Tucker Carlson’s really been accelerating his antics lately, from referring to Barack Obama as a “creepy old guy” (because he’s using the TikTok platform to encourage vaccination) to baselessly claiming that smoking weed lowers sperm counts. It’s to the point where multiple Fox News staffers reportedly refer to him as a “trash human being,” and Tucker’s been looking for attention from MSNBC host Joy Reid for weeks. The issue’s a persistent one, as noted by Media Matters:
On April 28, he mocked Reid for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, saying, “Well, Joy-Ann Reid, the race lady over at MSNBC, took a quick break from haraguing whitey yesterday to reveal something deeply personal about herself on television” … The day prior, he mischaracterized comments she made about vaccine hesitancy… twice referred to her as “the race lady” … On April 22, Carlson somehow twisted Reid’s comments on the death of Ma’Khia Bryant into an attack on white people, referring to her as “the race lady” and saying she’s lived “an unusually privileged life” … And on March 8, he twice called Reid “the race lady.”
That’s more than a little bit excessive (and he also won’t stop mentioning that Reid attended Harvard), so let’s just say that Reid let loose on MSNBC’s The ReidOut, and we’ll review her quotes, but here’s the full experience.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 4, 2021
Reid did not hold back while declaring (via Mediaite) that “I prefer my news and information to be based in reality, rather than monetizing my amygdala to keep me on edge and buying My Pillows and gold,” but she appreciates websites like Media Matters, which “watch Fox News so you don’t have to.” She fired several shots at Tucker, lambasting him for how his MSNBC stint “didn’t work out” and how, on CNN, “Jon Stewart kinda humiliated you.” She dragged him, too: “Did he say Whitey? Oh, honey, honey, Tuckums.” Then she took aim at how he appears to have a problem with her Harvard alum status: “I don’t know, maybe I’m sensitive to this stuff, but it felt like kinda like a dog whistle. Did you want to go to Harvard? Did they reject you?”
No matter, though: “You got all that Swanson money, right? Fish sticks for everybody, woo!” And she wasn’t even close to done while referring to “Lil’ Tucker” as being like “some segregationist housewife from the 1950s” who is “spouting conspiracy theories that white people will be replaced by a Democratic Party conspiracy to import non-white people to outnumber them.”And yes, she blamed Tucker for “making America worse” and essentially being the reason why she (as he mocked) continues to wear masks in crowded places, an act that she described as necessary because of the “endless Covid hell that the Tuckers of our country are keeping us in.”
Will Tucker respond? He probably won’t be able to resist.
In April 2020, a few weeks after lockdown took place across the US, Global Citizen tapped several musicians for their One World: Together At Home livestream aimed at encouraging people to quarantine. But since it’s finally safe to begin reopening, Global Citizen decided to give a taste of post-vaccine life with the large, in-person show Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World. The concert featured several showstopping performances, including an epic rendition of the classic hit “Back In Black” by AC/DC and Foo Fighters members.
Dave Grohl and his band joined AC/DC’s singer Brian Johnson for the version of the classic rockers’ 1980 hit. The concert took place in LA’s SoFi Stadium and Foo Fighters were able to play a six-song set in front of a crowd of 27,000 fans, many of whom were healthcare or essential workers.
Along with the AC/DC revival, the Vax Live stage saw several big-name acts. J. Lo performed at the event, even bringing her 75-year-old mother out on stage to join her for a rendition of “Sweet Caroline.” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also made a brief appearance, as they served as campaign chairs at the event. “Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience, and the millions of frontline heroes around the world,” Prince Harry told the crowd.
Foo Fighters brought out Brian Johnson and played Back in Black you guys. https://t.co/Z6kBd8lkJ6
Playlisting is as prevalent as ever. Curated playlists are not only a way for fans to discover new music, but they can give artists a healthy boost in streaming sales. The ubiquity of grouping music into categories makes it seem as though there are more subgenres than ever. In pop music alone, there are distinctions such as art pop, avant-pop, hyperpop, bubblegum pop, anti-pop, dark pop, dream pop, electropop, indie pop, pop punk — the list truly goes on. And now thanks to Grimes, there’s now one more subgenre: Ethereal.
