Following the announcement of their striking debut album, ANTI-FUN PROPAGANDA (set for release on February 23 via Marshall Records), alt-punk collective Gen and the Degenerates reveal their latest offering in the form of ‘KIDS WANNA DANCE,’ a spiralling, dystopian anthem for the disenfranchised. Speaking on the themes of their new single, vocalist Genevieve Glynn-Reeves (she/they) comments: “This song is about trying to reconcile the knowledge that the future of our world is very uncertain, getting up each day and trying to build a life for ourselves. Beyond that, we all want to find a way to make those lives enjoyable. Not only is the quality of life getting lower, but our politics and economy are volatile; we have to ask ourselves questions like ‘Is it even ethical to have children?’ because of the state that previous generations have left the planet in. It seems that if people want to spend all their time making stupid videos on TikTok or spend all their money frivolously, then why shouldn’t they? There are no stable careers, and they won’t be able to afford a house anyway. We all need to find the joy we can and each our way of dancing through the end times.”

Any Other, the project of Italian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Adele Altro (they / them), has shared their new single ‘If I Don’t Care’. The track, a rousing ode to letting go of anger, is the final cut to be shared from their forthcoming third album, stillness, stop: you have a right to remember which is due out on January 26 via 42 Records. Of their new single, Adele says: “This song is about me learning to let go of things that make me angry – both personal and societal stuff. It’s reasonable to be angry about inequalities, but at some point you need to distance yourself from that stuff just a little, otherwise it will impact your mental health in an even more negative way. I’m still learning how to do that!” Together with the new single, Any Other is releasing a video for ‘If I don’t care’, produced by EDERA (Milano) and directed by Giulio Rasi, with art direction by Cecilia Grandi. “When emotions arise they can manifest in different forms and colours – learning to understand and recognise them is not always an easy task. In the video for ‘If I don’t care’, half way between a dream and a mythological tale, the difficulty of controlling one’s emotions is narrated, and how sometimes the only thing we can do is stop resisting them and let them flow through us,” says Grandi.

Dora Paphides directs a playful gothic fantasy for Ella Eyre‘s comeback video, featuring Tiggs Da Author. The promo for ‘Head In The Ground’ features Ella in her girly bedroom – which happens to be six feet under. Up above in the Beetlejuice-style graveyard, Tiggs arrives you encourage Ella to step up from her resting place and enter the real world, reflecting the song’s theme that she’s ready to make up for past mistakes. Anchored by lively performances and complete commitment to the visual world – composed by production designer Sasha Hilton – it’s a standout concept with confident direction from Paphides, following up from up recent co-directing outings with Harv Frost for The Last Dinner Party and Chinchilla. [via PromoNews]

This week sees the return of raw and honest storyteller Jess Locke with the announcement of her fourth album, Real Life, out on May 3, through Dot Dash / Remote Control Records. The celebrated Melbourne/Naarm-based songwriter shares a sample of the long play that explores mortality with ‘Uncomfortably Happy.’ Setting the tone for the forthcoming album, ‘Uncomfortably Happy,’ says it all in the title. Backed by fuzzy guitars and swelling synths, Locke questions the temporary aspect of living. The buoyant chorus attempts to sweep these anxieties and overanalyses away – a celebration of chaos and letting go of control, of failure even, because all of it is just temporary. Locke admits, “It’s something I write about a lot, maybe because I am still trying to become comfortable with the idea that life is temporary and meaningless and that’s a good thing.” [via v13]

Ariana Grande has returned with her first solo single and video since 2020 ‘Yes, And?’. In the short, she stages a performance for a crowd of snooty critics, inevitably winning them over in party-starting fashion; it is inspired by Paula Abdul’s 1988 music video for ‘Cold Hearted,’ as Variety notes. Check out the Christian Breslauer–directed video below. [via Pitchfork]

LØLØ has released a new single that sadly pokes fun at us and our skinny jeans-wearing ways. Waaaah… A track about a toxic relationship, the excellent ‘2 of us’ opens with the line, ‘You still wear skinny jeans and that should have been my first sign,’ and addresses some of the challenges of cutting things off with someone, even when you know it’s the wrong person. “I wrote ‘2 of us’ at a time where I felt very dumb,” LØLØ explains. “I couldn’t shake someone who was terrible for me. I thought they were being so thoughtless and stupid, but then I realised I was being just as stupid for even giving them the time of day. “P.S.,” she adds, “I’m sorry to my fellow emos who will be offended by the skinny jeans line… it was just a really good diss, okay? I felt very sassy while writing this one, so a couple of the lines are pretty funny lol.” [via Kerrang!]

