It's been a long break since I've published a song of the week, but this week's feature is an interesting meld of genres that I haven't really touched on yet. Turkish singer-songwriter INJI rose to fame after several big hits of hers went viral online in 2022. Her most recent single, released in November of 2023, "BELLYDANCING" had me immediately hooked into her music. She primarily makes dance/ electronic tunes, but she experiments with many different sounds and samples in her music. She has released a live version of her hit pop song "GASLIGHT" that is a slow melodic jazz version of the original track, showcasing her incredible range. "BELLYDANCING" instantly captivated me as there is just so much going on in this track. The lyrics are that of a typical upbeat dance pop track, nothing too complex or deep, but the song just sounds so fun. It begins with her speaking in Turkish, and then kicks into a fun synth beat. She changes the genre of music several times, quickly adding Spanish Mariachi music to the beat, and later does the same thing with Middle Eastern music that would typically be heard in a belly dancing routine. Playing with form is something that I find so interesting in music, and if that is something you're into, INJI is definitely worth checking out!

We all have those albums where it is almost embarrassing that it took so long to get into it. Albums so iconic and influential that its pretty rare to find someone who hasn't heard it. Over the last month I finally listened to Lemonade in full for the first time, and really got into it. This track in particular really jumped out at me for so many reasons. For one, I am a massive Jack White fan. He's one of my all time favourite musicians from his work in The White Stripes, and The Dead Weather, to his early solo work. This album has some really interesting features and plays a lot with genre, which is something that I really admire about her as an artist as it always keeps the music interesting. This track hooked me in as I had never heard Beyoncé in this kind of style before. This song finds the perfect balance between both of their unique styles, and they come together in such a powerful way. This track is ANGRY, and it comes through shamelessly. The speaker narrates the series of emotions of having been cheated on and played by her husband, and she does not hesitate to let the rage come out in full. This song is just one from an album that tells such a vivid story about her thoughts and feelings on the experience. "Don't Hurt Yourself" starts off at a steady pace, but by the time the song reaches an end she is screaming, cussing him out, and you can truly feel all of the emotion in her voice. Jack White's instrumentals add to the grit of her vocals and lyrics, and while it is a combination I never would have initially thought up, it is so perfect.

I have really been getting into Leith Ross' album upon their recent release of the extended version of the album To Learn, More, which contains bonus tracks and live versions of a few of the original tracks. The bonus track "Monogamy" really stuck out to me. When the extended version was originally released, there was an error in which the uploaded version of this song was at first just the vocal track. While it sounds much more full with the acoustic guitar and production, my first listen being just the lyrics really hooked me into what they were saying. The song follows the speaker as they struggle with not being able to have a proper and healthy perspective on love. Some of my favourite lines are "Did my lovers all think I was kind?/ And when I left, did they know I was lying?" and "I want people to think/ That I am the love of their lives/ When I know they aren't the love of mine.". Leith's take on love is crushing and honest. Despite the fact that they hint at being untruthful in relationships, they are being quite vulnerable with the audience, and that really shows in this track. The whole album and extended version is great soft acoustic music, I highly recommend checking it out if you are a fan of sad indie jams.   

I've been listening to JID like crazy lately, and with this song getting some much deserved attention on social media I felt like it deserved a highlight. The entirety of his 2022 album The Forever Story is incredible, with tracks like "Crack Sandwich", "Dance Now" and "Can't Make U Change" being some runner up favourites. The use of the Aretha Franklin sample of her song "One Step Ahead" at the beginning and throughout the track adds an oldies feel to the track that fills it out and makes the beat drop hit so hard. Sometimes I find that songs with multiple features can be distracting from the main sound, but JID always does a great job with this on his tracks, and the beat switch halfway through the song gives it a fun twist as it maintains the pacing while totally switching up the beat. It is such a catchy song and I can't help but bop and groove along every time it plays. If there's one thing JID always nails its a track with a dancey beat. 

I'm a bit late getting around to finally talking about this song, but better late than never. Earlier this month we were lucky enough to get to experience a pretty significant moment in music history, the release of a brand new Beatles song in 2023. There was a fabulous mini doc released alongside the release of the single (which I will link here) that breaks down exactly how this was done, but the abridged version is this: there were three John Lennon demos that he recorded himself prior to his death, and Now And Then was one that they were able to recover. The three remaining Beatles were able to work on the other two tracks, but they didn't have the technology to isolate John's vocals, and thus the project was tabled until recently. I was originally pretty taken aback by this project, as I had been lead to believe that AI had been used to generate falsified John Lennon vocals on a track. However, this was not the case, and through the introduction of new technology, they were finally able to separate John's vocals and create what they had always hoped for, using George Harrison's guitar that they recorded when they originally tried to revamp the song. It is a pretty exciting feeling to be present for genuine new Beatles music, and while it would never be quite the same as if they had all recorded it together, it is nonetheless significant that they were able to produce this at all. The song itself isn't anything crazy and experimental, as it was always a pretty soft sounding demo, but it is exactly what we needed to hear. John's original lyrics feel like haunting messages from beyond, echoing "now and then, I miss you" and "I know it's true, it's all because of you". 

