Built around soaring pop melodies and an undeniable sense of euphoria, ‘Silvering Blade’ finds strength in contrast. Jazmin’s vulnerable vocal performance sits beautifully against lyrics that remain sharp and unsettling, creating a push and pull between light and darkness that keeps the song feeling emotionally charged throughout. It’s polished pop, but with enough bite to ensure it never feels predictable.

That duality extends into the accompanying visuals, where pastel satin, mermaid imagery and delicate beachside moments sit comfortably alongside spikey, gothic apparel, ominous masks, and the song’s titular blade. Much like the music itself, ‘Silvering Blade’ embraces softness without sacrificing its edge, resulting in a track that feels tailor-made for anyone who has ever found comfort in standing a little outside the crowd.

The post Jazmin Bean’s ‘Silvering Blade’ is euphoric pop for the misfits appeared first on She Makes Music.

An enigmatic force of the underground music scene, Jazmin Bean mesmerizes fans with the music video release of ‘Shit Show’. Self-directed alongside visionary filmmaker Zak Watson, ‘Shit Show’ brings viewers on a cinematic journey into the surreal world of Jazmin Bean, combining dazzling cityscapes, muted 90s aesthetics, and hauntingly beautiful melodies. “I always envisioned myself falling in the video since I began to make the song, since it’s about a truly unpleasant human and relationship I wanted to just be as far away from as possible when it was over. I think the falling is a good representation of that,” says Jazmin on the visual direction of the new music video. “I wanted to land on my feet, as a sort of thing, like, you can’t keep me down no matter how low you take me. I also loved the Placebo video where he walks down the building. I wanted to have a twist like that.”

Irish alt-rock band Sick Love release their latest single ‘Don’t Wait’, a powerful anthem ahead of their much-anticipated debut album release, Champagne. ‘Don’t Wait’ encapsulates the band’s message of resilience and moving forward from past heartbreaks. According to Sick Love, the song reflects the liberating feeling of letting go and embracing newfound freedom. They expand: “‘Don’t Wait’ is about realising that you’ve finally moved on from that person who broke your heart, and they no longer take up space in your head. When you realise that it wasn’t meant to be and you’ve stopped holding on to what might have been, you can finally let yourself be free.”

Toronto artist Housewife tackles heartbreak on lead single ‘Wasn’t You’, a dreamy ballad with a pop-rock edge. The track is released alongside a music video featuring Housewife surrounded by roses, idealizing love, with the artist eventually destroying everything around them in a rage. When reflecting on the track, Housewife shares: “’Wasn’t You’ is about the trials and tribulations of dating men- specifically as a queer / afab person. it can be really frustrating to find someone you like / are attracted to but know there’s a lot of patriarchal shit they need to unlearn, and it can be hard when there’s also a lot of gender envy and maybe even resentment tied up in that as well. I wrote this song in Nashville with Bobbie Allen (young summer) and Carrie K. I remember it being a lot of fun, kind of just hanging out with two old sisters and gossiping and complaining about my love life. But it ended up turning into an awesome song. I then recorded it with Gabe Simon, Carrie, and Konrad Snyder a few months ago, and we ended up taking it in this really fun fuzzy, sludgy direction. it was also one of my first songs where i felt empowered to play all the guitars myself, which was really cool!” [via Canadian Beats]

Self-categorising her music as “Nightmare Pop”, American alternative-pop artist, tiLLie has carved out a niche and unique sound by effortlessly marrying bright, ear-worm pop melodies with brooding lyrics tackling cutting subjects from the heart of her Southern American upbringing. Now, as the rising star approaches the release of her EP tiLLieverse, tiLLIe continues to blaze a trail within the music industry with latest single, ‘pray t0 god’. Opening with a set of fairytale-esque set of instrumentals, as the track unfolds, the glittering production slowly gives way to angry percussion and raucous riffs. Against the backdrop of the multi-layered and enigmatic production lies tiLLie’s angst-ridden vocals, a shining highlight of the track that appropriately addresses the track’s subject matter with a gritty intensity, perfectly emblematic of tiLLie’s bold and unapologetic musical style. Married with tiLLie’s vibrant and lurid lyricism, ‘pray t0 god’ is an uncompromising almost-punk track that is brimming with sharp edges and chaotic unpredictability. Speaking on the visuals and their inspiration, tiLLie explains, “For years there has been an abusive figure in my family who has inflicted pain on not just their partner, but all of us. Although I’ve managed to heal and build a healthy life for myself, knowing that my family is still under his control makes it hard for me to feel grounded in the newfound peace I’ve created. The music video for ‘pray t0 god’ depicts the emotional duality of feeling prisoner to the effects of this abuser while simultaneously trying to embrace this healthy, empowered era in my healing journey.” [via Wonderland]

Daphne Guinness unveils a mesmerising visual for her new single ‘Time’, created with her regular collaborator, filmmaker and photographer David LaChapelle. The video, captured in stylish and timeless monochrome, features a rare cameo appearance from the director himself. Its release marks the second single from Guinness’s forthcoming album, Sleep, to be accompanied by a video directed by LaChapelle, following ‘Volcano’ earlier this year. ‘Time’ is a song which sparkles with theatricality, melodrama and nostalgia: all qualities accentuated by Daphne’s razor-sharp enunciation and vocal elegance as she delivers lyrics primed with grandeur and consequence, yet there’s also a playfulness amongst the poignancy. The track’s production also toys between the classic and the contemporary, first blossoming as a classic torch song before a swooning, string-assisted disco beat kicks in. It’s also notable for being a song that was directly influenced by David La Chappelle. Daphne says, “David called me up and said he wanted a timeless song. So I thought, okay, I’m going to write a song about time. Time is something that fascinates me. I went to a deep mediation centre in Sedona, Arizona and they attached electrodes to my head to monitor my brainwaves, during one of these sessions the phrase ‘All of the clichés are true’ suddenly came to me. I started laughing. Apparently my brainwaves went nuts. I just had to put it in the song. Being able to own all the clichés is good, and they are true, there’s a reason for them.” LaChappelle’s video for ‘Time’ turns the clock back to Berlin in the 1930s. The setting is backstage at a cabaret and tensions are running high, leading to a violent conflict between Daphne’s character and a club boss – played by David himself. But the show must go on. Daphne’s performance is beguiling and magnetic: her star quality enamouring an audience of larger-than-life characters. Yet a little of that earlier schism remains…

