‘In Your Head’ takes that shadowy introspection further within a song that hits at the heart of feeling both intense love and immense hatred for someone, like some kind of twisted Halloween romance. That inner turmoil erupts in a contrast of desire and disgust, and lust with aloof disinterest as Raven’s mind weaves and wanders between the two extremes. The music pulsates with slow motion intensity, bringing fresh elements alongside Raven’s bewitching voice: a punchy, trap-tinged beat and a Middle-Eastern motif in an industrial setting that recalls Killing Joke’s ‘Pandemonium’ album. In short: just as you think you know what you expect from Raven, she keeps you second guessing.

Raven says, “I wrote ‘In Your Head’ about three years ago, it’s somewhat directed towards someone I’ve known for quite a few years but have only met a few times. It’s about intense feelings of obsession for someone who’s out of reach. I found myself replaying every moment, feeling an overwhelming desire to know them more deeply. My thoughts were consumed by fantasies of what could be, creating a tension between my longing and the reality of our brief interactions. This song reflects my struggle with the powerful emotions that come from wanting someone I can’t have. Psychotic, I know, but we all are at times, especially when we want something bad enough.”

‘In Your Head’ was written by Raven and produced by her regular collaborator, this time with mixing from Nathan Boddy (Mura Masa, James Blake).

Raven channels the song’s sinisterly seductive spirit in its accompanying video. Her intense gaze never lets up throughout the visual, creating a pull that’s both intimately alluring and discomfitingly intimidating. It’s a juxtaposition that’s only heightened as her blood-red razorblade fingernails crawl menacingly in the foreground of the shot.

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While ‘Just A Number’ is largely shorn of the industrial and dark-pop embellishments that made her previous singles so compelling, it’s a song that unmasks its intensity in a markedly different way. Mournful cello and unguarded piano prove to be the dominant textures in a song which uses its streamlined space to expose the horror of its emotions. Raven’s voice is as beautifully beguiling as ever, but her words capture the desolation of giving everything of yourself to someone… and the tragedy of receiving almost nothing in return.

Raven says, “‘Just A Number’ is about a really tumultuous relationship along with the feeling of being objectified. It’s been a work in progress for about three years and chronicles a lot of the negative aspects and feelings that were brought up by careless and hurtful things I heard from my partner at the time. The line ‘that bitch will never be me’ is drawn from everything I found out about him and the girls he was seeing while we were together. I settled on the title from feeling that I was just a number to someone that neglected almost everything from the relationship aside from sex. I felt as if I meant nothing more than ‘Just A Number’.”

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Raven casts an icy demeanour in ‘Overwhelming’, with juddering beats, grinding industrial sonics and waves of engagingly unconventional vocal elements taking us deeper into her world. It’s a sweetly sinister cocktail that enshrouds lyrics which explore her visceral reaction to the noise around her – most literally and metaphorically – as her BPD triggers a dissociative state.

Raven says, “‘Overwhelming’ is somewhat self-explanatory, it’s about being overwhelmed with everyone and everything, it’s also about growing up with a famous parent and how it’s affected me personally. My parents are incredible, they’ve done absolutely everything and more for me and I love them endlessly but a big part of their job is going on tour for long periods of time and that has quite obviously affected me negatively.

“The song is partially about that; how my parents going on tour as a child caused me to develop quite a lot of issues. It caused me to develop borderline personality disorder which involves the constant fear of being abandoned, severe mood swings, anxiety and it has also caused extreme social anxiety. The loudness of this lifestyle, the shows, my dad’s fame, the unpredictability, the fans, the unnecessary hate all because I was born caused so much stress and it was a lot for me to handle. It’s about totally shutting down and disassociating because everything was very overwhelming.”

The pulsating paranoia and anxieties of the song are heightened by the accompanying video , which was directed by Jackson Ducasse (Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons). Captured in a crimson palette a blonde-haired Raven performs with searing intensity, her angst growing as she’s followed by a gathering of partially hidden people – but are her fears grounded in reality, or is her mind twisting her surroundings into something far more sinister than they really are?

