Our Thoughts Precisely: Empathogen

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

What I've Been Listening To + Upcoming Albums

So…it’s been a minute since I last did a “What I’m Listening To” blog post. I figured it was time to do another one since some of the albums I was waiting for released in April and May. There were some recent announcements I wanted to cover as well. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa’s third studio album, was one of my most anticipated releases for May, and it was ultimately one of the most mixed for me. While there were parts of it I absolutely adored—like the singles Houdini and Illusion as well as other tracks like End of an Era, French Exit, and Happy For You—there were some songs I felt lukewarm about and could skip entirely, particularly toward the back end of the album. The parts of it I liked most were the songs that were tonally in the same (or similar) vein as the singles. Those tended to bring in more of the retro influences I liked about Dua Lipa’s other album, Future Nostalgia.

The next one I checked out was Billie Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which released on May 17, 2024. I’m a very casual listener when it comes to Eilish and, over the years, I’ve had more than one favorite song. However, I was a big fan of Hit Me Hard and Soft. There are only ten songs on it, but I loved the moodiness as well as the quality of the production.

Another one of my most anticipated albums of May was Willow’s Empathogen. Released on May 3rd, I have to say that I loved this one. It’s features included Jon Batiste and St. Vincent. Where Empathogen shined was where, like its singles (Symptom of Life and Big Feelings), it delved into the nitty gritty when it came to complicated emotions and experiences. And it did so with a stylish mix of influences, including jazz and rock among others. My only gripe is how I wish some of the songs were longer. For example, one of my favorite songs, I Know That Face, was only a minute and fifty-one seconds long; the same applied to Ancient Girl (only a minute and thirty-one seconds long). Otherwise, I had a great listening experience with Empathogen.

Singles...

Some of the singles that made it to my playlist include: Love Me JeJe by Tems, Bet by Mette, Boy Bye by Chloe, In Your Hands by Halle, Light Again & Right There by Lil Nas X.

Upcoming Music I’m Waiting For...