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Crystal Murray has shared new song ‘PAYBACK’. The vivid pop creator is back, and she wants to start anew. Wiping the slate clean, ‘PAYBACK’ leans between anger and revenge, repression and transgression, all while delivering something potent, punchy, and irresistible. Out now, ‘PAYBACK’ shows off her visceral vocals, with Crystal Murray offering: “For the first time, I feel like I’m starting somewhere fresh.” The full video is a dramatic evocation of her creative imagination, placing Crystal Murray in the middle of a battle of her own making. Subverting warrior motifs, she says… “As this song unfolds it places Myself in a battlefield, ANGER in my eye I got hurt and asking for revenge. Surrounded by women ready to fight in the field with me, they are beautiful, powerful and RAW. ‘PAYBACK’ opens us to a new sound that is big, raw, and noisy. This is the first single, and I arrive screaming… All the time wasted on people that don’t deserve it, the money, the youth stolen. It’s time we ask for reparation. This is my revenge song.” [via Clash]

L Devine has released a new single, ‘If I Don’t Laugh I’ll Cry’. Following on from ‘Slippin’ Away’ and ‘Laundry Day’, it’s the latest cut from debut album Digital Heartifacts, set for release on February 2 via AWAL. “‘If I Don’t Laugh I’ll Cry’ is about the sweet spot between having a mental breakdown and total liberation,” she explains. “It’s a proper insight into my personality, I usually cope with my struggles and insecurities by finding humour in them.” Of the album, she adds: “The album is a bit of a different direction sonically in that we recorded way more live instruments on it than I ever have before and I think this song especially has a proper band feel to it. So being able to record a live session with Devon at Abbey Road and show people what’s to come on the live side of things was so exciting.” [via Dork]

Divorce have dropped a video for their single ‘Sex & The Millennium Bridge’. The track is taken from the Nottingham band’s Heady Metal EP, out now via Gravity/EMI Records. Co-vocalist/bassist Tiger Cohen-Towell says of the clip: “Everybody got on board pretty quick with this concept for this video, because when do you get the chance to be a good old fashioned rock band in this day and age? We basically have such a soft spot for this period of music history, we wanted to honour it, humorously, what we found funny is that the song (SATMB) is so at odds with the type of music that is usually paired with these visuals except it has a guitar solo, so we just decided to go ham. The shooting day was so much fun, Clump and the whole team did an amazing job and we were all laughing so hard for many consecutive hours.” [via Dork]

Becky Hill launches 2024 with ‘Never Be Alone’ featuring fellow dance music trailblazer Sonny Fodera. Released by Astralwerks, the track draws upon Hill’s influences from deep within the world of club culture. Her dancefloor diva topline mixed with Sonny Fodera’s production provides an intoxicating rush of heavyweight dub bass, pounding beats, luminous synths and atmospheric breakdowns, allowing the drops to hit hard. Becky shot the official video for ‘Never Be Alone’ in the mountains of Morocco. As she performs alone in the stunning natural landscape, the sun-kissed day turns to night and the environment takes on a mystical air with Hill surrounded by a circle of fire, amid five mirrored columns. View the video, directed by Remi Laudat and produced by Olwyn Fagan, below. “‘Never Be Alone’ was born out of a post-lockdown world where isolation and distance were forced upon the world,” Becky explains. ”With my partner and I both being in music, we really felt the full force of an imposed lockdown on the events industry. Our entire careers were in jeopardy and I really felt the downward spiral of someone I loved, who’d worked his entire adult life curating line ups for festivals and clubs. I wrote this song with my longtime collaborator Karen Poole (‘Remember,’ ‘History’ and ‘Disconnect’), drawing on inspiration from the time we lived apart, feeling helpless with his despair.” She adds, “What I love about this single is that it has transcended lockdown and feels so relevant still in a time when we need to be there for each other now more than ever. I’ve been playing it in my live sets and it has been a joy watching the crowd’s reaction. I’m excited to show people what Sonny Fodera has added to this anthem; he’s one of the only people left in the dance space I haven’t collaborated with yet and I can’t wait to release this record alongside him.”

Brisbane, Australia based indie-pop riser Asha Jefferies announces her debut album, Ego Ride, set to release on April 12. To mark the announcement, she shares the apex of euphoria from the album, ‘Brand New Bitch.’ It lies between the intuitive anthemic rock of Tom Petty and the thrilling ease of emotion that comes to Gracie Abrams or Olivia Rodrigo. ‘Brand New Bitch’ was written almost as a necessity for Jefferies, once she found the comfort of coming into her own as a young queer woman. It’s propulsive and catchy like the best pop songs, with the grit and liveliness that comes from recording the old fashioned way with a full band in studio. It sets a fire underneath you as soon as the bass line kicks in. Of the accompanying video for ‘Brand New Bitch,’ Asha Jefferies said, “We shot this music video over 4 days across many locations in Meanjin leaving many passer-bys wondering – why is she wearing a bike helmet? Why is he annoying her with a balloon? Why is she being splashed with a bucket of water? The result is Brand New Bitch, a story of getting free and moving on.”

