Peyton Stotelmyre / Daily Nexus
Face it Alone – Queen
Originally written and recorded in 1989 as part of their album “The Miracle,” Queen released “Face it Alone” this October. The track, which didn’t make the cut for the 1989 album and hasn’t been heard since, is one of the few songs Queen has released in recent years that feature the vocals of late frontman Freddie Mercury. The passionate track starts softly before transitioning into a more urgent, impassioned one as Mercury — accompanied by a guitar solo from Brian May — delivers the chorus “Your life is your own / You’re in charge of yourself / Master of your home / In the end / In the end / You have to face it all alone.” The song delivers a message of self-empowerment and perseverance, reminding its listeners that they are the masters of themselves and have to face whatever life throws at them on their own
— Ashna Ahmed
ANTIFRAGILE – LE SSERAFIM
After their successful debut this year, the rookie K-pop Idol group LE SSERAFIM have made their first comeback on Oct. 17 with their new track titled “ANTIFRAGILE” and the album with the same name. Adding onto the message from their debut song “FEARLESS,” ANTIFRAGILE is an unapologetic and catchy assertion of their motivation to help encourage their fans. In the second mini album, LE SSERAFIM explored different music sounds, with the title track heavily influenced by Latin pop and reggaeton. The leader of the group, Kim Chae-won, mentions how ANTIFRAGILE “speaks of our determination to pioneer our own path with skill and effort, regardless of the challenges that come our way.” LE SSERAFIM brings their all with this comeback, resulting with their mini album reaching No. 14 on Billboard’s top 200 album charts as of Oct. 31.
— Isabella Chichioco
Snow On The Beach – Taylor Swift
Diligent in her craft, Taylor Swift just released her 10th original studio album, “Midnights” on Oct. 21, 2022. This nocturnal concept album is based on a series of influential sleepless nights throughout her life. One of the stars of the album, “Snow On The Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey, both musically and lyrically reflects the rarity and wonderment of falling in love. The soft vocals, sleigh bells and pizzicato violin evoke feelings of fantastical fairy tales and childhood nostalgia in the listener.
— Hannah Rott
Different – Joshua Bassett
Up-and-coming singer and songwriter Joshua Bassett released his new song “Different” on Oct. 27 that reflects on his past relationship and wonders if things would be different if he and his lover were to start over again. Bassett expresses feelings of regret and longing in the chorus: “Now we’ve been to hell and back again/ My biggest regret was walking away / I’m not gonna make the same mistake / I know you’re afraid we’ll end up the same / … Maybe this timе, it’ll be different.” Along with the heart-wrenching lyrics that convey the complexity of love, Bassett’s unique and gentle falsetto adds even more emotion to the chorus. “Different” is the fourth single that Bassett has released this month, with all four songs symbolizing the sadness and heartbreak behind every relationship. In an interview with VMan, Bassett mentions that “these songs show the different aspects of different relationships…it’s another chapter in a very complicated love story.”
— Isabella Chichioco
SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM – Ruel
With his debut album coming out soon, Ruel has released his second single, “SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM,” on Oct. 27. The 19-year-old Australian singer and songwriter has been creating and crafting more songs since COVID, with this newest song describing the silver linings of ending a relationship. While discussing the track with Dork, Ruel mentions that he “wanted to write something with subject matter that was more lighthearted, kinda funny but still empowering.” He hopes that his fans will “relate to it and feel better about themselves after a shitty break up.” Although most of Ruel’s songs regarding break ups have a very somber tone, “SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM” focuses on the good feelings that might come out of a breakup. This ironic happiness is brought into life with the upbeat rhythm and sarcastic sounding lyrics of the chorus: “Now the rain finally let up / Nobody to stress me out / You’re someone else’s problem now.”
— Isabella Chichioco