BRIT-nominated South London singer-songwriter Lola Young shares her gritty new single, ‘Wish You Were Dead’ via Day One / Island Records. ‘Wish You Were Dead’ details a toxic relationship and overflows with Lola’s sharp, honest storytelling and dynamic vocal performance.

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Poppy wants that real shit. She makes it abundantly clear on her new single, ‘Knockoff.’ A pulsing, sultry, industrial-tinged dancefloor killer, the song arrived accompanied by a surreal music video filled with tarot card imagery and Suspiria-esque choreography. ‘Knockoff’ is the lead single off Poppy’s forthcoming new album, Zig, the full-length follow-up to 2022’s Stagger EP, which was recorded with producer Ali Payami, as well as her long term collaborative partner Simon Wilcox. [via Revolver]

Step into the neon-lit arena of avant-garde pop, where the ultimate provocateur, Dorian Electra, reigns supreme. Brace yourselves, dear happy readers, for the eagerly awaited opus, Fanfare, slated to hit the airwaves on October 6 via via MTheory/Virgin Music Australia. A declaration of unyielding creativity, this audacious artist has already set ablaze the ether with their latest single and video, ‘anon’, igniting a firestorm of anticipation that surges through the ether. In this enigmatic odyssey, Dorian Electra embarks on an exploration of parasocial relationships, as they fearlessly navigate the terrain of claims we stake on the lives of figureheads, embracing the fervor of obsession, idolatry, and pop culture as a living mythology. With a dexterity that defies categorization, the line between love and loathing, fandom and control, blurs like watercolor dissolving in the rain. Fanfare represents an unapologetic rewriting of narratives thrust upon us by a conformist society, as Dorian dismantles the shackles of heteronormativity with unwavering conviction. Collaborative synergy pervades every beat of this magnum opus, with a talented cadre of creatives in tow, including the venerable Clarence Clarity and the visionary Weston Allen, alongside the likes of Casey MQ, Count Baldor, and Klaxons’ Jamie Reynolds. Together, they pose a rhetorical query that hangs tantalizingly in the ether: what, dear voyagers of sound, do we truly expect—or dare I say, demand—from our public icons? Directed with artful prowess, Dorian Electra and their creative partner, Weston Allen, present the music video for ‘anon’, laying bare the multifaceted nature of stan culture that, like a capricious gale, propels one to soaring heights or plummets them to the abyss of anonymity. [via Happy Mag]

LØLØ has returned with the fiery new single ‘hot girls in hell.’ The scathing track is an instant breakup anthem as LØLØ belts: “You’re fucking disgusting/You’re good for nothing/You think you’re special/I think you’re mental/I hope there’s no hot girls in hell.” The song begins with a gentle, acoustic verse before exploding into thrashing guitars and combusting percussion, neatly demonstrating the Toronto-based artist’s talent for blending vulnerability and unapologetic authority within the same track. “I wrote the first half when I was really sad and the second half when I was really mad,” LØLØ says of the track. “The person I wrote this about is definitely going to hell, so here’s hoping there’s no hot girls there for him to f**k.” [via Alt Press]

