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Halsey released the single “Lucky” in July, and at the time, the title of the album the song would appear on was not known. Now, it is: Today (August 27), Halsey announced The Great Impersonator.

There’s no release date, cover art, or tracklist yet, but the project is described as “a confessional concept album.” Halsey shared a teaser video today, and in it, she says in a voiceover:

“I really thought this album would be the last one I ever made. When you get sick like that, you start thinking about ways it could have all been different. What if this isn’t how it all went down? 18-year-old Ashley becomes Halsey in 2014. What if I debuted in the early 2000s? The ’90s? The ’80s? The ’70s? Am I still Halsey every time, in every timeline? Do I still get sick? Do I become a mom? Am I happy? Lonely? Have I done enough? Have I told the truth? I spent half my life being someone else. I never stopped to ask myself: If it all ended right now, is this the person you’d be proud to leave behind? Is it even you?”

It appears the album will continue Halsey’s trend of being vulnerable. She recently discussed a time she had a miscarriage on stage, saying, “I started miscarrying before the show. I knew and I was in a really tough position, because it was really early on in my career, and there was a lot attached to the show. […] What ended up happening was I ended up just putting on an adult diaper. […] I went and I did the show, I left stage, I threw up in the parking lot, I went to a hotel, and I was sick all night. I remember sitting in the bathtub, because I just didn’t know what to do with all the blood — forgive me for being so graphic — and then waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning to get on another airplane to go to Canada.”

After exploding into stardom with his viral hit “Million Dollar Baby,” emerging singer Tommy Richman has announced his debut album, Coyote, which is due for release on September 27 via Brent Faiyaz’s ISO Supremacy and Pulse Records. The DMV native got his first exposure to the limelight on Faiyaz’s Larger Than Life standout “Upset,” and has since become a star in his own right, with “Million Dollar Baby” even making its way into former President Barack Obama’s celebrated summer playlist alongside other breakouts from the likes of Charli XCX, Shaboozey, and Tems.

Rather than resting on his laurels, Richman followed up the success of “Million Dollar Baby” with “Devil Is A Lie,” a second single that will presumably appear on Coyote. While it didn’t reach the same heights as Richman’s breakout (which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100), it turned out to be a success in its own right, peaking at No. 32 on the Hot 100. Prior to the release of Coyote, Richman plans to give fans a sneak peek at his future musical direction with the Before The Desert mini-tour, which will hit four cities — Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and his native Washington, DC — in early September.

Coyote is due 9/27 via ISO/Pulse. You can find more information here.

After working with some of the biggest names in the music industry and thriving in the underground R&B scene, Victoria Monét had her mainstream breakthrough with her 2023 album, Jaguar II. The “On My Mama” singer won a bunch of Grammys (including Best New Artist), stole the show with a Michael Jackson homage at the 2024 BET Awards, and covered Usher at Coachella. Today, Monét released a new song with the R&B legend, “SOS (Sex On Sight),” which is just as seductive as you’d hope with that title.

You can listen above.

“’SOS (Sex On Sight)’ is about desire,” Monet said in a statement. “It’s about the urgency you feel when you need some love, physical touch and quality attention! Sometimes that desire can feel as urgent as being rescued from a natural disaster, or in this case rescued from your own sensual urges. Just like a storm, SOS summons and forewarns a lover of the rainfall that is to come and welcomes the beautiful relief from that desire. It feels romantic, playful, sultry and direct. Based in fantasy and the warmest tones of R&B. It feels timeless and we hope you enjoy the escape!”

“SOS (Sex On Sight)” is the first single from the deluxe edition of Jaguar II, which doesn’t have a release date yet.

Keanu Reeves gave one of the best voice-role performances to ever exist in 2019’s Toy Story 4, and it would be a real shame if he never tapped into those powers again. Luckily, he has, this time as an emotionally unavailable anthropomorphic black hedgehog.

It has been rumored for months that Reeves would join the cast of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 as Shadow, the tortured antihero with a traumatic past. Sound familiar? We finally got a first glimpse at Shadow in the film with the new trailer, which debuted this week and confirmed that it really is Reeves behind the brooding hedgehog.

The threequel also features the return of James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba. Sonic 3 will also bring Jim Carrey back as the formerly evil Dr. Robotnik who must team up with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to confront Shadow. He’s just misunderstood!!

