Glastonbury, historically speaking, has a strong claim to the “biggest festival” crown. Glasto has been kicking since way back in the ’70s, before solidifying as an annual event in the ’80s (save for fallow years), with artists like Elvis Costello, The Smiths, and The Cure leading early lineups.
Of course, so much has changed since then. Today’s music industry would be unrecognizable to a time-traveler from Glasto’s early days (although they might be surprised by how much vinyl is still sold). The sorts of music that fans crave have undergone radical shifts; Charli XCX’s set from this year might have a “Victorian child” effect on a festivalgoer from 1982.
But, in another sense, many things remain the same. Heck, even The Cure’s Robert Smith is still involved, via a fest-defining moment when he shared the stage with headliner Olivia Rodrigo. Some of modern music’s most dynamic and exciting artists continue to lead lineups, whether it’s Rodrigo, Charli XCX, The 1975, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Doechii, or Lola Young. There were crowd-pleasing vintage favorites, too, like Rod Stewart, Travis, and Kim Deal of the Pixies and The Breeders. After all these years, it’s also still an event capable of surprising: Lorde opened the weekend with an unannounced daytime performance, during which she played the entirety of her new album Virgin live for the first time.
It’s an event of remarkable breadth as well. Even if you didn’t see a single one of the aforementioned acts, you could still have had a 10-out-of-10, no-notes weekend. This year’s fest had literally thousands of performances on dozens of stages. It’s a bit of a “how many grains of sand are on all the world’s beaches” situation when it comes to how many unique Glastonbury weekends are possible, depending on any given attendee’s musical interests and scheduling priorities.
That makes Glasto futile to sum up in any definitive way, but what can be said is this: The high points were high and the options beyond them were nearly limitless. It was hard to go wrong at Glastonbury this year, and it’s thanks to the mix of quality and quantity that the festival has endured as long and prosperously as it has.
Check out some exclusive photos from Glastonbury 2025 below.
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Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in July. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, July 4
Dropkick Murphys — For The People (Dummy Luck Music)
Kesha — . (Kesha Records)
Rival Consoles — Landscape from Memory (Erased Tapes)
THISTLE. — it’s nice to see you, stranger EP (Venn Records)
Friday, July 11
81355 — Bad Dogs (Joyful Noise Recordings)
Africa Express — Africa Express Presents… Bahidorá (World Circuit Limited)
Allo Darlin’ — Bright Nights (Fika Recordings)
Amy Macdonald — Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For? (BMG)
Backstreet Boys — Millennium 2.0 (RCA Records)
Barry Can’t Swim — Loner (Ninja Tune)
Brent Cobb & The Fixin’ — Ain’t Rocked in a While (Ol Buddy Records)
Burna Boy — No Sign of Weakness (Spaceship Incorporated Limited)
Dom Salvador, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad — Dom Salvador JID024 (Jazz is Dead)
Charlotte OC — Seriously Love, Go Home EP (Embassy of Music)
Cian Ducrot — Little Dreaming (Polydor)
Clipse — Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse)
Fuubutsushi — Columbia Deluxe (American Dreams Records)
Gina Birch — Trouble (Third Man)
Givēon — Beloved (Epic Records)
Gwenno — Utopia (Heavenly Recordings)
Half Japanese — Adventure (Fire Records)
Joey Waronker and Pete Min — King King (Colorfield Records)
Kokoroko — Tuff Times Never Last (Brownswood Recordings)
Mal Blum — The Villain (Get Better Records)
Mark Stewart — The Fateful Symmetry (Mute)
MF Tomlinson — Die to Wake Up From a Dream (Prah Recordings)
Midnight Rodeo — Chaos Era (FatCat)
Molly Joyce — State Change (130701)
Murry Hammond — Trail Songs of the Deep (Fluff and Gravy Records)
N8NOFACE — As Of Right Now (Stones Throw Records)