After a successful year-long petition (which she had since forgotten about), Grimes was able to convince Spotify to classify the term “ethereal” as a genre and even co-curate a seven-hour long Ethereal playlist. But what exactly does ethereal mean, and why is the subgenre’s distinction important?
The term ethereal is officially defined as “of or relating to the regions beyond the earth; celestial, heavenly, unworldly, spiritual.” No, that doesn’t mean ethereal music is exclusively about aliens, it’s more a description of the feeling that is captured through sound. Grimes herself defines the genre as music that is “dedicated to experimentalism with strong elements of pop and universal beauty,” which marks an important distinction. To her, ethereal is synonymous with pushing boundaries.
Along with classifying her own music as ethereal, Grimes’ Spotify co-curated Ethereal playlist features some obvious names like FKA Twigs, Arca, Sophie, Björk, Caroline Polachek, and James Blake. But the list also sees some more surprising additions like Chloe x Halle, Faye Webster, Post Malone, Don Toliver, and even one of Soccer Mommy’s Color Theory tracks.
So what does music by Arca and Post Malone have in common? On the surface, very little. But after scouring through Grimes’ playlist, the connections become clear. Each song leans heavily on the use of light, airy synths. Many of the tracks either boast high-pitch vocals or at least some form of vocal treatment, whether it be auto-tune or pitch bending. Unlike rock music, guitars are rarely heard throughout the playlist, unless it’s to add some subtle resonance.
Was Grimes the first to invent the ethereal genre?
Nope! But her definition slightly differs from how ethereal has been described in the past.
Though Grimes is now able to categorize musicians as ethereal, she wasn’t actually the first to use the word in a subgenre. In her description, Grimes notes that her idea of ethereal music must contain some “strong elements of pop,” meaning it’s pop-adjacent. Many of the artists included in her playlist have previously fallen under the umbrella of pop music. But the original use of the term doesn’t come from pop, rather it has roots in the early ‘80s post-punk movement. The term ethereal was added to the darkwave subgenre, a classification stemming from the new wave movement with a heavy emphasis on the use of synths and somber melodies.
The group often credited as popularizing the ethereal darkwave genre is Cocteau Twins. Though they are assigned to a plethora of genres, Cocteau Twins emulated the ethereal darkwave sound through fuzzy production, dreamy melodies, and heavily-distorted vocals. Their distinct sound led to a cult following and has recently resulted in a new meme format poking fun at the band’s abstruse vocals.
Not only does Grimes recognize Cocteau Twins’ pioneering sound through their inclusion on her Ethereal playlist, but she was also heavily influenced by their music. In 2012, Grimes signed to 4AD, Cocteau Twins’ label which also has a reputation for discovering early new wave artists. After inking the deal, Grimes took to Twitter to share her excitement and credit Cocteau Twins for their inspiration. “just want 2 say i am so honoured to be releasing my next album with 4AD – a record label I have admired since I was 13 and first heard the cocteau twins and realized girls can make music, and goth is sick,” she wrote.
Okay, cool, but do subgenres really matter?
Grimes thinks they do, and she has a point. Creating distinct subgenres is more than just categorizing a sound, they’re a way for artists to create an identity and draw in a fanbase. Subgenres allow music to evolve and become distinct from a different time period, while still falling under an easily understandable umbrella of sound. Hyperpop, for example, draws influences from bubblegum pop of the early aughts but will inextricably be linked to the 2020s, meme culture, and the queer community.
Subgenres don’t only have philosophical value, but they also lead to revenue. Grimes’ music teeters on the threshold of a handful of genres: indie pop, dream pop, and electronic. But not having a specific home, she claims, causes her to be barred from genre-specific playlisting and roundups — which means less streams, less publicity, and therefore less money.
