As summer 2025 approaches in just a few short weeks, many students on NCC’s campus are getting ready to enjoy new music projects set to release in the coming months.
There is a noticeable trend that artists like to release new projects, songs or entire albums, during the summertime. Summer 2025 won’t be an exception as several projects set to drop starting in late April and early May.
Alternative
Alternative R&B singer songwriter D4vd, pronounced David, started gaining a following after his song “Romantic Homicide” gained recognition on TikTok in 2023. As he shared in a lyric interview with Genius, D4vd has a love for animated media which inspired him in creating songs for a couple of animated shows in 2024. His song “Remember Me” was featured in the season 2 soundtrack for Netflix’s Arcane, inspired by the game League of Legends. The seemingly more popular project, though, is “Feel It” which was featured in season 2 of Prime Video’s Invincible. D4vd will release his first studio album, “WITHERED,” on April 25. He has teased the release by already having dropped 4 of the fourteen tracks prior to the release day.
Erica Johnson, ‘25, first heard of D4vd after dancing to one of his songs. She has since become a fan of his.
“I absolutely will listen to D4vd’s new album! Ever since I danced to his song “Feel It,” I’ve been exploring more of his music and am so excited for his upcoming album release!” said Johnson.
Pop
On April 10, Lorde posted a singular video on her otherwise empty TikTok account. The video contained a sample of a never before heard song, seemingly hinting at the release of new music. One week later, Lorde took to TikTok to announce that she will release her new single, “What Was That,” “soon.”
Nelly Carbonell Nieves, ‘25, a longtime fan of Lorde’s, was excited to hear she was returning to music. Lorde released her last album in 2021.
“As soon as I heard the snippet of ‘What was That’ I was extremely excited. I cannot wait for her new music, and I really hope she releases a full album. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did, considering her constant presence on conversations in social media. Also, with Charli xcx’s collab for ‘Girl, so confusing’ I know a lot of people have been begging for new music,” said Carbonell Nieves.
“What Was That“ hit streaming platforms on April 24 and has already surpassed 20,000,000 streams on Spotify.
Another artist returning from a release hiatus is Kesha, who is set to release her album “.” (period), on July 4. Her singles “JOYRIDE” and “DELUSIONAL” which dropped last year are set to be on the new album. This will be Kesha’s first album since 2023.
Johnson quickly noticed Kesha’s promotion of her newest project.
“I listen to Kesha’s music pretty often, especially in the gym. I am super excited for her new album, as she is a pretty versatile artist and ventures into many different genres of pop. Everything she releases is a little bit different and I am excited to see her creative direction in her new album!” said Johnson.
Country
Fans of Morgan Wallen are anticipating the release of his new album, “I’m The Problem”, on May 16 which is set to contain a whopping thirty-seven tracks. In anticipation of the release Wallen has since released singles like “Love Somebody” and “Just In Case”.
Jackson Bland, ‘27, is one of many fans excited for the album’s release. He noted that Wallen constantly keeps his fans waiting for new projects.
“He’s been my favorite artist of the decade and I know that I have to wait two years for each album, so the anticipation has been killing me,” said Bland.
Summer festivals
New music projects also work as an excitement builder for summer festivals. Many are also getting ready for the various summer festivals in the midwest this summer. Setlists for Country Thunder in Twin Lakes, Wi. and Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park have gained plenty of attention. Jelly Roll seems to be the big headliner for Country Thunder with 17.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Sueños, however, has big headliners with artists like Shakira and Peso Pluma performing on Saturday while Don Omar, Wisin, and Grupo Frontera are scheduled for Sunday.
With two-day and four-day tickets selling out within twenty-four hours of going on sale, it’s safe to say that many are excited for Lollapalooza’s setlist. Single-day tickets are now on a waitlist system. Though, T-Mobile has made some tickets available for its customers.
Corbin Hodge, ‘25, made sure to not miss his opportunity to get 4-day tickets to Lollapalooza this year.
“I had a blast last year and once the lineup for this year came out, I knew I had to attend! I am looking forward to seeing Tyler, The Creator, Gracie Abrams, ROLE MODEL, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Bleachers, and many other artists!” said Hodge.
As someone who attends concerts, festival going is a newfound hobby of his.
“I have found a new love for music festivals and I am excited to attend Lollapalooza this summer!” said Hodge.
All in all, summer 2025 is sure to be a good summer as far as music projects go. With all of these projects and events to look forward to, it’s as good a time as any to discover your next favorite song or artist.