This has been a summer for the residents of the KeanuVerse. Last week, the trailer for Secret Level, another video game adaptation, dropped and it sure looks like Keanu might be involved somehow, or at least his likeness. Earlier this month, Reeves confirmed his Broadway debut for next year, and he just released his debut novel, in addition to going on tour with his band. And somehow he still managed to join a professional hockey team for one day.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 hits theaters on December 20.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we got new music from Illuminati Hotties, Foxing, Nicole Miglis, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk

The grand return of the pop concept (dare I say popcept?) album has arrived in the form of Magdalena Bay’s second album, Imaginal Disk. Vocalist/producer Mica Tenenbaum and multi-instrumentalist/producer Matthew Lewin’s latest has a sci-fi plotline with a frankly absurd narrative that traces the adventures of True, whose forehead is inserted with a disc by aliens. Some concept albums get lost in, well, the concept. But Imaginal Disk, even when stripped of its bonkers plot, remains riveting, catchy, and brilliant.

Trace Mountains – “Friend”

Dave Benton has LVLed UP his sound. Since the former LVL UP vocalist embarked on a solo career as Trace Mountains, the Jersey-bred, NYC-based musician has leaned into the quieter, more introspective corners of his sound. For Into The Burning Blue, however, Benton has turned up the volume once again, albeit in a much different way. The fourth Trace Mountains album infuses Benton’s lo-fi folk with hi-fi ’80s sonics, thanks to his trusty Roland CR-68 and producer Craig Hendrix. Still, even amid the expensive-sounding embellishments, the lived-in, homespun qualities of Trace Mountains endure, most notably on “Friend.” Replete with gentle acoustic guitars and Benton’s soft vocal timbre, the latest single from Trace Mountains is a stunner.

GIFT – Illuminator

GIFT are a gift. The NYC five-piece’s sophomore record, Illuminator, is an immediate highlight of 2024. Like many other buzzy 2020s indie bands, they employ shoegaze signifiers, such as lush guitar effects that recall Slowdive’s 2017 comeback album, but there’s a distinct psych-rock influence here, as well, as if Lonerism dialed up the reverse reverb and digital delay. This is all to say that GIFT’s latest endeavor breaks through the noise.

Origami Angel – “Wretched Trajectory”

Every single the D.C. duo Origami Angel have shared from Feeling Not Found has been a total banger. The latest addition to the banger bin is “Wretched Trajectory,” and its tongue-in-cheek music video even features a brief cameo from my evil twin, Granite Sharples, in the beginning. Call me contrarian, but unlike Granite, I would much rather listen to Origami Angel than Pink Floyd. Ryland Heagy’s melodic shredding and Pat Doherty’s powerful drumming, as displayed on their newest tune, win out for me any day.

Tanukichan – “It Gets Easier”

Hannah van Loon was ahead of the curve. Before shoegaze became a Big Thing again, van Loon has been making excellent shoegaze as Tanukichan since her 2016 EP, Radiolove. After steadily honing her take on the subgenre on records like 2018’s Sundays and last year’s GIZMO, the Oakland musician arrives full-force on her new single, “It Gets Easier.” She doesn’t appeal to the zeitgeist; rather, she reminds us of how she helped set the stage for it. On a duet with the meteorically ascendant Wisp, that notion becomes tangible. As van Loon and Wisp’s voices intertwine over droning, fuzzy guitars, it’s more clear than ever that Tanukichan’s moment has come full circle.

Foxing – “Hell 99”

Talk about a song that makes you want to run into oncoming traffic! The intro for Foxing’s angst-ridden, straight-up screamo “Hell 99” concludes as such: “Carson MTV! Bizkit NYE! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!” For the first time in the St. Louis emo staples’ history, guitarist and producer Eric Hudson takes over lead vocal duties, and he spits each word with such pugnacity and agitation that every second of “Hell 99” feels urgent. It’s a strong contender for the best Foxing song.

Illuminati Hotties – Power

Sarah Tudzin can’t be still, as evidenced by the bevy of records she has engineered for other artists and written under her own moniker, Illuminati Hotties. She keeps up that momentum with Power, the tender-punk progenitor’s third proper studio album. It’s rife with everything there is to love about Illuminati Hotties: gritty yet bright guitars, power-pop (ha, get it?) hooks, and lyrics that juggle tragedy and comedy in equal measure.