After a stellar 2023 that cemented her sass-shaped sonic imprint in the current soundscape, pop sensation Glowe is set to make an even more indelible mark with her upcoming release, ‘Mean Girls.’ Out now, this empowering anthem stands as a bold proclamation of self-assurance, challenging negative stereotypes, and celebrating the strength found in embracing unapologetic individuality. Timed impeccably with the release of the new ‘Mean Girls’ musical, Glowe’s single promises to captivate audiences not only with its infectious beats and catchy melodies but also with its empowering message. The accompanying official music video is anticipated to be a visual spectacle, further amplifying the song’s powerful message of empowerment. Reflecting on the inspiration behind ‘Mean Girls,’ Glowe candidly shares, “‘Being a loud and confident young woman at school meant I was often labeled by teachers as naughty or ‘too much’. In reality, these are the qualities that have served me best in my adult life. The music industry can be a scary place to navigate, particularly as a young woman. You have to channel a little Regina George in order to not be walked all over. Why do men always seem to be celebrated for their confident and cheeky attitudes yet women get given nasty labels?”

Singer-songwriter and globally acclaimed multimedia artist Jazmin Bean reveals a new single, ‘You Know What You’ve Done,’ out now. This is the fourth single from their debut album, Traumatic Livelihood (Island Records / Interscope), available everywhere February 23. This huge anthemic pop song, with a hint of rock, is an ode to heartbreak. Jazmin says “This song is about feeling remorseful, revengeful and getting payback on a lover who didn’t take accountability.”

According to Instagram, artist Weyes Blood went on social media to share her new video ‘A Given Thing,’ which features the captions: “Once upon a time in ye olde year of 2022 a very intimate portrait video was spontaneously created in a small apartment in Red Hook NYC with a bunch of strange kids and old friends… the outcome was this psychedelic rumination piece. I give to you, the music video for ‘A Given Thing.” [via mxdwn]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

METTE has released her highly anticipated new single ‘VAN GOGH’. The track is taken from METTE’s forthcoming EP METTENARRATIVE which will be released on September 22. Produced by Jonny Lattimer (Rina Sawayama, Joy Crookes) and Mike Sabath (Raye, Lizzo), ‘VAN GOGH’ fuses catchy pop melodies with danceable funk and R&B grooves to create an upbeat feel. Lyrically, METTE cites icons like Janet Jackson as she sings of finding creative inspiration through a muse. The accompanying music video, directed by Camille Summers-Valli, puts METTE’s stunning dance and movement talent to the fore, evoking a continuous feel with synchronized moves whilst simultaneously switching between various eye-catching characters throughout. Speaking about the track, METTE says: “‘VAN GOGH is a message in a bottle to the many muse(s) that live inside of me – inside all of us, in fact. I’m continually drawing inspiration from my internal and external worlds, and I remain awed by the beauty of dance. I love making music I can dance to, and as the opening lyric to ‘VAN GOGH’ exemplifies, “I’m motivated by the way you move…”

Ukrainian-born, London-based identical twin dark-pop duo Bloom Twins announce the release of their empowering new track, ‘Drunk & Loud’, co-written and produced by Sam Harris from the X Ambassadors. The song serves as an anthem for outliers and misfits, celebrating the power and resilience that comes from the unity of the outnumbered. Echoing the spirit story of David and Goliath, Bloom Twins invite listeners to never underestimate the power of the underdog. The accompanying music video addresses the critical issue of the war in Ukraine, with the twins taking on the roles of two fearless Ukrainian girls confronting a gang of Russian mobsters in London’s iconic boxing gym, Rapton. With scenes reminiscent of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the video showcases the Bloom Twins’ determination and unity in the face of adversity. Adding another layer of depth, the video is filled with hidden messages and references from the very opening scene, inviting viewers to discover and interpret the deeper meanings.Training over 100 hours with renowned stunt professionals Adam Brashaw, Luke J. Smith, and Fabio Santos, the twins deliver a stunning, action-packed performance. On the track, Anna and Sonia say, “’Drunk and loud’ is a very important song to us. We consider this song to be an anthem to outliers, misfits. It’s about the power, and resilience from unity of outnumbered. We are David from ‘David and Goliath’. Do not underestimate the power of underdogs.” They continue, explaining the symbolism of the video, “Our music video tackles the crucial issue of the war in Ukraine. We play the roles of two Ukrainian girls taken on by a gang of Russian mobsters, even though we’re clearly outnumbered. My twin sister represents the annexed and occupied regions of Ukraine, while I embody the areas fighting for unity and victory against Russia.”

Melbourne’s dynamic six-piece indie pop rock outfit, Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds, are dropping a vibrant and nostalgia-driven pop anthem, ‘Tamagotchi Nights’, accompanied by an equally charming music video. With her debut EP, Summers Gone, already under her belt, the charismatic Lucy Lorenne and her band continue to grow their endearing sound as they explore new depths of sonic and lyrical maturity with this power pop anthem that takes a colourful trip down memory lane. ‘Tamagotchi Nights’ – co-written by Lucy Lorenne, Matt Hargreaves and Flagrant Artists producer Ben Oldland (Ūla, Ashwarya, Alley Eley, Genes, Sian Fuller) – is a vibrant boppy number that pays homage to childhood innocence and fantasy. With an air of melancholy for the more innocent times gone by, the song captures the essence of post-millennial nostalgia. Opening with an 8-bit synth riff, the track bursts with a delightful blend of upbeat guitars and charming video game-like synth lines, infusing the song with a playful atmosphere. The driving drums keep the energy soaring, while Lucy Lorenne’s absolutely adorable vocals and heartfelt lyricism add a touch of innocence and sincerity to the mix. Effortlessly weaving together the catchy 8-bit elements with infectious indie-pop hooks, the track is a mixed bag of emotions that builds to an exhilarating and euphoric chorus. The accompanying music video for ‘Tamagotchi Nights’ is a visual delight created in collaboration with Mediaroid. Drawing inspiration from the Y2K era, the video brings Lucy Lorenne’s childhood bedroom to life in a dream-like reimagining. A rainbow rug, pink lava lamp, CD player, pixelated screens, Barbies, aqua roller-skates, and butterfly cushions set the stage for a distinctly Y2K, ‘Hi-5-esque’ aesthetic that resonates with zoomers everywhere. The video seamlessly cuts between this vibrant bedroom scene and Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds performing against a backdrop of bold, poppy colours reminiscent of that era. Interspersed with these scenes are heartwarming home-video recordings of Lucy and band members as kids, adding an authentic touch to the nostalgia-driven aesthetic. The result is a colourful, fun, and energetic celebration of the cherished memories of childhood.

