Want to hear some music-business inside baseball? The arrival of fall means this is the last part in the year where it gets really busy before things calm down a bit as the holidays approach.

But if the arrival of so-called "spooky season" means busy days and long nights, then bring it on: There are some seriously high-caliber releases in the pipeline.

Wondering what to pre-save as heat and humidity give way to much-anticipated jean-jacket weather? Here are 10 must-stream albums releasing in fall 2021—from country luminary Mickey Guyton, K-pop rookies ENHYPEN, and other greats.

Rezz, Spiral

Release Date: TBD

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/G_7NMz9Ln8E' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Proceed with caution. Listening to Rezz is a trippy experience, and if "Chemical Bond" is a sign of what's to come throughout Spiral, GRAMMY.com encourages you to proceed.

Spiral will serve as Rezz's fourth album, and according to the 26-year-old Canadian DJ/producer, the project displays her sonic evolution while also staying true to her patented hypnotic sound.

Trip responsibly.

Read: Porter Robinson Finds Peace With Passionate New Album, Nurture

Mickey Guyton, Remember Her Name

Release Date: September 24

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QHYQQtVDhWU' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Whether it be due to holiday season dread or something as simple as earlier sunsets, fall can be a difficult season for many, but GRAMMY-nominated country artist Mickey Guyton sets out to make sure everyone who listens to her debut album Remember Her Name feels seen.

"Remember Her Name is a culmination of the last ten years of my life in Nashville," shares Guyton via press release. "This album is the closing of a chapter. All those years ago, I set out to create music that would make people feel self-empowered, loved, and comfortable with being themselves and this album holds true to all of that."

Read: 5 Black Artists Rewriting Country Music: Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen, Brittney Spencer & Willie Jones

NBA Youngboy, Sincerely, Kentrell

Release Date: September 24

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NEu-cJSGvXk' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

"I really feel like it kind of trapped me because it was tough for me to make music in there," NBA Youngboy told GRAMMY.com in 2020 about his house arrest stint. "It really kind of trained me. I had a big writer's block."

Fast forward to 2021, Youngboy has been behind bars since March and released no new projects all year. After gaining a reputation for frequent releases, his passionate fan base is likely starving to hear what he penned on Sincerely, Kentrell.

Read: Even At The Top Of The Rap Game, YoungBoy Never Broke Again Still Isn't Satisfied

Brandi Carlile, In These Silent Days

Release Date: October 1

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tOpWqWK0q4U' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Comparison is the thief of joy, so don't compare yourself to singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile. Instead of binge-watching everything in sight or sleeping the day away, the six-time GRAMMY winner spent her quarantine diving into her past and writing out her thoughts for In These Silent Days.

"This album is what drama mixed with joy sounds like," described Carlile via press release. "It's resistance and gratitude, righteous anger and radical forgiveness."

The upcoming 10-track album features contributions from GRAMMY-winning producers Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, who she also paired with on her last album, 2918's By The Way, I Forgive You.

Read: Kacey Musgraves' Road To Star-Crossed: How The Breakup Album Fits Right Into Her Glowing Catalog

ENHYPEN, DIMENSION : DILEMMA

Release Date: October 12

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7d6Dt17yHk' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

There are passionate fanbases, then there's ENHYPEN's fanbase.

Just one year after the K-pop band was formed through a South Korean survival reality show, the septet already has over 3.1 million Twitter followers, 5.5 million Instagram followers and 8.1 million TikTok followers. Oh, and that's with no album under their belt.

ENHYPEN's 2021 six-track EP BORDER : CARNIVAL featured gripping sonic gems like "Drunk-Dazed" and "FEVER" then paired them with even more compelling visuals. Expect their debut album DIMENSION : DILEMMA to do the same.

Read: 5 Rising Korean Artists To Know Now: STAYC, ENHYPEN, ITZY, TOMORROW X TOGETHER & ATEEZ

Young Thug, Punk

Release Date: October 15

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxfr4RooJkI' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Let Young Thug's Punk serve as your motivation to fully chase that idea you've always had.

From his one-of-a-kind deliveries to his head-turning fashion choices, Young Thug has stood out from other rappers since day one. Now, years later, with a GRAMMY, a number one album and three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s to his name, the 30-year-old rapper seems more confident than ever and primed to outdo himself with Punk.

Read: Isaiah Rashad On His New Album The House Is Burning, Sobriety & Returning to His Southern Roots

Ed Sheeran, =

Release Date: October 29

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Il0S8BoucSA' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Fall is one of the four temperate seasons, but inside fall lives the beginning of another almost equally significant yearly staple: cuffing season.

Four-time GRAMMY winner and emotions whisperer Ed Sheeran is set to release his latest album = (pronounced "equals") just in time to kick off the affectionate festivities.

The singer/songwriter earned Best Pop Vocal Album GRAMMY nominations for each of his last three albums, No.6 Collaborations Project, ÷ and x, with the massive ÷ taking home a win.

Read: Billie Eilish's Road To Happier Than Ever: How The Superstar Continues To Break Pop's Status Quo

Snail Mail, Valentine

Release Date: November 5

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-d91Qn8QUks' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Where there's smoke, there's fire, and where there's cuffing season, there's heartbreak. Don't worry, GRAMMY.com has you covered. Actually, Snail Mail's upcoming album Valentine has you covered, but the point remains.

The titular track from the 22-year-old indie rock artist features lyrics like "Can't love for us both, you've gotta live and I gotta go" and a chorus of "so why'd you wanna erase mе, darling valentine? You'll always know where to find me when you change your mind."

Valentine will serve as the followup to Snail Mail's critically-acclaimed 2018 debut album, Lush.

