Confidence Man, the Australian electro-pop mavericks, now based in London, have released ‘Sicko,’ the latest single from their new third album 3 AM (LA LA LA), out now via Casablanca. While known for their high-octane, dance-infused sound, ‘Sicko’ embraces a more subtle ‘90s indie-dance crossover vibe, a little less frenetic than much of the album but still unhinged and unmistakably Confidence Man. The single arrives alongside a stunning black-and-white video that almost resembles what might happen if you tried to make a musical based on Reservoir Dogs and Trainspotting—stylish, edgy with a gritty film noir sensibility and laced with a dark, twisted sense of humor. [via Under The Radar]

Ellie Dixon releases her new single and video for ‘Renaissance’, kicking off her energised new era of music. Mixed by Manon Grandjean (FLO, Cat Burns, Stormzy), ‘Renaissance’ soars with Ellie’s newfound and inspiring display of self-assuredness and self-confidence; “I’m in my renaissance, I got a new paint job”. Always refreshingly open about her experiences with anxiety and depression, especially on tracks like ‘Green Grass’, ‘‘Big Lizard Energy’ and ‘Dopamine’, this is the same beloved Ellie, but with a mediaeval twist and a wealth of life experiences, “On this day a great knight hath fallen, but an even greater knight hath risen”. “Renaissance is a musical phoenix from the ashes”, Ellie says. Grabbing the listener by the throat from her first uttering, expertly juxtaposed with a backdrop of sonic shimmering, ‘Renaissance’ opens with “Took a sword to the chest, bled out on my double bed, a hero’s got to fall I guess”. After unexpectedly parting ways with her label Decca Records earlier this year, Ellie “went through quite a deep depression while processing”. She elaborates: “after the pain came relief, a sense that this would let me carve my creative path. And then one 2am, after coming back from a Doja Cat concert, Renaissance was born. I was feeling inspired by her mix of magical soundscaping and grounded groove, so I put my twist on it. I blended the softness and hardness of the pain of rejection and change. I wanted to write a victory song, not a sad song. This was the beginning, not the end.”

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Sorry. In 2022, the British indie rock band released Anywhere But Here. In July of last year, they shared ‘Screaming In The Rain Again,’ a revised version of the track ‘Screaming In The Rain.’ Now, they’re back with a trippy song called ‘Waxwing,’ out now via Domino. ‘Waxwing’binterpolates a set of lyrics from Toni Basil’s ‘Hey Mickey.’ About it, Asha Lorenz says, “Mickey is desire ? Mickey is the bomb? Mickey makes me money? Mickey makes my songs? Mickey makes a poem? Mickey in the drugs ? Mickey is liar ? Mickey making love? Mickey is desire ?” The mischievous earworm — which, I think, is a (convincing) attempt to seduce Mickey Mouse — is paired with an equally eccentric music video directed and produced by FLASHA. [via Stereogum]

f5ve have released their new single ‘UFO’ via LDH Records. The track, co-produced by BloodPop, A.G. Cook, and Nomak, is inspired by Japan’s popular claw game machines, and follows on from previous singles ‘Lettuce’ and ‘Underground’. The accompanying music video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford and Crystalline Structures Studio, depicts f5ve as extraterrestrial beings abducting Tokyo residents with giant claws. [via Dork]

FKA Twigs has shared her new single ‘Perfect Stranger’, alongside a music video that features cameos from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Yves Tumor. ‘Perfect Stranger’ is the latest single from Twigs’ upcoming album EUSEXUA – the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Magdalene – which will be released on January 24 via Young. Last month, the singer shared the album’s title track and its Jordan Hemingway-directed music video. Now, she’s given fans a second taste of the LP – with another video helmed by Hemingway. An intoxicating ode to fleeting relationships, Twigs sings: “I don’t know the name of the town you’re from/Your star sign or the school you failed/I don’t know and I don’t care,” while testing out roles as a half of different couples. Elsewhere in the video are appearances from Fleabag‘s Waller-Bridge and Yves Tumor. [via NME]

GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Ari Lennox (Dreamville/Interscope Records) makes her highly-anticipated return with her new single ‘Smoke.’ ‘Smoke’ is the first official release for Ari in 2024, following her 2023 single ‘Get Close.’ Directed by Chris Robinson, Ari is held at a mental asylum, where all the patients are running amuck, including her. Instead of sulking, Ari masterminds a plan to escape and dupes the employees during her performance. After a short hiatus, Ari is fiercer than ever, lashing back at her detractors, urging them to “f—k around and find out” on the unapologetic anthem. With ‘Smoke,’ Ari reclaims her power, showcasing her strength as a powerful Black woman beyond the booth.