Baby Queen has shared a brand new song and video – watch ‘We Can Be Anything’ below. The video was premiered on the Instagram page for Netflix show Heartstopper, which Baby Queen contributed the song ‘Colours Of You’ to in 2022. Discussing the idea behind the new song, Baby Queen said in a statement: “I’ve been having a prolonged existential crisis for the better part of the past 5 years and would consider myself to be a nihilist in many ways, which has made being alive quite bleak at times. I think human beings really crave purpose but there is ultimately no clear-cut reason we’re here and if there is one, we’re just not intelligent enough to figure it out. “Despite it all, life is beautiful and i think our lack of purpose and our insignificance gives us the greatest level of freedom. Society, culture, rules, laws – these are all constructs. I like to believe that as long as you’re not hurting people, you do have the freedom and the prerogative to do with your life what you will.” She added: That’s what this song is about: non-confinement and non-conformity in the face of what is essentially absurdity. I just want people to listen to it and feel free – because they are free.” [via NME]

Kenzie Ziegler has just released an intimate and personal new track ‘anatomy’. The 19-year-old entertainer addresses the absence of her father during her childhood years and navigating through life without him. She also debuted a new music video, with choreography by her older sister Maddie. Kendall Ryan Krajewski portrays a younger version of Kenzie. “’anatomy’ is a very personal record to me, because it’s the first time I’ve publicly opened up about the absence of my dad while growing up,” Kenzie shared in a statement about the song. “The team I wrote it with gave me the safe space to finally share my story, and that was a really empowering moment for me. When I listen back to it now, I’m just proud of what we made because I think a lot of people can relate. If you grew up without a parent, I hope you know that you are not alone, and I hope this record can provide some type of peace and safe space for you all.” Kenzie penned the track alongside Ellen Murphy, Elizabeth Jane Murphy and Bill Maybury, and it was produced by Lenii. Henry DaCosta directed the music video. [via Just Jared Jr]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Nothing could’ve prepared us for what a beautiful couple Lizzo and fashion supermodel Tyson Beckford would make in her new music video for ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready).’ Making her wildest dreams come true, she brought the 51-year-old heartthrob to the desert for her self-titled album single. The visual follows Lizzo as a runaway bride, recreating scenes from her breakout ‘Truth Hurts’ music video in 2019. After leaving herself and a shirtless pastor at the altar, she speeds across the desert highway in a red convertible and stomps through sand hills wearing white platform combat boots. When all hope seems lost, Beckford appears on a motorcycle. A sight for sand-filled eyes, it seems almost too good to be true. The two get cozy and Lizzo goes in for the kiss, more ready than ever. Just as she does, her friends arrive to retrieve the runaway bride. What they find, though, is not a pretty picture: Lizzo making out with a tree, no supermodel in sight. But she doesn’t let biting on a little bark get her down. Quickly bouncing back with a bottle of Patron, nonetheless, Lizzo and her bridal party pull out all the stops. With choreographed numbers, campfires and blinding blinged-out lingerie, this party is decidedly better than Lizzo’s wedding, anyway. The ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’ video is an unapologetic ode to taking your time and loving yourself. So don’t settle for anything less than french kissing a supermodel on a motorcycle in the desert, even if it is a mirage. [via PAPER]

This week, THICK released their sophomore album, Happy Now and they’re also back with one last single, the gleaming and spiky ‘Happiness.’ “This song explores the ways we seek validation and how it motivates the way we interact with the world around us,” the band said in a statement. “Whether you look for it externally or internally, it begs the question, ‘Who is this all for and is it ever enough?’” [via Stereogum]

Canadian singer-songwriter Olivia Street and her band King of Foxes are the makers of delightful yet peppy indie-pop. Their recent single release of ‘Pleasant Solutions’ is a perfect demonstration of why her music connects with fans in such a unique way. She has a unique artistic method, that’s versatile and has the ability to create old-school retro sounds with a modern twist. There’s no lack of tongue-in-cheek throughout her music, with each music video bringing a playful vibe, the latest takes place in a dull office, before the staff take matters into their own hands. The lyrics and meaning throughout Only Here On Loan is about being confident, and holding on. The band writes, “When it comes to writing lyrics, I love finding universality in the specifics. I hope that people see themselves in the song — we’re all hurtling through space on a rock together, trying to hold on to what we think we know. There is beauty in realizing that nothing really belongs to us, that everything we have is ‘only here on loan.'” Taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Pleasant Solutions’ offers a rustic sound to modern indie. It’s full of quirky and catchy hooks that’s rich with a nostalgic touch. [via Earmilk]