Grimes explained her stance back in late 2019 when she had first created a petition to officially launch the ethereal genre. “We are constantly told that Grimes doesn’t fit into any existing format or genre and therefore cannot be on playlists or radio,” she wrote. “We argue that there is a long lineage of auteur artists, often producing their own music and/or directing their own music videos. Oft with a heavy visual component and fantasy, sci fi or literary elements… often very ethereal, otherworldly and futuristic in nature.”
Grimes expanded on her vision for the ethereal genre in a recent statement, name dropping a few specific artists and calling for the category to be recognized by more playlists, radio stations, and the media at large:
“When you look at artists such as Bjork, Kate Bush, FKA Twigs, Eartheater, Yeule, Rosalía, I feel all of us are heavily influenced by sci-fi and fantasy. We often produce our own music and direct our own visuals (or are at least at the helm on such matters). I feel we are all dedicated to experimentalism but with strong elements of pop and universal beauty. I’m not rly sure how to describe it but I feel like there is a lineage of music here that I imagine I belong, too. I don’t want to speak for other artists, but I feel like there should be more playlists and radio stations dedicated to this creative realm because it seems to exist.”
Is creating a new subgenre really as easy as starting a petition?
For some artists, apparently so. But for others, not so much. Grimes’ new subgenre comes at a time when there’s already a larger conversation about the intersection of genres in popular music. Much like Grimes, several artists are trying to take their assigned genre into their own hands. Most notably is Justin Bieber, who decided to be classified as an R&B artist with his 2020 album Changes. Bieber called on several hip-hop producers to craft distinct beats and noted that he wanted the album to “embody” the R&B sound. He even pushed back on the Recording Academy for nominating him for a 2020 Grammy Award in several pop categories, stating that Changes “not being acknowledged as an R&B album [is] very strange to me.”
While Grimes and Bieber are able to shift between genres (or even create their own entirely), the same opportunity has not been afforded to Black artists. A few months before Bieber slighted the Recording Academy for calling him a pop artist, contemporary R&B musicians Teyana Taylor, Summer Walker, Kehlani, and Jhené Aiko got together for a roundtable discussion with Billboard on how R&B artists, many of whom are Black women, don’t get the commercial recognition they deserve. Aiko noted that there are many pop artists veering into the R&B genre who are still able to chart as pop and receive pop radio airplay. “Pop gets all the credit, for sure,” Walker chimed in. “We’re cute over here when they want to be in their feelings. But when it’s time to get to the money, it’s all about pop.”
Grimes successfully minting the ethereal genre proves that music is ever-evolving, so its labels must evolve as well. Empowering artists to reclaim their music’s classification can attract fanbases and revenue, but there also needs to be a concerted effort to make sure all musicians — not just pop artists — are able to have an equal say in the matter.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After making Billie Eilish the subject of a new cover story and some head-turning photos, British Vogue also got her to participate in their Ask A Legend video series. In the 19-minute video, Eilish sat down and answered pre-recorded questions from some of her famous peers. One of Denzel Curry’s questions in particular sticks out, as it reveals that Eilish has serious plans to make an animated show, which Eilish herself then confirmed.
At 14:33 into the video, Curry said, “OK, I got it. Billie, I got two questions. Question number one: When are you and [Eilish’s longtime friend Zoe Donahoe] going to make that show y’all were telling me about on tour? That’s one. And two: When am I going to see y’all again?”
Eilish responded:
“I don’t know, I don’t know. Me and Zoe, one of my best friends I’ve known since I was a baby, we were on tour with Denzel in like summer of 2019 and we had this cool idea to make this show, and I won’t get into it because it will happen! It will happen. It’s this animated show, but I don’t know, Denzel. I got other things to do first, but it’ll happen and I’ll tell you about it and then… there you go. But I don’t know. I love you, though. I miss you. When we get vaccinated, we’ll be back to our lives and we’ll hang out every day like we used to, promise.”
Elsewhere in the video, Eilish answered questions from Justin Bieber, Missy Elliott, Halle Berry, Denzel Curry, Avril Lavigne, Dominic Fike, Stormzy, Hailey Bieber, Arlo Parks, Orlando Bloom, Viola Davis, Tim Burton, Mel C, and Jessie Reyez, among others. Check it out above.