Read: Lucy Dacus On New Album Home Video, Her Personal Songwriting & Touring Again

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raise The Roof

Release Date: November 19

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U-sPS9y7y5c' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Autumn welcomes back a lot of beloved traditions, and this year one of those traditions comes in the form of Robert Plant's and Alison Krauss' excellence.

Kraus and the former Led Zeppelin lead singer earned a combined 60 GRAMMY nominations and 35 wins throughout their decades-long careers, including wins for Record Of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album at the 51st GRAMMY Awards for their 2007 collaboration album Raising Sand.

The legendary duo even reconnected with Raising Sand's producer T Bone Burnett in hopes of recreating the magic on Raise The Roof.

Read: Alison Krauss On Her Many GRAMMY Wins, Working With Robert Plant & The Importance Of "Daydream Time"

Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor's Version)

Release Date: November 19

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UpLIb7T2tOE' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Nearly 13 years since her second studio album Fearless went diamond and signaled the birth of a megastar, Taylor Swift has had her fair share of dominant eras, but her current era may be the most important one yet.

Read: Taylor Swift's Road To Folklore: How The Superstar Evolved From 'Diaristic' Country Tunes To Her Most Progressive Music Yet

On her quest to take back ownership of her masters, Swift is essentially juggling two megastar-sized legacies, as she releases original albums like 2021 Album Of The Year Folklore and re-releases past works like 2014 Album Of The Year nominee Red.

Beyond the re-release and the nine new tracks set to come alongside, Red (Taylor's Version) is as inspiring as it will be nostalgic.

9 Revolutionary Rap Albums To Know: From Kendrick Lamar, Black Star, EarthGang & More

Three months after OneRepublic began promoting their sixth album, Artificial Paradise, in February 2022, the band unexpectedly had their biggest release in nearly a decade. The pop-rock band's carefree jam, "I Ain't Worried," soundtracked Top Gun: Maverick's most memeable scene and quickly became a global smash — ultimately delaying album plans in favor of promoting their latest hit.

Two years later, "I Ain't Worried" is one of 16 tracks on Artificial Paradise, which arrived July 12. It's a seamless blend of songs that will resonate with longtime and newer fans alike. From the layered production of "Hurt," to the feel-good vibes of "Serotonin," to the evocative lyrics of "Last Holiday," Artificial Paradise shows that OneRepublic's sound is as dialed-in as it is ever-evolving.

The album also marks the end of an era for OneRepublic, as it's the last in their contract with Interscope Records. But for the group's singer, Ryan Tedder, that means the future is even more exciting than it's been in their entire 15-year career.

"I've never been more motivated to write the best material of my life than this very moment," he asserts. "I'm taking it as a challenge. We've had a lot of fun, and a lot of uplifting records for the last seven or eight years, but I also want to tap back into some deeper material with the band."

As he's been prepping Artificial Paradise with his OneRepublic cohorts, Tedder has also been as busy as he's ever been working with other artists. His career as a songwriter/producer took off almost simultaneously with OneRepublic's 2007 breakthrough, "Apologize" (his first major behind-the-board hit was Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love"); to this day he's one of the go-to guys for pop's biggest names, from BLACKPINK to Tate McRae.

Tedder sat down with GRAMMY.com to share some of his most prominent memories of OneRepublic's biggest songs, as well as some of the hits he's written with Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift and more.

I was producing and writing other songs for different artists on Epic and Atlantic — I was just cutting my teeth as a songwriter in L.A. This is like 2004. I was at my lowest mentally and financially. I was completely broke. Creditors chasing me, literally dodging the taxman and getting my car repoed, everything.

I had that song in my back pocket for four years. A buddy of mine just reminded me last month, a songwriter from Nashville — Ashley Gorley, actually. We had a session last month, me, him and Amy Allen, and he brought it up. He was like, "Is it true, the story about 'Apologize'? You were completely broke living in L.A. and Epic Records offered you like 100 grand or something just for the right to record the song on one of their artists?"

And that is true. It was, like, 20 [grand], then 50, then 100. And I was salivating. I was, like, I need this money so bad. And I give so many songs to other people, but with that song, I drew a line in the sand and said, "No one will sing this song but me. I will die with this song." 

It was my story, and I just didn't want anyone else to sing it. It was really that simple. It was a song about my past relationships, it was deeply personal. And it was also the song that — I spent two years trying to figure out what my sound was gonna be. I was a solo artist… and I wasn't landing on anything compelling. Then I landed on "Apologize" and a couple of other songs, and I was like, These songs make me think of a band, not solo artist material. So it was the song that led me to the sound of OneRepublic, and it also led me to the idea that I should start a band and not be a solo artist.

We do it every night. I'll never not do it. I've never gotten sick of it once. Every night that we do it, whether I'm in Houston or Hong Kong, I look out at the crowd and look at the band, and I'm like, Wow. This is the song that got us here.

We were halfway through promoting Dreaming Out Loud, our first album. I played basketball every day on tour, and I snapped my Achilles. The tour got canceled. The doctor told me not to even write. And I had this one sliver of an afternoon where my wife had to run an errand. And because I'm sadistic and crazy, I texted [songwriter] Evan Bogart, "I got a three-hour window, race over here. Beyoncé called me and asked me to write her a song. I want to do it with you." He had just come off his huge Rihanna No. 1, and we had an Ashley Tisdale single together.

When you write enough songs, not every day do the clouds part and God looks down on you and goes, "Here." But that's what happened on that day. I turn on the keyboard, the first sound that I play is the opening sound of the song. Sounds like angels singing. And we wrote the song pretty quick, as I recall. 

I didn't get a response [from Beyoncé after sending "Halo" over], which I've now learned is very, very typical of her. I did Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé "II MOST WANTED" [from COWBOY CARTER] — I didn't know that was coming out 'til five days before it came out. And when I did "XO" [from 2013's Beyoncé], I found out that "XO" was coming out 12 hours before it came out. That's how she operates.