Nate Mercereau, Josh Johnson, and Carlos Niño — Openness Trio (Blue Note)
Noah Cyrus — I Want My Loved Ones To Go With Me (Columbia)
Petey USA — The Yips (Capitol)
Split Chain — motionblur (Epitaph)
The Swell Season — Forward (Masterkey Sounds)
TOKiMONSTA — Eternal Reverie with Eternal Reverie Remixes EP. 3 (Young Art Records)
Wet Leg — Moisturizer (Domino)
Friday, July 18
Above & Beyond — Bigger Than All Of Us (Anjunabeats)
Alex G — Headlights (RCA)
Alex Warren — You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Atlantic)
Avalon — permanent californian EP (KRO Records)
Billie Marten — Dog Eared (Fiction Records)
Bush — I Beat Loneliness (earMUSIC)
Colin Hay — Man @ Work Volume 2 (Compass Records)
Coral Grief — Air Between Us (Suicide Squeeze Records)
Dream, Ivory — When You Come Back I Have So Much To Tell You (Dream, Ivory)
Dylan Gossett — Westward (Mercury Records)
Fletcher — Would You Still Love Me If You Really Knew Me? (EMI)
Forth Wanderers — The Longer This Goes On (Sub Pop)
Hannah Holland — Last Exit on Bethnal (Prah Recordings)
Healy — Force of Nature (Big Youth)
Jackson Wang — MAGICMAN 2 (88rising)
Jade Bird — Who Wants to Talk About Love? (Glassnote)
Jessie Murph — Sex Hysteria (Columbia Records)
Joe Bonamassa — Breakthrough (J&R Adventures)
Joyner Lucas — ADHD 2 (Joyner Lucas)
Laura Jane Grace — Adventure Club (Polyvinyl)
Lord Huron — The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 (Whispering Pines Studios)
Real Clairo-heads remember that back in late 2020, during the pandemic days, she formed a band called Shelly alongside Claud, Josh Mehling, and Noa Frances Getzug. They released a pair of songs, “Steeeam” and “Natural,” and Clairo explained at the time, “My best friends and i made a band and put out an A/B side- ‘Steeeam’ and ‘Natural.’ We created everything during quarantine in LA, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.”
Then, more recently, Clairo teased a pair of Shelly songs that were about to be liberated from the vault, writing in an Instagram Story (as Stereogum notes), “Both songs were written 5 years ago too 🙂 Kept them safe, produced them out And soon they’ll be yours.” Those two songs, “Cross Your Mind” and “Hartwell,” are here now. The tracks have less polish than a typical contemporary Clairo song (not in a bad way) and fans who liked the original Shelly tunes ought to enjoy these, too.
Meanwhile, Clairo recently discussed her friendship with Phoebe Bridgers, saying, Phoebe is so grounded, real, sweet, and such a wise person.” (Claud, by the way, is signed to Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label.)
We’re now two weeks out from Petey USA’s new album, The Yips, and now he has offered the project’s thesis statement via the title track that’s out today (July 1).
On the tune, Petey captures the uncertainty and frustration of having “the yips,” a mysterious condition, most commonly associated with athletes, where somebody is suddenly unable to do things that previously were second-nature to them. He sings, “I’ve got the yips, read my lips / I used to run this town, then I got sick / I can’t hear anything, I lost my sight / Could someone rub some mud over my eyes? / I followed all the rules, I showed up every day / Could you explain to me what’s making me this way?”
He recently said of the track, “My best song the yips comes out a week from today. This is a song you can very much WALK to – so at the very least, there is that. This song is great – and there is an epic saxophone solo that you’re gonna love.” He later called it “the song I am most most proud of.”
Petey previously said of the album, “The album’s about going through a period where just nothing’s clicking, so you go to a bar where everyone can collect themselves and get drunk. […] I don’t want to get into the toxic part of masculinity, but I also want to avoid the other side of it that weaponizes therapy-talk. I’m just singing about being there for your friends.”
Listen to “The Yips” above, and find Petey’s upcoming tour dates below.
