As the hype around the Grammy’s dies out and excitement around new releases stirs, the spring semester and new year offer a great opportunity to incorporate a new sound into your day. Let the Bolt guide your new music journey, follow along as new articles begin weekly, and be sure to check out what the Bolt has already spotlighted here. 

To preview some of what is ahead, an ensemble review of Grammy winner and recent Super Bowl Half-Time performer Kendrick Lamar will drop later this week. To follow that, a taste of Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh studio, but first Grammy nominated and winning album, Short n’ Sweet.  

The Lumineers and Lady Gaga are set to release new music this year, with Automatic released on Valentine’s Day and Gaga’s MAYHEM a few weeks later on March 7. So far, I’m curious to see if The Lumineers will continue a somber folk tune like III or return to their classic stomp-and-holler sound. From the singles released so far, Lady Gaga appears to be returning to the pop scene after an intermission for jazz and movie-musical production. 

In between the new releases, 2025 makes for a spectacular year of anniversary albums. Some of those celebrating 25 years are Britney Spears’s Oops!…I Did it Again, Outkast’s Stankonia, and Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory. Additionally, some albums turning 50 this year—and a big anniversary for self-titled albums—include the titular Fleetwood Mac, KC and the Sunshine Band, and ABBA, along with Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and David Bowie’s Young Americans. 

 We at the Bolt hope to expand your sonic tastes, so tune in, hum along, and find yourself amongst fellow music lovers.