Since the entire campus has let out its usual giant sigh of relief after midterms ended, we can now focus on everything that really matters in college, like all the music I illegally downloaded when I went home for break. While everyone was busy studying away, we missed three excellent albums that came out practically one on top of the other. I finally had the time to listen to them, and lucky you, reader: Now you get the inside information on some sounds your ears need to experience. You’re welcome in advance.

For starters, we’ve got Panic! At The Disco’s fourth studio album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die. I bet you forgot these guys even existed. Half of the members of P!ATD bailed on the band a few years ago, so in a way they only half exist, but with Brendon Urie carrying the weight of the band, they seem to be doing just as well as they were in the beginning. Urie sings lead vocals for the band, plays all the instruments except drums and writes the songs. Having basically all creative control over the band seems to be working for him, because this album was decidedly a success. Once again, the newest album is of a different flavor from the last; it carries a much more modern pop feel than any album they’ve had before. The album was inspired by Urie’s experiences in Las Vegas (the title of the album itself is a line from the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), and he admitted to wanting to make a feel-good album that’s reminiscent of a great party. All in all, it’s a pretty decent pop-punk album, especially since the genre has been pretty dry as of late.

I also spent some time over break checking out Miley Cyrus’s new album Bangerz. If you were questioning whether or not she and Liam broke up, listen to just about any song on the album and your question will be answered. They’re all pretty much about baby Miles living it up in Heartbreak Hotel. Also if you’ve been through some sort of agonizing heartbreak yourself recently and need someone to sympathize, you may want to pick up some Ben & Jerry’s and rage/ dance/cry to this album. Other than that, it’s pretty hit or miss as far as the quality of the songs and lyrics go. But the album at least redeems itself with “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball,” and there are some other pretty excellent pop ballads on this album that are probably on their way to topping the charts.

Last but definitely not least, I recommend checking out Ariana Grande’s debut album Yours Truly. This incredibly talented little lady plays the idiot friend of Tori Vega in their Nickelodeon show Victorious, and now plays the idiot friend of Sam in Sam and Cat. However, her talents extend further than being able to play one character in two TV shows. As it turns out, she has an incredible, spellbinding voice that’s capable of making me gayer than I was before listening to the album. She’s channeled this into her own R&B style with songs that are (much to my dismay) about the men that have been and are currently in her life, which makes it a fantastic album to listen to immediately after becoming depressed and hopeless about love from Miley Cyrus’s album.

So there you have it. If you’re looking for a few new albums to check out, these are some I’d suggest keeping in mind. I’d start by bumming out to Miley’s Bangerz, regaining hope about your love life with Ariana’s Yours Truly, and going out to find the person or cat or bagel of your dreams with Panic! At The Disco’s Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die. Do whatever it takes to get the taste of midterms off your tongue.