Petey USA’s 2025 Tour Dates
07/09 — Chicago, IL @ Metro *
07/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
07/15 — West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour *
07/25 — Columbia, MD @ Chrysalis at Merriweather Park #
07/26 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage #
07/27 — LaFayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards #
08/29 — Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
08/30 — Huntington, WV @ Joan C. Edwards Stadium ^
* The Yips album release show
# supporting Rainbow Kitten Surprise
^ supporting Zach Bryan
The Yips is out 7/11 via Capitol Records. Find more information here.
Lorde’s new album Virgin is a few days old now, so Lorde decided to reflect on the release by sharing some behind-the-scenes info about the project.
Taking to Instagram yesterday (June 30), Lorde offered a list of trivia facts about the album. For example, “David” was the first song from the project that she started and one of the last to be finished. Lorde also noted there was one song that was cut “last-minute” because she “thought it diluted the vision,” and she added there are a “couple really good B sides knocking around.”
The post reads in full:
“She is three days old. Favs???
Some L4 facts:
— First song started (and second to last finished) was David
— Last song started was Clearblue. Last song finished was Broken Glass
— Hardest song was FD, to write, to produce, to sing. Kicked my ass
— We cut a song last minute because I thought it diluted the vision!! One of my absolute favs that I wrote with Fabi. Couple really good B sides knocking around actually
— I had had dreams of sampling Morning Love for like 8 years, it’s so sexy and murky to me and I loved the contrast w the really organic fragile guitar stuff. Happened to be in the exact same key, meant 2 be
— I had constant constant insomnia making this album. I wrote most of the FD lyrics, CA first verse, Clearblue, and David second verse right before dawn.
— My favourite sound on the album is a tie btw the ripping tremolo + icy vocal adlib at the end of David and the start of Hammer. People always thought the linked start and end of PH was intentional; it wasn’t, but starting and ending Virgin at the fountain was <3
Love u, thank u so much for listening. Got a show to cook now.”
Being an independent artist has never been easy — and with the constantly changing internet landscape, advent of TikTok, and razor focus on streaming services — it doesn’t seem to be getting easier. Still, creative music makers are excited to put their music in front of audiences despite the challenges, even when their challenges are more complex than their counterparts. Enter ILENE, a genre-bending, sound-defying hyperpop alternative artist. Her visceral pop bangers put her on the map in 2019, with fans finding her on BandLab, and resonating with her sharp delivery and in-your-face lyrical antics. The DIY ethos of the platform worked well for Monica Ilene Lackey, who had been writing songs her whole life, and she went on to win two of BandLab’s global songwriting competitions and became the first recipient of their Creator Grant in 2022. Critics took note, with NME calling her an artist to watch, referring to her turbulent tracks as “enticingly dark delights.”
With the talent, looks, and fearlessness to pursue her career, chart success felt like the obvious next step for ILENE, but as a Black artist making music that didn’t fit into the neat boxes of R&B or rap, she faced challenges getting her music to the world and being accepted by the industry and fans who thought she should present in a certain way.
Now, she’s working on an EP with Grammy-nominated producer Epikh Pro (Bryson Tiller, Cardi B, Eminem) and excited to share her most unpredictable bars and soundscapes yet. The first taste for that collection of tracks, “HONEY NUT” is a raunchy yet hilarious and sonically playful bop. “I want it to be stuck in their heads,” ILENE says of the summertime track. “It’s so fun and I want people to have fun singing it, even if they don’t sing the whole song, it’ll be hard not to scream, ‘Mario, cheerio, cereal’ over and over,” she tells UPROXX.
Below, ILENE talks to us about the specific issues of being a Black independent artist, what she hopes will change in the industry, and how she plans on getting her songs out into the world.
I love your new track “HONEY NUT” — with the references to video games and the echoing in the open. How did that song come to you?
The song is hilarious because it’s very raunchy and off the wall at times. It’s so not serious. I literally got this song idea while I was pouring chemicals down my pipes, literally having a plumbing issue. Also, I have been celibate for over two or three years [Laughs]. It’s funny and it’s upbeat. I love the fact that it’s playful and there’s a call and response. It gets stuck in your head. That’s what happened to me … it was like I didn’t write the song, so to speak, it just came to my head. I was pouring stuff down the drain, and it reminded me of the game Super Mario Smash Bros, how they jump through the pipes. That was exciting, how quickly that song came to me. I hope that the song makes people feel empowered and fun, flirty, cute, sexy, badass. Just so they can do whatever they want, even if their pipes haven’t been cleaned in years.