NYC disco-pop group Say She She have announced a run of tour dates for their biggest headlining trek to date. The dates are in celebration of the group’s recently announced forthcoming record Silver, out September 29 via Karma Chief/Colemine. The album’s newest single ‘Astral Plane’ also arrives along with a video directed by Lisa Schiller, who previously directed the visual for Silver’s lead single ‘Reeling.’ Other released tracks include ‘C’est Si Bon,’ an upbeat summer anthem, and ‘NORMA,’ the group’s protest anthem released in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned. [via Flood]

IAN SWEET have announced a new album, SUCKER, the follow-up to 2021’s Show Me How You Disappear. Project mastermind Jilian Medford is introducing the album with “Your Spit,” a hooky and blown-out rock song with the chorus: “Kiss me like you mean it/ Kiss me like you’re leavin/ Your spit tastes different/ Kiss me like you mean it/ Make me believe it.” “‘Your Spit’ is about the joy and fear that surrounds new relationships,” Medford said. “The excitement that’s also accompanied by doubt. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say the song is just mostly about making out.” It was produced by Alex Craig and Strange Ranger’s Isaac Eiger, and it comes with a music video directed by Brittany Reeber that includes cameos from Saturday Night Live‘s Sarah Sherman and Martin Herlihy. [via Stereogum]

Ashnikko unveils the official video for her latest single ‘Cheerleader,’ off her highly-anticipated debut album WEEDKILLER, out August 25. Directed by Joanna Nordahl, the music video melds elements of folklore and surrealism, drawing inspiration from the cinematic atmospheres of Midsommar and the fierce energy of Bring It On. Ashnikko takes on the role as ringleader of a cheerleading cult as they perform competitive ritualistic dance routines with a forced smile. As the video comes to an end, we see the consequences her character faces for refusing to conform to societal pressures. ‘Cheerleader’ is a siren song about modern beauty standards, undercutting imagery of a poised, pom-pom waving poster-girl with blades, blood stains and broken faces. Like a funhouse mirror it warps the infamous cheer from the opening scene of the early 2000’s movie Bring It On into a critique of our cultural obsession with perfection. Ashnikko states, “if youth and beauty are the currency, I will pay it in full until I am a withered husk decomposing on the moss and going back to mother earth. The beast looms in my periphery, constantly gazing and assessing as perform for him, hoping I am good enough!!!!!!!” [via Vents Mag]

Chappell Roan is set to release her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and she’s giving fans a taste of what’s to come with her brand new track, ‘HOT TO GO!’. The song, co-written and produced by Daniel Nigro, known for his work with Olivia Rodrigo, can be streamed below. In discussing the inspiration behind the track, Chappell reveals, “I wrote this song so I could live out my cheerleader fantasy! I just wanted to make something simple and silly that I could do with the audience because I’m a huge fan of audience participation. Also, selfishly (and shamelessly) wanted to bounce around on stage singing a song about being hot.” [via Dork]

Olivia Rodrigo has shared a new single called ‘Bad Idea Right?’. The song will appear on the pop singer’s second studio album Guts, which is due for release on September 8 via Geffen. Written by Rodrigo and her producer Daniel Nigro, the crunchy guitar anthem follows the singer as she weighs up whether to meet an ex. “Seeing you tonight/ It’s a bad idea, right?/ Seeing you tonight/ Fuck it, it’s fine,” she sings over a punky instrumental. In the chorus, Rodrigo chants: “Yes, I know that he’s my ex/ But can’t two people reconnect?/ I only see him as a friend/ The biggest lie I ever said.” The official video, directed by the star’s regular collaborator Petra Collins, sees Rodrigo attend a house party with some of her real-life friends before making a swift exit to find her former partner. Later, she hitches a ride in the rain on the back of a pickup truck, travels on public transport, and eventually makes it to her ex-boyfriend’s place. You can watch the journey unfold here: “I had such a fun time making this song with @dan_nigro in NYC last year,” Rodrigo wrote on social media upon the single’s release. “We wrote the chorus as a joke but we loved it so much we made it into a full fledged song lol! I had a ball making the music video with my friends @petrafcollins @madisonhu @tatemcrae @irisapatow and I’m so happy it’s out in the world.” Speaking about creating ‘Bad Idea Right?’ in the studio, she added in a statement: “We were throwing the weirdest things at the wall – in one of the choruses there’s a part that sounds like an instrument in the background, but it’s me gradually screaming louder and louder.” [via NME]