["Good Life"] was kind of a Hail Mary. We already knew that "All the Right Moves" would be the first single [from Waking Up]. We knew that "Secrets" was the second single. And in the 11th hour, our engineer at the time — who I ended up signing as a songwriter, Noel Zancanella — had this drum loop that he had made, and he played it for Brent [Kutzle] in our band. Brent said, "You gotta hear this drum loop that Noel made. It's incredible."

He played it for me the next morning, and I was like, "Yo throw some chords to this. I'm writing to this today." They threw some chords down, and the first thing out of my mouth was, [sings] "Oh, this has gotta be the good life." 

It's the perfect example of, oftentimes, the chord I've tried to strike with this band with some of our bigger records, [which] is happy sad. Where you feel nostalgic and kind of melancholic, but at the same time, euphoric. That's what those chords and that melody did for me.

I was like, "Hey guys, would it be weird if I made the hook a whistle?" And everyone was like, "No! Do not whistle!" They're like, "Name the last hit song that had a whistle." And the only one I could think of was, like, Scorpion from like, 1988. [Laughs.] So I thought, To hell with it, man, it's been long enough, who cares? Let's try it. And the whistle kind of made the record. It became such a signature thing.

Adele — "Rumour Has It," '21' (2011)

"Rumour Has It" was the first song I did in probably a four year period, with any artist, that wasn't a ballad. All any artist ever wanted me to write with them or for them, was ballads, because of "Halo," and "Apologize" and "Bleeding Love."

I begged [Adele] to do a [song with] tempo, because we did "Turning Tables," another ballad. She was in a feisty mood [that day], so I was like, "Okay, we're doing a tempo today!"

Rick Rubin was originally producing the whole album. I was determined to produce Adele, not just write — because I wanted a shot to show her that I could, and to show myself. I stayed later after she left, and I remember thinking, What can I do in this record in this song that could be so difficult to reproduce that it might land me the gig?

So I intentionally muted the click track, changed the tempo, and [created that] whole piano bridge. I was making it up as I went. When she got in that morning. I said, "I have a crazy idea for a bridge. It's a movie." She listens and she says, "This is really different, I like this! How do we write to this?" 

I mean, it was very difficult. [But] we finished the song. She recorded the entire song that day. She recorded the whole song in one take. I've never seen anyone do that in my life — before or since.

Then I didn't hear from her for six months. Because I handed over the files, and Rick Rubin's doing it, so I don't need to check on it. I randomly check on the status of the song — and at this point, if you're a songwriter or producer, you're assuming that they're not keeping the songs. Her manager emails my manager, "Hey, good news — she's keeping both songs they did, and she wants Ryan to finish 'Rumour Has It' production and mix it." 

When I finally asked her, months later — probably at the GRAMMYs — I said, "Why didn't [Rick] do it?" She said, "Oh he did. It's that damn bridge! Nobody could figure out what the hell you were doing…It was so problematic that we just gave up on it."

I was in a Beyoncé camp in the Hamptons writing for the self-titled album. [There were] a bunch of people in the house — me, Greg Kurstin, Sia — it was a fun group of people. I had four days there, and every morning I'd get up an hour and a half before I had to leave, make a coffee, and start prepping for the day. On the third day, I got up, I'm in the basement of this house at like 7 in the morning, and I'm coming up with ideas. I stumble across that chord progression, the guitar and the melody. It was instant shivers up my spine. 

"Lately I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be" is the only line that I had. [My] first thought was, I should play this for Beyoncé, and then I'm listening to it and going, This is not Beyoncé, not even remotely. It'd be a waste. So I tabled it, and I texted the guys in my band, "Hey, I think I have a potentially really big record. I'm going to finish it when I get back to Denver."

I got back the next week, started recording it, did four or five versions of the chorus, bouncing all the versions off my wife, and then eventually landed it. And when I played it for the band, they were like, "This is our favorite song."

It was my second session with Taylor. The first one was [1989's] "I Know Places," and she sent me a voice memo. I was looking for a house in Venice [California], because we were spending so much time in L.A. So that whole memory is attached to me migrating back to Los Angeles. 

But I knew what she was talking about, because I lived in New York, and I remember the feeling — endless possibilities, all the different people and races and sexes and loves. That was her New York chapter. She was so excited to be there. If you never lived there, and especially if you get there and you've got a little money in the pocket, it is so exhilarating.

It was me just kind of witnessing her brilliant, fast-paced, lyrical wizardry. [Co-producer] Max [Martin] and I had a conversation nine months later at the GRAMMYs, when we had literally just won for 1989. He kind of laughed, he pointed to all the other producers on the album, and he's like, "If she had, like, three more hours in the day, she would just figure out what we do and she would do it. And she wouldn't need any of us." 

And I still think that's true. Some people are just forces of nature in and among themselves, and she's one of them. She just blew me away. She's the most talented top liner I've ever been in a room with, bar none. If you're talking lyric and melody, I've never been in a room with anyone faster, more adept, knows more what they want to say, focused, efficient, and just talented.

I had gone through a pretty dry spell mentally, emotionally. I had just burned it at both ends and tapped out, call it end of 2016. So, really, all of 2017 for me was a blur and a wash. I did a bunch of sessions in the first three months of the year, and then I just couldn't get a song out. I kept having, song after song, artists telling me it's the first single, [then] the song was not even on the album. I had never experienced that in my career.

I went six to nine months without finishing a song, which for me is unheard of. Andrew Watt kind of roped me back into working with him. We did "Easier" for 5 Seconds of Summer, and we did some Sam Smith and some Miley Cyrus, and right in that same window, I did this song "Sucker." Two [or] three months later, Wendy Goldstein from Republic [Records] heard the record, I had sent it to her. She'd said, very quietly, "We're relaunching the Jonas Brothers. They want you to be involved in a major way. Do you have anything?" 