Nicole Miglis – Myopia

There hasn’t been a full-length Hundred Waters album since 2017’s Communicating, but that band’s vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Nicole Miglis, has just shared her debut solo LP. Like her work in Hundred Waters, Myopia synthesizes Miglis’ background in classical piano, harp, and flute with her knack for writing a great pop song. From the metronomic sway of “All I See Is You” to the tranquil blankets of tremolo and woodwinds draped over “One And Only,” Myopia is a wide-screen look into its creator’s sundry talents.

julie – “Very Little Effort”

Did you know shoegaze is big right now? It’s so big, in fact, that a brand-new shoegaze band without a full-length debut can land a major label record deal. Such is the case with Los Angeles trio julie, who will soon release their debut LP, my anti-aircraft friend, on Atlantic in just a matter of weeks. “Very Little Effort,” their latest single, rides the line between Goo-era Sonic Youth, the new DIIV album, and Dinosaur Jr. The end result sounds effortless.

Spirit Of The Beehive – You’ll Have To Lose Something

It feels appropriate that the opening track on Spirit Of The Beehive’s new record is called “The Disruption.” The Philly experimental indie rock trio very much disrupted the present-day framework of indie rock; on albums like 2018’s Hypnic Jerks and 2021’s Entertainment, Death, they cranked up the pitch shifters and toyed around with a treasure trove of oscillators without sacrificing the principles of good songwriting. You’ll Have To Lose Something feels like something of a victory lap, where Spirit Of The Beehive cash in on an oft-imitated, never-replicated sound they helped usher into the zeitgeist. It’s a triumph.

Sabrina Carpenter dropped, and she has earned the right to be the headline until further notice. While Carpenter is one of the most ubiquitous stars in America this summer, international artists like Coldplay, Myles Smith, Nick Ward, Will Swinton, and Sofie Reyer served up offerings worth universal recognition.

Check that out and more in Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.

Sabrina Carpenter — “Taste”

Sabrina Carpenter has been building toward this for a decade. Somehow, Short N’ Sweet, her sixth LP out now, simultaneously feels like a beginning and a culmination. Carpenter could have dropped “Taste” as the album’s lead single, and the hype would have just as high, which is saying something considering “Please Please Please” and “Espresso” peaked at Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. “Taste” ups the “Espresso” ante, as Carpenter sings, “I heard you’re back together, and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you / If you want forever, I bet you do / Just know you’ll taste me, too.” The Dave Meyers-directed video co-starring Jenna Ortega is even more explicitly clear.

Coldplay Feat. Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna & TINI — “We Pray”

As evidenced by their two-plus-year Music Of The Spheres World Tour, Coldplay doesn’t know how to do anything subtly. “We Pray” synthesizes the overwhelming problems inherent with being alive in the world today into cohesive verses seamlessly shared by Chris Martin, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini. The swelling instrumentals raise “We Pray” to anthemic status. Five versions of the song are available, including a live version from when Coldplay debut it at Glastonbury, and it will be a track from the iconic band’s Moon Music due out on October 4.

Myles Smith — “Wait For You”

There’s no reason to wait to hop on the Myles Smith bandwagon. “Wait For You” is an impressive follow-up to Smith’s “Stargazing,” the English artist’s breakthrough hit that became his first-ever Billboard Hot 100 charter. “Wait For You” doubles down on the upbeat, folksy sonic palette that carried “Stargazing,” and the lyricism proves Smiths’ depth can’t be reduced to one hit. “[It’s] an introspective and deeply emotional track,” Smith said in a statement. “It delves into the struggle of watching a friend (my previous self) battle their inner demons and their commitment to stand by them through their darkest times.” Smith will kick off his entirely sold-out North American headlining tour next month.

Nick Ward — “Control”

Nick Ward has laid claim to the title of Australia’s latest universal star in the making. The 22-year-old singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer already caught John Mayer’s ears with “All Your Life,” his July single, and “Control” unquestionably builds on that momentum. The track’s hook illustrates the chokehold control — or desperately wanting to feel in control — can have on someone, as Ward repeats “Control” twelve times. That simplicity is contrasted by vulnerable verses like, “I found some purpose, or something that felt like purpose / Then I died. Story of my life / I’m stuck inside this body / And I don’t think it’s mine.” House With The Blue Door, his debut LP due out on October 4, figures to further solidify Ward’s uniquely captivating appeal.

