Jay Som Belong

Critic's Take

Past Lives is singled out as the album’s “jewel in the crown”, delivering lush garage-rock tenderness, while Float’s “delightful bounce” nods to Jim Adkins’ influence. Overall, Belong’s strongest moments balance immediate hooks with adventurous production, making the best tracks both emotionally resonant and sonically bold.

Key Points

• Past Lives is the album’s standout due to its lush, tender collaboration with Hayley Williams.
• Belong’s core strengths are refined production, strong collaborations, and adventurous sonic experimentation.

Themes

Critic's Take

for containing “some of her most powerful vocal performances,” making them standout tracks on Belong. Casino Stars and A Million Reasons Why are praised for their texture and nostalgia, positioning them among the best tracks on Belong. Overall, listeners searching for the best songs on Belong should start with Past Lives, D.H., and Casino Stars for a concise picture of the album’s emotional and stylistic peaks.

Key Points

• Past Lives (and paired D.H.) is highlighted as the album’s vocal and emotional peak.
• Belong’s strengths are its textured nods to emo/alternative nostalgia and daring vocal intensity.

Themes

Critic's Take

The best songs on Belong are highlighted by collaborative peaks and emotional shifts: Float, Past Lives and Want It All stand out for how they translate Jay Som’s themes of letting go into compelling moments. Float channels turn-of-the-millennium pop-punk energy with Jim Adkins’ contribution, making it one of the best tracks on Belong. Past Lives, boosted by Hayley Williams’ harmonies, and closer Want It All — which moves from hesitation to galvanised hooks — also rank among the album’s top tracks. These songs exemplify the record’s embrace of collaboration, texture shifts, and emotional momentum.

Key Points

• Want It All is best for its move from hesitation to a galvanising hook and emotional resolution.
• The album's core strengths are collaboration, textural shifts, and an embrace of letting go.

Themes

Critic's Take

Cards On The Table opens with honest, breezy dream pop that sets the tone. Float benefits from a dynamic push-and-pull vocal and a faint throwback riff thanks to Jim Adkins. Past Lives, featuring Hayley Williams, is highlighted as an exhilarating collaboration and one of the album’s standout moments.

Key Points

• Past Lives is the standout due to Hayley Williams’ contribution and being called an exhilarating collaboration.
• Belong’s core strengths are confident songwriting, enhanced studio craft, and tasteful guest collaborations.

Themes

Critic's Take

The critique praises collaborations (Hayley Williams, Jim Adkins) and experimental closing vignettes, making "A Million Reasons Why" notable for adventurous production. Overall, the best songs on Belong are celebrated for combining bedroom-pop intimacy with polished, collaborative power-pop dynamism.

Key Points

• The album's strengths are intimate bedroom-pop songwriting expanded by confident collaboration and adventurous electronic experimentation.

Themes

Key Points

• “Cards On The Table” is best for its summery production and candid lyrical admission, marking it as a standout.
• The album’s core strengths are its layered production, thematic focus on connection and change, and Duterte’s growth as arranger-producer.

Themes

Critic's Take

Hayley Williams) stand out for merging hooky emo-pop voices with Duterte's airy yearning. "D.H." is another top track, a euphoric, noise-flushed centerpiece that showcases the album's grittier side. Fans searching for the best tracks on Belong will find the guest-driven singles and the expansive, angsty moments most memorable.

Key Points

• Belong's core strengths are its blend of dreamy textures and grittier, dissonant moments that frame lyrics of isolation.

Themes