She calls me, she goes, "Ryan, do not play this for anybody else. This is their comeback single. It's a No. 1 record. Watch what we're gonna do." And she delivered.

My memory is, being in lockdown in COVID, and just being like, Who knows when this is going to end, working out of my Airstream at my house. I had done a lot of songs for movies over the years, and [for] that particular [song] Randy Spendlove, who runs [music at] Paramount, called me.

I end up Zooming with Tom Cruise [and Top Gun: Maverick director] Jerry Bruckheimer — everybody's in lockdown during post-production. The overarching memory was, Holy cow, I'm doing the scene, I'm doing the song for Top Gun. I can't believe this is happening. But the only way I knew how to approach it, rather than to, like, overreact and s— the bed, was, It's just another day.

I do prescription songs for movies, TV, film all the time. I love a brief. It's so antithetical to most writers. I'm either uncontrollably lazy or the most productive person you've ever met. And the dividing line between the two is, if I'm chasing some directive, some motivation, some endpoint, then I can be wildly productive.

I just thought, I'm going to do the absolute best thing I can do for this scene and serve the film. OneRepublic being the performing artist was not on the menu in my mind. I just told them, "I think you need a cool indie band sounding, like, breakbeat." I used adjectives to describe what I heard when I saw the scene, and Tom got really ramped and excited. 

You could argue [it's the biggest song] since the band started. The thing about it is, it's kind of become one of those every summer [hits]. And when it blew up, that's what Tom said. He said, "Mark my words, dude. You're gonna have a hit with this every summer for, like, the next 20 years or more." 

And that's what happened. The moment Memorial Day happened, "I Ain't Worried" got defrosted and marched itself back into the top 100.

Tate McRae — "Greedy," 'THINK LATER' (2023)

We had "10:35" [with Tiësto] the previous year that had been, like, a No. 1 in the UK and across Europe and Australia. So we were coming off the back of that, and the one thing she was clear about was, "That is not the direction of what I want to do."

If my memory serves me correct, "greedy" was the next to last session we had. Everything we had done up to that point was kind of dark, midtempo, emotional. So "greedy" was the weirdo outlier. I kept pushing her to do a dance record. I was like, "Tate, there's a lot of people that have great voices, and there's a lot of people who can write, but none of those people are professional dancers like you are. Your secret weapon is the thing you're not using. In this game and this career, you've got to use every asset that you have and exploit it."

There was a lot of cajoling. On that day, we did it, and I thought it was badass, and loved it. And she was like, "Ugh, what do we just do? What is this?"

So then it was just, like, months, months and months of me constantly bringing that song back up, and playing it for her, and annoying the s— out of her. And she came around on it. 

She has very specific taste. So much of the music with Tate, it really is her steering. I'll do what I think is like a finished version of a song, and then she will push everyone for weeks, if not months, to extract every ounce of everything out of them, to push the song harder, further, edgier — 19 versions of a song, until finally she goes, "Okay, this is the one." She's a perfectionist.

I love [our latest single] "Hurt," but my favorite song on the album is called "Last Holiday." I probably started the beginning of that lyric, I'm not joking, seven, eight years ago. But I didn't finish it 'til this past year.

The verses are little maxims and words of advice that I've been given throughout the years. It's almost cynical in a way, the song. When I wrote the chorus, I was definitely in kind of a down place. So the opening line is, "So I don't believe in the stars anymore/ They never gave me what I wished for." And it's, obviously, a very not-so-slight reference to "Counting Stars." But it's also hopeful — "We've got some problems, okay, but this isn't our last holiday." 

It's very simple sentiments. Press pause. Take some moments. Find God before it all ends. All these things with this big, soaring chorus. Musically and emotionally and sonically, that song — and "Hurt," for sure — but "Last Holiday" is extremely us-sounding. 

The biggest enemy that we've had over the course of 18 years, I'll be the first to volunteer, is, this ever-evolving, undulating sound. No one's gonna accuse me of making these super complex concept albums, because that's just not how my brain's wired. I grew up listening to the radio. I didn't grow up hanging out in the Bowery in CBGBs listening to Nick Cave. So for us, the downside to that, and for me doing all these songs for all these other people, is the constant push and pull of "What is their sound? What genre is it?" 

I couldn't put a pin in exactly what the sound is, but what I would say is, if you look at the last 18 years, a song like "Last Holiday" really encompasses, sonically, what this band is about. It's very moving, and emotional, and dynamic. It takes me to a place — that's the best way for me to put it. And hopefully the listener finds the same.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Jacob Lawson decided to use his time at home to share songs on TikTok. Trained in piano, guitar, and drums, the Providence, Rhode Island-based teen's creativity and knack for whimsical hooks resonated with millions. By 2021, Lawson was better known as JVKE — the singer and songwriter behind viral hits "Upside Down," "golden hour," and many more.

At the same time, on the other side of the world, in Seoul, South Korea, 23 K-pop trainees competed against each other on the survival show "I-Land." The seven victors went on to form boyband ENHYPEN — comprised of four Koreans (Heeseung, Sunoo, Sunghoon, and Jungwon), one Korean Australian (Jake), one Korean American (Jay), and one Japanese member (Ni-Ki). Despite the lack of in-person events in 2020, the group quickly became a coveted name, topping Korean charts with every release and sweeping a handful of awards.

Fast-forward to 2024, and these parallel lives have crossed paths with each other: ENHYPEN covered JVKE’s songs on social media, JVKE saw it and was impressed by their talents. Soon enough, they were working together.