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Last year, Suzie True released their sophomore album Sentimental Scum. Last month, the LA rockers shared ‘Angel Baby,’ and now they’re back with ‘LEECHES (PLAY DEAD!),’ produced by Jon Siebels of Eve 6. “This song is about being a life-long people-pleaser and the difficult journey of trying to learn not to be,” the band said in a statement. “Women are taught to fully give themselves to everyone and everything around them, making everyone else happy and comfortable at the expense of our own happiness, comfort, and sense of self. Most of these lyrics are specifically about losing yourself in a relationship, realizing it, and then working towards healing and rediscovering yourself. It’s about the murky area between loving yourself and loving someone else that feels so easy to get lost in.” The track starts off sounding like the Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ before catapulting into their typical punk-adjacent sound, which they describe as “if the Powerpuff Girls started a Blink-182 cover band.” [via Stereogum]

The Meanjin and Yugambeh-based musician LAVELIN has made waves with her dark fantasy music. Her recent single ‘Addicted’ is a seductive, toxic siren’s song, and she has now released a music video to match ahead of her debut EP Forget About Us, out May 24. The 80s-style synth and drum machines in the song make for an alluring journey back in time, and paired with her vintage prom dress and oversized bows, this music video is an eerie retro dream. A divine, dark atmosphere is contrasted with the hyper-feminine imagery of the singer’s flowing pink dress and ribbons, making an ominous, intimate music video that unsettles the senses and perfectly compliments the coquette seduction tone of the song. The creative team for the music video, Jemma Morley, Shannan O’Neill, Luke Wormald & Jayden Bate, made sure to capture a video worthy of the fae. The fairy lights and natural filming environments make an alluring video that invokes a sense of timelessness and placelessness. Though the production had its difficulties, it came together seamlessly, LAVELIN says, “Originally the music video was going to be on roller skates, however with the brutal summer rains and my apparent lack of coordination we ended up throwing those plans out the window and getting creative as a team on the spot to shoot the film.” This creativity shines through in this moody, glowing music video that feels undeniably personal, and only builds anticipation to see what her upcoming EP has in store.

Helena H. Rebensdorff aka Brimheim shares the music video for her new single ‘Into the Ooze’, which is taken from her critically acclaimed album RATKING, which came out March 22 via Tambourhinoceros. The new song follows the previously shared singles ‘Literally Everything’, ‘Brand New Woman’ and Normies’. Her vocals are a force of nature and the songs on RATKING are bold and always take a surprising turn. She effortlesly glides from soft ballads, gut-punching alt-rock to a more upbeat pop sound. Now, she shares the thrilling and surrealistic music video for ‘Into the Ooze’, directed by Heiðrik á Heygum. [via Turtlenek]

Following the release of appetite-whetting single ‘The Thrill Of It’ earlier this year, Liverpool’s Pixey has now confirmed that her debut album Million Dollar Baby will arrive on August 2 via Chess Club Records. It comes after a quartet of smaller projects and was written between her native Liverpool and London. Produced by Pixey herself alongside Tom McFarland and Rich Turvey, Million Dollar Baby is set to unite her love for nostalgic ’90s breakbeats with her flair for modern alt-pop earworms. Speaking about the album, Pixey has shared: “It’s the final form of years of trying to prove myself. I’ve always felt as if I’m so close to something but never quite there. This is the story the album tells; navigating the perception of myself through the male gaze, whilst also trying to take some power back and form my truest identity. The sentiment of the album is this: the path to fulfillment isn’t a performance for others but instead, is a journey of becoming your authentic self.” To mark the announcement, the Scouse songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist has shared the LP’s title track, as well as confirming that she’ll be heading out on a headline mini-tour of the UK this Autumn in support of the record. “‘Million Dollar Baby’ was born from a conversation I had with a girl in LA who was desperate for notoriety,” she has said of her new song. “The track is satirical at its heart, narrating the absurdity of chasing fame and sugar-coated ambition. It reflects a lot of truths I realised while writing the album. The performative nature of the music industry often peddles illusions, and real fulfilment comes from writing the music itself.” [via DIY]