Today's song of the week is a bit of a throwback to classic late 90s hip hop album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I was lucky enough to be front row at her recent stop in Vancouver on her 25th anniversary tour of the album and return of the Fugees (minus Pras), and was absolutely blown away. Having a full orchestral band and backing vocalists was such a cool touch that added so much emotion and energy to the performance. I've been non stop bumping this album for a while now, but this past week I've been almost exclusively listening to it. For an album like this that paints such a vivid story while listening from start to finsih, it was challenging to pick just one track, but I think this one is quite representative of the album as a whole. The song is a great showcase of Ms. Hill's storytelling ability, evocative and emotional rap bars, as well as her next level vocal belts. The flamenco style guitar adds such a nice feel throughout the track, alongside the beat. The build at the end of the song is one of my favorites on the album, as gradually the guitar disappears and the beat slows down to emphasize Lauryn and her backup vocalists, as she belts out a seemingly effortless whistle note to close off the song. 

I've been listening to a lot of Laufey lately following the release of her latest album Bewitched. Laufey (pronounced phonetically like lay-vay) is an Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter who intertwines her orchestral background into her music. Nardwuar (who if you know me, you know is such a journalistic inspiration to me) recently put out a great interview with her that touches quite a bit on this aspect, which is an influence that I have since been paying special attention to tune in to when listening to her music. It is an aspect that I may have glossed over in this track previously, not making much of a note to pay attention to the strings in the background. This song, "A Night To Remember" is a single released shortly after the album. It features another incredible singer-songwriter of a similar genre, Beabadoobee. Their styles blend so well together, and I've been waiting for a collaboration from them for a while. The track has a sort of sensual feel to it in terms of lyricism and the bossa nova style guitar. In an interview with Stereogum, Laufey describes the song as "reclaiming the narrative" on female sexuality, and "having one great night then walking away". Overall a great track, and the linked interviews are definitely worth looking at as well if you're interested! 

I couldn't possibly pick a different song for this week's feature, as this has been so stuck in my brain even prior to it's release. I heard Cam play this track live at a show over the summer, and have been not so patiently awaiting it's streaming debut ever since. This song has got such a fun dance pop feel to it, and a chorus so catchy that I can't seem to get it out of my head even if I wanted to. All of Cam's unreleased work has blown me away and has me so excited to hear his sophomore album. The keys solo on this track completely blows me away every time, and you just can't beat the layers of funky instrumentals. The feature by Cody Lawless blends so well into Cam's style and adds so much to the song. I had the pleasure of attending the release party for this single's music video done by the amazing First Floor Collective, and would highly recommend checking that out as well to be fully immersed in this track. 

Fall always feels like the perfect weather for listening to Hozier, so it seemed natural to highlight one of my favorite tracks from his most recent album Unreal Unearth. There were many songs that really resonated with me, but this one brought me to tears the first time I heard it. Hozier has such a talent at bringing life and fullness to simple images, and this song does that so perfectly. There are ongoing motifs of hot and cold, one being the opening line "A joy, hard learned in winter was the warming of the bed". He describes his partner moving her legs around and putting the covers over her head to warm up. The phrase "Uiscefhuaraithe" is repeated in the chorus throughout which means "water-cooled" in Irish, which juxtaposes with the warmth that his partner brings. There are several times the temperature is referenced, such as when he talks about the awful summer heat at night. It is referenced again in the end of the song where he says "I wish I could say the cold lake water of my heart/ Christ, it's boilin' over", which brings back the juxtaposition of "Uiscefhuaraithe" as he uses the elements to contrast the love he has for his partner. The song ends on a beautiful line that is repeated throughout, "But it happened easy, darlin'/ Natural as another leg around you in the bed frame". 