While differences abound — JVKE is under global label AWAL and does everything from home, for example, while ENHYPEN went through years of dutiful training under label BELIFT LAB — their connection was immediate. The Gen Z artists share the same wavelength of thoughts and, above all, bonded over their love for a universal connector: music.

The result is ENHYPEN’s latest single, "XO (Only If You Say Yes)," off their sophomore studio album, Romance : Untold. Crafted by JVKE, who also features in its English version, the summery track represents a new musical and conceptual direction for ENHYPEN. So far, most of their work explored darker sounds and vampiric leanings, but now they show a sweeter side, ready to embrace all the facets of love.

Over Zoom, JVKE met ENHYPEN once more to talk about working together, being creative in the age of TikTok, and the future of music. ENHYPEN will also be featured in HYBE: We Believe In Music, A GRAMMY Museum Exhibit, which opens in Los Angeles on Aug. 2.

How did your collaboration come to life? Who contacted whom first?

JVKE: I remember the first time I saw Sunoo singing "Golden Hour," and that was probably my first time seeing them and interacting a bit. 

I dug a little deeper, got to hear their music and see all sorts of stuff from them, and then with Heeseung singing "This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like" — that cover is amazing. I tried to reach out through [X/]Twitter, like, How can I get in contact with these guys? And, yeah, from there we got to connect, and we made some cool stuff happen.

Did you know anything about K-pop before meeting ENHYPEN?

JVKE: When I first saw ENHYPEN, just the mesh of them as a group, you see the pictures and how all of them are styled together. But watching them dance in combination with the music, really opened my eyes to what K-pop could be, because I hadn't really seen much of it. 

Seeing these guys, I feel like it takes music to a whole different level of performance. I think these guys are even greater than musicians, they are also just performers, state of the art. They are amazing.

Learn more: Watch K-Pop Powerhouses ENHYPEN Bring Their Bouncy "ParadoXXX Invasion" To Life On The GRAMMY Museum Stage | Global Spin Live

ENHYPEN, what do you think of JVKE's music? And what were your thoughts when you learned you would be working together?

Jake: We all knew his songs way before we met him, and we were all big fans. We used to listen to all of his music before we met him, and when we heard that we got a chance to work with him, when we heard the demo for the title song, we knew that it was going to be such an amazing collaboration. We were very excited, even from the start. 

But I think our first impression when we actually met him in person is that he's very tall. [Laughs.] And we just connected straight away. We come from two different parts of the world, and we are both doing different styles of music, but in this collaboration you can see that we were able to connect through music, and [that’s] wonderful.

Read more: JVKE's "Golden" Year: How The Singer's World Turned "Upside Down" With TikTok, Collaborating With Charlie Puth & More

Is there anything specific that you learned while working together? Or something new that you didn't expect?

Jungwon: I was really surprised that he is the same age as Heeseung.

Heeseung: I also didn’t know.

He could be part of ENHYPEN.

JVKE: That's what I want. I'm signing up. I'm doing my audition now. [Laughs.]

JVKE, what was your main takeaway from ENHYPEN’s music and from their new album, 'Romance : Untold?'

JVKE: With stuff that I had heard from before, this [album] is definitely a new take on their sound. I think they're creatively evolving, and to get to be a part of that has just been so much fun. I just can't wait for people to hear what we got on the way.

ENHYPEN, what did you think of the new genres that you are exploring in this album?

Heeseung: When we first heard the demo [for "XO"], we all thought that it was a really great song. And the thing about this song is that it reflects all the creativity that JVKE has.

Jake: This song is very new to us, but I feel like one of our goals when we're working on a new album is to always try something different. This title song is such a big step for us, and I think it's a really good comeback.

JVKE, your songs are very romantic. Did that help to create "XO" and make it fit into their 'Romance : Untold' album concept?

JVKE: For sure. It was really cool to work on the song with the guys, and I think that you will definitely be able to tell the parts that I'm really — you know, I tend to write a lot of love songs. That's just how I am.

ENHYPEN, this is the first time you dive into a full-on romantic concept. What do you think of this evolution in your music, and of this theme?

Sunghoon: In this album, we tried to set a scene where our fans could have this heart-fluttering feeling after listening to [it]. We really put a lot of thought towards our fans, Engene. We showed a darker side in previous albums, but this time it's summer, and it's been a long while since we released a studio album, so we wanted to show a different side. I think that's going to draw attention from a wider audience.

JVKE, you found a lot of success through TikTok. What do you think of the platform as a creative medium? And how is it shaping the way music is created?

JVKE: I think it just made it easier to access potential fans, the public, or people who may have never heard your music before, and that gives any creative person a shot. If you can just put some music online, you don't have to have any sort of thing going for you. If the video is a great video, and the music's great, it'll reach people. I love that. I love that's the world that we live in, that there's not really a barrier to entry anymore. And I think that allows creativity to really ramp up, like, we don't have to move really slow with just a few artists. There's a lot of new artists coming out, pushing out new sounds and creativity. I love that so much.

How has this collaboration inspired you further on your own work?

JVKE: Even the song that we did together, it was a creative stretch for me. I hadn't really done much stuff like this, so it gets me excited to see what people are going to think of it. I'm always trying to do new things and seeing how [mine and ENHYPEN’s] worlds came together definitely inspired a lot of cool stuff. Even when we were in the room together working on stuff, it was very inspiring for me, so I think that inspiration is going to ride for a while.

ENHYPEN, how has this collaboration inspired you and future things you want to try as a group?

Ni-Ki: "XO" is a style that we have never tried before, and every time you try out new things, it can be challenging at times, and have a bit of pressure. But through this collaboration, we learned that we can try various different things going forward, and we can actually pull off these different styles.