It’s a superstar pop crossover! ROSÉ has officially launched her new solo era by teaming up with Bruno Mars on a new single called ‘Apt.,’ which arrived on Friday (Oct. 18). The song arrives just a day after the duo announced it, taking to Instagram to share the collaboration’s cover art. In the artwork, the BLACKPINK superstar lounges in front of a drum set, with the ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ singer sitting behind it, holding the drumsticks. The pair, who are in black-and-white against a bright pink foreground, are matching in leather jackets and white t-shirts. [via Billboard]

Rebecca Black’s ‘TRUST!’ music videos opens in court, as influencers take the stand talking about what they love, hate and admire about the pop star. In the Mean Girls-style opening monologue, one person says, “Boiler rooms used to be cool, then Rebecca Black ruined them,” while another claims she slept with Elon Musk. The hilarious testimonies break away to show Black masked up, flashing lights and bodies surrounding her, as an intense dance beat grows behind the pop star and DJ, eventually breaking into a full-on choreographed dance routine in front of the judge. “It felt only right to kick off the next project with the loudest and brashest track I’ve put out yet,” Black tells PAPER, “and ‘TRUST!’ embodies the essence of the fearlessness in this project better than anything.” To bring the spicy dance video to life, Black worked with Director Olivia De Camps, telling PAPER that it was “so seamless from the jump because she really understood the vision I had, not only for this song, but for the entire project.” Black also says that the heart of her upcoming project is about “tapping into this essence of delusion of grandeur and glamour that led the writing process for me. Everything I breathe is laced with camp these days and this concept felt like turning a narrative on its head in a fierce and unapologetic way.” [via PAPER]

JADE continues to delineate her space as a solo pop renegade, sharing her third single of the year, titled ‘Fantasy’. Produced by regular collaborator Mike Sabath, ‘Fantasy’ is an irresistible assemblage of post-gay disco liberation, processed ASMR purrs and ecstatic vocal ululations, all melting into a euphoric club-ready mix that speaks to the judgement-free zone JADE is rendering this era. It’s further proof the singer from South Shields isn’t afraid of throwing the listener a sonic curveball as she continues to flesh out a more experimental repertoire post-Little Mix. ‘Fantasy’ follows clubland classic ‘Angel Of My Dreams‘ and the noirish follow-up, ‘Midnight Cowboy‘. The former has accumulated over 50 million streams to date, entering the UK Official Singles Chart at No.7 – the third highest new entry for a British artist this year. Of her new single, JADE says: “’Fantasy’ is a love song that I wrote with dream team Pablo Bowman and Mike Sabath about feeling safe enough with your partner to shamelessly explore your fantasies! We wrote this the day after ‘AOMD’ was written, and from then on I always knew it would be the second single. I can’t wait for my fans to experience more of my musical world.” JADE will perform the track for the first time on ‘Later…with Jools Holland’ on BBC Two tomorrow evening. The accompanying video was filmed in LA and directed by the legendary David LaChapelle. It takes visual cues from ’70s soul train performances and the supernatural horror film Carrie, featuring iconic drag queen Love Connie as the villain. [via Clash]

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Grizzly Coast (Alannah Kavanagh) has been sharpening her songwriting, growing her loyal following, and tightening her live show in Toronto’s vibrant live music scene, supporting acts like Fast Romantics and Begonia. Her music successfully blends dreamy guitar rock sensibilities with a trademark thoughtful lyricism. New single, ‘Washed,’ is a powerful rallying cry against indifference and stagnancy, urging listeners to take control of their lives and reject passivity. Born from a spontaneous and collaborative jam session between Alannah and her husband, Kyle, the track captures the essence of embracing action. The song’s message is a reminder to confront apathy and take control of your life.

Last month, Nicole Miglis of Hundred Waters announced her debut solo album, Myopia. So far the alt-pop musician has unveiled ‘All I See Is You’ and ‘Autograph,’ and now she’s back with ‘Lure.’ “The song plays on themes of allure, the shadow of desire, the push and pull, the power struggle of love, the games, the feeling of being reeled in and cast away like a fishing lure,” Miglis said in a statement. The sprawling track comes with a colorful music video by Ian Clontz; watch it below. [via Stereogum]

Fresh off her hit ‘BOYS,’ which SZA proclaimed “fire as hell,” flowerovlove returns with ‘Breaking News’ – a shimmering anthem for lovestruck summer nights. Produced by Duck Blackwell (Louis Tomlinson, Icona Pop) and co-written with her close friend Ines Dunn (Maisie Peters, Astrid S), the euphoric track emerged as the singer-songwriter turned to music to express complicated feelings she didn’t want to talk out with the person causing them. “I was feeling sad when I wrote it, actually,” explains flowerovlove. “I wanted to feel something lovey dovey, so I wanted to manifest feelings through a song.” In the official video for ‘Breaking News,’ flowerovlove finds love at the library and, after bonding over vinyl records, she and her new crush dance their way through the stacks.