Chloe Moriondo will release new album Suckerpunch on October 7. Moriondo takes full control of proceedings, augmenting her vision with contributions from Oscar Scheller (Rina Sawayama, PinkPantheress, Charli XCX), David Pramik (Machine Gun Kelly, Oliver Tree), and Teddy Geiger (Caroline Polachek, Olivia O’Brien). A 13 tracker, Chloe Moriondo will preview the album with a night at London’s iconic Heaven club on August 24. New single ‘Fruity’ is online, blazing a trail for the full length, her first since 2021’s ‘Blood Bunny’. The single bursts out of the traps, future-pop stylings with a punk-like sense of defiance. She comments… “’Fruity’ and this album in general are going to be a slap in the fucking face!! I liked the idea of naming the album for something that means an unexpected hit—something you never saw coming. It means the world to me to have the creative means to explore different shiny sounds and work with people I love so dearly on a project that is so new and exciting for me.” [via Clash]

Returning with her sassy pop sheen to prowl over the R&B scene, DEJA releases latest single ‘Boom Boom Bah’. DEJA’s badass and feisty female energy comes in with ‘Boom Boom Bah’. Empowering every girl with that whining and grinding confidence, DEJA shows appreciation to her body heritage in this atypical ode to her mother. Loaded with radiating hip beats and audacious elation, ‘Boom Boom Bah’ is a sass-soaked single. In her own words, DEJA explains;“Even though all the women in my bloodline were, I was not blessed with ample booty. In my family, this has been a running joke for as long as I can remember! Mama blessed me with no nyash, still every single man want that. ‘Boom Boom Bah’ pays homage to my mama and our heritage but in the most light-hearted way. I’ve written ballads about my love for my mother but I wanted this one to make her smile and shake body!”

Possessing a natural knack for genre-bending, Oregon-born artist Haley Johnsen has lent her musical magic to her retro new single ‘Renegade’. Indie-pop and folk-rock join forces here to create a unique sound, underpinned by soaring vocals and introspective lyricism. Having already built up an impressive fan base after her critically acclaimed debut album, Golden Days, the universally loved star’s return has been a sweet one, wrapped up in a nostalgic 80s and synth-laden tinge. Assembling the ultimate dream team on the new project, Johnsen brought to the mix award-winning, time-travelling filmmaker/ TikTok star, Maris Jones, for the track’s accompanying music video. The two creatives transport us to an entirely different decade in the new cut, flaunting all things 80s. Proving that self-love is a global currency when contemplating her newest cut, Johnsen explains, “‘Renegade’ is about fully stepping into who you are and what you’re meant to do in this life, which I believe is one of the most badass, rebellious things we can do. I needed to write this song to remind myself that even though I still struggle with my self-esteem and trust in myself at times, that I am still brave enough to be continuing to push through and follow my dreams. In this video made by the incredible Maris Jones, I get to become the superhero I always hoped I’d be for myself. Saving the world from evil storms of self-doubt and battling it with self-love and courage, one day at a time!” [via Wonderland]

Following the release of their first album in six years Radiate Like This, Warpaint are sharing the video for LP cut ‘Hips’. “’Hips’ has a scuttling intensity to it,” director Jim Hosking says. “It sounds like someone desperately trying to find something. Or at least that’s what it seemed to me. I listened to it repeatedly and kept seeing women desperately searching for each other in a seaside town. Ideas present themselves and it’s not about logic or reason, it’s about emotion. And here the emotion suggested identically dressed women finding each other in an old seaside town in England called Southend On Sea.” “We are thrilled to share this strange and beautiful video for ‘Hips’ from the brilliant mind of Jim Hoskins,” the band add. “Give it a watch.” [via DIY]