Sunoo: What Ni-Ki said is so correct. Doing this collaboration with JVKE is definitely opening a lot of new styles for us in the future, and I think it's going to be great.

What do you think that is necessary to craft a hit song these days?

Jake: A really catchy hook. And like JVKE mentioned, Tiktok and that sort of short videos are very popular right now, and I think having a catchy melody is what gets people’s attention. That's what young people, like us, like these days. 

JVKE: I agree 100%. You gotta have the hook. And now when I'm in the studio trying to make music, getting the production behind it innovative and creative, or just stripping it back, I find that fully committing to an idea, even if it's a little bit crazy, even if it's not what people would expect from you, is the best part about it. And I think Gen Z is always looking for something new and fresh, because the attention span is so quick. So, right now, it's good to keep people on their toes.

What are some "rules" or common techniques in music writing and producing that you don't agree with, and that you like to do your own way?

Jungwon: One of the things that caught my attention was the fact that we usually record in the studio, but we learned that JVKE made all of his work from his home. That was a big surprise, because although he did it [that way], everything is good quality.

JVKE: Thanks, guys. I agree. Definitely, there's certain points when I really need to take my time and get it exactly how I want it, but you know, I think you can always work with whatever you have. And I like that for up-and-coming songwriters. Just by having a computer, you can do pretty much everything on there, and sometimes that's what helps people to figure out their sound. You just do what you can and, over time, you can add in more high quality elements and use some better equipment. So, I love that you don't have to have too much. You can work with whatever you have.

Aside from "XO," do any of you have a favorite track in this album? Why?

Heeseung: I like "XO," especially the English version is really good, and outside of that it would be "Paranormal."

Jay: I think for me it’s "XO" English version too, because JVKE featured as a vocalist.

Jake: Obviously, "XO" is my favorite song on the tracklist, but I really like "Brought The Heat Back" too.

What do you envision for the future of K-pop and of music in general?

Jake: That's a good question. I think even from this collaboration we're doing right now with JVKE, you can tell that K-pop isn't determined by language or anything like that. I feel like it's already gone global, and that's going to continue in the future as well. I think music can bring the world together. I know that in some places in the world, there's people that don't know much about K-pop or Korea in general, and you know, a couple years back, when I was living in Australia, K-pop really helped me learn about Korean culture. I think we're doing that for other people around the world as well. As an artist, part of K-pop is to always show the world what it is and what Korea and its culture are.

Heeseung: What's important is that we put in the creative element to make something new out of existing genres. There are many great musicians out there, and I think if they continue to share what they have, we'll be able to advance music further. Recently, I had the chance to experience a [songwriting] camp, so I got to meet many different musicians and make different songs. If we had more of these kinds of opportunities going forward, that would be great.

Jay: We had a lot of dark and deep concepts or title tracks for a while, so this kind of collaboration with JVKE kind of breaks [that]. I think a lot of musicians breaking their own line and challenging themselves will make the future of K-pop.

Learn more: What's Next For K-Pop? A Roundtable Unpacks The Genre's Past, Present And Future

JVKE, do you have any thoughts?

JVKE: I agree with all the stuff that the guys were saying, like, taking in all of the different inspirations. I think if songwriters continue to just be themselves and write what they want to write, we'll continue to get new and innovative music. I don't think we'll ever run out of new ways to create music. And so, I always try to encourage other songwriters to just keep writing what's coming to you. You don't have to put it in a box. 

Even with ["XO"], I wasn't trying to put it in a perfect box, it just was what it was. Sometimes a song just has to be allowed to be what it is, and then you can put it in a box if you need to, but never compromise the art. The art comes first. And as long as people do that, the future will continue to have amazing music.

The GRAMMY Museum joins forces with HYBE to present its newest exhibit, HYBE: We Believe In Music, A GRAMMY Museum Exhibit. This interactive exhibit chronicles the history and impact of HYBE, and showcases its legacy of unparalleled innovation and creativity as a trend-setting global entertainment brand.

The exhibit opens on Aug. 2 in downtown Los Angeles and features spotlight moments with K-pop stars BTS, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, and many more. "HYBE: We Believe In Music" runs through Sept.15. The exhibit will kick off on Aug. 1 with "Global Spin Live: TWS," a program featuring a moderated conversation with K-pop group TWS, followed by a performance.

The exhibit traces HYBE's evolution and influence by showcasing instantly recognizable artifacts from its roster of artists, creators, and fans. The displays notably feature original outfits worn in iconic music videos such as "Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)" by BTS, "MAESTRO" by SEVENTEEN, "Sugar Rush Ride" by TOMORROW X TOGETHER, "Sweet Venom" by ENHYPEN, and "EASY" by LE SSERAFIM. HYBE: We Believe In Music also boasts accessories and performance gear donned by ZICO, fromis_9, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, &TEAM, and ILLIT. The exhibit marks the first time these artifacts will be on display together in one location.

Other highlights include interactive sing-along and dance rooms, a dedicated Fan Section celebrating the endless support between HYBE artists and their fandoms, a Mono to Immersive room featuring BTS's 2022 GRAMMYs performance of "Butter," and a Photoism Booth that allows visitors to pose alongside their favorite K-pop artists.  The GRAMMY Museum exhibit will also feature exclusive video content with producers, artists, music videos, and more.

"HYBE and their artists represent the present and future of the global music landscape, and our goal with this exhibit is to deepen the appreciation and respect for its creators and performers," says Michael Sticka, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Museum. "HYBE has contributed to creating a playground of innovation that inspires fandoms that transcend age, gender, geography and beyond. The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to provide a space where fans can express their love for K-pop and feel closer to their favorite idols."

