According to European courtly etiquette, it is always a great idea to start a conversation with an observation about the weather. These ladies and gentlemen were apparently not introduced to the intricacies of life in Abu Dhabi — especially at NYU Abu Dhabi. Here, where people are coming from all around the globe and all types of climates, even the weather is a highly politicized topic. While one person may be missing the snow-covered hills of their homeland, others packed their bags extra early, dreaming of the Abu Dhabi heat.

I find that music remains the one topic people can always discuss peacefully and joyfully. Bring up a new album and, however controversial it is, you will find common ground. Music as a universal language is hardly a recent notion, but I appreciate it more and more as a new semester begins and small talk becomes almost as necessary as breathing. If you are looking for fresh music picks to fuel your conversations, you have come to the right place.

The year started with quite a few album releases, some worth mentioning more than others. Starting off with the latest hot plate by Italian pop-rock band Måneskin — RUSH! (released Jan. 20) — the Eurovision star quartet concocted 17 electrifying songs about love (of course), touring, and fame. With their newfound global popularity, the band’s songs are predominantly in English, which is a shame, considering the quality and depth of the Italian lyrics from their first two original albums.

On the other end of the rock spectrum, Mac DeMarco is just having fun. On his latest release Five Easy Hot Dogs (also released on Jan. 20, 2023), he takes a break from his signature funky-happy-retro indie rock and dives in the waves of chill indie rock. An entirely instrumental album, in which each song blends and mixes with the next, Five Easy Hot Dogs feels like DeMarco is inviting us to tour his subconscious. It is mostly music for musicians, but the album’s exceptionally crisp instrumentation and sound mixing are a true delight for amateurs as well.

Gloria by Sam Smith (released Jan. 27, 2023) would have probably passed unnoticed on the critics’ horizon if it wasn’t for the controversy around the single Unholy, and more recently, the drama with Smith’s new music video for the song I’m Not Here to Make Friends, for which the British singer-songwriter faced a lot of backlash. In the controversy that ensued, questions of queer — and fatphobia in the music industry resurfaced and revealed a deeply concerning trend even among other queer artists. The album itself, however, is rather unremarkable but still enjoyable typical Brit pop. The lyrics are some of the most personal ones Smith has ever written, which is the main selling point of the album.

The legendary Smashing Pumpkins made a comeback as well on Jan. 31 with the second part of their (attempt at) rock opera in three acts, Atum. This project definitely requires a leap of faith from the Smashing Pumpkins’s fans because it is a departure from the style that made the band truly great. It is a confusing mix of pop, grunge, metal, and psychedelic, demanding 110 percent of your attention. Nevertheless, I find the experiment exciting and worth my time, even if the majority of the critics have already discredited it as one of the band’s worst projects.

Rumors by Fleetwood Mac (released Feb. 4, 1977)

As one of the most iconic rock albums of all time, Rumors is so much more than just a musical masterpiece. It is an album that contains much of the band Fleetwood Mac’s story on and off stage. At the time of the album’s writing and release, the two couples who comprised Fleetwood Mac — Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (new additions to the band for the album) and Christine McVie and John McVie (some of the founding members of Fleetwood Mac) — started experiencing tensions in their relationship. With the success of their latest projects came the divorce of the McVies and the separation of Nicks and Bukingham. In the end, the album Rumors turned out to be a compilation of breakup songs the members had written for each other. That is also why the album is such a rollercoaster of emotions and musical styles. Some of the greatest songs by Fleetwood Mac — like “Dreams” and “Landslide” — almost didn’t make the cut because they were directly trash talking somebody in the band! It is also the reason why the deluxe version of the album is so different from the original and includes so many other songs, like the absolutely legendary “Silver Springs” with the line “You will never get away from the sound/ Of a woman who loved you…”

This Is Why by Paramore (to be released on Feb. 10, 2023)

Paramore is back! The pivotal emo rock band is making a comeback that looks very promising, considering the success of the promotional single they put out last year — “This Is Why.” While it looks like they will be keeping the more pop-rock sound of their previous album, they might have also prepared a surprise for us with a hint of the style from their very first projects (including “Decode” from the Twilight franchise). Definitely stay tuned and watch out for Paramore’s return to radio stations.