On Sept. 20, Hippo Campus released its fourth studio album. Although the title “Flood” can evoke auditory memories of the band’s past triumphs like singles “Monsoon” or “Bubbles,” the album has neither the emotion of the former nor the ingenuity of the latter. Hippo Campus’ new album does not exhibit the same musical quality that put the band on NPR Music’s favorite new artists list in 2017. 

On Sept. 20, Katy Perry released her seventh studio album titled “143,” her first album since “Smile” in 2020. While she is known for creating catchy pop songs that can be described as feel-good, “143” gives off more of a club vibe with a synthetic sound, featuring collaborations with artists like Kim Petras. “143” explores two very important things in Perry’s life: motherhood and female empowerment. Throughout the album, Perry unveils her experience of being a mother while also sending a message about female empowerment, especially in the midst of a tense election season. Perry explains the title as her “angel numbers,” a belief that certain numbers grouped together are a message from angels. Perry describes the numbers as meaning “I love you” and “We got you,” two statements of affirmation that fit into the theme of the album.

Suki Waterhouse’s newest album, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin,” has been a long time coming. Released Sept. 13, the album is quintessentially Suki, a collection of smooth lyricism, punchy pop, powerful rock and atmospheric ballads. Waterhouse’s sophomore album is an amalgamation of everything that has gotten her to where she is now. 

In “Manning Fireworks,” MJ Lenderman — an indie rock singer-songwriter most known for his distinct alt-country style — broke away from his folky, energetic strings. He tapped into a slower beat, letting his vocals carry him through nine well-composed tracks. Although his gravelly voice was the most highlighted across the songs, Lenderman’s instrumentals were what made almost every song distinct. The album starts off strong with its title track, imitating a young Bob Dylan’s aching voice.

Eighteen years ago, Paris Hilton released her debut album “Paris,” during an era that saw her as nothing more than a party girl or reality TV star on the hit show “The Simple Life.” Hilton’s new album “Infinite Icon” brings in a new level of maturity for Hilton. After overcoming backlash in the media, abuse at boarding schools and institutions for “troubled teens” and an ADHD diagnosis, Hilton returns to the music industry with a fresh start. 

Ashlyn Rae Willson, better known as Ashe, is no stranger to redefining her own name. With her new album, “Willson,” she is now setting a new precedent for what her name stands for. “Willson,” released Sept. 6, is both Ashe’s third studio album and the third piece of her self-titled series. This album is her first independently-released album because her first two albums –– evidentially titled “Ashlyn” and “Rae” –– were created under a record label, whereas “Willson” is completely owned by Ashe. This self-ownership serves as a metaphor of independence because “Willson” marks Ashe’s resurgence into the music industry, the reconciliation of her wounded past and the start of her self-rediscovery.

After experiencing brief stardom at the age of 15 on Britain’s Got Talent, James Smith largely dropped out of sight. Now, with his first album release — after a series of variably executed EPs — Smith shows listeners what exactly he was doing with all that time out of the spotlight. On Aug. 23, he released his record “Common People.”

On June 7, Charli XCX dropped her new album “BRAT,” which arguably set the tone for the summer. Music in general is compelling and can influence moods, society and perspectives, which is exactly what “BRAT” did.

Former Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet” on Aug. 23. This release followed the success of summer hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” which are the two singles of the album. She delivers an album that is diverse in themes and genres, with lyrics touching on lustful mistakes, passionate love, infidelity and even heartbreak. Her songs are not only catchy, but surprising as listeners are met with an experimental genre blend of R&B, pop and folk-country, giving it a nostalgic but timeless melody.

On April 26, Annie Clark, more widely known as St. Vincent, released her seventh studio album, “All Born Screaming.” The musician has made a name for herself since leaving alternative indie artist Sufjan Stevens’ touring band in 2006. The multi-talented artist took a new step with this album, making it her debut as a producer. Clark’s musical abilities are once again put on display as she plays the electric piano, bass, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, vocals and more. 

Despite critical appeal never being lost for grunge icon Pearl Jam, 2020’s “Gigaton” was a commercial disappointment, becoming the band’s first album since 2002’s “Riot Act” to not chart at No. 2 or higher in the United States. Seeing this, the band decided to bring on GRAMMY award-winning producer Andrew Watt to help infuse modern magic into the band. This resulted in Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album “Dark Matter” which was released April 19. While the hard guitars and Vedder’s unique vocals are still present, Watt’s history of producing for pop stars is shown through the tendency to opt for more light instrumental starts.

After accepting the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album for “Midnights,” Taylor Swift surprisingly announced that her next album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” would be released April 19. Anticipation for Swift’s next studio album was already high, given its classification as the first “breakup” album since her 2012 album, “Red.”