Music has always been the way to my heart — especially if said music is made by a melancholic singer-songwriter.
Listed below are three albums that defined my girlhood, all containing themes of love, loss and self-discovery.
Lorde: Melodrama (2017)
“I hate the headlines and the weather / I’m nineteen and I’m on fire / But when we’re dancing, I’m alright / It’s just another graceless night.”
Whether you’re looking for pure pop or heart-wrenching lyricism, this album has it all.
On “Melodrama’, Lorde captures the end of adolescence. The mixture of Lorde’s fluorescent writing and Jack Antonoff’s production work tells the story of a young woman navigating the adult world through heartache.
Since the album’s 2017 release, I’ve been endlessly in love with this record.
On “Green Light”, Lorde is following her usual routine without her lover. “We order different drinks at the same bars”, she sings, signifying the proximity they once shared. Lorde, stuck in gloom and angst, dreams of receiving the “green light” to move on from her heartbreak.
On “Homemade Dynamite”, Lorde falls in love at a house party. “I’ll give you my best side, tell you all my best lies,” she tells the stranger as she compares the newfound spark they share to “homemade dynamite”.
“Writer in The Dark” explores Lorde’s identity as a lover, immortalizing her love within her songwriting and heart.
“I am my mother’s child / I’ll love you ‘til my breathing stops / I’ll love you ‘til you call the cops on me”
If I could hang any album in “The Louvre”, there’s no doubt this would be the one.
Soccer Mommy: Clean (2018)
“‘Cause I don’t wanna be your baby girl / that you show off to the world / When you decide you want to feel / Like you’re living something real.”
“Clean” is an album about wanting to feel wanted. The record follows Soccer Mommy pining after someone and feeling insecure within her own skin.
On the track “Cool”, Soccer Mommy obsesses over another girl, jealous of her “criminal” and “stoner girl” reputation. “I wanna to know her like you — I want to be that cool,” she sings as she fantasizes about who she believes is her crush’s fantasy.
On “Skin”, Soccer Mommy begs to be “the one”, in any way her lover sees fit.
“I wanna be the one you miss when you’re alone / I wanna be the one you’re kissing when you’re stoned / Back in the alleyway behind your father’s home / I’m clawing at your skin, trying to see your bones”
“I want to be who I wasn’t, I want to dance and not feel the gloom”, she sings on “Wildflowers”, the album’s final track.On the track, Soccer Mommy realizes she needs to be honest with herself and not allow ideations of love to consume her.
With an only 34-minute-runtime, “Clean” is both sonically beautiful and introspective from start to finish. Whether you’re a longtime Soccer Mommy fan or new to her music, this album is a clear standout in her discography.
Lucy Dacus: Home Video (2021)
“You called me cerebral / I didn’t know what you meant / But now I do / Would it have killed you to call me pretty instead?”
It would be impossible to create this list without including my all-time favorite artist, Lucy Dacus. If you’re a fan of concept albums, you’ll love “Home Video”. On “Home Video”, Dacus invites the listener into her world and heart, with each diaristic track telling a different story about her upbringing as a young woman in Richmond, Virginia.
On “Hot and Heavy”, Dacus returns to her hometown and sings of the way time has changed her. “Being back here makes me hot in the face,” she sings as she recalls memories of spending time at an old friend’s family basement.
On “First Time”, Dacus is “sneaking out of the house [and] out of [her] mind”, losing her innocence and wondering if anything will ever feel the same again. “Has my face changed, baby?” she questions.
“Cartwheel” takes on the loss of innocence in a way most young girls can relate to. “Betrayal like I’d never felt before” is how Dacus describes the feeling of falling behind a friend growing up too fast.
“Triple Dog Dare” tells the story of Dacus struggling with her queer identity after a friend’s mother “read [her] palm”, preventing her from spending time with her closest friend.
“I’m staring at my hands / Red, ruddy skin, I don’t understand / How did they betray me? / What did I do? / I never touched you how I wanted to.”
“Home Video” is an earnest piece of work that not only honors Dacus’ past selves, but welcomes them.
Through both heartache and healing, these records remain timeless.
