The Plaid Press

This summer brought an abundance of new music, along with older songs returning to the spotlight. New releases spanned a variety of genres, from K-pop, with Stray Kids’ newest EP “THIS & THAT” to mainstream pop with Olivia Rodrigo’s “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” and Ariana Grande’s “petal.” Together, these releases all delivered the feeling of summer.
Released August 7, Stray Kids’ “THIS & THAT” marks their first comeback since “DO IT,” which was released in December 2025. This EP shook up the K-pop community, receiving widespread love and officially gaining over 100 million streams on Spotify. It also earned the group their ninth consecutive No. 1 on Billboard 200, according to the Billboard charts.
“There are definitely more fans in the fandom and more attention worldwide,” junior Abigail Kaisri said.
As Stray Kids continues to broadcast their experimental sound, fans have noticed the widespread support the group has once again received. The group’s ability to produce loud and expressive songs like “RUN IT” as well as more emotional and delicate ones like “Back Then” shows just how versatile they can be.
Another widely anticipated album that was released this summer was Ariana Grande’s “petal.” In the album, Grande told a collection of stories about finding resilience, healing, and self-assurance after experiencing emotional disturbance, public judgement, and painful relationships told through what she does best: music.
With songs such as “hate that I made you love me,” and lyrics including “society desperate for remedy, empathy, fix this reality,” fans have continued to praise Grande’s newest album. The emotional album provides another example of Grande’s ability to create heart-felt melodies, emphasizing the way she is able to express aspects of her life in a way that fans can relate to.
Last but certainly not least, Olivia Rodrigo released what may have been the most publicized album of the summer. “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” arrived on June 12. To match the album’s whimsical style, a pop-up opened on release day featuring exclusive merch and vinyl designs of her musical release.
The album featured hit tracks like “honeybee” and “the cure,” and was written as a collection of love notes that focuses on her great capacity for feeling. With approximately 2.41 billion streams according to Spotify, Rodrigo’s song-making abilities might have just earned her release the title of album of the summer.
These three albums were some of the most popular releases for teenage listeners, an age group whose lives are often closely connected to music.