Niall Horan’s Horny 'Nice to Meet Ya' Solidifies His Role as One Direction’s Robbie Williams

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Y: DaBaby, “Vibez” – What a time to be alive, an era (okay, a week) when the most exciting, highly anticipated rap release is by a Charlotte, North Carolina newcomer named DaBaby and not, say, Kanye West. I’m late to the party, but “Vibez” is the single that has sold me on him. When he assures, “We in Suburbans back to back and we gon’ fill ‘em up with vibes,” in the chorus, I believe him—this is fun, a celebratory song perfect for weekend carousing.

Also, unless you work in an open-minded office, I’d suggest not pressing play on the music video above. It is the very definition of NSFW. —MS

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Yes: Sleater-Kinney, “Animal” – After Sleater-Kinney split ways with dummer Janet Weiss earlier this year, lifelong fans of the band (myself included) have approached each new track with trepidation—not necessarily for concern over quality, just the kind of anxiety that can arise when a legacy act makes a big change. “Animal” is evidence enough that there’s nothing to worry about. It is as ferocious a track as the band has ever released. “ANIMAL is a song about rebellion, retaliation and rage,” guitarist Corin Tucker said in a statement. “It is a song about letting go of all politeness and filters and letting the ‘animal’ side speak. The vocals for this song were recorded in St. Vincent’s home studio, a perfect place to unleash a voice like this.” And how! —MS

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Big yes: Summer Walker, Over It – My only complaint about this album is that it goes against my personal philosophy, which is that no album should have more than 15 songs on it. Despite the 18-song length, Summer Walker’s highly anticipated sophomore album is it. It delivers on all the angsty and glamorous smokin’ a j R&B vibes that you could possibly want. You know you’re in for a ride when an album starts off with, “Am I really that much to handle?” Whew. —Ashley Reese

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Yes, with reservations: DIIV, Deceiver – You know when you listen to an album and you already know a few songs in that it’s going to require another listen before you really like it? That pretty much sums up DIIV’s third album Deceiver, the follow up to their excellent (and, in my opinion, criminally underrated) 2016 album, Is the Is Are. Deceiver is a very emotionally wrought album for DIIV lead singer Zachary Cole Smith, who has gone through the wringer of addiction and rehab throughout his entire musical career, and by all means, the album is very good. Lyrically, it’s absolutely beautiful. But, at the risk of sounding petty, I found it sleepier than DIIV’s usual fare. They really leaned heavy into the shoegaze with this one, so if that’s your thing, then you’ll love this album. I certainly found an adrenaline rush in the last few tracks, but I was left wanting a little more. But hey, maybe I’m just greedy. —AR

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WHEW YES: Angel Olsen, All Mirrors – As much as my Spotify algorithm has tried to bully me into doing so, I’ve never given Angel Olsen’s discography a proper shake. I love “Shut Up Kiss Me” (great music video too) and always enjoyed whatever songs of her’s that I’ve stumbled across, but I’ve never listened to an Angel Olsen album from start to finish. That is, until now. And, well, I guess it’s time to start because All Mirrors is fantastic. Angel Olsen knows has perfected cathartic build-up, and that has only been made more clear on this album. The song “Impasse” in particular left me breathless. I only wish that the synth elements of “Lark” and “Mirrors” has a stronger presence throughout the album, because they were hittin’. —AR

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