How has the reaction been from listeners?
There have been double standards. There was a guy with a social media platform that reviewed it. he said it was inappropriate and needed more innuendo than being direct. Then people were in the comments like, “You literally just played a song that was way raunchier.” He had literally just played a rap song with disgusting lyrics and the guy couldn’t even sing and he’d loved it. And then the minute it was a woman talking about sexual empowerment, he hated it. He went on to triangulate me and Sabrina Carpenter… he said she was great because she wasn’t so direct, because of the innuendo.
Interesting that he’s ok with it if it’s a man or a white artist. What are some of the issues you’ve dealt with as a Black artist putting out music and resonating with fans?
BandLab had picked me during Black History Month as one of the Black artists on their platform a few years back. When they did, people were like…“She isn’t even black.” Growing up in my family, things were always fractured. There was a whole identity thing from my parents’ skin tones being vastly different and I don’t look like either of them completely. My mother, she would go out in the sun, hoping for darker skin and only getting freckles. So when I would rap and say the ‘N’ word, people would say that I couldn’t say that word. I was getting attacked online. I don’t want to be a victim in this whole… but we’re in 2025, and people fail to realize that Black people could look differently, in a wide range of ways. I feel like my identity has been policed. Even with “HONEY NUT” I say the ‘N word’ twice and someone wrote in a comment, “You sound like a white girl and you don’t look Black… you shouldn’t be saying that.” I’m so tired of having to defend my Blackness. I’m so tired of having to defend each and every part of me all the time, even being racially ambiguous or a more “palatable” Black girl… This wouldn’t even be happening if I looked how people would expect me to look.
I remember reading about Tina Turner when she was trying to get radio play and feeling like she was in between — not Black enough for Black radio and not white enough for white radio. How do you hope that changes in the future?
Just not being boxed in and for people to know that people are not a monolith and that everyone, each and every one of us, regardless of how we look, we’re all capable of being multifaceted and into multiple different things. I feel like you shouldn’t have to just pick one genre and stick to it. I feel like a lot of artists have gotten blowback. When you see artists go into the country genre or or pop artists go into rock… artists are allowed to explore in different genres more now than ever. It does feel like people are freer than they’ve ever been to explore different genres.
What are you most excited to share with fans next?
I have a couple of singles that are coming up and I am working on an EP. It’s pop, alt pop, hyper pop. I’ll be dropping singles every single month. It’s going to be very much the inside of my closet and there are clothes all over the floor and it’s like you’re picking up a mini skirt, like “oh that’s cute,” and there are panties, a cardigan, a tee, and rollerskates. There’s a bit of everything. That’s how the EP is, it’s amazing, but it’s [chaotic] too.
Earlier this year, burgeoning British pop star Rachel Chinouriri shared a heartfelt and heartwrenching post with her followers on X. She’d just opened for Sabrina Carpenter’s European tour, meeting new fans and commanding arenas as if she were the headline act. Still, the Brit award nominee was met with a rude awakening once she started to scroll through Tweets about her — namely a repost of a video of her dazzling a crowd in Paris. One of the comments (which she had to push the translate button to decipher) read: “I’m afraid she won’t be able to break through like Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell, because she’s Black … may God protect my girl.”
Chinouriri responded: “Feel pretty sad tbh but this just reminds me… you can open for the biggest popstar in the world and the internet will still remind you daily that simply being black will make it twice as hard to be a indie pop star,” she wrote. “I deserve to feel like I have a chance at a successful music career because I love storytelling and hope people like me because of my music and not just because of my race.” She added that there was a reason she’d been so vocal about the issues facing Black pop and indie artists during her career, noting: “I won’t let being a black woman stop me from trying and no matter how my career pans out, at least I know I tried my best.” She closed her statement, powerfully, sharing: “Lots of black girls aspiring to be in indie/pop music have this fear … I know it all too well … and I hope my fight to change this narrative behind the scenes and publicly contributes to inspire the future generations of young black girls to keep going and remember you are allowed to just be whoever you want to be and not what the world wants to shape you into.”