May is a great month for craft beer releases. Spring is in full swing, sure. But right now is actually when all the summer beers start to drop. That means craft breweries are launching their refreshing, light beers for a long season of sipping and crushing.
The best thing about summer brews is the variety. As mentioned, there are plenty of light, almost seltzer-like session beers available. But you also get the huge fruit-bomb IPAs with enough zest and sweet tropical fruits to almost transport you to a sunny beach under a palm tree. Summer beers can be light. They can be heavy (though they’re rarely dense, like a stout). They’re often bold. And they’re always quaffable AF.
Hopefully, the eight beers we’re giving love to this month will pique your interest and inspire you to explore exciting breweries in your neck of the woods. These picks represent regional craft beer releases from breweries that we vouch for (with tasting notes from the brewers themselves if we didn’t get to taste the beer yet, due to the pandemic), along with some seasonally released bottles that we’ve been looking forward to trying again.
This new release from Seattle’s iconic Elysian brewery is part of a bigger story. Their “Contact” beers are all somewhere in the dank West Coast hoppy range, with different releases highlighting different hop levels and characters. In this case, bright fruit is the driving force, hence the pre-summer release.
Tasting Notes:
This beer has a kick. It’s high ABV, sure, but the real kick is in the rush of pine resin dankness that leads towards mango creamsicles, orange flowers, and a touch of savory melon. The dank resin lasts the longest on the tongue with a high-level bitterness tempered by all that creamy fruit and a final hint of vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is close to the boldest beer on the list but not quite. The fruit really helps this brew go down easily, especially on a hot day. Though, don’t forget about those high ABVs. This beer will put you on your ass.
This is the boldest beer on this list. The IBUs (bitterness units) and ABV are almost off the charts high and you’ll feel it when you’re sipping this one. The brew has a foundation of Carapils, Two-row Pale, and Pilsner malts that support a tower of Chinook, Magnum, and Idaho 7 hops.
Tasting Notes:
The hops are the star of this show. There’s a touch of that classic Sierra Nevada malt far below the blast of floral hops, sticky pine sap, and almost chewy cannabis flowers. This is all about the floral dank with citrus zest making a bitter-ish appearance while brightening things up a little.
Bottom Line:
This is an IPA for true believers. If this is your first IPA, it might not only turn you off the style but off beer entirely. It’s a lot. If you think you’re ready for the mountaintop of the dankest of dank West Coast hop monsters, then this is going to be your jam all summer long.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DROP: New Belgium Dominga Mimosa Sour
This sour wheat beer spends a good amount of time mellowing in oak that held wine. The brew is then spiked with Calamansi oranges to help edge it towards a classic brunch mimosa.
“Inspired by bottomless sips in the sun, this citrusy-sweet sour ale shines with flavors of Mexican orange, tangerine, preserved calamansi fruit and is blended with wood-aged golden sour. Perfect for any day ending in ‘y’.”
Bottom Line:
New Belgium’s last Dominga release was a wonderful Sunday brunch sipper. We can’t imagine this new release doesn’t live up to the line’s easy drinkability and light body, making it the perfect brunch pairing beer.
SOUTHERN DROP: Jester King Balcones Bourbon Barrel Aged Montmorency vs. Balaton Batch 2
We love Jester King Brewing. We love Balcones Distilling. This is the Texas beer and whisky match that speaks directly to us. Batch 2 is a wild ale that’s been double-aged in Balcones whisky barrels and former wine barrels for 21 months with a lot of Montmorency and Balaton cherries right in the barrel.
“Our brewing team gets flavors and aromas of old fashioned, Red Hots, SOUR PUNCH® Cherry Straws, and graham cracker pie crust.”
Bottom Line:
We were lucky enough to snag a bottle of Balcones Bourbon Barrel Aged Moderne Dansk from Jester King. And yeah, it was a hell of a beer. There’s no way this isn’t going to be a subtly divine sip of beer from a big bottle that’s worth sharing with any close friend or lover who really cares about beer.
