New music releases from Sept. 18, 2026 featuring Miley Cyrus, Carly Rae Jepsen, beabadoobee, and Lizzy McAlpine.(Photos courtesy of Apple Music)
“C’ing Music,” the music opinion column by Christian Garcia-Fuentes gives you an in-depth review of albums released during the week. From pop, to rap, to EDM, this column will be your go-to with insights of albums, new and old. Giving a perspective of the music released week by week, or discussing the impact or importance of past albums in the current zeitgeist, points toward the future of music, and lets you to decide the music you want to listen to.
Last Friday’s music releases brought a bountiful bag of tracks, good and bad, from Miley Cyrus, Carly Rae Jepsen, beabadoobee, and Lizzy McAlpine. Cyrus has begun to shed her family’s name and go as Miley for “Bass Persuades.” Carly Rae Jepsen has a lot of life experiences she seeks to share in a 24-track double album. Beabadoobee dives deep into grunge and rock in an album about connection. Lizzy McAlpine follows up her critically acclaimed album “Older (and Wiser)” with “Angel,” a 14 track album trying to elevate the sound found in “Older.”
This week of music was great, with all artists wanting to experiment and elevate the sound they’ve created for themselves in previous works. However, not all were able to successfully raise the bar for themselves.
Bass Persuades – Miley
“Bass Persuades” by Miley Cyrus released on Sept. 18, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Apple Music)
Miley Cyrus follows her last album, “Something Beautiful,” by dropping her last name and going by Miley for her new album “Bass Persuades.” The very on-the-nose title track opens the album with a chorus discussing the zeitgeist of the current club scene with “the kids” not wanting to dance, and Cyrus seeking a change. She wrote, “we can’t stay like this forever.”
>She follows it with, “Different Religion” featuring Model/Actriz brings back all the grunge missing from her past projects, making a callback to her full-rock project, “Plastic Hearts.”
One of the slower tracks, “Orbit,” shows her prowess as a songwriter. With minimal production, she professes her love by saying “oh, my feet are off the ground/whenever you’re around/I wanna orbit you.” The duet track “Neon Signs,” follows suit as another love song, with care and sensuality at the forefront. Andrew Wyatt’s and Cyrus’ vocals were a blessing to the ears. The only issue with the track would be the ending, with Cyrus and Wyatt fully delving into sexuality with heavy, breathy vocals to emphasize this profound love that could leave some listeners uncomfortable while entice others. The two say, “You’re so beautiful//Some people say I’m creepy/But others think I’m just right/You’re perfect/So perfect.” It begins to feel very intimate, and makes me feel like I overheard a conversation that I wasn’t supposed to hear.
“Innocent Ways” has a wonderful production with a bass-heavy synth and beat, however, the lyrics leave something to be desired. The lyrics discuss Cyrus’ sister, Noah Cyrus, but it doesn’t dive deep into any of the family drama or say anything interesting about Noah Cyrus. She writes, “her face is made of stone ’til you get her alone/Heart is made of chrome ’til you get her alone/Girl puts on a show, only know what she shows,” but that description isn’t new or interesting to me. If you don’t focus on them, it’s a fun record to bop your head to and understandably made the record.
“Snow” reels us back with the production before preparing us for the closing track “Bass Persuades Remixx,” where she reiterates the themes of the record by repeating the same lyrics as the opening track, only now with a dancier beat and heavier bass.
It feels like Miley has found her sound again and shown us why she’s dropped her last name. She’s Miley; She’s one of a kind, and her artistry stands outside of her lineage. However, this album will be polarizing for some. Compositions like the breathy, sultry ending of “Neon Signs” or the production not delving into full-blown pop or grunge like her other records may deter some listeners from Cyrus’ work. However, we’re seeing an elevated face of who she was and her current artistic visions because of these decisions. The album is laced with a desire to surrender into love and into the night. She wants people to dance, to love and to find meaning like she has.
When she released “Bass Persuades,” the title track, it was slightly jarring because it made you question why she wanted to discuss the club scene. However, after listening to the album, the club scene is the perfect backdrop to discuss love and thrills you can only find under a starry sky. She wants connection, and she wants others to find it too and one of the best ways was via clubs. As many say, “Leave it on the dancefloor!” Let the Bass Persuade.
Miley Cyrus has been the “It” pop girl and a rockstar. In Bass Persuades, she’s confident in blending both together and standing by in that decision. With some bumps on the way, she gets her point across to listeners.
80/100
Day and Night – Carly Rae Jepsen
“Day and Night” by Carly Rae Jepsen released on Sept. 18, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Apple Music)
Following the tradition of releasing twin albums since 2015, Jepsen released her ambitious double album, “Day and Night.” The “Call Me Maybe” singer follows the sound she’s worked on since “Dedicated” and gives us a psychedelic pop-dance album that doesn’t disappoint new and old fans.