Canadian singer-songwriter margø released a new song ‘pity party’ along with a music video. The song is the sixth single off of her upcoming debut album Who Are You When You’re Alone, which is expected to be released in 2024. The inspiration for the track came about after a tumultuous break up. Clapping back at an ex’s guilt trip disguised as an attempt to reconvene, she delivers intoxicating hooks and clever lyricism. The track was written by Cassidy Margolis and Matthew Boda. Produced by Boda. The accompanying video was directed by Tatiana Zagorac. margø said of the song, “’Pity Party’ is a multifaceted song inspired by experiences with toxic relationships – with other people, as well as within myself. This song is an inward look at how it feels to face the consequences of our own actions – and takes a sassy, tongue in cheek approach to the feelings of anxiety and self loathing attached to it.” [via pm studio]

Making a momentous return, GRAMMY® Award-winning history-making superstar Alessia Cara is back with a brand-new single and video for ‘Dead Man’ out now via Def Jam Recordings. It notably marks her first release since 2022 and kicks off what promises to be her biggest and boldest chapter yet. She steps into this era with clear confidence and charisma. Written by Alessia Cara and produced/written by Mike Elizondo, the upbeat track tells the tale of a once loving relationship gone cold and revolves around a jazz-y drumbeat, head-nodding bassline, and boisterous piano melody. Her signature smoky delivery practically hovers above rambunctious horns as she wonders, “If you really care, then why am I feeling you slip right through my hands? If you’re really there, why can I walk right through you? Talking to a dead man.” Speaking on the song, Alessia says, “The song is about a relationship that has come to an end and is like the last final grasp of trying to hold onto what is left of this relationship. Basically, looking at the other person and metaphorically shaking them and saying ‘I am really trying my best to hold here, but if you don’t want to be held onto then there’s nothing left of this’. I feel like I am talking to a dead man.” The video, directed by George Gallardo Kattah, unfolds as a surreal David Lynch-style fever dream. Among many entrancing vignettes, Alessia undergoes a polygraph test administered by a ghostly headless suit. The clip intercuts this trippy exchange with tense close-ups, a silhouetted trumpet solo, and transfixing choreography. It amplifies her outlier spirit loud and clear.

Indie rock juggernauts Eliza And The Delusionals invite you to immerse yourself in the lush tapestry and soundscape of their sophomore album Make It Feel Like The Garden out now via Cooking Vinyl Australia. Crafting a visually and sonically utopian landscape, the album acts as a refuge from the real world, transporting the listener to their own happy place or “garden”. Showcasing their trademark blend of catchy hooks, driving rhythms, and contemplative lyricism, the record is a kaleidoscope of emotions and melodies. The trio have also shared the visuals for their latest single ‘Lately;, featuring Silversun Pickups’ lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Aubert and co-production from Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage). The accompanying video, which was created by videographer and 3D designer Tom Carroll (@egumei), showcases the darker side of The Garden outside of the dreamy landscape in the artwork. “Seeing this idea come to life has been absolutely amazing and a dream come true for us. The fact that we were able to have a music video of us existing in The Garden from our album artwork, and on top of that have Brian deliver us an iconic performance all the way from LA whilst we filmed our parts in Brisbane. We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, and Tom Caroll aka egumei has actually worked true magic to bring it to life.” The visual element played a pivotal part in the creation of this album, with guitarist Kurt coming up with the idea of creating a world around the garden where the band could co-exist – a lush, floral and beautiful world that you ‘escape to’ when listening to the record. [via Good Call Live]

Jade Thirlwall – member of former pop monolith Little Mix – has released her debut single, ‘Angel of My Dreams’, and its accompanying music video. The music video for the debut solo single, sees Jade as various pop stars, all running on the hamster wheel of the industry, under the watchful eye of a greedy manager. The video starts with Jade busking – interspersed with shots from real-life Jade’s X Factor audition – as another version of the star in a giant blonde pop star wig, on the short leash of a greedy music manager in a vile tracksuit, is paraded around for paparazzi. As busker Jade begins to sing, the greedy boss’s attention slips from pop star Jade, as he focuses in on his new target – the new angel of his dreams. Oh, it’s all very clever. There’s a lyrical nod to Jade’s past in the song’s first verse that goes: “Sold my soul to a psycho”. ‘Psycho’ happens to sound a lot like ‘SyCo’ – the former label of Little Mix, run by X Factor judge Simon Cowell. A coincidence, we’re sure. Anyway, busker Jade is now the new pop icon, and with a contract signed in blood under her belt, things go well for a while. But then, the greedy boss is seen having an affair with a yet another new Jade, with our original fighting for his attention just as her predecessor did. The video ends with OG Jade back where she started, peering through crowds of fans for the new angel of everyone’s dreams. There’s dance breaks, there’s costume changes, there’s vocals and there’s a ‘Puppet on a String’ sample from Sandie Shaw’s 1967 hit. Speaking about the single, Jade said that ‘Angel of My Dreams’ is intended to be a “pop punch to the face”. “I want people to be like ‘oh my god, I didn’t expect that’ – but then want to listen to it again,” she explained. “I didn’t want to do a safe first single, that was really important to me.” “I’m setting the tone of who I am as an artist on my own. I want people to hear it and be like ‘what the f**k is that song?’. My worst nightmare is for someone to hear my song and go ‘that’s nice’,” the South Shields-born icon and fierce LGBTQ+ ally stated. [via Pink News]

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