Weekend’s heartbreaking and inspirational music releases highlight importance of self-love

This weekend’s new music releases feature a show-stopping, honest single from Adele, a heartbreaker from Coldplay and Selena Gomez, an album celebrating self-love by Remi Wolf and another featuring themes of trauma and anxiety from Young Thug.

British singer-songwriter Adele released “Easy On Me” this weekend in preparation for the release of her album “30” on Nov. 19. The single is the first new music from Adele in six years, and the song addresses her inner struggles with serious life changes, including her divorce from ex-husband and co-parent Simon Konecki.

Adele’s powerful voice takes on an emotionally injured tone as she sings about the courage it took to leave her marriage and feeling like she was too young when she got married. She sings “I had no time to choose what I chose to do / So go easy on me,” reflecting on not being able to choose what she wanted out of life as a young woman. 

Featured on Coldplay’s just-released album “Music of Spheres,” Selena Gomez’s collaboration with the band, “Let Somebody Go,” is a heartbreaking ballad, which seems to be a theme of this week’s releases. “Let Somebody Go” acknowledges the pain that comes with leaving someone and coming to terms with separation. The musicians sing about the process of going through heartbreak and how it is hard to accept living without someone you have grown attached to. 

Remi Wolf released her debut album “Juno” on Friday. The pop singer layers emotional lyrics on top of whimsical beats and warped guitar. On the album, Wolf celebrates self-love and airs feelings about her past and the growth she has experienced. Her focus on harmony and strong songwriting produces relatable music that has been a hit on social media platforms like Tik Tok. The charismatic singer has reclaimed her confidence with “Juno” and seems to be creating a new style of artistry that will inspire others in the future.

Taking a different approach than many on the weekend’s new-release playlist, rapper Young Thug released his second studio album “Punk” on Friday. The long-awaited album features artists including Drake, Doja Cat and Future. The genre-bending musician touches on themes of trauma and anxiety on the album, showing fans his more thoughtful side. An array of guitar and piano creates an ambience and guides listeners through the album, with the occasional bass-heavy song breaking up the tracks. 

With a common theme of reflection on challenges past and present, there is an array of inspirational and relatable songs for music fans this weekend. Friday’s new releases feature a variety of genres, so there is something for everyone that will undoubtedly provide some insight to listeners’ own emotions.