Frances Forever has announced the release of their debut full-length album Lockjaw, set to drop on June 28. The news comes alongside the unveiling of their new single and video, ‘Troll’. Reflecting on the project, Frances explained: “I’m so excited to announce my debut album, Lockjaw. This project contains my favourite songs I’ve ever written, and I’ve never put so much of my heart into something. It feels like my baby, and I’ve spent the past two years perfecting it,” adding, “It’s a dream come true to share this with you. Lockjaw era baby!!!” The newly released single ‘Troll’ is “an anthem for the socially anxious that I initially wrote as a joke after blowing off going to a friend’s party, because sometimes I want to hermit inside forever and become a little monster no one wants to talk to. It feels so good to cancel plans, to make friends with the snails and never wear pants. I created a little world I want to live in when I don’t feel like a person.” [via Dork]

In 2022, Isabella Lovestory unveiled her debut album Amor Hardcore. Now, the Honduran pop and reggaeton singer is sharing the new song ‘Botoxxx,’ and teasing a new LP coming this fall. ‘Botoxxx’ is accompanied by a music video directed by Ariel Poupart and conceived by Lovestory, who explains it is “an exaggerated fantasy of the desire to be beautiful,” she said. “The tension and fear of losing that beauty, and surrendering to the antidote. A contrast between beauty and monstrosity and how they both ultimately need each other. Decadence turned into a horrific fever dream.” [via Stereogum]

Dimmer live bandmate with Shayne P. Carter and fourth member of Mermaidens for their summer album launch tour, it’s time for in-demand Tāmaki Makaurau songwriter Louisa Nicklin to saunter back into the solo spotlight. She’s announced her second album The Big Sulk, produced by the aforementioned Carter and releasing in full on August 23, heralded by hauntingly powerful lead single ‘Thick’. Nicklin’s startling vocal talents will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up straight, as ‘Thick’ lyrically and sonically considers “the concept of leaning into a situation as a means of escaping thoughts” via muscular rhythms and crypt-like, deeply reverberant atmospherics. Directed by Ali Burns and made with support from NZ on Air, the accompanying video for ‘Thick’ is like a fading polaroid of a distant Aotearoa, the morose-looking Nicklin’s loud fashion and gelatinous food feels alien yet queasily familiar when set against her spine-tingling track. She says, “‘Thick’ was an opportunity to play around with strange sounds and fun little riffs, incorporating lots of Shayne Carter-inspired guitar moments. The video was inspired by 70s food and style. We wanted to lean into some of the strangeness of the food from this era — it’s mildly unsettling but you can’t quite put your finger on why.” [via Under The Radar]

Genre-defying duo SOFI TUKKER have formally announced their anticipated third album Bread set to arrive on August 23. It’s preceded by the lead single ‘Throw Some Ass,’ which seems poised to become a booty-shaking anthem—though the provocative song’s subject matter was actually based on a more serious concern: Hawley-Weld’s journey to seek a cure for her chronic back pain. “When the brain is anticipating pain, it creates more pain,” she revealed. “Eventually my neural pathway of pain got so strong that, even when there was no structural reason for it, I became chronically in pain. The inverse was true too. When I told my body that it’s safe and free, I was able to re-write the neural pathway. I was so mentally happy and free in the moments of throwing ass that my brain re-wired itself.” “The song started where I was working on some Brazilian funk-inspired drumbeats,” added Tucker on the track’s instrumental. “This was right after we had spent some time in Brazil at Carnaval last year. At 6:00 a.m., we went into this nightclub under the parade. Someone was playing a baile funk set, and I was blown away. The song really gives the vibe of that club, Carnaval, and Brazil.” The single arrives with a wild video directed by Aerin Moreno, filmed at Palácio das Laranjeiras, the staggering residence of the governor of Rio de Janeiro. [via Flood]