Sofie Royer — “I Forget (I’m So Young)”

The term multi-hyphenate might very well have been invented for Sofie Royer — a classically trained violinist and visual artist with multiple European gallery showings to her name. Royer’s dimensionality is front and center with “I Forget (I’m So Young),” an electro-pop single pulsating with bass and musings about inconvenient amnesia about youth and impermanence. “I Forget (I’m So Young” is the Vienna-based artist’s first solo release of 2024 and foreshadows her follow-up to 2022’s Harlequin.

Jessie Murph — “I Hope It Hurts”

Jessie Murph is ten days away from releasing That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil, her debut studio album. “I Hope It Hurts” showcases Murph’s soulful vocals as she details an all-consuming lust confused for love and, ultimately, ending in despair. “And I hope it burns, and I won’t be there,” Murph belts powerfully in the chorus. “I hope it hurts everywhere / You’re gonna learn I’m happy to lose / But I hope you hurt, ’cause God knows I do.” The track complements with “Dirty” with Teddy Swims released earlier this month.

Will Swinton — “Fall Apart”

Will Swinton is hopelessly devoted to the muse of this song. The New Zealand-born singer and songwriter was previously featured in this roundup for “Letting Me Down,” a simmering takedown about someone “always letting me down.” Swinton refocused on (presumably) someone else who brings opposing emotions out of him. He desperately wishes for her to stay, singing, “And all along / I swear that I was scared to let you go / And I was wrong / I needed you to know / I’d never let you fall apart / Or leave you with an ugly scar.” Swinton and his irresistible vocal tone won’t have to worry about unrequited affection when he supports BabyJake on tour across North America this fall.

Lainey Wilson — “Whirlwind”

Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country won Best Country Album at this year’s Grammys. She’s coming for the award again with Whirlwind, her newly released album. The title track finds Wilson in full control — of vocal delivery and narrative. “We’rе a whirlwind,” she sings. “Cuttin’ through a Texas town / Yeah, this funnel wouldn’t bе near as fun / Without you spinnin’ ’round.”

Jessie Reyez Feat. Lil Wayne — “RIDIN”

Jessie Reyez described “RIDIN” as “a poem.” Reyez fully gives herself over to the performance. The rock-tinged track oozes emotion, as Reyez sings salacious lines like “Tell you to turn the lights on / ‘Cause I like to see what I ride on” or “Hold me / Since love always hurt me baby / Imma need you to choke me.” Lil Wayne’s verse is even more explicit, of course, and his bars are clever and effortless as ever. Reyez claims “I’m like a drug / More than morphine,” and this song certainly possesses an addictive quality.

Myke Towers & Peso Pluma — “SE TE NOTA”

Before Myke Towers released La Pantera Negra, the Puerto Rican sensation spoke to Rolling Stone about it. “I don’t do too many features, but I had a few here,” Towers told the publication. “Jay Wheeler, I have a song with him. I got a song with Peso Pluma.” Can confirm that it was an excellent decision to team up with Pluma for “SE TE NOTA,” an end-to-end romp.

Angel Reese is in the midst of her rookie season in the WNBA, and the former LSU star has been a standout for the Chicago Sky, helping them get in the hunt for a top-8 position and a playoff berth (currently 8th at 11-18).

Reese has been one of the league’s most talked about players, as she’s been a dominant force on the glass in her rookie year, breaking Candace Parker’s record for most consecutive double-doubles earlier this season. Off the court, she’s capitalized on her rising fame with a line of clothes and shoes with Reebok, a special merch collaboration with Reese’s, and now a podcast venture with Playmaker HQ and Shaquille O’Neal’s The Big Podcast Network.

Her new show, Unapologetically Angel, will premiere on September 5 with new episodes each Wednesday, joining the ever-growing list of athlete-hosted podcasts. Angel will be joined by co-host Maya Reese (no relation) as they talk to different guests each week about basketball and life. Both Reese and Shaq offered statements on the new podcast venture in a release.

