Barnes & Noble Presents Album of the Month Selections for May 202405/07/2024

New York, NY - May 1, 2024 - Barnes & Noble announces its May selections for Albums of the Month, featuring these four categories: Artist to Watch, Country Monthly Pick, Soundtrack Monthly Pick and Rock Monthly Pick. Celebrating a diverse selection of music, the Album of the Month program regularly rotates categories to provide a wider variety of sounds and voice, while retaining the Artist to Watch.

This month's Artist to Watch is girl in red for her second studio, first major-label album, I'm Doing It Again, Baby! Following up on the success of her first album, If I Could Make It Go Quiet, girl in red's music resonates with traditional romance, as well as delving into subjects such as mental illness and the queer experience.

"Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ringheim, otherwise known as girl in red, has had a steadily growing global fanbase over the years thanks to her quirky ballads like "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend"," said Crissi Bariatti, Senior Merchandise Manager, Music. "Hot off an opening slot on select Taylor Swift U.S. tour dates, girl in red's new album will introduce Marie to an even wider audience. Appealing to fans of Billie Eilish, I'm Doing It Again, Baby! is an eclectic album filled with diverse lyrics and memorable melodies, all with girl in red's unconventional style."

For the Country Monthly Pick, Barnes & Noble booksellers chose Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour. Musgrave's fourth album combines her pop-country brand with elements of electronica and disco.

"Golden Hour debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200 when it was released in 2018," said Bill Castle, Director of Merchandise, Music & Video. "Newly married at the time, Musgraves' Golden Hour is an optimistically beautiful album both in sound and lyrics. The stunning track "Butterflies" features Musgrave's showstopping voice with lyrics that we can all relate to - the nerves and excitement that come with a new relationship. It is no surprise that the album won in all four of their nominated categories at the 61st Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album."

The Soundtrack Monthly Pick goes to the Chainsaw Man soundtrack, scored by Kensuke Ushio. Along with the Chainsaw Man soundtrack, Ushio has also scored A Silent Voice, Devilman Crybaby and the forthcoming anime Dandadan.

"Celebrate AniMAY with the Chainsaw Man soundtrack. A sonic homage to the Crunchyroll series, Kensuke Ushio's score cuts through the silence like the roar of Denji's chainsaw," said Tina Mong, Commercial Strategy Manager, Media. "Beautiful piano-led tracks are mixed with frenzied metal and drum & bass electronics to mirror the chaotic world created by the show. In vibrant red and black splatter vinyl with an illustrated gatefold jacket, this soundtrack is a must-have for any anime fan."

Lastly, the Rock Monthly Pick goes to In Rainbows by Radiohead. Tracing their origin back to 1985, Radiohead solidified their place as rock icons when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

"A modern classic, In Rainbows is the return of rock for English band Radiohead," said Bariatti.
"Following the electronic-heavy track "Hail to the Thief", the band incorporated elements of art rock, experimental rock, alternative rock and art pop to this, their seventh studio album. Lyrically more personal and less political than previous albums, In Rainbows is a favorite of fans and critics, with Rolling Stone including it in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

Barnes & Noble is enthusiastic about celebrating the wide world of music, and the Albums of the Month selections are the newest way to enjoy the past and present of the music scene. Previous Barnes & Noble Albums of the Month selections have included: Vampire Weekend, by Vampire Weekend, JPEG RAW by Gary Clark Jr., Tidal, by Fiona Apple, Little Girl Blue by Nina Simone, Master of Puppets by Metallica, and What Now by Brittany Howard.