The emergence of Raven Numan as the next crossover hope from the gothic scene gathered traction with her recent single ‘Here For Me’. That combined with her debut track ‘My Reflection’ lured newcomers into her dark creative universe. There’s much more to come from the 20-year-old, starting with the release of her new single ‘Going Down’. ‘Going Down’ adds a thrillingly more visceral twist on Raven’s recent singles. Appealing to fans of the current dark pop scene, its grittier edge, razorblade riffs and clattering rhythms also echoes the greats of the ‘90s industrial scene such as Nine Inch Nails and Front 242. Yet for all its forceful angst and vehement influences, Raven brings a beguiling femininity that gives the track its own distinct identity. Her lyrics further encapsulate her heart of darkness, recognising – and warning against – the temptation to surrender to the one impulsion that you can’t reverse. ‘Going Down’ was written solely by Raven, with production from her regular collaborator Ade Fenton. Raven says, “I wrote ‘Going Down’ during an extremely dark period of my life. I was incredibly suicidal and it was very difficult for me to control my emotions and I ended up hurting a lot of the people close to me. I felt this immense amount of guilt and writing was the only way I could express my frustrations and sadness since it was hard for me to actually talk about it. So that’s what I did, I sat down and wrote exactly what I was feeling. It was a very intense and upsetting process but I felt this relief after I wrote this song, like weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I pray that no one relates to this song but if you do, just know that you’re not alone and these feelings are temporary, life’s an incredible gift.” The ‘Going Down’ video also presents something fresh to the visuals for Raven’s previous tracks. Captured in a blood red filter, it sees Raven’s enigmatic aura at the forefront of her band – part of her artistry that will be fully unveiled with future live shows.

Kobra Paige is known for her diverse musical talents and emotionally charged lyrics, which have helped her build a dedicated fanbase. As she prepares to release her second project, focused on themes of social change, Kobra encourages listeners to seek self-liberation without losing touch with the world around them. Continuing this message, Kobra has released her latest video and track, ‘HOTT.’ ‘HOTT.’ is a high-energy rock-pop song with a dreamy, nostalgic vibe that grabs your attention from the opening guitar riff. The lyrics are intriguingly enigmatic, and Kobra’s vocals shift from soaring above the driving instrumentation to becoming gentle and intimate when the arrangement transitions to a more minimal sound. The track’s dynamic shifts and emotional intensity reflect Kobra’s commitment to exploring a wide range of musical and lyrical landscapes. As the music ebbs and flows, listeners are taken on a journey that is both exhilarating and thought-provoking. ‘HOTT.’ stands as a powerful testament to Kobra Paige’s ability to blend energetic rock with introspective pop, creating a sound that is both bold and deeply personal. Reflecting on her latest single, Kobra explains, “I have been waiting to light a fire under some asses with this song for 2 years. ‘HOTT.’ is about navigating our sense of self-worth in an extraordinarily, convoluted era of social media domination. The lines are getting blurred and we don’t have the mental hardware to separate reality from distortion. Crippling anxiety, increasing levels of low self-esteem, next-level bullying, body dysmorphia, compare and despair culture, amplified narcissistic behaviors, and competition for validation…..These are all parts of human nature but not the parts that were ever meant to be the loudest. Now we let those dark, subconscious beliefs run rampant and dictate who we are and the love/goodness we are worthy of receiving. I am personally still working on figuring out how to engage in SM in a healthy way and not let it disempower me or challenge my sense of self. It’s been a sick, rocky road and possibly the hardest mental hurdle as an introverted, music artist. Time for change, time to shake this shit up, and time to have more conversations about it. Let’s re-anchor in our own authentic truth. I invite you to come with me, in my new music video for ‘HOTT.’, as I check myself into ‘Dr. Worthlove’s Center for Self-Confidence’ , a medical clinic that is truly one of a kind. Dr. Worthlove said he could fix me and make me lovable from the outside in but turns out that isn’t how self-worth works!!” [via Wonderland]