I am a few months late to this album, but I finally got around to listening to it over the past week or two and it truly lives up to the hype. The first track "How Much Is Weed?" is a perfect way to open an album. It sets a prevalent tone of upbeat instrumentals paired with meaningful lyricism. My first few listens I was very overtaken by the percussion and production elements of the song, and it took listening to it a couple times for the lyrics to really hit me. He is reflecting on harder times, which was obvious enough in the chorus of "I be looking through the/ photo album, but the color faded from it/ if I could go back and tell you how it ends, I would've done it". The verses discuss how far he has come and the way people (even his family) treat him differently now vs how they did before his fame. Particularly he talks about how no one supported him or his mother when they were struggling, and how much pressure he puts on himself to succeed. The future is scary, and continuing into fame can be intimidating, but he loves making art hence the repeated mantra of "don't look down" as he motivates himself to keep going. 

If you know me well you know that Mac Miller is my all time favorite artist. While I more often like to post songs that are a bit more recent for the song of the week, I felt as though this song was fitting as yesterday marked five years since Mac passed away, and this song holds a lot of significance for me. "Good News" was the first single released from Mac's posthumous release, Circles, and holds an almost haunting tone to it as it truly feels like words he sent us form beyond, assuring us that despite what had happened, he was okay. Of course that is just what I take from it as a listener hearing it after his death, but I think his intention with the song was to depict the hope of a better future for yourself. The speaker expresses feelings of depression and struggle, but with the positive outlook and view of someone who recognizes their struggle, but knows it is going to get better. There is a passage from this song that I consider to be one of my favorite song lyrics, which is: "wake up to the moon/ haven't seen the sun in a while/ but I've heard that the sky's still blue". It reflects upon the passing days spent locking yourself inside and dealing with your mental health, but knowing that when you get better and go back out, there is still light despite the darkness you feel. The whole song echoes this feeling, and is something that I myself reflect on when I am struggling. The sun will still rise and set, the Earth will still turn, the sky is still blue. 

This week I finally got around to listening to emails i can't send by Sabrina Carpenter, and have had it on loop. The song that probably hits me the hardest is "how many things". It begins with a line that often get a laugh on the album which is "You used a fork once/ It turns out forks are fuckin everywhere", and while it is a funny line it also echoes true sentiment about the meaning of the song. The track talks about when you like someone so much that it is all consuming, and you think about them constantly even though you don't want to. You see them in little mundane every day things like forks as you subconsciously connect everything to them because you're so hooked. You think about them and consider them in every decision you make but the chorus reveals that the other person does not reciprocate those same feelings in the lines "I wonder how many things you think about before you get to me/ I wonder how many things you wanna do, you think I'm in between". The whole album is great, and a healthy combination of upbeat and fun pop songs, and devastating tracks like this one.

After a couple weeks of hiatus, Soup Can is back with another song of the week (and more interviews coming in the near future!). This week's song is "Orange Juice" by Noah Kahan. I have been listening to this album on repeat since it came out last year and was lucky enough to see Noah's show last night at Thunderbird Stadium, which absolutely blew me away. While every song on the album is significant to me, this one really stands out in a narrative and structural sense. The song narrates two different perspectives of two characters who shared a traumatic experience, but both went off in different directions to process it. One of them turned to alcohol and when the two reunite, musically there is a huge visible difference in the switch in perspective. It begins with soft fingerpicking as the first narrator (presumably Noah) reflects on the fact that his friend has come back, in the lines "Feels like I've been ready for you to come home/ for so long/ that I didn't think to ask you where you'd gone/ why'd you go?". Instrumentally there is a shift and the song becomes heavier as he sings "and you said" and the perspective switches to the other narrator. He talks about how he went off and got sober and everything changed for him, but it was jarring to come home and realize that the first narrator didn't seem to be struggling and hadn't changed at all. The song wraps the story up beautifully by ending on the same finger picked verse that it began with: "Honey, come over, the party's gone slower/ and no one will tempt you, we know you got sober/ there's orange juice in the kitchen, bought for the children/ it's yours if you want it, we're just glad you could visit". I love all of Noah's songs, but as someone who really loves storytelling in music, this song is one I highly recommend!

After seeing the Barbie movie, this song on the soundtrack has unsurprisingly stuck with me a lot. The scene it was in was perfectly placed, and I think this track is very fitting to be the first ever soundtrack song to end up as the song of the week. Billie did such a fabulous job interconnecting the themes of self doubt, identity crisis, and patriarchy in a way that made it fit so well with the plot of the film, while still being relatable and soul crushing as a stand alone piece. It particularly hit me in the lines "Looked so alive, turns out, I'm not real/ Just something you paid for/ What was I made for?" and "I'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend/ It's not what he's made for". That first line of course referring to the objectification of women, and the second highlighting the idea that women must be perfect and sure of themselves in fear of not being taken seriously if they are considered "too emotional". The speaker can't even feel comfortable talking about her emotions with her own partner because he simply doesn't understand, and perhaps is uncomfortable expressing his own feelings. The song ends on a somewhat happy note with the closing lines "Think I forgot how to be happy/ Something I'm not, but something I can be/ Something I wait for/ Something I'm made for"  which signifies that the speaker is hopeful for the future despite being unsure in the present.  

