more time on the song or not released it entirely. Songs like this give country music a bad reputation. 

In conclusion, some songs outshone the others.  “Easy on Me”, and “Just A Notion” were excellent and exceeded my expectations. These big name artists seem to never miss a beat with their new songs. I was disappointed by “Bad Habits” and expected a little more from Ed Sheeran. In addition, Walker Hayes rushed the making of “Fancy Like”. Overall, the new releases are a hit or a miss.