Up-and-coming Anglo-American band Sunday (1994) have dropped their self-titled debut EP. They have also shared a video for the EP’s new single, ‘Blonde.’ Sunday (1994) craft songs inspired by the everyday magic found in the mundanity of modern life. Their music may evoke a nostalgic 90s cinematic film aesthetic, but their lyrics are laced with an acerbic self-aware wit and a dark sense of humor. Composed entirely within their one-bedroom apartment by the songwriting duo of Paige Turner and Lee Newell, alongside their drummer known simply as “X,” their debut EP is a love letter to the universal experience of love, separation and all the associated drama, beauty, and heartbreak that comes with it. The Latest single ‘Blonde’ sets the mood with its swaying tempo, chiming guitars, soft arpeggios, and emotive, evocative vocals. The band describes the track as “a song about reclaiming yourself and finding freedom after heartbreak.” [via Under the Radar]

While holed up in their family’s home in rural Vermont during the throes of the pandemic, Miles and Winter Donnelly AKA Muo Duo developed their unique sound – and recorded their first songs – in a sound booth they constructed by leaning two mattresses together. The rest, as they say, is history. Or perhaps, it was history in the making. Combining elements of alt-pop, indie, and hip-hop, Miles and Winter have received well-deserved fanfare not just for their genre-defying music, but also for their innovative videos and multi-media live performances. Now, the immensely talented siblings have released, ’20th Century Girl,’ the third single from their forthcoming EP, The Muo Theory. “This song showcases versatile production and storytelling, with an emphasis on our vocals,” shares Miles. “We tell the story of a girl watching the world go by from her cell phone. People were not made for this world run by the internet and social media. When your personality is split in so many mirrors it is hard to keep track of who you really are. For the song, Winter does her best impression of Ariana Grande in true vocal pop decadence. It’s pure drama.” The video for ’20th Century Girl,’ which was shot by Trevor Parenteau and edited by Rebecca Chiafullo, juxtaposes a Great Gatsby-esque aesthetic with a story that could only take place in the modern era.

Rita Mae has released her first single of the year, ‘Kiss the Sky’. Co-written with The Naked and Famous’ award-winning artist Alisa Xayalith, ‘Kiss the Sky’ takes listeners between grungy, stadium-ready noise and acoustic, mellow lines. Described as greedy, indulgent, and unapologetic, Mae’s reason behind the punchy lyrics is a want for everything – especially love and power. “This song was extremely liberating to write, because I ask for the impossible, I scream it at the top of my lungs, and while I sing those lyrics it somehow doesn’t seem quite so crazy,” she says. Written and recorded in Xayalith’s home studio in LA, and with Harry Charles on production, Mae says the track came together so quick it basically wrote itself. “It was an amazing song to write,” Mae adds. “One of those magical days where the song just pours out of you and makes sense straight away.” Accompanying the release is an enigmatic music video, directed by Oscar Keys. The clip shows Mae as an ass-kicking femme fatale hungry for love and power in a world of dark villainy and rockstar stardom. But instead of Mae earning these achievements truthfully, she gets it through brainwashing her victims. Filmed in a studio in Auckland, it was all hands on deck as Mae and her dancers went through high energy choreography to perfect the villainous energy her lyrics depict. “A very dear friend organised the dancers and choreography; which was fairly doable in rehearsal – and then suddenly much more difficult under bright flashing lights with contact lenses in!” Mae shares. According to Mae, her new release is the start of her “entering a new era.” [via Rolling Stone Aus]

