What’s Hot in Music August: New Albums, Local Concerts
Much anticipated release from “pop princess” Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone’s country debut, the Marías play MGM Musical Hall
Sabrina Carpenter, Andy Kropa/AP (left); Tinashe, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP (center bottom); Post Malone, Sipa USA/AP Photos (right).
What’s Hot in Music This Month: New Albums, Local Concerts
Much anticipated release from “pop princess” Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone’s country debut, the Marías play MGM Musical Hall
Welcome back, Terriers, to our monthly column, What’s Hot in Music This Month.
Although it may already feel like summer is drawing to a close, August is an exciting month for Boston music junkies. To start, legendary Allston rock club Great Scott, shuttered in 2020, is returning to a new venue in 2026. (The original club helped establish Allston as “rock city.”) In other news, Post Malone is putting it all on the line with his country debut, and MGM Music Hall is hosting an amazing group of headliners, including the Marías.
New releases
Aghori Mhori Mei, The Smashing Pumpkins
With only one original band member remaining among the ranks of legendary ’90s rock band Smashing Pumpkins, the group continues to reinvent itself, refusing to become a throwback. But even the most devoted of fans admit the musicians never managed to recreate the magic of their most successful albums: Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. But with their 13th album, Aghori Mhori Mei, the two-time Grammy-winning band is giving it another try. Keeping fans on their toes, the band has said they won’t release any singles off the album before it drops August 2.
This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Beabadoobee
“I want it to be that album you dance to in your bedroom late at night,” singer-songwriter Beabadoobee says of her upcoming studio album This Is How Tomorrow Moves. Known for her soft, lullaby-like vocals and “bedroom pop” feel, this Filipino English artist has seen massive success in the alternative music space since the release of her debut track, “Coffee,” in 2017. At just 24, Beabadoobee has opened for Clairo, the 1975, and Taylor Swift. For her third studio album, the London-based artist continues to explore the influences of jazz and R&B on her sound, as well as incorporating unique electronic flare. If This Is How Tomorrow Moves is anything like the album’s first track, “Take A Bite,” expect to see this accomplished artist take a major step into the world of alt-rock. This Is How Tomorrow Moves is out August 9.
F-1 Trillion, Post Malone
Post Malone first made a name for himself as a hip-hop artist with his star-stacked 2017 debut album Stoney, featuring the likes of Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Quavo. But in 2023, after half a decade of rap success and A-list collaborations, Malone spiced things up with the release of “Pickup Man,” a take on Joe Diffie’s country song of the same name. With that, Malone entered a whole new world, performing at the Country Music Association Awards, decked out in cowboy boots and a matching hat, alongside country star Morgan Wallen. He isn’t the only artist to make a surprising transition into country of late (see Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter and Lana Del Rey’s upcoming album Lasso). But with collaborations with Luke Combs and Blake Shelton—as well as a duet with country icon Dolly Parton—Malone may just be leading the pack. The album drops August 16.
Quantum Baby, Tinashe
It’s safe to say Tinashe has been on a high since the success of her hit single “Nasty,” released in April. Not only has it spurred TikTok trend after TikTok trend, but the song—whose lyrics leave little to the imagination—also soared to No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 global and US charts and the Apple iTunes top R&B/soul songs chart. But the 21-year-old sensation didn’t stop there: she released a follow-up single, “Getting No Sleep,” in June, along with an erotic, Mad Max–themed music video. Then the former child actor announced the release of her seventh album, Quantum Baby—her second project under Ricky Reed’s indie label, Nice Life Recording Company. What can we expect from the new record? “Quantum Baby is about getting to know me on a deeper level. It’s about exploring who I am as a person and who I am as an artist,” Tinashe says. Find out for yourself when Quantum Baby comes out on August 16.
Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter
With three seasons of Disney’s Girl Meets World and five studio albums under her belt, Sabrina Carpenter is no stranger to stardom. But it wasn’t until she opened for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour this past year and released two hit summer singles, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” that the 25-year-old singer solidified her place in the pop world, aided by a high-profile romance with Irish actor Barry Keoghan. Now, with the help of Bleachers frontman and Taylor Swift–favored producer Jack Antonoff, Carpenter’s sixth album sees her home in on a “pop princess” persona, teeming with confidence and energy. The 4’11’’ singer’s new album, fittingly titled Short n’ Sweet, is this summer’s most anticipated album. It’s being branded as hyperfeminine, retro, and “for the girls.” It drops on August 23.
Upcoming concerts
Still Woozy, Loveseat Tour
房颤
The Marías, The Submarine Tour
When Puerto Rican singer María Zardoya booked a gig at the Kibitz Room, an underground music venue in Los Angeles’ Canter’s Deli, a fateful meeting with then-sound guy, now drummer Josh Conway changed her life: she fell in love with Conway and became the lead singer of the indie pop band she and Conway founded, the Marías. With the help of Edward James on keyboard and guitarist Jesse Perlman, the L.A.-based quartet released their first EP, Superclean Vol. I, in 2017. Since then, Zardoya, who takes inspiration from female icons like Sade and Selena, has chiseled out a place for herself in the alternative scene with her incomparable vocals. Often singing in Spanish, Zardoya is relaxing, sensual, and atmospheric. The band’s second studio album, Submarine, is jazzy and psychedelic and stays true to what Zardoya vowed her music would always be during a 2019 Vogue interview: “Our music is emotional, but also dreamy and relaxing. We just want to transport people.”
Passenger, All the Little Lights Anniversary Tour
In 2023, English singer-songwriter Passenger (aka Michael David Rosenberg) released an anniversary edition of their 2012 hit record All the Little Lights, which solidified the musician’s career. One song in particular makes this folk-pop album stand out: “Let Her Go.” Its first chords have become iconic, along with the chorus: “Well, you only need the light when it’s burning low/Only miss the sun when it starts to snow/Only know you love her when you let her go.” The rerecorded version of the song features Ed Sheeran on vocals, breathing new life into the track. When announcing the album, Rosenberg wrote, “Over the years when I would hear a song or two from the album, I would find myself wishing we’d done a number of things a bit differently… well… Now we have.” Don’t miss Passenger’s Boston tour stop, when he hits House of Blues Boston August 25.
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