“Already one of the most recognizable players in the WNBA, Angel is changing the game with her skills and by being true to herself,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “My goal with ‘The Big Podcast Network’ has always been to uplift fresh and diverse voices that transcend sports and nobody encapsulates that better than Angel.”

“I’m excited to launch ‘Unapologetically Angel’ in September and share my perspective on basketball, fashion, entertainment, and everything in between,” said Angel Reese. “This show will be unlike any other and each week our guests, Maya and I will have authentic and unfiltered conversations. Whether I’m sharing insights on basketball, the current trends in fashion, or the latest news in entertainment, I can’t wait for you all to come on this ride with me.”

Only Murders In The Building has become one of the biggest shows on TV. Some can’t help but wonder if it could get even bigger, if star Selena Gomez would consider bringing her friend Taylor Swift into the fold.

In an interview with E! News, Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin were asked about a potential Swift cameo and Gomez said, “You’re hilarious. She’s a little busy, you guys.” Martin had jokes, saying, “Listen, she calls us every day. Here: she’s calling right now. Ah, I’ll take it later.” Short added, “No, I was talking to Taylor around 3:00 a.m.”

Martin then went on to say, “Here’s how I unite Taylor Swift and Selena. Taylor Swift handles everything perfectly and so does Selena. In the situations I’ve seen — politically, trolls, everything — she just seems to have a wisdom about how to do something quietly, effortlessly. And I know that you have to think about these things.”

That seemingly resonated with Gomez as she replied, “I wish I was recording that to send to her.”

In 2022, Gomez said of Swift, “I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor, so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong. I felt the presence of everyone around me living full lives. I had this position, and I was really happy, but… was I? Do these materialistic things make me happy?”

Around the same time, she also noted, “The most influential artist, for me, it is kind of Taylor. Not because she’s my friend, but she has been an artist that can transition into so many different genres and she is able to do it seamlessly and I admire that so much. And that’s so rare. I love her process and I just admire all the work that she’s done. She’s definitely inspired me.”

This morning, what had been rumored for days became official: The reunited Gallagher brothers will reunite as Oasis next summer for a series of concerts in Europe, and there’s at least a hint of dates outside of that continent later on in 2025.

I’ll be honest: I am physically incapable of being cynical about this. Surely, there are more clear-eyed observers who will point out the obvious. This is (probably) happening because Noel Gallagher recently got divorced and he (absolutely) needs a sizeable infusion of that sweet reunion cash. It is (likely) that Liam Gallagher’s voice will sound (very) dodgy after howling over so many stadium crowds. There is (certainly) no “true” Oasis lineup at this point — it’s all about casting the right grizzled rock guys in Rod Stewart haircuts that can stand (sort of) credibly behind Noel and Liam. And there is a (fairly decent) chance that the shows won’t be great.

I get all of that. But I don’t care. I just don’t. I have been too busy contacting everyone I know in London and asking them to save a couch for me. (I guess they call it a “settee” over there.) I am looking into flights. I am concocting the precisely right excuse that will persuade my wife to sign off on me buying tickets to a stadium rock gig on a different continent. (Maybe more than just one?) That’s because — in spite of everything — I am excited. I am as excited as a person who has been speculating on the possibility of a reunion for at least two years can be.

And that has a lot to do with Definitely Maybe, Oasis’ debut album that came out 30 years ago this week. If you’re a music fan, you probably have a handful of “I remember exactly where I was when I heard it” albums. Definitely Maybe is that for me. I can recall being in the 10th grade and buying Definitely Maybe on cassette after reading about Oasis in Rolling Stone. I can envision putting the tape in my mother’s car, hearing “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” and deciding instantly that this was my new favorite band. And that’s what they were until I entered college and Oasis discovered cocaine and nine-minute songs.

What Oasis haters never quite understand is that loving Oasis is a holistic experience. Yes, you love them because you love the songs. But you also love them for the interviews. And the documentaries. And the lore that comes from seemingly countless other sources. You love Oasis in their totality, in a way that’s not common these days, particularly for rock bands. There are countless artists now making great music. But most of them are boring. They can’t crack a good joke at your expense or their own. So your admiration can only be one-dimensional. That has never been the case with Oasis. They are the rare band that can still entertain you even their music isn’t up to snuff. (On the other hand, their catalog is much deeper than their “only the first two albums are great” reputation suggests, which I made the case for in this column.)