Irish indie-folk duo Lemoncello are making power moves. The pair’s strident songwriting cuts through the noise, with their refreshing, organic sound gaining a cult following. Self-titled, Lemoncello’s riveting debut album was constructed at Analogue Catalogue Studios, where they both recorded and mixed the album to two-inch tape with producer Julie McLarnon at the helm. Album highlight ‘Dopamine’ is an immediate fan-favourite, a tale of modern life that feels as old as time itself. Lemoncello discuss the endless scroll of social media, being sucked into a tiny screen while the world outside passes you by. We’re able to share the video, directed by film-maker Sophie O Donovan. The pair comment… “The lyrics of ‘Dopamine’ are sort of up-front and in your face and so with the video we wanted to lean into the attitude but also not take the idea too seriously. The amazing team that worked on this with us – with director Sophie O Donovan at the helm – created a world that’s a mixture between bored housewives from the 1950s and some dystopian future where people never leave their homes. The concept for this music video was around nearly since the song itself – we thought it would be funny, the idea of the people we scroll past every day on our news feeds actually appearing in the room – a physical representation of the overwhelming feeling of mental space becoming more and more cluttered. As Claire and I scroll, watching curated versions of other people’s lives, our physical space fills up with the people we are watching. We had such a hilarious time on set with the crew and all the characters who had a gif style action to repeat over and over again.” [via Clash]

Kacy Hill has enlisted Nourished by Time for the new song ‘My Day Off.’ Hill and Sadie Wilking directed the pastoral video, in which Hill and some friends dance semi-nude in a field while Nourished by Time peers toward them through a magnifying glass. [via Pitchfork]

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‘Here For Me’ injects downtempo trip-hop atmospherics into a track which feeds into both the dark-pop space that’s introducing a new audience to goth sounds as well as the recent resurgence of darkwave. Raven’s black-hearted vocal delivery possesses a disquieting allure that’s heightened by her lyrics, which use substance addiction as a metaphor for desperately trying to find a blessed (if cursed) relief from your personal anxieties. An intriguing evolution from ‘My Reflection’, ‘Here For Me’ was again solely written by Raven and was produced by her regular collaborator Ade Fenton.

Raven says, “‘Here For Me’ is about drug addiction and specifically heroin use: what it does, how it feels, what it does to people. It isn’t based on my experience but I’ve lost and know many people who have struggled with addiction to opiates, namely fentanyl and heroin. I think there’s something familiar to me in the struggle with addiction, particularly about what’s drawn them to seek a temporary escape. I think anyone who’s struggled with mental health or drug addiction (they often coincide) can relate to the desire to find some solace – whatever it may be.”

The video reflects the song’s inner turmoil with visuals that gradually descend into darkness. At first she casts a witchy magnetism, but the tone gradually shifts: first with Raven strapped to a leather chair like an outtake from an early ‘90s Nine Inch Nails video, and then sprawled on a blood-stained mattress like a detox turned into a crime scene. Its final shot, however, suggests that its nightmarish vision had been an out-of-body experience.

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Lucy Rose swoops back into view with new single ‘Whatever You Want’. The English songwriter has really been through it, becoming a mother and enduring health issues. With her mobility restricted, a sense of isolation creeped in, as well as an enduring awareness of the beauty of small moments. New album This Ain’t The Way You Go Out will be released on April 19, preceded by the introductory tracks ‘The Racket’ and ‘Could You Help Me‘. New song ‘Whatever You Want’ is endlessly beautiful, the softness of her approach matched to a calm assurance. Lyrically, she explores parenthood, the feelings of watching her son grow during a time of real uncertainty. Lucy Rose explains… “I think a lot about my son Otis’s future, and instead of having a grand, extravagant life, I just want him to be happy, it’s very much how I feel about my own life now. The things I really dream of and care about are so different now, so many people I know are struggling in different ways, a lot with their own mental health and I just want them to be happy. I think the pressures of society can be a real contributing factor to their unhappiness. I paired this idea with my own personal experience of suddenly feeling so helpless during the time my back was most in disrepair, and then the moments when I was able to walk down the road to my local cafe again and the huge amount of joy that gave me, just being able to do the small and simple things in life again. I distinctly remember thinking, if this is all my life is from now on, just being able to get out the house and doing these small things then I’ll be happy.” Shot alongside film maker Zach Scheiwiller, the video takes Lucy on a night-time stroll around Brighton, with “no plan at all, all instinct based…” [via Clash]

