As Providence slips into autumn, there’s a flurry of new singles to appease everyone. From ballads to fast-paced pop, the last few weeks of releases have seen creatives at their best as they tease new music or bookend their previous work.
Maisie Peters’s “You You You” and “Audrey Hepburn”
On Oct. 9, British singer-songwriter Maisie Peters released “You You You” and “Audrey Hepburn,” two singles off her highly-anticipated third album. The songs mark the first releases from Peters since her critically-acclaimed sophomore album, “The Good Witch.” The 2023 release was the quintessential pop record. Conveying a perfect synthesis of anger, heartbreak and hope, Peters flexed her songwriting abilities alongside innovative production. But based on Peters’s recent social media promotion, her yet-to-be announced third album is set to change directions, both sonically and visually, from her previous work.
“You You You” is a gut-wrenching heartbreak track that weaves Peters’s immersive storytelling with a gentle guitar sound, placing her vocals front and center. The song’s confessional nature reaches its peak in the bridge through lyrics like “You keep your distance, but not your word / You keep your peace and all my secrets / And you just skip the bridge you burnt / You said you loved me, honey, how can that be true.” Peters’s haunting voice creates a captivating world for listeners as she navigates the emotional wasteland.
Alongside “You You You,” Peters released the more hopeful “Audrey Hepburn.” The acoustic folk song sees her liken the security of true love to the peace of nature. Atmospheric and intimate, “Audrey Hepburn” is deeply mature and reflective of the greater tone expected for her third album.
HAIM and Bon Iver’s “Tie you down”
Music listeners searching for more intimacy to keep on rotation should listen to “Tie you down,” HAIM’s new collaboration with Bon Iver. The track, released Oct. 10, is part of an upcoming expansion of HAIM’s latest album “I quit.” Danielle Haim takes lead vocals on the track alongside Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. This collaboration follows their masterful work on “If Only I Could Wait,” which was featured on Bon Iver’s April 2025 album “SABLE, fABLE.”
“Tie you down” harbors the same warmth as their earlier collaboration. In the song, HAIM and Vernon engage in a back-and-forth about wanting a partner to remain present but, at the same time, feeling unsure of whether it’s fair to ask them to stay.
The song is an easy listen with lush — albeit not very innovative — production. Lyrics like “I don’t wanna hold you back / Something feels wrong about that / But I’m feeling all I lack / Oh, I want you so bad” are enhanced by HAIM and Vernon’s poignant call and response.
Samia’s “Cinder Block”
Samia’s single “Cinder Block” is similarly introspective and a brilliant addition to her discography. Her haunting vocals give power to the song’s abstract — yet deeply personal — lyrics. Samia’s singing plays along to an understated production, in which only a singular guitar emerges clearly. Lyrics like “I got Jack Sparrow’s compass / It isn’t a fucking toy / I don’t like what I’m becoming / But that’s beside the point / Baby, that’s beside the point” allow Samia to transform the mundane into the deeply affective. Like Jack Sparrow’s compass — which points in the direction of the thing the pirate wants most — “Cinder Block” follows Samia as she searches through a desolate soundscape.
Tate McRae’s “TIT FOR TAT”
The last month has been generous with addictive listens, but none quite measure up to Tate McRae’s new single “TIT FOR TAT.” Released on Sept. 26, the song debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and even received a shoutout from pop superstar Taylor Swift. Despite Swift’s recent pop missteps, she makes a point: “TIT FOR TAT” is a biting, perfect example of the heights pop music can reach.
The song is an apparent diss track aimed at singer the Kid LAROI, McRae’s former partner who she allegedly split with in July 2025. “TIT FOR TAT” follows just three weeks after the release of LAROI’s own breakup track “A COLD PLAY,” in which he sings “Who was I to think that I could fix you, baby?” In “TIT FOR TAT,” McRae seems to respond in kind: “Let’s go song for song, let’s go back to back / Fix your fucking self, kiss my ass for that / That’s the best you got, where’s the good one at? / Should’ve known you’d be the type to change.”
The song’s playful spoken intro explodes into a catchy chorus that describes McRae’s unwillingness to reconcile with a former partner. Dance-pop production turns her heartbreak into a bold and lively declaration that meshes with her on-stage dancer persona.“TIT FOR TAT” is in line with the typical nature of her discography: No matter how much it hurts, she always manages to come out on top. The charts see it, and so do fans — McRae certainly produced one of the best diss tracks of 2025.
Alessi Rose’s “First Original Thought”
Alessi Rose is a rising pop star to keep an eye on, especially with the upcoming deluxe version of her EP “Voyeur.” Rose first teased this cheeky track — titled “First Original Thought” — on social media before it was released on Sept. 26. With a disco sound and soaring vocals, the song pulls no punches as Rose comes for a former partner who has their “first original thought” when they realize they miss her. The track’s insolent lyrics and infectious sound demonstrate Rose’s mastery of the pop princess persona.
The past few weeks have been an exciting period for the music world, which has seen both explosive highs and shocking lows. But the release of these singles just highlights once more how the music industry will only continue to improve.
Alyssia Ouhocine is a Senior Staff Writer covering Arts & Culture. Hailing from Bayonne, New Jersey, she is concentrating in English and History with a particular interest in Algerian history and literature. When she’s not writing, she can be found listening to music and sending Google Calendar invites.
