The turnaround for Yeat’s new EP Dangerous Summer turned out to be pretty quick. After dropping the video for “Im Yeat” earlier this month, the unrestrained Portland rapper followed up in relatively short order with the project’s release date announcement, just two days before it dropped. It’s out now, along with the Lyrical Lemonade-produced video for “Put It ONG.”
Directed by Cole Bennett, and in true Lyrical Lemonade fashion, the video takes a colorful aesthetic and runs it through a psychedelic filter, making it a nearly overwhelming visual feast. The video opens with a troupe of clown-faced ballerinas dancing outdoors, pulling back to reveal an entire carnival, which Yeat takes full advantage of. He rides roller coasters with the ballerinas, and shoots a pop gun for prizes, even subjecting one to the dunk tank.
Yeat’s collaboration with Lyrical Lemonade should come as no surprise, as he was chosen as a headliner of the production company’s growing festival, Summer Smash, this year alongside Young Thug. His co-headliner Don Toliver appears on Dangerous Summer as a feature, as do BNYX, SahBabii, and intriguingly, FKA Twigs.
Watch Yeat’s “Put It ONG” video above.
Dangerous Summer is out now via Lyfestyle Corporation/Field Trip Recordings/Capitol Records. Get it 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 July below.
Nick Drake — The Making Of Five Leaves Left
Island/UMe
This is a holy grail for obsessives of Five Leaves Left, Nick Drake’s 1969 debut album. The Making Of Five Leaves Left, as the title indicates, offers a behind-the-curtain look at the project, as the 4-LP set showcases studio outtakes and previously unheard songs.
Eels have been more productive than most over the past 30 years: In 2024, they released their 15th album, Eels Time!. More recently, they took a look back and shared a new pressing of 1998’s Electro-Shock Blues, pressed at 45 RPM, an upgrade from the original 10-inch 33-RPD edition.
Third Eye Blind undeniably popped off on their self-titled 1997 debut album, which boasts the singles “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s It Going To Be,” and “Jumper.” Elektra is now honoring the project with a new reissue, a 2LP edition pressed on grape-colored vinyl.
Nelly brought his quarter-century celebration of Country Grammar to Stagecoach this year, and now he’s bringing it to your turntable. The “Ride Wit Me” album comes in a limited-edition translucent blue 2LP set, or a standard black 2LP for the traditionalists.
ZZ Top has quite the library and now five highlights — Degüello, El Loco, Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler — are available in one set, all cut from the original master tapes. It’s one to pounce on quickly, as there are only 3,000 numbered copies.
311’s beloved “Blue Album” has a fresh reissue that comes with seven songs previously unavailable on vinyl. The band says of the rerelease, “Thirty years ago, our self-titled ‘Blue Album’ came out and changed our lives. Today marks 30 years to the day since its release and we are so thrilled to be able to celebrate the anniversary with this special reissue. We cannot begin to express the love and appreciation we have for our incredible fanbase who have kept these songs alive with us for the last three decades.”
It’s been 30 years of this iconic Cranberries album. For the anniversary reissue, the band is pulling out all the stops, including two new remixes by Chvrches’ Iain Cook, live recordings from the band’s Woodstock ’94 performance, and the original demo of “Zombie.”
Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds side project Grinderman has a short-but-sweet discography, and now all three releases are on newly pressed vinyl (and CD as well). As for formats, all albums are available on eco-conscious black vinyl and digisleeve CD editions.
Clipse’s comeback is already one of the best albums of the year; It’s the top hip-hop album of 2025 so far, Uproxx’s Elliott Wilson argues. Clipse dropped some cool vinyl variations of it, too, including box sets that come with t-shirts.
For years now, Seth Rogen has had a weed company called Houseplant, and they’ve been getting into music, too. They just dropped their third vinyl box set, of songs meant to be played during a smoke session, and it includes songs by Jamie xx, Tune-Yards, and some more esoteric picks.
Talking Heads — More Songs About Buildings And Food (Super Deluxe Edition)
Rhino
Times have been good for Talking Heads fans. There was the big tribute album last year, and now the group has reissued More Songs About Buildings And Food. The 4LP edition comes with rarities, live recordings, and reissues of international 7-inch singles.
A couple of months ago, Blackground Records released a “new” Aaliyah song featuring her frequent collaborator Tank called “Gone,” to the record label’s streaming app, BLKStream. Today, the song has at last moved to traditional DSPs, along with the announcement of a “3D holographic experience” provided by the Meta Quest app Soapbox. Essentially, it’s a VR music video/concert in which you can watch Tank’s avatar sing to a wall of screens displaying various Aaliyah performances from her all-too-short life.