South Korean singer BIBI has released the music video for ‘Sugar Rush’, featuring appearances by (G)I-DLE‘s Soyeon and Choi Yena. In the clip, BIBI performs the song in a colourful, candy-covered set, while wearing outfits that resemble sweet confectioneries. Meanwhile, Choi Yena and (G)I-DLE rapper Soyeon make special cameos as controllers of a claw machine that feed BIBI candies. “I’m sweet, like candy / You could look don’t touch / Don’t try to get handsy / You get sugar rush,” BIBI sings on the chorus of ‘Sugar Rush’. The song was originally released on on February 13 as part of her special single album Bam Yang Gang. [via NME]

Los Angeles based EVOCAPOP artist R E L has shared a new music video. Entitled ‘Intuition’, the emotionally raw and powerful track delves into the profound journey of self-discovery, emphasizing the importance of embracing vulnerability and truth. Her poignant lyrics tell the story of her own recovery, one of healing from a desensitized and overstimulated culture that many of us experience in the modern western world. She confides, “We are conditioned to believe that we need validation or likes or certain status markers, or a certain amount of money or body type to be successful, to be likeable, to be valuable, when we really are all so valuable inside- underneath the facade we’ve built is a society aching for authenticity.” In the accompanying music video, R E L takes on the persona of a pierrot, symbolizing the facade we often wear. As the video unfolds, she sheds her costume and mask, revealing a newfound freedom and inner strength. The cinematic visual beautifully captures the essence of the song’s message, that by stripping away our protective layers, we can discover resilience and the power within.

Natasha Khan last released a Bat For Lashes album in 2019 with Lost Girls. Now, she’s announcing its follow-up, The Dream Of Delphi, and sharing the title track. It comes with a video produced in collaboration with creative director and choreographer Alexandra Green and directed by Freddie Leyden. “This is the manifesto of the album,” she said of the song. “It’s like a spell being cast. It’s the conjuring, the manifestation, the drawing-down of Delphi from the ether. This is me calling on her soul. It’s about going up into the stars and down into the underworld simultaneously, how celestials and deep guttural sounds can come together, how that reflects the journey I went on. It’s about what happens when you’re stretched physically, mentally, even vaginally! I think it’s just humbled me, too, becoming a mother. It’s made me feel more vulnerable than I’ve ever felt before. But I feel more human, more embodied. I can’t escape life by making beautiful things as much as I did. But there’s sort of a beauty to my mortality now.” During quarantine, Khan gave birth to her daughter Delphi, an experience that was formative for the LP. “Motherhood I thought would take me away from my art, but it opened up this massive world,” she said. Last year, she also released a hand-illustrated Tarot deck called Motherwitch. It was done in collaboration with the wellness brand She’s Lost Control. [via Stereogum]

KAETO releases her new single ‘Don’t Ask’ via Lava/Republic Records. The emerging London-based artist is fast carving a space for herself with her unique genre-spanning sound that blends elements of trip-hop, dance and electronic music with punk, alt-pop and more. ‘Don’t Ask’ comes with a video directed by Kaeto and her creative collaborator Maisy Banks and was produced by Max Rad. “In this song I am writing about my relationship with myself”, Kaeto says. “Maisy and I directed the video. The video is a celebration of our skin and the beautiful human body. Liv Lockwood is the incredible choreographer that we worked with. She has an amazing brain and she really understood what we were trying to create. The choreography perfectly encapsulates the internal struggle we experience that is reflected in the song and I loved the use of the symbols of teeth, the mouth, hair and the tongue.”