I still love Definitely Maybe. (And I love Be Here Now and all the rest.) To celebrate the album’s 30th birthday — and these new reunion dates — here is my ranking of all the songs on Definitely Maybe.

11. “Digsy’s Dinner”

I put Definitely Maybe on this weekend for the first time in a long while and realized that this is one of those albums that disables my critical faculties. I just don’t have much distance or perspective from Definitely Maybe. I am not blind to the flaws but they don’t detract from my adoration. I love Definitely Maybe like a problematic uncle or a geriatric incontinent dog. And I always will.

Having said that, there is a clear separation on Definitely Maybe between the undeniable bangers (slots one through six on this list) and the second-tier material (seven through 11). And I think any Oasis fan — unless you are a contrarian undoubtedly planning to hit my mentions in about 30 seconds — will agree on what those songs are. “Digsy’s Dinner” is one of the latter songs. For years, us Americans knew it as “Digsy’s Diner,” because it was misprinted in the liner notes. That’s how well esteemed this song is. Oasis stopped playing it live after 1995 because they no longer had to perform every track in their discography to fill out a concert set. Nothing against “Digsy’s Dinner” — there are worse things than being the weakest track on an all-time classic. But that’s what “Digsy’s Dinner” is.

10. “Married With Children”

Definitely Maybe is Oasis’ pub-rock record. It’s the band playing in the same room, amps cranked to 11, with none of the orchestral pomp and circumstance that entered the pictured on the second and third records. There are barely even any acoustic guitars on Definitely Maybe, which immediately sets it apart from the next LP, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? The exception is “Married With Children.” It’s the mellowest and most modest-sounding track on the record, which is what I like about it. It also has one of the more memorable lines on the record: “Your music’s shite, it keeps me up all night.” And the TV sitcom allusion in the title is appropriate for the crudely hilarious Al Bundy’s of Britpop.

9. “Bring It On Down”

The most common critical cliché about Oasis is that they are derivative of The Beatles. But if you get past the haircuts and the occasional clunky Fab Four reference in the lyrics, Oasis doesn’t actually sound all that much like The Beatles. They in fact sound way more like the Sex Pistols, particularly on this record. Liam Gallagher aspired to sound like John Lennon, but he actually nailed down Johnny Rotten’s sneer. And then there’s Oasis’ overtly obnoxious working-class persona, which is manifested on the rampaging “Bring It On Down” by the loudmouth houseguest who won’t leave the party.

8. “Up In The Sky”

OK, I admit this sort of sounds like The Beatles.

7. “Shakermaker”

I love every song on Definitely Maybe. But I would have swapped out any of the preceding tracks for the best B-sides of this time. I refer to “Fade Away,” “Listen Up,” and the live cover of “I Am The Walrus.” (And then there’s “Acquiesce,” one of my top three favorite Oasis songs of all time, which was written during the making of Definitely Maybe but didn’t come out until the Morning Glory era as the B-side to “Some Might Say.”) All the other tracks I just mentioned appear on the “Cigarettes And Alcohol” single, which is possibly the single greatest thing ever Oasis created, including Definitely Maybe.

But I digress: “Shakermaker” without question belongs on Definitely Maybe, if only because it epitomizes Noel’s flair for writing singalongs that don’t make a lick of sense. “I’ve been driving in my car with my friend Mister Soft / Mister Clean and Mister Ben are living in my loft / Ah, shake along with me.” Hell yeah, dude.

6. “Columbia”

We are entering the “undeniable bangers” section of this list. Here is where ranking starts to get really brutal. Of the songs that are left, “Columbia” is the only one that didn’t become a band-defining hit. But anyone who loves Oasis has a special place in their for “Columbia.” No. 1, it’s an absolute killer live. (The Knebworth ’96 live album and documentary opens with “Columbia” and they never quite recapture the energy packed into those opening minutes.) No. 2, Liam really sells the chorus. In this era, he knew how to utilize his falsetto — or, rather, he still had a falsetto to utilize. And he utilizes the hell out of it on “Columbia.”

5. “Live Forever”

You know an album is overstuffed with rock anthems when you can semi-credibly put “Live Forever” in the No. 5 slot. On a different day, I might put this at No. 1 — that’s how close the top six songs on this record are. But this is definitely one of the songs that makes me want to fly to London and hear Oasis play for tens of thousands of drunk Britons in a stadium. Hard to imagine any band that could play loud enough to drown out the audience participation on a reunion tour rendition of “Live Forever.”