Last Summer, the platform had been a ray of hope for Chinouriri, after she reposted a now-deleted poster’s request to see more Black girls in the indie and pop space, and received thousands of interactions as burgeoning stars commented — confirming that despite the fact that those artists are plentiful, their representation in the genre was not. As pop moves back to the center — and stars like Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Sabrina and more dominate the charts and headline festival line-ups typically topped by rock and hip-hop acts, it’s time to make more space on the top for Black pop stars who despite having more barriers to entry are just as talented, chart-worthy, and motivated to break the norms as their white counterparts.
Below, check out just a few of the Black artists making pop and indie music, and proving to the world that they are allowed to be whoever they say (or sing) they are.
Floweroflove
Getty Image
A mix of melodic pop, sharp lyricism, and stage-worthy style — 20-year-old Londoner flowerovlove has been slowly making a name for herself — first by churning out viral TikTok hits like her bubbly track “breaking news.” She’s opened for the likes of Halsey, Olivia Rodrigo, and is set to play her first US festivals this year at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Her witty writing and vulnerability are magnetizing to her fan base, with tracks like “I’ve seen ur ex” and her latest “new friends” blending the diary-esque title of indie songwriting with the type of one-liners we’re used to hearing on radio-friendly tracks. When she’s not busy churning out internet earworms, she’s modeling and working with formidable fashion houses like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, pushing her to a kind of “It Girl” status most pop girlies don’t achieve until they’ve dropped multiple No. 1 hits. With her global reach expanding, fans like SZA taking notice, and no plans of stopping anytime soon, it’s safe to say this is only the beginning for the star.
Alemeda
Lee Shaner
Alt-pop star Alemeda has just returned from tour with fellow Black pop icon Rachel Chinouriri, creating the world they want to see in real time across multiple stages in the US. On June 30, she dropped her visuals for “Chameleon,” which also features Chinouriri — the duo unleashing chaos at an ex’s house as the early 2000s esque pop-punk songs plays in the background, under Alemeda’s ethereal vocals. The TDE signed artist has had an epic year, and the hits keep coming with a promise to collab with fellow alternative artists from her label, plans to hit the road with Halsey later this month, and a spot on the 2025 Lollapalooza line-up. The Sudanese-Ethiopian singer first made waves in 2021 with her hit “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows,” (which she did a UPROXX sessions performance for in 2022) and has continued to spark conversation following the release of her EP last year, FK IT. With angsty writing and a penchant for pop punk and soulful vocals, Alameda’s ability to merge genres will see her climbing the charts, line-ups, and to the top of larger and larger stages.
Rachel Chinouriri
Getty Image
Rachel Chinouriri may seem to be getting a lot of love in this piece, but it’s well deserved. Not only has the London-based alternative indie-pop artist spoken up for her Black pop counterparts, she’s done so by making one thing abundantly clear: love me for my music, not my skin color (or vice versa). The fact that she can back it up — with sold-out crowds on both sides of the Atlantic, a cover story for Cosmopolitan UK, cosigns for mega pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter and actress Florence Pugh alike, and (most importantly) a gorgeous, heart-open set of songs that sound gorgeous live. Last May, she released her debut album, What A Devastating Turn Of Events, which has been praised for being moving, soul-bearing, and impossible to forget. With her Y2K style, “It Girl” designation, and ability to hold her space in conversation and arena stages globally, we won’t be surprised if she soon becomes a household name.
Colombian singer Karol G has teamed up with Amazon Music for an exclusive merch collection inspired by her new album, Tropicoqueta. Not only does the collection include special edition CDs and vinyl of the new album, which features her song “Latina Foreva,” it also contains T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, and even PopSockets and phone cases branded with references to the album.
