New Music Friday Breakdown: Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Selena Gomez & More! (with Seth Betzler)

In this episode of Live from Mars, Alex (@vinylbymars) is joined by Seth Betzler (@dramakingbooks, @dramakingvinyl) to break down the best releases from this week's New Music Friday! With Valentine's Day as the backdrop, we discuss new music filled with love, humor, and surprises.

This week, we're diving into Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)’, analyzing the standout tracks like ‘15 Minutes’, a clever mix of humor and wordplay, and ‘Please Please Please’ featuring Dolly Parton, a fun, yet divisive remix. We also explore the melodic similarities between ‘Couldn’t Make It Any Harder’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, Sabrina’s Sandy-inspired aesthetic, and why Busy Woman feels like the clear hit.

We also dive into SZA’s ‘LANA’ Deluxe, analyzing her strategy of releasing additional music nearly two years after SOS, and how this creates a "living, breathing" album experience. We contrast this with Sabrina’s six-month deluxe drop and discuss the different purposes deluxe albums serve in today’s streaming era.

Plus, we talk about Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s surprise album announcement, the newly released ‘Scared of Loving You’, and Selena’s unexpected return to music despite previously hinting at stepping away. We also break down new singles from Addison Rae (‘High Fashion’), Bon Iver (‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’), and Olivia Dean’s ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’ for the Bridget Jones soundtrack.

🎧 Listen now and let us know your favorite tracks from this week!

Topics Covered:

• Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet (Deluxe)’ – The best new tracks and why ‘15 Minutes’ and Busy Woman stand out
• SZA’s ‘LANA’ – A breakdown of the four new songs and how this deluxe release strategy differs from Sabrina’s
• Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco’s album announcement – What ‘Scared of Loving You’ tells us about the project
• Addison Rae’s ‘High Fashion’ – Where she fits in today’s pop music landscape
• Bon Iver’s ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’ – A rare happy and optimistic Bon Iver track
• Olivia Dean’s ‘It Isn’t Perfect But It Might Be’ – Why we love her sound but want to see her push into new territory

Where to Listen:

Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms. Don’t forget to rate and review!

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📚 @dramakingbooks / @dramakingvinyl (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube)

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