Also: Shoutout to Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, the one man in the Oasis camp who seems to have stayed friends with everybody no matter how bitchy things got. That’s him playing piano deep in the mix of “Live Forever.” Bonehead surely was the only guy in the room who didn’t insist on his part being turned up. That’s why everyone loves Bonehead.

4. “Supersonic”

The finest moment for Tony McCarroll, Oasis’ first and least effective drummer. (I hope they rehire Ringo’s kid for the reunion.) Producer Owen Morris described McCarroll’s style as “extremely basic” with timing and tempo that was “almost autistically perfect.” I think that about sums up the drum part on “Supersonic,” which is definitely basically and unmistakably perfect.

“Supersonic” also has the definitive Oasis lyric: “I’m feeling supersonic / give me gin and tonic / you can have it all but how much do you want it.” It’s all there — one part nonsense, one part bravado, and one part class-conscious striving. It’s textually incoherent and spiritually inspirational. That’s Oasis.

3. “Slide Away”

Right before the reunion rumors surfaced, a video was posted on Oasis’ YouTube page featuring Noel speaking with the music journalist John Robb about the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe. An immediate takeaway by many viewers concerned Noel’s effusive praise for Liam’s vocals. I’ll paraphrase what Noel said, which was basically this: “Liam’s swagger elevated my songs and took them to a different place.” Now, this is an extremely obvious observation already made by pretty much everyone who has ever liked this band. But it was still surprising coming from Noel, and when the rumors then started circulating, it was hard not to make a connection.

Definitely Maybe is the only Oasis record in which Liam sings lead on every track. On stage, however, Noel often has sung “Slide Away.” And he does a really good job. But it doesn’t come close to approximating what Liam does on the record. “Slide Away” is Liam’s “vulnerable scoundrel” moment, the part where he gets to be Han Solo showing you his tender side. It’s an incredibly effective manuever, and Liam is better at than most.

2. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”

I have written hundreds and possibly thousands of words about this song. I think it’s one of the best side 1’s, track 1’s in rock history. I think it’s one of the best “called shots” ever. I think it’s one of the greatest expressions of working-class “we gotta get out of this place!” capitalist desire ever committed to tape. It’s one of my favorite rock songs of all time. I’m actually surprised by that I’m not putting it at No. 1. But alas …

1. “Cigarettes And Alcohol”

I’m calling an audible on this one. As of right now, this is my favorite song on Definitely Maybe. I love that it blatantly rips off T. Rex and is somehow better than any T. Rex song. I love that it perfectly describes what I wanted to be at 16, what I was at 26, and what I tried to stop being at 36. I love that I once wrote that “Cigarettes And Alcohol” is better than The Who’s “My Generation” and I was right. I love that I got to see Oasis play this song live on the Be Here Now tour and it was a complete and utter glorious mess. And I love that I just might get to hear Oasis play it live again.

2022’s Monster: Dahmer drew not only true crime junkies but enough curious Netflix subscribers to qualify as a true Ryan Murphy anthology series with more to come. That first season still sits at #3 on Netflix’s Top 10 English-speaking TV series of all time, which is higher than every single Bridgerton season out there. Although the season also proved to be controversial, awards clout followed Evan Peters, who received a Golden Globe win, an Emmy nomination, and an Ariana Grande video role as a chaser.

That is to say, as upsetting as Dahmer was to watch, Ryan Murphy knows how to hook the masses with his executive producing wizardry, and a second season, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, will soon (probably) rise on the streaming charts, too. The above teaser trailer replicates an unsettling photo of the brothers (convicted in 1996 for the murdering their parents) shown standing behind the grinning Kitty and Lyle Menendez, and an inner dialogue suggests that things are not right with this family.

So, get ready for Javier Bardem to rival his terrifying onscreen presence as Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men as José Menendez with Chloë Sevigny as Kitty. Erik and Lyle will be portrayed by Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and rounding out the cast will be Ari Graynor as defense attorney Leslie Abramson and Nathan Lane as investigative journalist Dominick Dunne. From the Netflix series description:

While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story streams on September 19.