Here’s what you can find in the collection:
Tropicoqueta Tropical Blue 2LP Vinyl Tropicoqueta Tangerine 2LP Vinyl (Amazon Exclusive) Tropicoqueta CD Tropicoqueta Tee – Stone Wash T-shirt
Coconuts Tee – White T-shirt with turquoise graphic Tropicoqueta Baby Tee – Cropped T-shirt with pineapple design
Coconuts Hoodie – Orange hoodie with turquoise graphic
Congas Hoodie – White hoodie featuring orange album cover print
Congas Tote Bag – White tote bag with orange album cover print Tropicoqueta Visor – White and turquoise sporty visor
Congas Phone Case – Sleek, protective phone case with album artwork
Coconuts PopSocket – Adhesive pop grip featuring album logo
Rocío Guerrero, Director of Latin-Iberia at Amazon Music, said in a statement: “Karol G continues to break boundaries and redefine what it means to be a global artist. This capsule is more than merch, it’s a cultural statement that reflects her creative vision and deep connection with fans. At Amazon Music, we’re proud to collaborate with artists like Karol who shape identity, move culture forward, and inspire the next generation through music, style, and storytelling.”
Here’s how you can shop the collection:
The Amazon Music/Karol G Tropicoqueta merch is available for purchase on the Amazon Music app or at Amazon.com/KAROLG.
Tropicoqueta is out now via Bichota Records and Interscope. You can find more info here.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of June below.
My Chemical Romance — Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (Deluxe Edition)
My Chemical Romance
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena” were huge breakout singles for MCR, and they both come from Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. The project turns 21 this year and the band is celebrating with a new deluxe edition that comes with bonus live versions, all available on multiple vinyl variations.
There’s not really another band quite like The B-52s, and their discography is a must-have for any vinyl collection. This new set is the perfect entry point, as it includes their first six albums, all of their original run from 1979 to 1992, all of which have been newly remastered for this special release.
Figure 8 has became an iconic part of the late Elliott Smith’s legacy, and this vinyl pressing might be the best-ever version of it. It’s a vinyl version of a deluxe edition that was previously digital-only, and it includes every B-side and previously released solo acoustic and alternate version, not to mention three perfect white/red/black LPs.
Robin Trower — For Earth Below (50th Anniversary Edition)
Chrysalis Records
It’s been 50 years since For Earth Below, Robin Trower Band’s first top-5 album in the US, was released. The group is commemmorating the occasion with a new deluxe edition, which is newly remastered and comes with fresh liner notes, including an interview with Trower himself.
Load was a major pivot for Metallica, a shift that paid off as it was another No. 1 album for the group. Now the project has been freshly remastered, but not just that, as included in this massive new set are previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, and plenty more.
Times have been tough for vinyl-collecting Kodak fans, as the rapper doesn’t have a rich history with the medium. Thanks to The Collection, though, a number of his hits are available on vinyl for the first time via this release, which features everything from “Roll In Peace” to “Codeine Dreaming.”
Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna (Reissue) and Wilco’s A.M. (Reissue)
Rhino
The Rhino High Fidelity reissues series pulls the best from Warner’s esteemed catalog, and the latest albums to get this special treatment are Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna and Wilco’s A.M. They’re both limited to 5,000 numbered copies, have been newly mastered, and come with fresh liner notes.
Stone Temple Pilots — Tiny Music… Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop (Reissue)
MoFi
Tiny Music is a key part of Stone Temple Pilots’ prosperous ’90s run, and now it’s gotten perhaps its best vinyl pressing ever. Here, it’s available in audiophile sound for the first time, sourced from the original analogue tapes, making this the release for both STP obsessives and those looking to get into the album for the first time.
Clueless is an enduring time capsule of its era, and so too is its soundtrack. The OST, featuring everybody from Radiohead to Beastie Boys to Coolio, is available in a new vinyl pressing, in either classic black or a perfectly on-brand pink. Celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary by adding this great album to your collection.
Jaws (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Reissue)
UMe
Is there a more iconic movie soundtrack moment than the repeated “dun-dun” from Jaws? It’d certainly be hard to pick one, but either way, John Williams’ legendary score is available now in two fantastic vinyl editions, one that looks like blood in water and another that’s actually filled with liquid.