“Day”
The Day side opens with “After All,” one of the singles Jepsen released. The release gave me hope for this side of the record as it gave us vocals, charm, and an atmosphere that couldn’t be denied. “Habits of a Creature” follows the opening track, emphasizing how Jepsen has grown throughout the years and she’s here to share it all while making her fans want to dance. She sings “it’s a beautiful world for a body of dreamers,” and the groovy track feels like the world she sings: clouds and dreams. “Blue Skies” can’t not be acknowledged. With funky guitar and impressive control of vocals, it’s one of the standout tracks on “Day.” “Burning Heart” brings back an alto-sax midway through the song that feels reminiscent of one of her most famous tracks, “Run Away With Me,” from her 2015 album “Emotion.” It’s a great reminder of how far she’s come and makes things come into perspective as a fan of hers.
“Lonely Side of the Bed” brings a slower groove that’s enjoyable, however with other tracks being innovative and enticing, it isn’t impressive to me and lowers the albums quality. The last song of “Day,” “Just a Little Walk on the Moon,” has more of a jazzy groove with a bossa-nova beat. It’s a sweet note to end on before continuing to the “Night” side of the record.
On this part of the album, there’s so much to love. With 24 total tracks, there’s always a fear that tracks that should’ve been cut stay on the album. However, on “Day,” the craft and care put into this side is telling. The main focus is on the love she’s found herself in and even with reflections of the love she lost on “Something Tragic,” it only led her into a life that she cannot be more happy about. It’s good to hear and good to groove to. It’s worth listening to again and again.
“Day” is sweet like a ripe orange just picked from its tree. It is refreshing with the lyrics, production, and vocals by Jepsen and her producers.
84/100
“Night”
The scene set from the start, the sun has set into a nightclub with blaring neon signs and an air of a good time. “Never Let A Good Thing Die” is perfect. The beat, guitar, spliced vocals and synths work together to deliver one command: dance! By the last quarter of the track, it has slowed down with twinkling sounds that sound like the stars themselves, inviting you. With Jepsen’s voice calling from the heavens, “I want to take our time/I want to feel alive.”
The following tracks cannot be described as anything other than all the best nights of your life. “Amalfi Coast” is one of the best songs released this year. The production, with innovative and light but powerful sounds, takes inspiration from house, dance and R&B, transports you to the Amalfi Coast. Jepsen’s sultry and smooth vocals add to the atmosphere and raise the bar of what a song could be. In a discography as varied and wonderful as Jepsen’s, it’s impressive that she’s creating music that’s fresh and new.
In context, “Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor” and “Motivation,” the singles off the album, work well to maintain it’s atmosphere by keeping the dance-feel in its beats and productions. The lyrics about family in “Motivation” were off-putting on a dance track when I first played it, but after a few listens, it doesn’t seem out of place within the whole picture of the record. “You Don’t Know How It Feels” and “Near or Far” have an emphasized house-esque beat, reminding me a bit of Rochelle Jordan’s album “Through The Wall.” The inclusion of the genre feels amazing, especially with such an emphasis at night. House music is such an important genre for the club scene, and it’s so nice to hear a house track on “Night.”
“Diver” and “Hold Me to the Light” bring back the flavor. The latter has a part of the song with a vocal effect similar to the one seen in “Yeah I Know” by The 1975. It’s a really solid song to come back to. “No Labels I Love You” is a tame and structured track but it’s still so good, and the synths arriving to emphasize the beat reminds me a bit of “Julien” from her “Dedicated” album from 2019.
The album ends with, “Sugar Sage.” While slower in its delivery, sonically and vocally, it’s one of the best tracks off “Night.” Its lyrics make callbacks throughout “Day and Night” and emphasize one final time that this entire project is about love, of all kinds.
This side of the record is very dance-focused, has elevated production and superior vocals than “Day.” It shows Jepsen in her element.
“Night” is ambitious while still staying in Jepsen’s wheelhouse. The songs are crafted to make you want to dance the night away and wish it could never end.
94/100
Jepsen, 40, isn’t the same person she was when she released “Call Me Maybe.” She’s gotten married and during the making of this album, she became a mother. Her recent years have been filled with growth and much to say about love, life and family. It makes sense why 24 tracks were necessary to share everything she’s experienced in the past few years, with reflections of how she has gotten to this point. In this project, you’d believe there would be more duds; however, each track brings something different to the table for anyone listening. The whole record is such a wonderful experience and definitely worth listening to.
“Day and Night” has some of Jepsen’s best work. She has raised the bar to a different level in an adventurous double album that could’ve gone poorly. These albums are some of the best out of this New Music Friday.
89/100
Pylon – beabadoobee
“Pylon” by beabadoobee released on Sept. 18, 2026.
(Photo courtesy of Apple Music)
Friday was not my first time listening to this record. I went to one of the early listening parties at my local record store for this album and connecting with other fans is always a joy. As the title track says, it feels like we’re all connected “like a pylon on an open road.”
