The third studio album U by American singer-songwriter and producer Underscores was released on March 20, 2026. This album marks a shift away from her previous story-based, rural-inspired, concept albums to a more hyperpop-focused sound. It has nine tracks and has a run-time of thirty-four minutes.
Although I am not an expert on music, I am a fan of pop and hyperpop. This album has a clear concept, so I will be rating this album based on its production, lyricism, and how well they both fit into the album’s concept.
Sonically, the production of U is very electronic, leaning heavily on a dubstep and EDM-like production. The vocals of the album utilizes a lot of chopping and autotune, which I think is used tastefully and fits the concept. According to Underscores, the concept of the album is based on music that she thinks would play in commercial spaces, like a mall or airport. Personally, I think this album conveys that “shopping mall” feeling well, and I do see this album fitting pretty well playing in stores like H&M or Zara. Furthermore, despite the concept being based on consumerist spaces, the production and layering of sounds on this album is far from bland. In songs like “Music”, there are many melodies and sounds that Underscores layers together, and it all still feels very cohesive, making it not hard to follow. The whole album is also very catchy despite its sonic complexity, and oftentimes I find myself humming some songs from this album throughout the day.
Lyrically, U gets as deep as any generic pop song, which is not that much. The lyrical themes of this album involve love and fame, which are both relatively basic themes, and she doesn’t really take a unique twist on these themes. Despite this, I think these basic lyrics work for her album as it is not what people would be listening to it for. This album leans heavily on its production and instrumentation, which is what I am personally listening to it for, so I’m not exactly complaining about the lyrics being on the dryer side. The lyrics also fit the album’s concept of public, commercial spaces, where one isn’t exactly listening out for the lyrics.
Overall, I think this is a very solid album. The production is amazing and exactly up my alley, although it does slightly overshadow the lyrics. But as I mentioned before, I feel as though this is the type of album that isn’t meant to be listened to for lyrical impact. Conceptually, I think this album is really unique. The concept definitely fits into the climate of today’s society, and I’ve never really seen any artist take an album in a direction that Underscores has. This album is definitely one of my favorite releases of this year.