Artist on the rise, EMELINE returns with her strong-minded and sensually charged new single ‘Strut’ and its accompanying video. Co-written by EMELINE, ‘Strut’ finds the Los Angeles-based artist fully owning her sexuality and turning the track’s chorus into a supremely catchy statement of freedom: “I don’t do the walk of shame, I strut.” A dance-ready anthem of self-celebration, ‘Strut’ follows the Rhode Island-born singer-songwriter’s viral smash hit ‘cinderella’s dead’. In a departure from the slow-burning dark-pop of ‘cinderella’s dead,’ ‘Strut’ brings EMELINE’s breathy vocals and sophisticated wordplay to a high-energy backdrop of diamond-hard beats, glistening synth, and retro-flavored horns. Both playful and unapologetic, the result is the latest proof of EMELINE’s gift for transforming self-reflection into spellbinding songs with a powerful impact. Co-directed by EMELINE and Kate Zamudio, the video for ‘Strut’ follows the free-spirited phenomenon as she struts along city streets, endlessly turning heads with her unbridled confidence. A glorious explosion of pink, the visual also captures EMELINE making out in a vintage car and an old-school phone booth, ultimately inspiring the scandalized bystanders to shake off their inhibitions and dance along with her.

Los Angeles-based DIY rock band The Paranoyds share new single and accompanying video, ‘BWP’. Alongside the single, the band announces a UK tour this fall with tickets on sale now here, in addition to their North American dates, ahead of their highly anticipated sophomore LP, Talk Talk Talk due out September 9 and available for pre-order now, via Third Man Records. After some audio feedback and a steady guitar loop begins, ‘BWP’ opens the album with an attempt to escape the monotony of daily life. Over warbled vocals, expressing disappointment with how the once-alluring future turned out, guitarist and vocalist Lexi Funston sings, “Up on my bed / I’m looking to mend / I contend I’ve got a case / A fight in my head / I’ve got a ten I’m willing to spend / A day is long when not much is coming in / Cross off 60 more, this future was a bore” Funston explains the fuzzy jam is inspired by feeling stuck in an endless routine for so long, daydreams no longer feel special or significant–they’ve just become the norm. “Every now and then there are those days and sometimes even weeks where it just feels like you’re in a rut–for me they’re usually induced by some sort of gnarly LA heatwave or fire (if i’m really unlucky, it’s both!). All you can really do to escape the heat is daydream, but daydreaming day-to-day…it’s just not the same.” Speaking to what the title’s three letters stand for, Funston adds, “I wrote the demo for the song at a time where it felt like all of a sudden Spotify was overcompensating for years of only boosting male rock bands, in this super disingenuous way (2019). There was this playlist called “Badass Women’s Playlist,” which I thought was such a cringe title for a playlist (looking at the playlist now, they dropped the “Women’s”). “But, on the other hand,” Funston admits, “I wanted our music to be on this playlist…I figured if I wrote a song with that intention in mind and named it after the playlist, we might finally get some subliminal love from Spotify…I guess that makes it a self-referential song about selling out.” Directed by Max Flick, the track’s accompanying video allows each band member and their instrument shine as each shot corresponds seamlessly with each note played. Against a black backdrop, hues of red, yellow and blue along with a single spotlight bring the floating heads of each band member in and out of view. Similar to previously shared visuals, the band brings their retro spirit with them into the future, creating something brand new altogether. Flick, who has previously collaborated with the band, was thrilled to be able to direct the latest video. “Since the first time I saw The Paranoyds play at the original Non Plus Ultra I was an instant fan and knew I wanted to make a video together. We have worked on many projects over the years, but this is my first time directing for them.” After listening to the track, Flick had a clear vision for the visual. “Listening to ‘BWP’ immediately provided me with these vivid images that we were able to make come to life and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

Sudan Archives has shared a new video for her song ‘NBPQ (Topless),’ a track from her forthcoming album Natural Brown Prom Queen. Agusta YR directed the busy, surreal visual. [via Pitchfork]