This May release from Great Lakes is a consistent winner. It helps that hefeweizen is pretty much the perfect summer beer, to begin with. This American crafty version takes the soft fruitiness of a good German wheat beer and layers in lemon via a lemon puree and oil-filled lemon peels.
Tasting Notes:
When you crack this open, especially a can, you’re greeted with a spritz of light and bright lemon oils. The body of the beer is light and not overly-fizzed. Think of something more akin to a homemade lemonade with fizzy water that’s been amped up with almost spicy maltiness and bright citrus.
Bottom Line:
This beer is f*cking crushable, especially when the weather gets too hot. The lemonade aspect really shines as the maltier side of the wheat beer reminds you that you are indeed enjoying a nice, cold glass of the sudsy stuff.
It seems like every five to seven years, “Organic” beers make the rounds with craft brewers. This time around, Allagash has crafted a subtle Belgian blonde ale with local and organic ingredients that highlight the agriculture of Maine.
Tasting Notes:
Subtlety is what really drives the beauty of this beer. There’s a nice hint of peppery spice next to fresh bushes of mint with hints of funky yeasts, dry straw, and sweetened malts. There’s a bit of an oatmeal cake vibe with orange icing that kind of brings the whole sip together with a malty, fruity, peppery throughline.
Bottom Line:
This is just a solid beer all around. While this beer is organic to its core, the taste of this beer is the reason you should buy it because it’s just … damn tasty.
A perennial favorite, Upslope’s German Style Pilsner has become the ultimate marker that summer is indeed here. This seasonal May release is all about balance. The malts and hops find a certain harmony in this beer that is rarely seen outside of Bohemia and Bavaria.
Tasting Notes:
This beer is light, in the sense that there’s nothing weighing it down. It’s still bursting with bready maltiness, floral hoppiness, and light notes of straw. The body of the beer is all about freshly cut grass, orange marmalade on hefty bread, and a bouquet of wildflowers.
Bottom Line:
This is the most crushable beer on the list. The ABVs are below five percent, which means you can enjoy a few of these refreshers as the days get longer and the backyard fills with barbecue smoke.
INTERNATIONAL PICK OF THE MONTH: Helles Schlenkerla Lagerbier
Speaking of smoke-filled backyards and long summer nights, Bamberg’s Schlenkerla has just the beer for backyard sipping this year. Their Helles Lagerbier is a full-bodied lager that is smoked-beer adjacent. This brew is a lager that uses Bavarian malts which are fermented in the same tanks they make their smoked beers in. So the beer picks up a very faint hint of smoke without using smoked malts. The brew is then barreled in wood and lagered in the old Schlenkerla cellars until it’s ready.
Tasting Notes:
Heavy-seeded bread with a hint of sour butter mingles with floral hops and a twinge of fatty bacon smoke. Hints of orange zest, old cellar beams, minerality, and more of that heavy bread with butter dominate the palate as the smoke lingers very far in the background and almost completely disappears.
Bottom Line:
This is another crushable brew. The lower ABVs make is the perfect session beer for an all-day smoke session in the backyard. As far as smoked beers go, this is 100 percent a lager first and foremost with a nod towards the world of smoked beers, making it very accessible even to the average beer drinker.
After attaining his first No. 1 album with A Gangsta’s Pain, Moneybagg Yo is well on his way to becoming a household name. However, when it comes to names, the Memphis rapper was surprised to find his government name used as trivia during a Music Choice stream of his album’s defiant single “Time Today.” Catching a video of the moment, Yo zoomed in on the “Did You Know?” section of the screen informing viewers that “Moneybagg Yo’s real name is Demario Dewayne White Jr.,” declaring Music Choice to be “police as hell.”
“Appreciate the love but damn!” he exclaims in the video. “Talking about, ‘Did y’all know his real name?’”
Moneybagg Yo must not have Googled himself recently because it isn’t that hard to find this information in the public sphere. For what it’s worth though, the whole point of a trivia section is to reveal things to a reader that they might not have been aware of before. One person who did seem amused by Moneybagg’s real name — or at least, his reaction to it — was Drake, who commented on DJ Akademiks’ post about Yo’s discovery. “DD White mayne,” he wrote, accompanying his post with several laughing emojis.