Last month, Shannon And The Clams announced The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, their new album that they started working on following the tragic death of bandleader Shannon Shaw’s fiancé Joe Haener. They shared ‘The Moon Is In The Wrong Place’ at the time, and now they’re releasing ‘Bean Fields’ with a music video directed by Vanessa Pla and animated by Amber McCall. ‘Bean Fields’ focuses on Haener’s family farm in Aurora, Oregon, which was the site of his fatal car accident but remains a beautiful meeting ground for his family and friends. [via Stereogum]

The 20-year-old newcomer Raven Numan shares a beguiling statement-of-intent as she shares her debut single ‘My Reflection’. ‘My Reflection’ achieves a haunting melancholia that blurs the boundaries between the modern dark-pop scene and the dark intensity of classic ’80s goth and industrial – all while exploring contemporary conversational issues that affect young women all over the world. Her voice is both sultry and elegant, yet with an emotionally detached air that complements the song’s take on the horrors of body dysmorphia. It’s the result of her ongoing creative collaboration with Ade Fenton. Raven says, “‘My Reflection’ is about the unrealistic beauty standards that have been pushed on us since adolescence. We’ve been fed lies about beauty from a young age through countless mediums: lingerie models, makeup commercials, even cartoons employ beauty standards. They try to tell you that these products, this makeup, or our underwear will make you look and feel amazing but that’s not the case. They feed your insecurities and then try to sell you something to make it all better. It breeds self-hatred and insecurity, and both myself and the overwhelming majority of women I know suffer from the unrealistic beauty standards of today.”

Canadian electro-pop sensation, Kiesza releases an electrifying new dance floor single, ‘Dancing and Crying’ featuring Sugar Jesus. This marks the second track of new material from Kiesza’s long-awaited forthcoming album, also called Dancing and Crying: Vol. 1, scheduled for release May 24. Produced by Sugar Jesus (One Direction, Little Mix, Mario), ‘Dancing and Crying’ blends elements of electro-pop and house styles offering listeners an up-beat and immersive dancing experience. In this epic dance-pop whirlwind, Kiesza collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriter K Sotomayor (Selena Gomez) and Sugar Jesus to write the track. ‘Dancing and Crying’ channels Kiesza’s dance music roots while embracing captivating pop styles reminiscent of artists like Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Baxter, and Raye. “My new song, ‘Dancing and Crying’ was the initial spark that launched this upcoming volume of music. It was the first song Sugar Jesus and I began, and the last to be completed for this volume. ‘Dancing and Crying’ is an Opus. A series of contrasting musical ideas, woven together by a foundation of house beats and bass lines, bridges the gap between my folk origins and the dance music that marked my place on the global map,” states Kiesza. “When my close friend, Grammy-nominated songwriter K. Sotomayor, joined our bite-sized writing team, we revisited this song with fresh ears. Together, the three of us brought it to completion, with a new perspective on the journey we had embarked on, both together and individually. So, in a way, ‘Dancing and Crying’ is both the beginning and the end of Vol. 1. You can think of this title track as the MC of the show, preparing you for what lies ahead. This song is the catalyst for all that has come and will come to pass in this chapter. From its womb came the vision as a whole, from which all else has and will unfold.” The accompanying video was shot at the Raven in Toronto and it was done on a whim. Kiesza was doing a photoshoot and instructed the director D. G Hagey to start filming.

Allie X has shared startling new single ‘Weird World’. The songwriter has carved out a unique niche, subverting pop tropes while also excelling in them. A technically gifted artist, Allie X also brings to the table a gleeful sense of rebellion, infusing each song with her vivid personality. Having written for the likes of Troye Sivan and BTS she’s dealt with some major league players, but this has pushed Allie X away from her solo catalogue. New album Girl With No Face is out now, her first major project since 2020’s Cape God. New single ‘Weird World’ is out now, and it relishes 80s tones – analogue synths pushed to the limit, the audio counterpart to those sensational Dynasty-style power shoulders. She lets the sonics dip a little, though, her playful, DIY approach reminiscent of the retro-futurist fetishim of John Maus, say, but delivered in a vey melodic, sincere format. [via Clash]

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