Depending on your take on things like this, this is either really exciting, or kind of disheartening. But if “Blackground 2.0” won’t let Babygirl rest, at least they didn’t trot out some gross AI-generated hologram to do a tour or something like that (please don’t).
The record, and its technologically-forward rollout, isn’t the first time Aaliyah’s label has pushed a controversial extension of the late singer’s legacy. In 2021, her voice was paired with The Weeknd’s for a new single, “Poison,” which would have been the first single from an all-new album featuring contemporary performers like Drake and Future. However, the album was never released, and as of 2024, the label still hasn’t issued any kind of explanation, although it insists it’s still “coming.”
You can check out “Gone” above and watch the holographic experience via Soapbox.
Reneé Rapp’s new album, Bite Me, has arrived and the Mean Girls star’s fans have already chosen their favorite track: “Kiss It Kiss It,” a song about a weekend-long fling with a girl from the other side of town. The song already has the most streams from the album on YouTube, which is often an indicator of the song artists and their teams should give the push to.
A glittery synth-pop dance floor anthem with some aggressive pop-punk breakdowns, “Kiss It Kiss It” finds Rapp warning her newfound lover, “You’re gonna kill me if you kiss it like that / Got me in tears, and not because I’m sad / Top of the mornin’, let me pull your hair back / Like, come on and kiss it, kiss it.”
The rollout for Rapp’s latest saw the singer indulging in redolent recollections of similarly hedonistic relationships on songs like “Leave Me Alone,” “Mad,” and “Why Is She Still Here?” She also announced the dates for her upcoming tour for Bite Me, which kicks off in September. You can see the dates below.
Rapp also performed the focus track “Shy” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night; you can check that out below.
Watch the visualizer for “Kiss It Kiss It” above.
Reneé Rapp’s 2025 Tour Dates: Bite Me
09/23 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre^
09/25 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena^
09/27 — Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*
09/29 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden*
10/02 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden*
10/04 — Toronto, ON @ All Things Go&
10/06 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion*
10/08 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena*
10/10 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory*
10/13 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds*
10/15 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium*
10/17 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum*
10/22 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park^
10/23 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory^
10/26 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena^
10/27 — Tampa, FL @ Yuengling Center^
10/29 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center^
* with Syd
^ with Ravyn Lenae
& festival
Bite Me is out now via Interscope Records. You can find more info here.
The Uproxx Music Travel Hot List series is sponsored by Priceline, where you can go to book your next music travel adventure.
Across three consecutive weekends this month, Golden Gate Park will be hosting Doja Cat and Tyler, The Creator atop the lineup of the 17th annual Outside Lands festival, a three-night series of concerts by Dead & Company to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead, and a country-leaning mega concert led by Zach Bryan and Kings of Leon. When it’s all said and done, 450,000 people will have come through Golden Gate Park between August 1st and August 15th in an unprecedented live music feat for the park.
Before last year, there had never been a concert in the park beyond 7 pm aside from Outside Lands. That’s when Another Planet Entertainment (APE) put on a one-night-only concert led by System of A Down and Deftones, the weekend after the festival — tickets sold out in an hour. Now, in the second year of APE’s expanded programming at the hallowed ground of Golden Gate Park’s meadows and fields, the park will become nothing short of the center of the live music world.
“If you take any venue in the history of San Francisco, from Oracle Park to Chase Center, Candlestick Park, etc., I don’t think there’s ever been a venue in a single month that has sold 450,000 tickets,” says Allen Scott, APE’s President of Concerts & Festivals. “That is historic in and of itself.”
Scott says that APE was heavily inspired by Hyde Park’s British Summer Time (BST) series of concerts in London. Started in 2013, BST grew in 2022 from a two to three-weekend slate of concerts, coaxing attendees from all over Europe and the world with some of the biggest names in music like Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones in the past, and this year’s iteration featuring Bryan. Stateside, what’s happening at Golden Gate Park is rivaling the springtime revelry at Southern California’s Empire Polo Field, which hosts two weekends of Coachella followed by the Stagecoach Festival.