Later this month, Brooklyn indie rock quartet Wetsuit are set to debut their first full-length album, Sugar, I’m Tired, arriving August 17 via Substitute Scene Records. Ahead of the album’s release the band have already shared a pair of new singles, ‘Local Celebrity’ and ‘Twiggy,’ and now they are back with a third and final single, ‘Clovers’. ‘Clovers’ is a work of winding indie pop bliss, traveling in the same vein as Indigo de Souza or Alvvays. Nils’ guitar lines have an ephemeral, dreamy quality, shining bright amongst the steady sway of the rhythm section. In contrast, Becker’s voice is strong and striking, infusing the track’s quiet moments with wistful longing and its hazy climax with blooms of rippling cathartic weight. It’s a simple combination, but one the band uses to great effect. Meanwhile, Becker’s lyrics are sweet and inviting, finding lovely poeticism in small moments of devotion: “Cover me in roses / Find me when the bar closes / Stitch me back together / Paint me shades of blue.” Becker says of the track, “‘Clovers’ is a love song. It was Summer 2021 and my partner Anders and I had been living together for about a year. I was feeling so much gratitude and contentment in my life, having built this stable relationship and home together and watching it blossom. Life just felt so cozy and nice like taking a big nap in a field of clovers. I wanted to write a song that wrapped you in gooey, cozy, fuzzy warmth, like pulling you under a blanket of clovers. With Wetsuit I sought out to prove that you don’t need to be a musical genius to write good songs. My hero Sharon van Etten described writing songs as seeking melodies within chords and once that clicked with me it unlocked a confidence in songwriting I never knew I had. I wrote Clovers with just 2 chords and harnessed that simplicity as a superpower, not a limitation.” Beckers continues, saying of the video, “Before I started writing music and formed my band, knitting and crocheting was my main creative outlet. It was a huge part of my life. I spent all my free time fulfilling orders from my Etsy shop and making pieces to sell at craft fairs. ‘Clovers’ is all about being comfortable and secure in a relationship for the first time. I knew I wanted to tie in that cozy, squishy soft imagery, and had an idea that I could use crochet dolls to represent my transition from one creative outlet to another, from knitter to musician. I made the giant hood you see in the video, but crochet dolls are not my specialty. For those, I found this amazing crocheter Jeri Thompson on Etsy. She blew us away and even surprised us by making an entire drum kit without me asking.” [via Under the Radar]

Critically-acclaimed, non-binary, London-based artist, Jazmin Bean has released their brand new single, ‘Favourite Toy’. The sunny and string-driven track addresses everything from addiction to intense, toxic relationships, with honest lyrics that find the singer grappling with their self-worth amidst the chaos. The track is accompanied by a music video shot in LA and created, directed, and styled by Jazmin Bean. [via Prelude Press]

Singer, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Rainbow Chan has delivered her new track and accompanying video ‘Seven Sisters’. The video is as vibrant and culturally rich as the music behind it, taking the viewer on a deeply symbolic journey as Rainbow navigates bitterness towards arranged marriages and patriarchal rule. On ‘Seven Sisters’, Rainbow Chan seamlessly weaves modern art-pop production with traditional Chinese folklore and a powerful bell-like vocal delivery. The result is a stunning paradoxical feeling of anxiety and self-assuredness, beauty and gloom. Inspired by a Hong Kong folktale wherein a group of devoted sisters plunge into the ocean as an act of rebellion against their arranged marriages, ‘Seven Sisters’ is a nuanced exploration and feminist reimagining of traditional folksongs in the lead-up to arranged marriage. Explaining her inspiration for the track, Rainbow says: “’哭嫁歌’or ‘Bridal laments’ refer to a female custom that was performed by the 圍頭 (Weitou) people. As marriages were arranged, becoming a bride signified a kind of death for a woman. Not only would her ties to her natal home be severed, but she would remain an outsider to the groom’s family. To mourn this profound sense of loss, Weitou women would perform a bridal lament cycle before their wedding day, a ritual which involved singing and weeping in front of family and friends over the course of three days.” Rainbow has Weitou heritage through her mother but only learnt about this fascinating bridal ritual recently as the practice ended in the 1960s. The video offers decadent visuals, blending old with new and tradition with rebellion. Rainbow is surrounded by crimson handmaids and watched by Weitou village elders who personally lived through this history themselves. ‘Seven Sisters’ was directed by Capsule48 creative director Anne Berry, who Rainbow Chan previously collaborated with for her ‘Oblivion’ (2019). It draws on more than five years of intense research done by Rainbow: interrogating intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic identity as part of her collaboration with Weitou-led conservation program Caritas Lung Yeuk Tau Community Development Project. [via FBi Radio]

COBRAH has lost her mind—and all we can do at this point is hold on for dear life. An experimental electronic artist with the sort of bravado to paint our emotions for us—albeit with a razor for a paintbrush—COBRAH has a bright future ahead. After debuting on Big Beat Records earlier this summer, she’s now returned with ‘MANIC,’ a sultry track inviting fans to explore their own perceptions of sexuality and self-expression. Here, COBRAH’s badassery shines through her unapologetic lyricism: “I just get a little drastic, want to blow things up with matchsticks / Let it out with holy godspeed, I’m so nice if it wasn’t for my kink.” Electronic music fans will recognize COBRAH from her seductive vocal performance in Chris Lorenzo’s global house hit, ‘MAMI.’ She twists the knife into that style in ‘MANIC,’ where her come-hither, slithering sound melts into a four-on-the-floor club beat. “I loved making this record but if anything, it really brought out the manic in me,” COBRAH said in a statement. She’s not kidding. COBRAH also released the official ‘MANIC’ music video, a madcap audiovisual that shows her heart is as black as her signature latex. The video finds her embracing her desires without inhibition in a noir world where sensuality and dominance are canon. [via EDM]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Having broken her three year solo silence with last month’s single ‘Flashlight’, songwriter, lecturer, producer and collective-leader Tamara Schlesinger is back with a second single from her forthcoming new album as MALKA, Anat-omy Of Sight. ‘Matriarch’ is a song detailing personal, yet universal themes already explored on the first cut from the record. ‘Matriarch’ further expands MALKA’s journey into synths and solo production; a sparkling song that as the album opener sets the tone for the rest of Anat-omy Of Sight, MALKA’s sweet and high vocals are centred and layered, sur-rounded by pitter-pat percussion and woozy synths reminiscent of Little Dragon at their most playful. MALKA describes ‘Matriarch’ as being about “that feeling of trying to juggle everything, trying to find that balance in life and wondering whether you have made the right decisions along the way. But it is also about that fierce pride of succeeding with something, especially when you have achieved it alone. Whether that is as a primary carer, the leader of a group or just your own per-sonal achievement.” She adds: “I loved playing around with the production on this one. In fact, I just loved having control over the sound of this whole album, I guess that kinda ties into the chorus lyric ‘I did it all alone’”.