The ninth song of the week goes to "Sunset For The Dead" by Tommy Newport. Newport is an indie psych-pop artist who I have been listening to for years, but had only really heard a few of his tracks up until listening to his newest album which released earlier this year. His song "Movie Screen" had me hooked in 2019, and then I rediscovered him again in 2021 with the song "Yellow Lines", but only have really began listening to his whole discography now. His most recent album, Glasshead, features the closing track "Sunset For The Dead" which really reeled me back into his music. It's got a great beat and builds into some strong belted lines in the chorus, which I really love. His funky bass lines are often what draws me into his music, and this song definitely does a great job in that department.

This track has been on loop the last few days, and I absolutely love it. I discovered Tiny Habits through their work on Lizzy McAlpine’s Tiny Desk Concert, which I also highly recommend checking out. They are an indie acoustic trio whose vocals blend together so seamlessly. This song in particular is such a sweet piece, as it follows the narrator who depicts all the small things that they love about the person they’re with, and how they love all the mundane activities like making the bed or doing dishes. The chorus brings in all three vocalists for the lines “How about that, you and me?/ Lots of love in tiny things/ All we have is all I need.”. I absolutely love their harmonies, and their music just feels like warm clothes out of the laundry, or sitting by a fire when it’s raining.

Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer songwriter from Saskatchewan who writes mainly indie folk. What really sets his work apart in the genre is the way that he tells full stories through his music. He has albums that follow a continuous story, for example his projects The Party and Neon Skylines are both set in chronological order narrating the events of one evening, and many of his songs on other albums tell stories in similar ways. I had the opportunity to see him live earlier this year on his tour of his most recent album Norm, and the show was incredible. Though the new album is fabulous, I did want to highlight the track "I Don't Really" despite it being over a decade old. It holds up as being one of his best feeling songs in my opinion, which is saying something considering how peaceful and homey all of his songs are. It is such a fun upbeat song that puts me in a feel good mood, especially because I've been listening to a lot of indie folk this summer. Andy Shauf has been one of my most streamed artists this year, and I highly recommend his music to anyone looking for calm and contemplative tunes. His instrumentals are so relaxing, and his lyrics are very captivating, particularly if you're in the mood for a good story.  

Time to switch up the genre with this week’s song of the week, as I’ve got into a habit of only sharing indie tracks lately. Destroy Boys are a punk trio from California composed of nonbinary and queer musicians. My favorite track of theirs is “For What”. It’s got the classic punk formula of songs about hating the cops, yet still feels individual. The lyricism eloquently states their opinions on what they’re talking about, without getting muddled down by catchy choruses. Its short, so they have a limited time to get to the point and they certainly don’t waste it, making the song feel like a call to action. Paired with a really fun repeating guitar riff throughout the song, there are also very impressive screams/ belts, which I really to hear in music because it really showcases not only the technical skills that they have, but how passionate they are about what they’re saying. Music in the punk rock/ metal genres sometimes get disregarded as being just noise, but I think there is something really special about believing in something so strongly you have to scream it.

Since it first began trending on social media months ago, the chorus of this song has been on loop in my head, so I'm thrilled that it has finally been released. "Your Mother's Name" captures a classic feeling of falling in love with someone who doesn't feel the same, and the suffering that comes with that. The chorus "unrequited love is part of being young/ but I'm tired of sleeping by a warm gun/ that's why your mother cries/ that's why she's so fucking mean all the time" embodies the pain than the narrator feels in such a raw way. The speaker is aware that their experience isn't original, and that it is something that happens to everyone, but acknowledges that it still hurts and it is so exhausting for them to feel all the time. The speaker includes specific enough details that it still feels unique to their situation, while still feeling relatable to listeners. The references to religion really stick out to me in this song, particularly in the mention of a stranger's cross reminding the speaker of the person they love because they wear one, followed by " Even though you're an atheist/ Now I am too 'cause there's no way a god would let me lose you". Susannah Joffe has been gaining attention lately after a few of her songs began trending on TikTok, and I hope to see more from her soon. This song and many of her others hit me hard and really feel as if they belong on the soundtrack to a coming of age movie. 