When APE was seeking the ability to add another weekend or two of concerts at Golden Gate Park surrounding Outside Lands, the Berkeley-based promoter proposed throwing a series of free concerts each year in San Francisco as well. It’s been a win-win for the city as APE has already put on two shows with the Dirtybird dance music collective on the Embarcadero that each had 7,500 attendees, as well as a Portugal, The Man concert at the Civic Center, and another with country singer Don Louis at Union Square. There are two more free shows on the horizon this year as well, in collaboration with titanic local label Empire.
With this structure in place, APE’s biggest announcement this year came in the form of the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead series of shows with Dead & Company. Three nights in a row of ticketed concerts, which will coincide with Jerry Garcia’s birthday. From August 1st to 3rd, each show also has a unique headliner in Billy Strings (Fri), Sturgill Simpson (Sat), and Trey Anastasio Band (Sun).
“We’d been talking to Dead & Company for 2 years,” Scott explains. “We tried to get them for 2024, and they decided to do their Vegas residency at Sphere instead. So then we started gelling around the 60th anniversary for so many reasons. It made so much sense to have them come to Golden Gate Park, since they’d played shows here back in the ’60s when they called the city home.”
Before the Sphere residency, Dead & Company famously played in San Francisco at Oracle Park in what was deemed to be the “final tour” in 2023, presented by LiveNation. Scott says that those 30,000-person shows generated $31 million for the local economy. He expects twice that much economic impact with 57,000 tickets sold for each of the three nights (co-presented with LiveNation) at Golden Gate Park, noting that 74% of ticket buyers are coming from outside of the Bay Area and from many parts of the world.
The Polo Field at the Park is where the stage will be set up for the Dead & Company and Zach Bryan shows. Setting up the grounds for what’s necessary for each weekend is a dance that APE’s production staff got a lesson in last year.
“It was like a Tetris puzzle,” Scott says. “How to bring it down, the fencing and moving structures around. We’ll keep building for Outside Lands during the Dead & Company shows, with the extended Hellman Hollow footprint being built around the same time. So it starts small, then expands for the festival and then contracts again for the final weekend.”
As one can imagine, not having to build a fresh main stage three different times presents some serious savings in production costs. Scott says APE is using some of that money to add different festival-style elements for Dead & Company and Zach Bryan shows that will give each a distinctly unique aesthetic. Outside Lands’ famed legal cannabis sale and consumption area known as Grass Lands is expanding into a second weekend so Deadheads can experience it too, because it’s almost too perfect a placement. “A no-brainer if there ever was one,” as Scott puts it.
As for additional wear and tear on the grass turf of the Polo Field, SF Parks and Rec groundskeepers employ a method where they stop watering the grass a week or two before the festivities. It dries out the turf and hardens it to better maintain its integrity after 450,000 people will be walking on it. And while the grass dies out, the root structure of the field isn’t compromised. Boom.
But ultimately, the key to the success of these ventures lies in the lasting cultural and financial impact left behind once all of the structures are taken down. And while Scott says that APE will conduct economic impact reports following the three weekends, the cultural impact surrounding these unprecedented large-scale events at Golden Gate Park is already being felt.
“With the Grateful Dead and Dead & Company, specifically, the city has embraced the anniversary beyond these concerts,” Scott says.”The GD60 IndyCar is on display at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, Jerry Day is happening again at McLaren Park, Mickey Hart has an art exhibit at the Haight St Arts Center, and there are street pole banners all around the city. And just like when a Taylor Swift or Beyoncé was in town — in any city, really — you feel it, everywhere, in those cities.”
The Uproxx Music Travel Hot List series is sponsored by Priceline, where you can go to book your next music travel adventure.
The serene City by the Sea is known as the sailing capital of the world, but this week, Newport, Rhode Island, is a pit stop for headliners like Janelle Monae, The Roots, and more at the Newport Jazz Festival. From Friday to Sunday, Fort Adams State Park is the hub for discovering soul, funk, and jazz to add to your summer playlist, and this stellar sold-out lineup won’t disappoint.
In addition to international acts like Esperanza Spalding, Raye, and the Yussef Dayes Experience, expect a special tribute to the late Rhode Island jazz legend George Wein, teased by Christian McBride in an early July post on Instagram. The aftershow is following Friday’s festivities at 10 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Film and Event Center, and it’s one of many post-performance parties lighting up Newport this weekend.
Whether you’re staying in Downtown Newport, Portsmouth, or a different part of Rhode Island, commuting to Fort Adams State Park shouldn’t be a hassle, as long as you’ve got a parking pass. On the festival’s website, water shuttles, biking, and rideshare are also recommended for a speedy arrival, and the Bellevue trolley is free to ride.