The title track and must show why the album bears its name and communicate what the album is going to tackle. After listening, it becomes clear why “Pylon” opens it. The instrumentals make it clear this album will focus on this grunge, alt-rock sound we’ve seen her do a few times before but to an entirely different level, with the themes of connection this album is heavily focused on.
Beatrice Laus’, known as beabadoobee, shows her prowess in the music scene as something to not mess around with. Her vocals, lyricism, and production throughout the album were aided by Hayley Williams, Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975 and many more.
“Estranged,” while following a regular structure you find in most songs, is one of the tracks that’s remained inside my head. The production laced throughout compliments Laus’ vocals and has elements of midwestern emo, seen in the likes of American Football’s “LP1.” It’s one of the standouts outside of the singles. “Write Me A Letter” is another track that stood out to me, with a drum breakdown at the end that feels as if Pierce The Veil’s spirit took over the track to deliver a sweet ending. She sings “You’re/Older, I’m bipolar/…/You make me better/Harder to say/But I’ll write you a letter.” Laus has shown her penmanship throughout the years, and with this album, she’s reaching new heights. The growth from “Coffee” to where she is now in her career is awe inspiring.
“Satellite” closes out the album, bringing back the acoustic guitar that we’ve heard behind most of the songs prior, in addition to the electric guitar, just like the opening title track. It’s a great way to end the record, by referencing two objects (pylons and satellites) that create connections between one another. One is down here on earth in places we can touch, and the other no one can reach at all. It’s all powerful and with the full record, the images of pylons are necessary for this project.
The only major flaw I find in this record is Williams’ feature on “Nothing to Prove.” It doesn’t feel like much of a feature and more that’s she’s background vocals, which would be fine, but it’s similar as to when Taylor Swift released “Midnights” back in 2024 with a Lana Del Rey feature that was basically non-existent, as she did background vocals for most of the track as well. The Brendan Yates feature, who also makes an appearance in American Football’s LP4, feels slightly more in line with what was expected with a beabadoobee and Williams song but it’s understandable if Williams wished to be there simply to enhance the song instead of making a full-blown duet.
Besides that, all-together, this is an amazing album with a lot of thought put into it that can only be admired and appreciated.
From a song about making a cup of coffee to her fourth LP, beabadoobee shows her artistry in a well-crafted and well thought-out album about connection, near and far. With the help of many talented collaborators, “Pylon” will be enjoyed by many.
83/100
Angel – Lizzy McAlpine
“Angel” by Lizzie McAlpine released on Sept. 18, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Apple Music)
Following a stellar album like “Older” and its deluxe “Older (and Wiser)” cannot be easy. Which is why it’s disappointing but not surprising that “Angel” did not deliver like I expected it to. The lyricism in McAlpine’s work has always stood out, and with a crafted production, it allows for it to shine as it should. In “Angel,” with its 14 tracks, both its lyrics and production are not up to par.
The album opens with the lead single “The Light in the Painting,” which features a slow start to the album with a drone-like instrumental before building up to a soundscape that reflects the lyrics in the song, “If somewhere there is a heaven/This is as close as I will get.” It gave an idea of what the project would entail and gave lots of hope that it would be equal to or surpass my expectations of what McAlpine would do.
However, continuing into the album with songs like “Anybody’s Fool” and “Peach,” the lyricism feels like someone’s close friend’s instagram poetry. At the end of “Peach” she sings, “now I’m cutting a peach in my kitchen/While you’re playing a show.” While her vocals are soaring like the lyrics are having an impact while I’m listening confused about what the peach is supposed to represent or why we’re using a peach to get the point across you’re alone in your kitchen, missing someone who doesn’t care about you.
The production is still light and airy but it treads the line of being overproduced or boring. For example, in “Anybody’s Fool,” the piano goes nowhere except to emphasize the end of the chorus, just to repeating the same few notes again. “I Have a Friend” is so close to being one of the standout tracks off the album but the dissonance in its chord progression takes me out of the song, and I can’t appreciate the lyrics, which are the strongest part of the song. It would be easy to say that this album should’ve been a poetry book that could be read instead of songs that are sometimes grueling to get through.
There’s still some great moments on the record. “Two Elevens,” “Over Country,” “Mason’s Song” and “Angel” were stand-outs on the record, and the right amount of production and McAlpine’s lyricism at her best; However, can a few songs really save a record? To McAlpine’s credit, it is difficult to surpass an album that can be seen as a magnum opus in your discography. It’s hard to imagine any album that could.
“Angel” is ambitious in what it is trying to do, trying to elevate the sounds she created and getting her out of the box that she found herself in with “Older (and Wiser),” but it didn’t land the way it could have. The album needed more time to be polished, as it feels unfinished and would have benefited in a different musical/artistic direction.
Lizzy McAlpine wanted to prove she could top her past work, “Older (and Wiser),” however, she flew too close to the sun and had a fall from grace with “Angel.” More time should’ve been spent on the album, as some artistic vision is there, but not enough to say it’s worth most people’s time.
61/100
Contact CU Independent staff writer Christian Garcia-Fuentes at chga1866@colorado.edu