Few bands have ever come out of the gate harder than did New York Dolls on their self-titled debut in 1973. Now, MoFi has given it the high-fidelity vinyl release it deserves, sourced from the original master tapes to highlight Todd Rundgren’s production.
The Weeknd isn’t a streaming music star. Well, he is, often duking it out to be the top of the Spotify’s monthly play charts and holding both the most streamed song on the platform (“Blinding Lights” is about to cross 5 billion streams, with “Starboy” holding strong as the third-biggest song ever streamed). But to classify The Weeknd as just that discounts so much of what makes him a legitimate answer for the biggest pop star in the world.
The Weeknd has been a critical darling, starting out as a well-reviewed R&B enigma with his initial mixtape trilogy of House Of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes Of Silence, and regaining such esteem with some of his recent big-tent offerings like After Hours and Dawn FM. He’s a multidiscipline creator, spreading his wings in the realms of television (The Idol) and film (Hurry Up Tomorrow). And, he’s a live-music force, selling out stadiums and becoming a Coachella fixture who can even step in a replacement headliner when all else fails.
His run at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles last week saw a staggering four sold-out nights, a record for a male artist at the stadium. And it was a performance that highlighted all the aspects of The Weeknd’s success, full of the biggest hits of the last decade, beautiful creative direction that filled the massive space, and even nods to his visual work.
Philip Cosores
We can start on the last part first, as before the set even started, The Weeknd displayed a trailer for the recently released film Hurry Up Tomorrow, a movie that failed to ignite both critics and audiences during its theatrical run, but could still make an impact in the VOD and streaming markets. It’s easy to take shots at both his recent film and TV offerings as acts of hubris, but they have aligned him with some pretty cool company (Jenna Ortega, Barry Keohgan, Lily-Rose Depp, Jennie, Moses Sumney, Troye Sivan, and many more) and, maybe more importantly, find the artist betting on himself and his vision to tell stories through mediums he clearly is passionate about and believes in. Just because he hasn’t found success yet (and, to be fair, everyone from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift has equally spotty film and TV output), there’s a bravery to trying things at risk of embarrassment. And, that translates to his music, as well.
Visually, the creative around the performance was as adventurous as his film and TV work, full of off-kilter, red-cloaked dancers, a giant glowing-eyed statue reminiscent of the local Americana mall, a destroyed cityscape set, and enough fire to raise the stadium’s temperature to sweat-inducing levels. It worked both for the direct line of sight and the video projections, with marks carefully chosen to serve both the audience directly in front of the singer, and the audience in the rafters watching on the massive screens. My favorite was when he’d reach the end of his catwalks (which formed a cross in the center of the stadium floor) and he would perform straight into the camera, accentuating the ringed-design of the stage behind him while the giant statue would rotate. It was all quite beautiful and thoughtful, the kind of thing that would only be thought of if the performer had a firm grasp on visual mediums.
Philip Cosores
And, there is of course the music. Sure, his songs do numbers. But witnessing how tunes both old (“Often) and new (“Timeless” with a Playboi Carti appearance) went over and caused deafening responses accentuated the real-world impact of his music. It’s one thing to get the butts into seats (or, in this case, never once actually using said seats), but it’s another thing to drive such a massive, visceral reaction to an audience that spanned children with their parents to 30-year-olds on dates. And The Weeknd didn’t shy away from the support, frequently commenting on the enthusiasm and egging the audience on to get louder.
It all adds up to find The Weeknd as an artist not shying away from the moment and any of the cringeyness that might come with embracing his massive stature. Sure, he started the performance in a mask with creepy, glowing eyes — something some other artists have done when reacting to their own stature — but he quickly removed it and proved ready for the moment. For an artist that often teases retiring his recording persona, it’s clear that he can make all the elements of his success work for a complete vision. The Weeknd isn’t afraid to be the world’s biggest pop star, and he doesn’t need to sacrifice his mercurial artistry in order to achieve it.
Check out some exclusive photos from The Weeknd at SoFi Stadium below.
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