Each year’s festival brings thousands of people to the sold-out jazz celebration, and it’s a beautiful time of the year to uncover this coastal summer destination’s hidden gems. Depending on the amount of time you have in Rhode Island this weekend, be sure to grab a drink and survey the town’s Gilded Age mansions and other outdoor activities.
Newport Vineyards self-describes its 100-acre stretch of property as “more than a vineyard,” and you’ll easily understand their words with one visit. Arrive early and enjoy your time with a nearly two-hour tour of their winemaking process, and don’t forget to stop by the Vineyards’ extensive farm-to-table menu, which is available for dinner and brunch reservations. A quick drive outside of Newport opens up another selection of taprooms and tasting rooms, including the Greenvale Vineyard, Ragged Island Brewery, and Sowams Cider Works Company.
If you’re only attending the first or last day of the festival, save your Saturday evening for a night at the country’s first polo club. At Glen Park in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, picnics are encouraged, and pony-watching is mandatory at The Newport Polo Club. Snag a cheap first-come, first-served lawn seat for less than $30, and don’t forget to pack an enchanting, comfortable outfit, because this week’s match theme is Flora and Fauna.
Immerse yourself in the lavish lifestyle with a visit to the 11 colossal properties within Newport’s renowned mansions, including quaint cottages, grand staircases, jaw-dropping wallpaper designs, and the tulip-decorated topiary garden. Whether or not you’re into HBO Max’s historical drama The Gilded Age, this stop is ideal for the solo traveler, architecture fan, or history buff with an extra day on their hands.
Is it really a visit to America’s sailing capital of the world if you don’t go sailing? Perfect for families, a couple’s getaway, or a group of friends, the Narragansett Bay is calling your name with an experience from Newport Classic Cruises. Set sail on one of their hour-and-a-half-long rides for some of the best views of Newport, and stop by the town’s Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame before the weekend is over.
Determined to spend the remainder of your vacation outside? Depending on your preferred pastime, Newport’s got a few options for you. Rhode Island’s second-longest bike path, the Blackstone River Bikeway, breezes through a scenic route of the state. If you’re more of the walking type, Newport’s popular Cliff Hike is only 3.5 miles, plus you’ll get a whiff of the salty air. There are plenty more hiking options for the experienced adventurer looking for quick morning thrills, or you could bask in the sun before the festival at one of the nearby beaches.
Either way, stop by one of the town’s farmers’ markets for some seasonal goodies to fuel up for the night.
Similar to other seaside tourist spots, seafood is a staple in Newport, and reservations are recommended with this week’s influx of visitors. Essentially, you should be starting your weekend with one of the town’s best lobster rolls and ending your trip with a drink from a rooftop bar with an impeccable view.
Bailey Zimmerman‘s building quite the buzz as one of the hottest up-and-coming names in country. His new single engages in that time-honored tradition of the genre: disguising a heartbreak ballad as an ode to a truck. “Chevy Silverado” asks, “Tell me how’d your heart get so cold? / Tell me, when did our young love get so old?” as Zimmerman embraces the only reminder he’s got left of the one who got away — and the hope of getting her back. “I ain’t got the girl in it, but I still have this white Chevy Silverado / And it’ll drive all night to get to you tomorrow,” he croons.
Zimmerman’s been plugging (no pun intended) his new album, Different Night Same Rodeo, for the past several weeks. In June, he shared its first single “Comin’ In Cold,” along with a cinematic music video set at an old-fashioned country roadhouse. Then, he followed up a couple of weeks later with “Ashes,” an unexpected collaboration with Diplo, who has been making inroads into the genre via his Honky Tonk residency at Stagecoach Festival.
In addition to sharing the video, Zimmerman also revealed the tracklist for the album, and a limited-edition vinyl which is available for pre-order on his website. You can listen to “Chevy Silverado” above and checkout the tracklist below.
Different Night Same Rodeo Tracklist
01. “Comin’ In Cold”
02. “Ashes” Feat. Diplo
03. “Chevy Silverado”
04. “Yours For The Breaking”
05. “Lost” Feat. The Kid LAROI
06. “Holy Smokes”
07. “When It Was”
08. “It’s All Good”
09. “Backup Plan” Feat. Luke Combs
10. “New To Country”
11. “At The Same Time”
12. “Hell or High Water”
13. “These Nights”
14. “Everything But Up”
15. “Before You”
16. “Holding On”
17. “Dare You To Try It”
18. “Happy Ever After Me”
Different Night Same Rodeo is out on 8/8 via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville. You can find more info here
The Uproxx Music Travel Hot List series is sponsored by Priceline, where you can go to book your next music travel adventure.