Ezra Williams is excited to release their new single ‘Skin’. ‘Skin’ is the latest release from Ezra’s forthcoming debut album, Supernumeraries, which will be released on June 16 via AWAL. ‘Skin’ opens Supernumeraries with a mesmeric, almost hymnal vocal, as Ezra sings the album’s piercing opening line, “I’ve never felt this type of cold,” over minimal acoustic guitar. The poignant track steadily gathers pace and builds into a full band arrangement, setting the tone for the rest of the album, which sees Ezra explore bolder and more expansive sounds than ever before. The single is accompanied by an intense, gut-wrenching video, inspired by a vivid image that came to Ezra while writing the track. Speaking about the track, Ezra says: “This song is about trying to start dating again after heartbreak, the comparing of new people to past and accidentally falling back into bad habits from previous relationships. Knowing you’re not being treated properly but not caring because you can’t handle being alone.”

From trap-metal to industrial hip-hop to “fairy trap,” as she’s called it — Zheani‘s music is hard to pin down. But that’s just the way she likes it. We haven’t heard from the provocative Australian artist since her 2022 EP, the brilliantly titled I Hate People on the Internet, but that drought has ended with the release of ‘Pathetic Waste,’ a seething, self-immolating cut packed with ASMR-laced melodies and distorted screams. The first taste of her latest project, The Spiritual Meat Grinder, the single arrived accompanied by a startling music video created with longtime collaborator artist Mik Shida. Mixing stunning hand-painted animation with unhinged live action, the clip sees Zheani wielding a “demon sword,” but ultimately, despite her valiant efforts, unable to overcome her dark side. Watch and listen above. “My music is almost always defiant and affirmational,” she commented. “Within it, I’m a warrior, a goddess. I am victorious in my art because I so desperately want to be victorious and for my victories to be loved. My fans see me this way, like an avatar, someone powerful and larger than life. But with ‘Pathetic Waste,’ I try to be more honest about the mundane struggle that my life can often feel like. The pain that my own inadequacy can cause the ones I love. The missed opportunities and squandered relationships. All of this falls in my wake as I drudge forward thinking, ‘What if I’m one of the bad people?'” [via Revolver]

RAYE strikes again with another signature cinematic video, this time for her song ‘Flip A Switch’ featuring Coi Leray. The track is part of RAYE’s debut album My 21st Century Blues which came out earlier this year. The groovy yet heartfelt song needed a video to match and the South-London-hailing star didn’t fail to deliver, using her signature choreography and specific colour grading to turn these visuals into yet another movie. Coi Leray didn’t hold back either and matched the energy perfectly, serving nothing but vibes behind the wheel of the dark bus she is driving in the video. [via GRM Daily]

There comes a time in every relationship when things start to turn routine. It might be routine in activity, communication, or, yes, even arguing (a red flag). That’s the topic KiNG MALA’s new single ‘sunny side up’ confronts, cleverly comparing duking it out with her boyfriend to eating sunny side up eggs every morning. The bubbly, serrated pop song is the latest in the Los Angeles singer’s most recent string of singles, and follows the release of her music video for ‘dirty dishes.’ The track is the epitome of delivering bad news with a huge dose of honey. Over sweet choruses of lalalas and perky guitar riffs, she croons in a sugary falsetto, “I’m sick of sunny side up eggs/ And mediocre makeup sex.” In its equally symbolic visual, directed by Chelsey d’Adesky, she and Kia Farhad play a couple who are chained to their routine — literally. They sit on the couch watching TV and eating breakfast together; the links that used to be unite them as symbols of security have now become a hindrance. She dreams of leaving the room, spitting in his orange juice, maybe eating him like that ominous painting of a lion preying on a deer hanging behind them suggests — all ideas you could also use to break up with your boyfriend. “I worked with a woman-led production company (432 Films) who just completely understood the energy I wanted this video to have,” KiNG MALA tells NYLON of shooting the visual. “Being on set with them was so exciting and inspiring and the video turned out even better than I could have imagined. I feel like they really captured the feeling of being in this endless routine with someone but in a way that felt artistic and funny. It’s a light take on a heavy thing, but that’s really the only way to cope sometimes.” [via NYLON]

Just days ahead of the release of her new album Joy’All, Jenny Lewis shared a new video for her recent single ‘Psychos’, directed by Bobbi Rich. Speaking about the creation of the new album, Lewis has said: “From my home in Nashville in early 2021, I joined a week-long virtual songwriting workshop with a handful of amazing artists, hosted by Beck. The challenge was to write one song every day for seven days, with guidelines from Beck. The guidelines would be prompts like ‘write a song with 1-4-5 chord progression,’ ‘write a song with only cliches,’ or ‘write in free form style.” [via DIY]