Read more: 11 Rookie K-Pop Acts To Know In 2024: NCT Wish, RIIZE, Kiss Of Life & More

HYBE Chief Operating Officer Taeho Kim added, "Putting out an exhibition that captures HYBE's journey is a new experience for us. We're very excited about this partnership with GRAMMY Museum, and we look forward to welcoming music fans who visit the museum to enjoy and connect with our historical pieces."

The exhibit highlights the roots of HYBE's meteoric rise. In 2005, South Korean producer, composer, and songwriter Bang Si-Hyuk, known as "hitman" Bang, changed the trajectory of Korean pop music by launching the record label Big Hit Entertainment. He soon signed a talented 16-year-old rapper named RM, which became the first step in creating the label's groundbreaking boy band — BTS. With the group's global success, "hitman" Bang and Big Hit Entertainment became known as musical trailblazers and record industry innovators. Big Hit Entertainment has now evolved into HYBE, which only continues to break boundaries in music and beyond.

When country singer/songwriter Jaime Wyatt announced she was queer with the release of her second album, 2020's Neon Cross, she was convinced doing so would destroy her career. Instead, something shifted — not only was she more free to be herself and to date women openly, but many fans reacted positively, too.

"Several times on the road I've had fans come up to me with their same sex partner, and they're like, 'Hey, we feel safe here. It's so awesome because we both love country music, and we're not out of the closet, and we're not out to our families, but we can be here,'" Wyatt says.

Modern country music is generally perceived as a conservative genre, and deep-rooted cultural and industry biases have long excluded LGBTQIA+ (and BIPOC) artists and stories from the genre. For example, in 2010, when successful mainstream country artist Chely Wright came out, her career stalled and record sales halved. Kacey Musgraves was criticized for lyrics supporting same-sex love in her beloved anthem, "Follow Your Arrow." More recently, even, Wyatt walked out of a recording session after the owner of the space asked if she was singing "'some gay s—.'"

But Wyatt is also one of a growing number of country artists who, in recent years, have blazed a trail through country music and toward acceptance. Among them, Adeem the Artist, Mya Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Mary Gauthier, Lizzy No, Orville Peck, Lily Rose, and Allison Russell. Together, they're celebrating queerness alongside their love for the genre, and pushing it into diversity with patience, tenacity, and darn good country music.

"If you listen to popular music, or if you listen to hip-hop music, it feels like there's a broader diversity to a lot of subcultures as far as what you're able to access," nonbinary country singer/songwriter Adeem the Artist says. "Whereas with country music, it's very linear, it's very myopic, and singular in its expression."

By way of broadening country's storytelling, Adeem plays a honky-tonk blend of classic and '90s country music that's sonically aligned with the deep musical traditions in Tennessee, where they now live. Lyrically, though, their propensity for gorgeous, frankly worded songs complicate stereotypical southern narratives in rare and provocative ways. On White Trash Revelry, their 2022 studio album, they grapple with racism, economic entrapment, gun violence, and family heritage. And their latest, Anniversary, released in May, includes songs about mental health, the poignance of parenthood, and the pain and fear of being a queer person in a world that threatens their existence.

Indeed, some of the places in the U.S. with the strongest ties to country music remain the least hospitable to queer people. Just last year, Tennessee, home of Nashville, the country music capital of the world, passed a total of 10 bills aimed at LGBTQIA+ people, while Texas, perhaps country music's second-best known state, passed 20 percent of all anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in the U.S. What's more, LGBTQIA+ people and culture have been targeted by numerous attacks around the world — including the Pulse nightclub and Club Q shootings stateside — in the last few years alone.

For many, the consequences of not coming out, of not sharing their full selves with the world, are risky, too. Growing up, Wyatt had no role model to show her it was okay to be queer. She struggled for years with mental health and substance abuse and was convicted of robbing her heroin dealer as a young adult. "I needed to see someone who looked like me when I was a young child," Wyatt says. "And maybe I wouldn't have been a dope fiend in jail."

But while straight white men comprise most of country music's standard slate of forebearers, women and people in the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities have contributed to the genre since its beginning. Notably, it was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a queer Black woman, who in the 1950s introduced reverb to gospel and rhythm and blues music — and in doing so, she forever changed guitar playing, and inspired some of country music's biggest trailblazers, from Elvis to Johnny Cash.

In 1973 — four years after the Stonewall uprising kickstarted a widespread gay liberation movement — Patrick Haggerty and his band Lavender Country released what is generally considered the first gay country album. But after it sold out its first pressing of 1000 copies, the album was mostly forgotten until 1999, when the Journal of Country Music published an article hailing Haggerty as "the lost pioneer of out gay country music." Haggerty began performing again and in 2014, indie label Paradise of Bachelors reissued the Lavender Country album, securing Haggerty status as a grandfather figure to queer country.

Haggerty's reissue landed in a different world than the album's original run. In the interim, a handful of artists released more queer country music, including Jeff Miller, aka "John Deere Diva," known for his George Strait parody, "Not Really Strait," as well as Doug Stevens and the Outband's When Love Is Right and Sid Spencer's Out-N-About Again, which put lyrically gay songs to country music.

In 2011, shortly before the Lavender Country reissue, queer country singer/songwriter and music scholar Karen Pittleman convened the first Gay Ole Opry in Brooklyn's now defunct Public Assembly performance space, launching more than a decade of queer country events, tours and a far-reaching network of performers and supporters. And in 2015, gay marriage became legal nationwide.

As progress has accelerated culturally in the near decade since, it has in country music, too. In 2018, Paisley Fields' debut album Glitter and Sawdust merged cowboy grit with queer raunch. In 2019, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" provoked country music to re-consider the nature and identity of country music. In 2021, T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne became the first openly gay male artist signed to a major record label; a year later, the duo's song "Younger Me" — which was written in response to T.J.'s coming out — became the first country song with an LGBTQIA+ theme to win a GRAMMY. And this Pride Month, longtime LGBTQIA+ supporter (and GLAAD's 2023 Excellence in Media Award recipient) Maren Morris declared on Instagram, "happy to be the B in LGBTQ+."

