So, I hadn't known Drake released music earlier this week, but he did release two songs--"Fake Love" and "Sneakin'." Drake can sometimes be a fairly thoughtful artists, and "Fake Love" does provide us with an interesting story and situation to think about. The song is low key rap and somewhat R&B hip-hop that recalls his style in songs like "One Dance" or "Hotline Bling." "Fake Love" is about people pretending to be his friend because they want to use him and to be better than him, and there's a lot that goes into making that meaning happen.

The Weeknd released a music video for "Starboy" on September 28th, and it's had everyone confused. The loudest theorists claim it's proof that Abel Tesafaye has achieved the rank of "starboy" in the Illuminati or some satanist cult, but the actual meaning of the video's a little easier to grasp and prove.

First off, if this isn't jungle-beat EDM, I don't know what it is. I certainly don't want to point fingers, but Maroon 5 is drinking the kool-aid at some level or another, right down to the funny, scrunchy voice modulation in the first few seconds. I know that sounds critical, but it's a good sound, and they do it well, so I like the music. But what of the lyrics? Let's take a closer look...

In a video on Rolling Stone's website about her upcoming album Joanne, Lady Gaga explained that her album is about growing personal connections with fans: "I wanted to write songs that would speak to a woman or a man who thought that they could never connect with me." To that end, "Million Reasons" is a strong success. While the lyrics don't seem deep at first, I think the topic they're about is deep, and I think the simplicity of the song allows the depth of that topic and feeling to speak for itself in a deep way.

You may be wondering if there's a deeper meaning to this song, and I hate to disappoint you by telling you that there really isn't. It's a fun song, and Bruno Mars is everything you love about him in this song, and one of those things is a good time. Unfortunately for those who like more "meat" to their lyrics, "good times" don't usually mean "good lines" as far as depth goes.

You wanted deeper meanings in your pop music? Well, you've got it. Also, why haven't you been listening to Sia (and Kendrick Lamar for that matter) before this? Both of these artists are warriors of thought and influence. Neither are as popular in the mainstream as A-level pop divas like Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber, but what they lack in popular appeal you forget when you dive deeper into what they have to say beneath the bars, rhymes, and synthy dance beats.

Lady Gaga released "Perfect Illusion" on September 8th. The song features a backdrop of grungy electric guitar and pop angst, but all soon recedes to leave nothing but a strong emphasis on Lady Gaga's own voice and simple backup vocals for parts of the song as she tries hard to tell us something. In "Perfect Illusion" Lady Gaga is trying to put a strong emphasis on the important of the lyrics. In fact, according to a BBC interview, Lady Gaga's voice isn't auto-tuned to further emphasize her (and the other writers') attempts at sincerity. The song feels like a throwback to the 90's but the words, according to an interview we'll get into soon, are relevant to 2016.

The Chainsmokers dropped "Closer" four weeks ago, and it's blown up. The song has over 150 million listens on Spotify and nearly the same amount of views on YouTube. It's currently the top song on the Billboard Hot 100, and it looks like it's going to be there for a while.

And there's good reason for that. The song's super catchy, and the lyrics are just vague enough that they can get stuck inside a person's head and make him or her wonder exactly what's happening between the lines.

People are excited about the Irish singer James Vincent McMorrow's new album We Move, and after hearing his latest single from that album, "Get Low," I am too. "Get Low" is slow and soulful. It's very methodical and careful; each note feels carefully planned, and the entire song has an entrancing feeling that makes you want to sway in time with the slow, pulsing beats. It reminds me of Hozier and his song "Take Me to Church" but less angry and sarcastic--more sad and thoughtful.

Shawn Mendes is releasing his new album Illuminate on September 23rd, but in the meantime we get to listen to all of the great singles he's been releasing. We've already heard "Ruin" and "Treat You Better," and now it's time for another one: "Three Empty Words."

"Fake It" came out on July 29th, and it's another single for their album Wild World. I'm a fan of the song and of lead singer Dan Smith's awesome voice. And I'm also a fan of the depth of meaning behind the song.

I always thought that Bastille was overly dramatic and sentimental (think "What Would You Do"), but I feel like with "Good Grief" and "Fake It" they've hit a compromise and seemed to have mellowed out a little while still discussing difficult, emotional issues. They feel more confident--like they don't have to use sob stories to sell songs--and I like it.

Well, I just listened to "Zillionaire," and while I wouldn't call myself a "Flo Rida Fan," I do like several of his hits, particularly "I Don't Like It, I Love It" and "My House." He's just really good at that big, bouncing, cool, self-assured club dance sound, and I can really get moving to music like that, particularly because I like dancing west coast swing to it.

I really like the sound of "Cold Water." The song is fun and poppy with all the electronic instrumentation I like in pop music (plus some acoustic guitar at the beginning). Justin Bieber does a great job of singing, and the song's well produced. What's more, the lyrics are uplifting and encouraging--a pretty cool thing to hear from a song that's (undoubtedly) going to premiere on the Hot 100. The song's got enough star power and just the right mixture of positive lyrics and fun music that there's no way this song isn't going to be popular.

I've never been Katy Perry's biggest fan. Something about the candy costume in "California Girls" threw me off. And "Roar" is too much pump-up without enough purpose. But it doesn't matter what I think, right? The point here is to explain this song objectively and line-by-line.

I'll be honest that I'm not the biggest Shawn Mendes fan. "Stitches" was a little bit weird: If she was the one hurting him, how does being away from her mean he'll need more stitches? And I haven't listened to much else by him though I do know that he's supposed to be the new "rival" to Justin Bieber--both from Canada and both heartthrob, teenage types. But I want to be open-minded and know that I haven't listened to enough of him to be able to accurately judge. I decided to give "Ruin" a chance, and I'm going to explain it.

After Demi Lovato put out "Cool for the Summer" last year, we knew that she was up to something. She's twenty-three now, and she began as a child star on the Barney & Friends television show and quickly moved onto the Disney channel. But if you've read my explanation of "Cool for the Summer," you know she's not one to be kid-friendly or to uphold "traditional" values.

Rihanna released "Sledgehammer" for the soundtrack of Star Trek Beyond in 2016. Musically, the song is intense but understated. The lyrics though are interesting with enough of a well-defined premise to work for a pop song. There does not seem to be anything exceptionally interesting about "Sledgehammer" on its own, but Rihanna is a strong singer, and she makes the song an enjoyable listen.