February was a busy month in the music scene, with a myriad of notable releases. It was hard to narrow it down to just 8 songs, but after a couple weeks of reflecting over what February had to offer, this is what I have deemed my personal favorites.
#8
“Call Me When You Break Up” by Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco (feat. Gracie Abrams)
Though I am not personally a big fan of Selena Gomez or Benny Blanco, I have absolutely adored this song. Benny Blanco’s production is what makes this song so excellent; it may be monotonous throughout the song, but it still stays interesting after every listen. Gracie Abrams’ verse was another highlight for this song because her voice fit well with the bass-driven production. I didn’t particularly enjoy Gomez’s vocals as they felt uninteresting and even a little out of key, but overall, the pros outweigh the cons.
#7
“Busy Woman” by Sabrina Carpenter
This song has a really nice flow; it starts slow but builds up to a nice, poppy chorus. The production for this song in particular was very unique; she somehow combined synths and fiddle in an effective way, and it works quite well. The strong production, as well as the fun, clever lyrics showcase Carpenter’s style well. The lyrics stay consistent with the rest of the album as they primarily focus on displaying her witty style, oftentimes making me giggle, like with the lyric “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.” The bonus tracks featured on “Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)” already feel like they have always belonged on the album because of how concrete her sound and writing style is.
#6
“Best Guess” by Lucy Dacus
Compared to the rest of the singles Lucy Dacus has released this year, ‘Best Guess’’s production is definitely less dynamic. However, the strength of this song is its lyrics, my favorite being “You may not be an angel, but you are my girl/You are my pack a day, you are my favorite place.” The production does grow to be a little repetitive due to its simplicity, but as the song progresses, so does the production, and that keeps the song enjoyable. This song only made me more excited to hear Dacus’ fourth album, “Forever is a Feeling” out Friday, March 28.
#5
“Revolving Door” by Tate McRae
After Tate McRae released “So Close To What” on Feb. 21, the album felt too similar to the singles which got repetitive when listening to it from start to finish. Nonetheless, “Revolving Door” stood out to me due to its laid back and beat driven production. Additionally, McRae’s vocals are displayed well, showing just how high her range is in the chorus. The ups and downs of the song are excellent for what she excels in which is performing. I’m excited to see how this song will be showcased on tour.
#4
“Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” by ROLE MODEL
“Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” is perfect for anyone’s spring playlist. The production is upbeat and more country sounding than the rest of ROLE MODEL’s releases, making it feel like much more of a warmer song. Moreover, the playful lyrics add to the listening experience, with lines like “Heard through the grapevine, she can be a diva.” ROLE MODEL is best known for his sad songs like “Frances” and “Look At That Woman,” so having a properly happy release from him is refreshing.
#3
“Mud” by Waxahatchee
Once again, another country rock song perfect for the Kansas spring. “Mud” is produced with classic country instruments such as pedal steel, electric guitar, and banjo. In this song, Waxahatchee explores a style similar to her most recent album released in March of last year. This is a very simple and short song with an outdoorsy vibe that’s great for any spring playlist.
#2
“The Longest Goodbye” by ROLE MODEL
“The Longest Goodbye” is a clear example of ROLE MODEL further finding his sound on “Kansas Anymore.” The lyrics are solid as always, however, the key element of what makes this song interesting is the production. On this song, ROLE MODEL prioritizes keeping it personal and stripbacked with the quality of the instruments sounding less produced than his usual songs, almost like you’re in the room with him. This makes “The Longest Goodbye” feel very personal and lets his writing as well as his vocals shine.
#1
“Nosebleeds” by Doechii
Following her win of “Best Rap Album” at the Grammys for “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” Doechii dropped straight fire with “Nosebleeds.” As soon as the song begins, it’s already clear that it’s one of the best hype songs to ever be released. The most notable line from this song is absolutely “Will she ever lose? Man, I guess we’ll never know” referring to her first time being nominated for the Grammys also being her first time winning. Throughout the song, she acknowledges who helped her achieve her success while still celebrating herself. Of course I had to give this song #1 for February because we’ll never live to see the day that Doechii loses.
Because February had so many great releases, I have compiled a playlist with all of my favorite songs from last month. This has been one of the best month’s for music over the past couple months and I’m excited to see what more we’ll hear further into 2025.