Read More: 9 Times Queer Artists Made History At The GRAMMYs: From Elton John's Collab With BSB To Kim & Sam's "Unholy" Union

"We as queer fans deserve to have songs that speaks specifically to us," says Rachel Cholst, a queer writer and educator. "And if that means putting in same gender pronouns, then we deserve that too. And if that makes a straight person uncomfortable, I don't know what to tell you. I've grown up my entire life having to internally change the pronouns to the love songs that really moved me."

Cholst started writing about music when she realized she couldn't be the only queer country fan out there. Her work aims to make queer country music accessible, and she has run the Adobe and Teardrops blog for more than a decade. In 2022, Cholst launched Rainbow Rodeo, a zine about queer country music, which appears bi-annually in print and regularly online.

"Everyone just assumed that country music is this one thing, and it never occurred to them to go look for it. That tells you a lot about how country music wants to present itself as an industry," Cholst says. "If we erase anyone who's not straight, anyone who's not white, then what you're saying is, you want those people to be erased from the conversation, from the culture."

Beyond using she/her pronouns in love songs (which she didn't get to do on her first album, Felony Blues), Wyatt's powerful, steely queer country music complicates social consciousness. Incisive and elegant in her delivery, she's equally compelling chronicling her conviction and jail time on Felony Blues, confronting demons and figuring out who she is on her Shooter Jennings-produced second album, Neon Cross, and outlining her hopes and frustrations for the world on her third album, 2023's sultry, groovy, Feel Good.

Wyatt's knack for catchy and advocacy-laced country bangers is clearest in "Rattlesnake Girl," one of her most popular songs. In it, she offers an anthemic celebration of joy unfettered: "I see my sweet friends out on the weekend/ They all look happy and gay," and a barbed warning to anyone who might impinge on that happiness: "Thank you kindly, don't walk behind me/ I've seen people slip that way/ And if you try me, boot heels beside me/ I might have to make your day."

Queer country music means something a little different to each artist. For many, it's about much more than simply being a queer person performing country music. Adeem the Artist considers queer country its own genre, complete with specific rules — many of which have nothing to do with sexual or gender orientation.

"It is explicitly political in nature. It is often kind of raunchy," they assert. "There's an element to queer country that is confrontational, that is willing to create discomfort for the sake of a relief that leans towards some greater social awareness."

To some degree, raising awareness and representation — which is essential for inclusion and acceptance — requires a bit of self-tokenization, Adeem says. "The very, very basic act of referring to me as a person who is queer, who is trans, who is nonbinary, who is whatever, those labels only do good as much as they illuminate the differences between us and the fact that I am more difficult for some people to relate with."

Adeem and Wyatt both operate within the alt-country scene, which has been marginally more inclusive than mainstream country over the years. Recently, though, rising country musician Lily Rose cracked through with her viral breakup single, 2020's "Villain." On her latest EP, Runnin' Outta Time (which she released in May), she sings a high-octane pop/country mix about her values and relationships. It's a well-worn country music landscape that has been almost exclusively dominated by heterosexual white men.

"To be one of the first to literally [and] figuratively, carry the flag... it makes me really proud. And it has its heavy moments for sure," Rose says. "Night after night, when I get to meet fans and see comments on social media that they feel seen for the first time in the genre, it's really special and it makes every single second of hard work to get here worth it."

The day after Runnin' Out of Time dropped, Rose made her Grand Ole Opry debut with two songs from the album, "Back Pew" and "Two Flowers"; Adeem and Wyatt also played the Opry for the first time in the last year as well. The Opry, one of country music's oldest and most lauded tastemakers, has welcomed a number of queer artists in the last few years, signaling a subtle shift toward a more inclusive country music institution. (In addition, all three artists recently scored high-profile touring spots: Rose with Shania Twain and Sam Hunt, Adeem with Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit; and Wyatt wrapped up her first headlining tour.)

For Pittleman, an essential part of making music is ensuring space for anyone who wants to make music to do so, regardless of how they look or identify. "Most people who like country music, they just want to hear country music," Pittleman says. "I want to have a good time, too. But you have to ask at a certain point, 'Who is invited to the good time?'"

As she insists, there's a long way to go. In a digital world, radio play doesn't offer a complete picture, but it remains a dominant force in country music. For decades, women have been played sparingly on country radio and artists of color and queer musicians featured far less, a shortcoming which SongData's principal investigator, Jada Watson, spent years studying. Her research concludes that women country artists are played roughly 29 percent of the time, Black artists 5 percent, and other artists of color 7 percent. Queer artists, Watson estimates, make up less than 1 percent of radio play.

"The real problem is who's making those decisions; who has the power and as a result, who has the power and the resources to record their music, to distribute their music, to get it out on a broader scale," Pittleman suggests. "We have to make sure that everyone who's called to make the music has the resources and the power to make it and bring it into the world."

And in spite of multitude setbacks and naysayers, queer artists are creating country music. As Pittleman wrote in a 2020 essay in the Journal of Popular Music Studies titled "You're My Country Music," one of the joys of singing queer country music is making country music, plain and simple. "The point is to mark the deepest moments of human connection, our truest hopes and heartbreaks, and turn them into a sound that gives us joy and strength," she says.

"Because sometimes you love a culture that doesn't love you back," Pittleman continues on the Gay Ole Opry's about page. "We do it because we love the music and want to build a community to support queer country musicians. We do it because everybody needs a honky-tonk angel to hold them tight. We do it because we believe in country music for all."

Why 2024 Is The Year Women In Country Music Will Finally Have Their Moment