Instagram
Ultimately, Moneybagg Yo is likely to be the one to get the last laugh. He’s been too busy celebrating his wins to worry about internet commenters throwing shade, laughing off one critic’s assertion on TikTok that one of his recent performances was “boring.”
You can read Uproxx’s review of A Gangsta’s Painhere.
May is the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month, which has prompted several musicians have opened up about their own personal struggles. Selena Gomez recently unveiled an initiative to campaign for greater mental health education in schools, detailing how “scary and lonely” it can be to undergo depression alone. Following suit, Ariana Grande says she’s committed to ending the sigma surrounding open conversations on mental health.
Grande ushered in Mental Health Awareness Month by sharing some important information on social media. Posting a mental health-related infographic, the singer shared a handful of specific mental health crisis lines and treatment centers across the country. “here’s to ending the stigma around mental health and normalizing asking for help,” Grande wrote alongside the infographic. “healing isn’t linear, fun, quick or at all easy but we are here and we’ve got to commit to making this time as healthy, peaceful and beautiful as possible. the work is so hard but we are capable and worth it. sending so much love and strength.”
Grande’s commitment to mental health awareness comes on the heels of another major career success: The singer’s “Save Your Tears” remix with The Weeknd officially hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts this week, earning both Grande and The Weeknd their sixth career chart-toppers.
The dream of every 10-year-old after watching Star Wars for the first time has come true: Disney has created a real-life, working lightsaber. It’s debatable if we’re living in a more civilized age, but it definitely looks less clumsy and random than a blaster.
As part of May the 4th Be With You, a.k.a. Star Wars Day, Disney revealed details about the much-anticipated Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where park attendees will be able to go on “an all-immersive, two-night vacation experience that goes beyond anything Disney has ever created before.” Here’s more:
Yes, that’s a new type of lightsaber Rey is holding in her hand, created by Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development. Guests who experience Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be the first to see it in action – along with so much more – starting in 2022 when this amazing new two-night adventure debuts.
Watching that lightsaber activate right before your eyes will be just one of the countless ways that, from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart, you’ll be plunged into a Star Wars story where your decisions and actions – or even the casual conversations you may have – determine how your personal journey unfolds.
Along with the lightsaber, Galactic Starcruiser visitors will also eat and drink in the Corellia Dining Room (“The dining room is a bright and welcoming hall that will offer breakfast and lunch to passengers before transitioning each evening into a lavish multi-course menu of both otherworldly and familiar origins”). From the moment you arrive, you’ll feel like you’re on an actual spaceship, with viewports and a bunch of weird aliens milling about. I’m going to pull a Holdo maneuver if there’s not at least one Toydarian.
For more details on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, head here.
Back in October, it was revealed that former Blink-182 leader Tom DeLonge was making his directorial debut with a film called Monsters Of California. Deadline previously described the film as “a coming of age adventure with a science fiction twist that follows teenager Dallas Edwards […] and his derelict friends on a quest for the meaning behind a series of mysterious, paranormal events in Southern California.” Now, one of the movie’s stars, beloved and omnipresent actor Richard Kind, has spoken about the experience with Seth Meyers on Late Night. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it seems DeLonge spent a lot of time on set talking about UFOs and aliens.
After telling Meyers that he doesn’t believe in aliens, Kind continued:
“I gotta tell you: The guy who directed it, his name is […] Tom DeLonge. He was a singer for Blink-182. He loves aliens, he loves UFOs, has met with the Pentagon, and the whole time we’re shooting… and he’s a lovely guy, good director, everything like that… he was a great skateboarder and he’s a rock and roller who’s a director now, OK? So I’m memorizing lines […] I’m in the scene and everything and he goes, “No no no, dude! Dude! You gotta listen to this story! There was one time this alien…’ I’m going, ‘Tom! Tom! Direct! Don’t tell me your stories about aliens! Let me… I’m working here!’ It was fun, it was hilarious.”
Check out the full interview below.
