The pop star's most nuanced record yet finds beauty in the contradictions of devotion, anxiety, and growing up. Article Contributed by Shyanne Vaden Album cover for “you seem so sad for a girl so in love” by Olivia Rodrigo Renowned pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated third studio album “you seem so sad for a girl so in love” was released on June 12, and has already taken not only her fans, social media but the world by storm. From her stepping on the scene with “Sour

Sam Smith’s long-awaited return was worth the wait on “My Guy” Photo: Collier Schorr Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis Soul on the Radio Sam Smith is back with his return single after his 2023 release “Unholy” featuring Kim Petras from the album Gloria, and he’s taking us back to the start with “My Guy”. Over the last three years, Smith has been writing and recording his latest release, Hazel Eyes; his long-awaited return is met with great anticipation as fans dig in

Pushing themselves to new heights following the move to Oxide Records, Savage Hands are preparing to release a new album and set out on a summer tour. Without losing touch with their hard rock roots, the Maryland band have dropped a gut-wrenching new single, "It's Me,” compelling enough to hook even the non-metal fans. Article Contributed by Brooke Dougherty Photography by William George The song begins fast-paced, and almost uneasy as if you are trying to outrun your shadows

With grain, wit and pastel charm, flowerovlove explores the dating stereotypes that keep us searching instead of staying. Article Contributed by Shyanne Vaden At first glance, when hearing the song “American Wedding” by flowerovlove you would think it is about the typical want for an American love story. The family, the white picket fence, the premonition of having a happy, stable foundation. But surprisingly, flowerovlove does the exact opposite but the reality of the polari

On his sold-out Cleveland night, the "Ordinary" star, Alex Warren, proved his real instrument isn’t his voice. It’s the room.

For many artists, a first headlining show is a milestone. For New Jersey native Tanner Grigoli, it felt like a homecoming. Tanner Grigoli at the House of Independents in Ashbury Park, NJ.

Some concerts give you a setlist. Some give you a moment. On Tuesday night at the Fox Theatre, Charlie Puth gave Detroit both, and somewhere in the middle of it, he stopped everything for a kid with a poster and a four-month-old piano habit.

When Atlantis crossed a billion streams on TikTok, Seafret didn't rush. Fear of Emotion is what happens when a band finally gets to make a record on their own terms.

There's something refreshingly unguarded about Anthony Winters. He doesn't perform with confidence he doesn't have, doesn't hedge his answers, and isn't afraid to tell you that Justin Bieber is one of his biggest inspirations. He means it, and he'll say it twice if he has to.

Article & Photos contributed by Rebecca McDevitt If you have never seen The Maine live, Friday night at Franklin Music Hall would have been the perfect introduction. The five-piece rock band out of Tempe, Arizona have been at this since 2007, eighteen years and ten studio albums deep, and they perform like a band that genuinely cannot believe they still get to do this. Their latest record, Joy Next Door, dropped just last week and they brought it straight to the road with the

Going to a Lewis Capaldi show comes with one explicit warning: Expect to cry. Expect to laugh. And expect to try not to pee yourself, because apparently he was attempting the same after drinking enough fluid to keep a fading voice alive through a full arena set. Lewis Capaldi performing at Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia PA. Photo by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @ rebeccajeanlimitedphotography ) Philadelphia got Lewis Capaldi in full comeback mode. After stepp

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt & Ilana Bornstein Some bands come together through industry connections. Others start because a group of friends simply never stopped playing music together. For Chicago-based alternative pop band Flwers, it’s the second story. SoundCheck first discovered Flwers the same way a lot of fans did lately… scrolling through TikTok. Between honest lyrics, hook-heavy melodies, and videos that felt more like friends sharing music than a careful

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt There's a specific kind of music that doesn't just sound like your teenage years, it feels like them. The kind that puts you right back in your parents' living room, watching local bands play basements and VFW halls, wondering if feeling everything this loudly and this openly was something you'd eventually grow out of. Listening to Homebase's debut EP Close To Something , the answer, at least for this reviewer, is a hard no. Press photo

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Dead Wrong photographed in Philadelphia, PA - Photo by Chris Lopez (IG: @ chrislopezest89 ) Philadelphia has never had a shortage of bands willing to wear their hearts on their sleeves. It's practically a city requirement. But Dead Wrong, the four-piece pop-punk outfit made up of Matt McKay, Stephen Morrell, Roberto Marcial, and Dan Fedele, do something a little more specific than just feeling things loudly. On their debut full-length T

There are shows you go to for fun, and then there are shows that remind you exactly why live music matters. Across two back-to-back nights, Philadelphia at MilkBoy and New York City at Berlin, Enrose created something you could feel long after the last note. Some of the SoundCheck Mag team was there, cameras in hand, shooting side by side. Two perspectives on the same magic. And yeah, we're glad it happened.

A night that celebrated both his journey as an artist and the fans who’ve been there since the very beginning, all in one unforgettable show. Article and Photos Contributed by Miranda Wyman Corbyn Besson’s return to the stage felt less like a typical concert and more like a long-awaited reunion. On Monday, March 23, 2026, at the intimate 650-capacity Gramercy Theatre in New York City, fans packed into the historic venue for the first of two (Head) First Shows, celebrating the

The producer blends cinematic ambition with trance energy on his most intentional project yet. Article Contributed by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff Photos contributed by UMG 1824 For Aaron Hibell, releasing Synchronicity isn’t simply about putting out another album. It’s about revealing a body of work that has been quietly forming for years — one shaped by patience, instinct, and a creative philosophy rooted in timing and trust. Across its 11 tracks, Synchronicity blends orchestra

Article Contributed by Fernando Flores Photo Contributed by 1824 / UMG During a press conference with Em Beihold, she opens up about her upcoming debut album, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter, set for release on February 27, 2026. Throughout the conversation, Beihold offered an honest look into her creative process, the themes behind the album, and the personal growth that shaped the project. Who is Em Beihold? Em Beihold is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who has built h

Photo by Sasha Camacho Article Contributed by Fernando Flores Lexa Gates’s “I Am” unfolds like a conversation you don’t rush through. It’s an album that takes its time not because it’s unsure of itself but because it understands that self-definition isn’t something you arrive at all at once. This project moves with patience and purpose; tracing the quiet evolution of someone learning how to live inside their own truth. It doesn’t posture or over-explain. It simply exists con

On asking the hard questions, embracing chaos, and writing in real time. Article Contributed by Vaneza Gutiérrez Wyckoff Asha Banks shot by Louise Browne For Asha Banks, reflection isn’t something that happens neatly after the fact — it’s an active, ongoing state. That instinct sits at the heart of How Real Was It?, her debut EP released last November via Island Records, shaping both the emotional arc of the project and the way she speaks about her creative life overall. Rath