Annie DiRusso shares her new single ‘Call It All Off.’ “The song is about losing yourself in someone or something and trying to reenter the world once that chapter closes,” DiRusso shares. “This song was born from a time when I was so caught up in a relationship that I didn’t realize I had isolated myself from friends, family and a lot of good things in my life. When I realized how much I missed, I found myself wanting to just give up & ‘call it all off’ rather than reconnect with the outside world because it seemed like too big an undertaking. Releasing this song is a good reminder that there’s life on the other side.” Annie DiRusso also shared about the song, “It’s like me walking out of that relationship and reentering the world and realizing, like, I had a neglected relationship with my friends. Or like, I think often what happens in those kinds of relationships is when someone tells you, like, you should break up with him, then you’re like, ‘yeah, yeah.’ And then you like, just like, don’t talk to that person for a while because I don’t want to break up with your boyfriend. Like, and that was something that had happened with a lot of my friends. And so I think there was that period of kind of getting out of that relationship and being like, Hey, I broke up with him finally. All my friends were so welcoming, too. And it’s just a feeling, like, I think it’s about that fear of, like, I feel so disconnected from everyone, and everyone’s life moved on while I was, like, in this bubble. And I feel weird, like having to reenter now, you know, after missing so much.” [via Guitar Girl Mag]

Ghost Car, the London-based international punk quartet, announced their debut album Truly Trash following their signing to One Little Independent Records. The riotous, quick-witted collection of 11 garage-rock bangers will be released on October 28. The album provides Ghost Car with a platform to rage against political injustices, as their unified harmonies attack patriarchal inequality, homophobia, racism and toxic relationships. Truly Trash is a call to reclaim autonomy and to revolt against the powers that uphold an archaic nationalist system. The jumped-up chaos of their glorious new single ‘Conch Pearl’ perfectly matches its B-movie style visual, by upcoming videographer Cath Shayler. She says that “Ghost Car become collectively entranced by a mysterious pearl object. Obsession quickly turns to possession as the pearl transforms into an all-encompassing hypnotic orb”. The band describe ‘Conch Pearl’ as “a feminist commentary on women/queer community being ‘shrunk down’ to fit a mould. The idea of a conch shell closing up, closing yourself off to the world vs opening up. We wanted to use the obsession with the pearl to represent the possession that is sometimes manifested towards women, something all of us have experienced first-hand at some point in our lives”. [via SoundSphere]

LØLØ’s new single ‘u turn me on (but u give me depression)’ is an excellent summer anthem for anyone who secretly hates their partner. “I wish I fell for an ax murderer instead of you / He’d kill me too but at least he’d make it quick.” LØLØ rolls her eyes, arms crossed over a bright orange bedspread, as she delivers her first line, in the music video, next to a man who is fast asleep. “No he wouldn’t get me hot and heavy / Then pretend he never met me and make me such a crazy bitch.” ‘u turn me on (but u give me depression)’ is a pop-punk battle cry rich with upbeat instrumentals. The music starts off with a bare-bones guitar riff before building up to crisp drum claps and a resonant bass line. Speaking of the new track, LØLØ says, of the lover, “Instead of being dead, I live in a constant state of purgatory – flip flopping from happiness to sadness. I love him, I hate him. He turns me on. He gives me depression. But most importantly, he helps me write the best songs.” [via SPIN]

Whimsical, imaginative and ethereal are all words to describe Arizona born and bred indie pop artist Summy. Now based in Los Angeles, the young social media influencer and otherworldly songwriter crafts music inspired by her personal experiences and her deepest desire to inspire other women to be strong, embrace growth, and to love themselves for who they are. Inspired by a wide array of musical influences including Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Chicago, Elton John, and Lady Gaga, Summy writes music that is genre-defying and introspective. Her latest single ‘Said It After’ is about “when the relationship ends, the person comes to say all the things you wanted to hear when you were together but now it’s too late, because they said it after.” Summy’s lush and intimate vocals glide effortlessly over enchanting electronic pop soundscapes culminating into a magnetizing musical release. Summy has an uncanny ability to tap into the shared human experience and highlight our deepest emotions for music that is cathartic, tender, and emotive. In addition to her music, she embodies an aesthetic that is creative and vibrant, building a fantastical world for her and her fans. “I’ve always been very drawn to an ethereal and colorful energy for the clothes I wear and the makeup looks I do. I think one of the reasons why I’m more attracted to that kind of vibe is because it really helps me cope with my depression and mental struggles. It’s much harder to cry if you’re in fairy wings,” confides the songwriter. [via Substream]

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.