March was a fruitful month for pop music fans, who heard new songs from the likes of Chappell Roan, Ariana Grande and Gracie Abrams. These releases signal both new beginning and closing chapters for the various pop icons’ highly successful eras.
‘The Giver’ by Chappell Roan
The Midwest Princess’s new single was officially released on March 13, but was already heard by a wide audience in early November, when Roan previewed the song in a live performance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. The performance garnered much attention for its fusion of country elements and queer romance. Fans awaited — albeit impatiently — for an official release of the song as Roan teased snippets of it along with a dance on her social media.
Upon its release, listeners were met with a studio version that retained the same lively elements that made Roan’s performance on SNL so memorable. With a high-energy fiddle and an exuberant bridge, Roan leans heavily into the country elements that were influential in her upbringing in Missouri.
“I’m not trying to convince a country crowd that they should listen to my music by baiting them with a country song,” Roan shared in an interview with the “Country Heat Weekly” podcast. “That’s not what I feel like I’m doing. I just think a lesbian country song is really funny. So, I wrote that.”
The track derives its power from clever lyrics like “Ain’t no country boy quitter, I get the job done,” which infuse the country sound with Roan’s proud lesbian identity. While many fans expressed disappointment over the missing ad-lib bridge from the song’s SNL debut, they can expect fun surprise bridges from Roan in future performances. With a bona fide entry into the country music space — the track topped the Billboard “Hot Country Songs” chart — the jaunty sound and cheeky lyrics of “The Giver” signal an exciting new era for Roan and her fans.
‘eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead’ by Ariana Grande
March was a decisive month for artists establishing bookends to their discography: On March 28, Grande released “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead,” an extended version of her 2024 album that debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart last March. Alongside the deluxe version, Grande also released the short film “brighter days ahead,” directed by herself and collaborator Christian Breslauer. Despite being the end of the “eternal sunshine” era, the additional songs reveal another layer of emotional depth to the already-rich original album.
“twilight zone” dives headfirst into the hazy, dream-like atmosphere of the original album with a twinkling opening and muted dance-pop sound. The song furthers the complications explored in “i wish i hated you” from the original album. Lyrics like “Why do I still protect you? / Pretend these songs aren’t about you” in “twilight zone” point to the dissonance Grande finds herself caught in — one of mourning and forgetting. This gray space continues within “warm,” which finds Grande torn between her independence and the uncertainty of love. The song’s seamless production and upbeat sound conceals the loneliness of its lyrics. This captures the new direction of Grande’s music: Her emotional turmoil is intimately featured on songs that, on the surface, appear as shallow dance tracks.
“dandelion” reflects Grande’s vocal prowess. The song’s soundscape is detached, allowing her voice to control the forefront of the track. The sensuous lyrics lend themselves to Grande’s masterful vocal range, with an impressive enunciation that has not historically been present in her discography. “past life” is unabashed and empowering, a breath of fresh air among Grande’s repetitive ruminations. The lyric “Always wondered what would happen if I let you lose me / Always wondered what would happen if I let myself need more” captures a central element of “eternal sunshine,” with Grande narrating the transformation she experienced after finally putting herself first.
The new collection of songs on “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead” ends with “Hampstead,” a wintry piano ballad in which Grande curiously addresses the end of a relationship. A line like “Threw away my reputation, but saved us more heartache” reveals an interesting dynamic that arises in “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead”: Her acknowledgement of a failed relationship cannot be extricated from her observations on the role of critics in her life. “Hampstead,” like the changes made to the extended version of “intro (end of the world) [extended],” strikes at the heart of “eternal sunshine” through its exploration of the changes Grande needed to undergo to remain true to herself.
Do the additional tracks on “eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead” truly point to brighter days ahead for the artist? In truth, Grande’s future outlook clings tightly to the painful experiences that have shaped the new person she has become. While it is not a cheerful conclusion to the era, it is certainly a mature one, made more personal through her trademark vocals and deployment of various sonic inspirations.
‘Death Wish (Live from The O2 Arena)’ by Gracie Abrams
The March pop releases concluded on March 31 with Abrams’s “Death Wish (Live from The O2 Arena),” an official live recording of the song from when it was performed — for the first and only time — on March 6 as part of her “The Secret of Us” tour.
There is something collective about “Death Wish.” Many listeners can relate to its haunting lyrics, which feel especially intimate when sung alongside the lonesome piano. The chorus is familiar: Lines like “And you ask me to dance if there’s someone around / You don’t look the same when I look at you now” showcase Abrams’s masterful songwriting skills. Her verbosity is not insular, but instead speaks to the widely shared feelings of isolation and manipulation in love.
It’s an interesting choice for Abrams to release a live version of the song, rather than a studio recording. This decision, however, is in line with Abrams’s past successes: After releasing “I Love You, I’m Sorry” in 2024, the live version of the song made its way onto the release of “The Secret of Us (Deluxe)” later that year after her creative liberties took the internet by storm. After opening for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” Abrams has proven herself to be a dynamic performer: Her live recordings capture an unpolished side to her vocal abilities, which only heighten the intimate nature of her songwriting.
Pop music certainly had a winning month in March — a continuation of a trend that shows no signs of stopping. Roan, Grande and Abrams have proven themselves deserving of the fame they’ve acquired, regardless of the respective controversies they’ve faced over the years. Their new releases usher in what is shaping up to be a very rich season for pop music fans.