Nothing brings people together quite like music, and when you mix that with a passport stamp? Well, let’s just say it makes for a memorable check off your bucket list. To help you catch both flights and beats, we asked travel influencers to share their most unforgettable musical experiences around the globe, from a campfire performance in the Sahara Desert to aprés ski in the Alps and a classical concert in a historic chapel.
Whether you’re chasing live sets, hidden karaoke lounges, or spontaneous dance parties with strangers, these stories will inspire your next sonic adventure abroad.
BRANDON (@theadventurepapi): Akamba Music Fest in Mexico’s Blue Agave Fields
The Adventure Papi
Nestled in the middle of the UNESCO‑recognized blue agave fields of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico (yes, where tequila actually comes from), there is the annual Akamba Music Festival. It was actually founded by Jose Cuervo, and the one-day festival combines a mixture of house, techno, and electronic music alongside local Jalisco food stands and, of course, tequila for a completely immersive experience. You can even take the Jose Cuervo ‘Akamba Express’ train ride from Guadalajara to Tequila with live DJs and views through the agave fields on your way to the festival.
When I attended the festival in 2024, I was there for the ride, and Akamba delivered an amazing experience. Being in the heart of Mexico’s agave fields with the sun setting in the distance, tequila cocktail in hand, and great music on stage, made for a time I wouldn’t forget. Once nighttime hit, I got to see such artists as Disclosure and Sofi Tukker take the stage and play not only their hits but their tributes to Mexico’s heritage.
Akamba is a true gem in Mexico’s festival landscape, and you should definitely put it on your list of festivals and in your plans to visit Guadalajara and Tequila Mexico.
MARISSA STRANG (@marissa.daily): Classical Music at the Mirror Chapel in Prague
Marissa Strang
I went to a classical concert at the Mirror Chapel in the Klementinum, and it was one of the highlights of my time in Prague! The space itself is so gorgeous and historic. Baroque mirrors line the ceiling, and when the music starts, the reflections and acoustics make it feel completely surreal.
The chapel was built back in 1725 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and it has this rich mix of marble, gold, and ceiling paintings that you can’t stop looking at. It was originally a religious space, but now they use it for concerts, and it really does feel like stepping back in time. It’s definitely a must if you’re in Prague, even if you’re not usually into classical music!
During the two years I lived in Chengdu, China, working as an English teacher, one of the most memorable and culturally immersive experiences was spending time at KTV bars. Short for ‘karaoke television,’ KTV is a wildly popular pastime in China enjoyed by both locals and expats alike. Whether it was to celebrate a birthday, unwind after a long week, or take part in a team-building night with my training center, KTV quickly became a regular and super fun part of life.
What makes KTV in China especially unique is the setup. Rather than singing in front of a crowd, you and your group get your own private room, often decked out with plush seating, a microphone stage, a big screen, and even room service. The song selection is impressive, offering a mix of Chinese and English hits, so everyone could find something to sing, whether it was a classic Mandarin ballad or a pop anthem from home. These nights were always full of laughter, off-key singing, and the kind of shared joy that crosses language barriers. It’s not only karaoke, but such a fun way to connect. There are KTV places on just about every street!
JUSTIN WALTER (@yourbucketlistguide): Snowbombing — A Winter Ski Festival in the Austrian Alps
Justin Walter
If you’re looking for the ultimate European music festival adventure, Snowbombing in Austria is it. Set in the breathtaking Austrian Alps, this week-long experience combines world-class skiing with nonstop beats across mountaintop igloos, alpine lodges, and late-night venues in town. One of the coolest festivals I’ve ever been to, we literally raved inside an igloo at the top of a mountain! From daytime shredding to dancing under the stars, Snowbombing is a one-of-a-kind blend of winter sports and music culture that’s absolutely mind-blowing.
ESTHER SUSAG (@estherelsewhere): Gnawa Music Around a Campfire in the Sahara Desert
Get Your Guide
Spending a night in the Sahara Desert was one of the most magical experiences of my life. After riding camels through the dunes at golden hour, which honestly already felt straight out of a movie, we arrived at a remote Berber camp just as the stars started to come out. We had the most delicious traditional Moroccan dinner (tajine, fresh bread, mint tea, the works). Then a group of local musicians gathered around the fire and started playing live Gnawa music. There was singing, drumming, clapping, and dancing. It was so cool to be a part of something that felt so authentic to their culture.