"Star Tripping" by Kevin Atwater is a heartbreakingly beautiful song that depicts the story of a boy who falls for and begins a relationship with a boy who is religious and dealing with internalized homophobia. The themes of the story are shown right away with lines like "Bible in your car/ Always keep a hand on it when we're kissing" being in the first verse. Atwater's songwriting style never ceases to amaze me, as he is such a detailed lyricist in his storytelling, that it really immerses listeners in the realness that he portrays. He takes those raw and painful experiences from a narrator that feels weak in their situation, and turns them into something powerful, as if the speaker is taking back the control over their own story. The narrator slowly goes from accepting that their fate with the religious boy will not change and that he must keep their relationship a secret in order to keep loving him, to a sad anger that builds up. This resentment begins around the second verse; "Hurt you like a kid/ Said something mean/ Just to say that I said it" followed by "You think He made you wrong/ I think you give Him way too much credit". This build continues into a triumphant end where the narrator decidedly values his own heart enough to not force himself to push down parts of himself, and the song ends with a reversal of the chorus where he states "I won't get in trouble for this/ I'm not falling for a boy who/ Thinks that falling's a sin". I highly recommend this song, and anything else from Atwater's debut EP Downer's Grove if you take an interest in storytelling in songwriting, and lyricism that stabs you in the heart. 

As today is the first day of pride month, I'd like to feature a queer musician for each song of the week in June. Today's song goes to "Cool About It" by Boygenius, off of their debut album the record. This is an album I do plan to review soon, but this song in particular deserves it's own highlight. The indie acoustic song features a verse from each member (Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers), and doesn't follow the typical structure of a song as it doesn't have a bridge or traditional chorus. Instead, it has two stanzas per person, in an order of three lines, then five lines, then repeat with the next member. Each of these verse ending five line stanzas have a first line that ends in "about it" and a last line that ends in "isn't true" which gives them a uniform chorus-like feel to them despite not having whole lines repeated or the same rhyme scheme repeated. Not only is the song structurally so interesting, but lyric wise it can be interpreted in several directions. I like to interpret it as either reconnecting with an old relationship, or being in love with a best friend. Each verse adds layers of painfully poetic lines about how much it hurts for the speaker to continue to have this person in their life, while also clinging to them because they love them. Some of my favorite lines include: "Wishin' you were kind enough to be cruel about it" which encompasses the feeling of wanting the person you're in love with to let you down so you can move on instead of being so nice about it, "Once, I took your medication to know what it's like/ And now I have to act like I can't read your mind" the opening lines to Bridgers' verse which I think are some of the most devastating lines in the song, followed by "I can walk you home and practice method acting" which starts to close the songs final stanza and leaves it in a place where the pain is still fresh as the speaker is still pretending they aren't hurt by being around this person. 

The newest song of the week goes to CHEEYA’s most recent hit BOY FEELINGS. CHEEYA has not once disappointed me with a release and continues to expand their style with every new track. Their last song “im gonna kill you” absolutely blew me away, instantly climbed to the top as their number one most streamed track, and included an insane feature from Sahati who is also incredibly talented. BOY FEELINGS has so much funk in the guitar and bass riffs, which if you know me you know I love so much. Max’s instrumentals are always so fun, and paired with Molly’s vocals which match so well, and her newer style of adding little rap verses into CHEEYA tracks, this song is not to be missed. The subject matter of the song follows a narrator with a sketchy deadbeat boyfriend, and the storytelling is such a highlight in Molly’s lyricism. The song’s lyrics offer a unique perspective on subject that has been covered before in songs such as “Lost Cause” by Billie Eilish, and funny enough references her in the line “I don’t like it, you’re so childish/ you’re the Bad Guy, Billie Eilish”. I’ve been a CHEEYA fan since the beginning, so I love watching their progression, and their last two releases are definitely some of their best works and have me so excited for future tunes.

The first song of the week has got to go to Clairo, who recently released a five song collection of tracks recorded at Electric Lady studios in New York. I loved all of these versions, but "Amoeba" really stuck out to me. The track is off her most recent album Sling, which is a project that is so dear to me. This particular song thrives off of the full band feel that this version provides, with a funky bass and guitar riff being a highlight in the chorus alongside woodwind instruments. The lyrics in this song are so poetic and full of strong imagery that leaves listeners in contemplation trying to piece together the meanings behind the verses. Starting strong with the first segment, stay tuned for weekly short pieces on whatever song I happen to be attaching to each week.