Australia’s Taylah Carroll returns with her first new music of 2023, the gorgeous single ‘Sleep On My Side’. Written by Carroll and produced by Tim Harvey, the song is a lush, captivating alt-pop song that carry elements of soul, jazz, pop, country and folk and positively overflows with warmth and all the feels. Carroll’s vocal is a standout, utterly beguiling as she moves through all the emotions from a seductive drawl to a world weary sigh. ‘Sleep On My Side’ looks at the emotionally volatile and messy world of dating, and appreciating the benefits of both being alone and as part of a couple. “I don’t like me much / Neither should you / I’ve kept my bed cold / I prefer the view / When I don’t have to sleep on my side,” she sings. “‘Sleep On My Side’ is about navigating the murky waters of the dating pool for the first time, and as an adult,” Carroll says. “It’s about learning what I liked in both solitude and togetherness. It’s about realising myself again. When I took the song into the studio, I’d only ever played it solo. It was one of those songs that was so exciting to record because I walked out of the studio that night with something completely different. The song grew before me.” Also out is the video for ‘Sleep On My Side’, which Carroll co-directed with Nick Mckk (Julia Jacklin, Spacey Jane, Stella Donnelly). It features Carroll playing the piano and rowing a boat with a gold fish as her only companion. “After recording one of the takes I announced that this was my ‘Cruise Ship Band’ song, so the accompanying video was centred around an imagined 60’s Cruise Ship adventure,” Carroll explains. “Thanks to the clip, I’m now also a proud goldfish mum. The goldfish is supposed to symbolise the little tender part of yourself, that is sometimes hard to connect with, but always important to carry and care for.” [via Women in Pop]

Problem Patterns have announced that they will be releasing their debut album. It is called Blouse Club and will be out later this year via Alcopop! Records. The band has also released a video for their new song ‘Letter of Resignation’. The video was directed, filmed, and edited by Brendan Seamus. [via PunkNews]

Mahalia continues her return with new single ‘Cheat’. The soulful pop queen signalled her comeback with the excellent ‘Terms And Conditions’, which leads into her upcoming album IRL. A work of truth, it lands on July 14 and the latest preview has just gone live. Out now, ‘Cheat’ is a self-described “infectious bop” and it finds Mahalia taking revenge on a man who has wronged her. Joined by JoJo, it’s a statement of female power, with their illustrious vocals fully intertwined. Produced by Spencer Stewart and JD. Reid, the collaboration between Mahalia and her soul sister has been on the cards for some time. “I can’t quite believe this one is real. I have been a fan of JoJo for as long as I can remember so having her on this record really is a dream come true for me,” Mahalia says. “I love watching people come together through hardship and everything about this song represents that. For me, it is a song about strength, power and letting go.” “I loved teaming up with Mahalia on this fully infectious bop,” JoJo states on the collaboration. “Not only can I not get the melodies out of my head… but I’ve BEEN THERE.. and it feels good to be singing with my friend about this very real part of growing up: Realizing that some boys are for the streets and will never change.” Shot in New York and directed by filmmaker Boma Iluma, you can check out the video for ‘Cheat’ now. [via Clash]

Last month, Madeline Kenney announced a new album, A New Reality Mind, with the lead single ‘Superficial Conversation.’ Her follow-up to 2020’s Sucker’s Lunch is out at the end of July, and now she’s sharing another new track from the album, the grooving and multifaceted ‘I Drew A Line.’ “I’ve been thinking a lot about the stories I tell myself to keep plodding along, and how those stories can obfuscate certain realities,” Kenney said in a statement, continuing: “Stories not only set limits but also set us up for the most frightening awakening when life starts to contradict the story. When I went through a breakup I realized that the story I had been living out was much different in the plain light of day than what I had constructed out of fantasy. I think it’s very human to tell stories, and I think it can protect us, but what if we don’t need protection? What purpose does the story serve then?” [via Stereogum]

Alt-pop singer-songwriter Sophie Powers has released her powerful new single, ‘Bathroom Floor’ via Atlantic Records in partnership with TAG Music. The track arrives alongside a music video, which can be seen now below. “You know you’ve hit rock bottom when you’re ‘on the bathroom floor’ and you ‘can’t feel shit,’” says Sophie Powers. “As the chorus of my song states, that’s exactly where I was mentally, and physically while writing it. The track goes into depth about my struggles with self-hatred, depression, body dysmorphia, and escaping a dark hole through seeking validation and distractions from others. The funny thing is, as soon as those distractions and people go away, what’s left? The same spiral of self-hatred-depression-insomnia-body dysmorphia-dark thoughts-anxiety-etc. continues…I never want to encourage or glamourize mental illness, but by simply speaking about it, maybe I can destigmatize the subject, and hopefully help someone else out who’s struggling.” [via Prelude Press]

Jazmin Bean has released a new single, ‘Piggie’. The track follows on from recent debut EP Worldwide Torture, and was produced by John Feldman and Travis Barker. “When I got out of rehab, I looked back at pictures of myself and saw the events that were happening around me at the time,” Jazmin says of the track. “I was three months clean and had lots of realisations about my life. I didn’t want to combat it with a sad song. Instead, I’m poking fun at some of the men I met at the time. ‘Piggie’ is the closest track to the Worldwide Torture era, so I wanted to bridge the gap between the old and new sound. But honestly, what’s coming next… I’m not even ready for.” [via Dork]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Jessica Winter will release her new EP Limerence on February 10. It’s a new era for this startling songwriter, who recently returned with her single ‘Choreograph’. Arresting new single ‘Funk This Up’ is online now, with the lyrics presenting a conversation between the songwriter and herself. Ella Margolin directs the final video, which was shot on VHS. Jessica Winter comments… “This song began as a conversation with myself… the verses being in the present and reacting to the choruses where I embody the more deranged temptress luring me into the depths of addiction and chaos. The video captures two versions of the addict, the version that tries to stay balanced and together and the version that falls from the centre. We used different forms of distortion on the face and body and more extreme performance to capture the temptress.” [via Clash]

The Pōneke-based project of Ingrid Saker with Seamus Johnson, Kim Andrews and Scott Maynard, Ingrid and the Ministers have unleashed a new video for their latest single ‘Porcelain God’. Detailing an intensely unglamorous scenario familiar to most late night party-goers at one point or another, the bluesy song’s visual treatment — co-directed by Saker and Kathleen Winter — stars the besuited lead songwriter / guitarist taking to the city streets and writhing around slimy waterways not unlike a Robert Longo artwork, busting out searing solos while looking fairly worse for it in general. The superimposed eels add a poetic touch. [via Under The Radar]