What I loved most was how unplugged it all felt. There was no cell service, no distractions, just good food, music, and connection under the stars. It didn’t feel like a performance; it felt like we were part of something really special.
If you’re heading to Morocco, this is something you have to do. It’s one of those nights that reminds you why you fell in love with travel in the first place.
CHLOE CALDWELL (@bychloecaldwell): An Intimate Cultural Show in Udaipur, India
Chloe Caldwell
When visiting Udaipur, India, I stayed at one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever experienced. My room at the Leela Palace overlooked the famous Lake Pichola, but aside from the luxurious room, impeccable service, and breathtaking lakeside views, I especially loved the hotel’s nightly ceremonial ritual.
Local musicians gather for an exclusive performance of Rajasthani folk music featuring traditional wooden instruments like a Pungi and Dholak. The vibrant beats and ballads tell the tales of love, loss, sacrifice, and heroism, and were once the pride of Rajasthan’s royal courts. It’s amazing to hear and see these creative songs up close and learn more about their significance to Rajasthan’s long-lived royal history.
Dancers also bring the music to life, twirling to traditional dances in sparkling dresses. You’ll even have the chance to get on stage with them and learn a few moves yourself. It was an excellent way to get a taste of Udaipur’s history and culture in an intimate environment.
JANINE LEE (@jetsetjanine): The Vibrant Heartbeat of Bali is the Barong Dance
JANINE LEE
During my breathtaking trip to Bali, I had the privilege of watching a captivating traditional Barong dance, brought to life by the rhythmic pulse of live gamelan music. Gamelan music is a traditional Indonesian ensemble that plays gongs, drums, and metallophones.
The air thrummed with energy as the elaborate, mythical creatures, representing good (the Barong) and evil (the Rangda), danced in cultural costumes. The gamelan orchestra, composed predominantly of tuned bronze percussion instruments like metallophones, gongs of various sizes, and drums, created a shimmering, layered soundscape.
It was mesmerizing to watch the vibrant costumes and dynamic movements, deeply intertwined with the music. The barong dance symbolizes the never-ending cosmic battle between positive and negative forces that exist within the world and within ourselves.
The performance was a profound cultural experience that beautifully conveyed the Balinese philosophy of Rwa Bhineda, the balance of opposing energies, while balancing cultural dance, costumes, and music.
Rema is on a roll in 2025, dropping the well-received singles “Baby (Is It A Crime)” and “Bout U” as he wrapped up his <em>Heis world tour, which included his Coachella debut. The final dates of the tour are this weekend, and to celebrate, Rema released his next high-energy new single, “Kelebu.”
The triumphant track introduces itself with swaggering horns, a breathless chant of the title, and then frantic drums influenced by traditional African rhythms. Lyrically, Rema warns listeners to stay focused on their goals while imploring them to move their bodies to the incorrigible rhythm.
“Growing up, I didn’t have a phone to create my music taste, my household had different music tastes,” he explains in the press release for the track. “I listened to what everybody played. In school parties, we used to dance to a lot of Caribbean and Francophone bounces. We didn’t care about what they were saying because most of them were not even in our local language in Nigeria. They just kept repeating one word with a fantastic instrumental backing it up, and we all danced. Making music now, I’m reliving those moments by expressing it with my art.”
YG’s artistic growth over the past decade or so has been inspiring to see. From Mr. “Meet The Flockers” to this new, more mature, sonically adventurous version, the Bompton rapper has come a long way from Spruce Street.
The video for his new single “Lovers Or Friends” with Leon Thomas is a perfect example. Maintaining the grown ‘n’ sexy aesthetic of his other Gentleman’s Club era videos (“2004” and “Hollywood“), the video borrows lots of inspiration from Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” video, right down to including an impersonator doing the King of Pop’s iconic moves.
Meanwhile, in the song itself, YG and Thomas seek some clarity from a female companion, contrasting the variety of ways that they relate that could be misconstrued one way or the other. As YG says in his second verse, “But, goddamn, you so fine, girl / Make up your mind, girl, you waste time, girl / Lover or a friend, I’m gon’ slide, girl / Lover or a friend, I think you mine, girl.”
YG also used the opportunity provided by the new video’s release to announce the release date of his next album, The Gentleman’s Club, which is coming on October 3rd via 4Hunnid Entertainment.
You can watch YG’s “Lovers Or Friends” video featuring Leon Thomas above.
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