Blink-182 is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This week in the best new pop music saw some highly-anticipated releases. Billie Eilish returned with a vulnerable track, Bebe Rexha tapped Lil Uzi Vert for an empowering earworm, and Miley Cyrus linked up with rising rapper The Kid Laroi for a kiss-off tune.
Billie Eilish released the stripped-down and stirring single “Your Power” this week after officially announcing her sophomore album Happier Than Ever. The track is a melancholic take on the prevalence of men abusing their power in the music industry, a nuanced issue that Eilish addresses with a delicate vocal delivery.
Bebe Rexha — “Die For A Man” Feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Debuting another track from her forthcoming album Better Mistakes, Bebe Rexha taps Lil Uzi Vert for the radio-ready hit “Die For A Man.” Steeped in empowerment, Rexha confidently addresses the importance of putting herself first in a relationship over a shuffling beat.
The Kid Laroi — “Without You” Feat. Miley Cyrus
After weeks of teasing, The Kid Laroi dropped his Miley Cyrus-featuring “Without You” remix. A soothing guitar’s strumming chords craft a backbone for Cyrus’ wispy vocals, where she playfully details how she’s learned to grow after moving on from past relationships (and damning headlines).
DJ Khaled — “Let It Go” Feat. Justin Bieber, 21 Savage
DJ Khaled dropped the star-studded project Khaled Khaled this week, which boasted big-name artists like Drake and Cardi B. It also featured the more buoyant tune, “Let It Go,” with Justin Bieber and 21 Savage. Over a snappy beat, Bieber and 21 Savage trade inspiring verses on the importance of focusing on the bigger picture.
Jessie Ware — “Please”
Jessie Ware returned this week for another disco banger. “Please” arrives off her What’s Your Pleasure? deluxe release and features the familiar cascade of sparkling synths, groove-forward beats, and Ware’s euphoric lyrical delivery. “‘Please’ is full of optimism and ready to be played in a place where we can all be together and flirt, dance, touch, and kiss,” she said about the track. “A wonderful excuse not to stop the party from ending.”
Hayley Kiyoko — “Found My Friends”
In her first new single of the year, Hayley Kiyoko shares “Found My Friends.” The dark pop track draws on brooding synths and layered harmonies, which offer a intriguing contrast to Kiyoko’s sunny vocals. “‘Found My Friends’ is a song I wrote during a challenging time when I realized instead of being my own worst enemy, I could actually be my own best friend,” she said. “It’s about discovering and nurturing a strong friendship with yourself.”
Julia Michaels — “Little Did I Know”
Julia Michaels released her long-awaited debut LP Not In Chronological Order this week. Much like the album as a whole, her track “Little Did I Know” showcases Michaels’ vulnerable songwriting. The track also marks a sincere and newfound hope about the possibilities of love, which Michaels details in her impassioned lyrical delivery.
Still Woozy — “Kenny”
Dream pop aficionado Still Woozy offered “Kenny” as an anthem for self-sufficiency this week, trading in his signature layered synths for a more guitar-focused tune. Inspired by the picturesque landscapes and intriguing people of Montana, the song itself reflects a sense of lonely wonder. “I wrote ‘Kenny’ after experiencing life in the great plains of Montana for a bit,” he said. “I met people I will never forget, people never fed by the silver spoon who could genuinely laugh about gambling away 60k in one night, people living in what felt at the time to be the middle of nowhere.”
Girl In Red — “Body And Mind”
This week marked the official release of Girl In Red’s anticipated LP If I Could Make The World Quiet. Much of the album boasts vulnerable lyrics, but her snappy tune “Body And Mind” is a more playful tune. Its popping hook and interesting production displays a jazzier side of Girl In Red’s music, while the track’s lyrics speak to the difficulties of healing from heartbreak.
The Marías — “Hush”
After sharing a handful of effervescent singles, The Marías have officially unveiled their debut full-length album Cinema with the dark pop anthem track “Hush.” Over a reverberating beat, vocalist María Zardoya’s gossamer vocals delicately ushers in an era of sensual-yet-energizing music.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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