Malian star Fatoumata Diawara has shared ‘Nsera’, the first track taken from her forthcoming album, due out next year. ‘Nsera’ is co-written and co-produced by Damon Albarn, who as worked with Fatoumata previously and whose long history of collaborating with African musicians is well documented. Singing and playing keyboards, Albarn infuses a touch of melancholy and modernity into the song’s Mandinka sound. The partnership, which merges the sounds of London and those of the Malian capital Bamako, led Fatoumata to coin the term ‘Londonko’: an imaginary land, bringing two continents together. ‘Nsera’ is accompanied by a video directed by Gregory Ohrel (Orelsan, Jain, Residente). A journey into the heart of Africa, the video parades the continent’s many sides, its cultural richness and diversity. ‘Nsera’ means ‘destination’ in bambara, the official language of Mali. Born in the Ivory Coast to Malian parents, Fatoumata is still eagerly exploring her roots, her land, her culture and her own destination.

Just before Halloween, Uhl (née Isabella Uhl, pronounced like “you’ll”), shared the official announcement of Channels, her debut EP, along with the first single ‘Haunted Tune’. On the second single, ‘Fruit,’ Uhl’s (literally) operatic vocals shine –– as on the rest of the record –– leading the way via serpentine melodies and storytelling that cascade in perfectly executed art pop waves, recalling Kate Bush’s The Sensual World or Annie Lennox’s Diva or Weyes Blood’s more recent work. This is really not the kind of thing that works if it’s only halfheartedly executed or if the artist is anything but exceptional. And so here’s Uhl: fully going for it and fullly pulling it off, supported by the acrobatic production of Peter Murray (Alela Diane, Lisa Crawley). The melodies are memorable, the arrangements are spot on, and the dramatic effect is consuming. Fans of Liz Fraser’s and Cindy Sharp’s songs on It’ll End in Tears, brace yourselves. Uhl embodies a different character in each song, “channeling” these narratives. In ‘Fruit,’ the narrator locks into entirely worldly things and their multivalence. The track is, in Uhl’s own words, a challenge to “the way we evaluate other’s realities.” Check out the outrageous and melodramatic video for ‘Fruit,’ directed by Uhl herself. There is a profound and familiar emotional resonance to Channels, but –– as the work of someone exploring a variety of characters –– it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is made plain in this video. There’s definitely a levity present that’s the mark of someone who is playing.

London indie supergroup SUEP announce long-awaited debut album Shop and drop new single ‘In Good Health’ with a poignant and trippily kaleidoscopic-pop video. ‘In Good Health,’ fronted by Georgie Stott, is a darkly euphoric and pleasantly strange meeting of Siouxsie Sioux and Jona Lewie, with a playfully discombobulating mix of 80s jangly guitar, chirpy keyboard, and moody post-punk. The song was written by Georgie following a stay in hospital due to a mental health crisis, and tackles mental health, drug addiction, and the power of friendship. As Georgie expands: “I wanted to write a song that encapsulated how important my relationships with my friends and boyfriend were at that time” she explains “…and one that also felt dark like I did at the time. I couldn’t go outside due to anxiety surrounding my health, so I stayed inside for weeks. People would visit and watch films with me or let me tattoo them or make music with me. My community helped me recover.” The ‘In Good Health’ video taps into the song’s serious subject matter but also the song’s playfulness. It shows Georgie stuck in what its creator Jess Power describes as “An internalised world, imagining a new day and a fresh start. The overly luxurious bedding, super saturated colours and surreal imagery reflect the idea of seeking clarity amongst inner voices that try to deceive you and bring you down.”

Joanie has shared her new single ‘Kerosene’ via Permanent Creeps. ‘Kerosene’ builds on the promise of Joanie’s debut track ‘Schadenfreude’. It’s a cool, pulsing, disco track that has been produced by fellow rising artist Jessica Winter (Jazmine Bean, Walt Disco, Metronomy). Joanie says: “‘Kerosene’ takes inspiration from the dark, salacious world depicted in homoerotic 70’s movie Pink Narcissus. It’s a song about intoxication, obsession and escapism.” The video has been directed by Ash K Halliburton who has previously directed videos for Piers James, Crawlers and Katy B and worked with FKA twigs, Maneskin and Caroline Polachek.

With their debut EP Worldwide Torture already having 400 million streams (and counting), Jazmin Bean is dropping their newest track ‘Carnage’. “’Carnage’ is a song about getting what you want no matter how difficult it may prove to be or what opinions come about in the process,” they explain, “it was really a love letter to my end goal and every day I get closer to that goal.” [via DIY]

The video for Connie Constance’s new single ‘Hurt You’ has been self-directed, offering a chance to ‘live in a fantasy’. “This video is about the four stages of healing/resurrection,” Constance explains. “Stage one being torture, the purge of everything that came before that could be holding me back, stage two is the healing process, stage three is training, I was lucky enough to have my uncle King Kenny train me in this video right in the middle of his own training camp for his upcoming Fight in Texas. And the final stage being the rebirth, the Phoenix risen. My uncle Steve Power has a Pontiac firebird to he brought in the beautiful motor and it played the part of the symbol of transformation. A jump the fence imagination, made by my friends for the world.” [via live4ever]

Montreal-based electro-pop duo Milk & Bone presents ‘Object of Fun,’ an unapologetic single in which the pair denounces the way the male gaze ignores the uniqueness and multitudes of womanhood. Carried by anthemic synths and dense drum machine rhythms, ‘Object of Fun’ explores the weaponization of femininity by the male gaze and the pressure to fit within this idealized version of womanhood; one that isn’t outspoken, doesn’t age, always fits the sample size. “’Object of Fun’ is about the anger we feel when we’re being gaslit into thinking those things are actually encouraged and are then used against us,” explains the pair. [via Canadian Beats]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.