‘Tears on the dancefloor’ is the latest offering in UPSAHL’s new era as she continues to demonstrate her sonically elevated new sound. An instantaneous earworm, the track is a nod to her love of Timbaland-era Nelly Furtado with sultry, husky vocal tones effortlessly flipping elastic in higher registers. UPSAHL captures the moment when you realize you’re finally over it, free from heartbreak, and finally feeling like yourself again. Riding high off the success of Deadpool and Wolverine and the revival of Wesley Snipes’ iconic titular character, the music video for the track is an homage to the opening scene from the 1998 film Blade, set on a body-to-body dancefloor with an all-consuming sound teeming with energy.

On the track, UPSAHL shares: “’Tears on the dancefloor’ is about feeling mysterious, while vulnerable and emotional at the same time. It was inspired by those nights out that sometimes end in tears – to be honest, that shit feels like free therapy. When we made this song, we had been listening to a lot of Nelly Furtado, so the production was heavily inspired by Timbaland and the overall vibe of the early 2000s. These are my favorite types of songs, the ones that are secretly kind of sad, but can still be played at the afterparty.”

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23-year-old, Maryland-raised and LA-based songwriter Jordana Nye returns with a new single, ‘We Get By.’ A rollicking golden folk epic sprinkled with shimmering yacht rock glitter, the standalone track ushers in a new Laurel Canyon era for Jordana, who in between tours with Local Natives, Remi Wolf, TV Girl & Wallows, has been working on material since 2023. The song, which was produced by Emmett Kai, Jordana says is about “true love.” Listen and watch the affirming and perfectly tongue-in-cheek Otium-directed video below. “‘We Get By’ is about true love,” says Jordana. “It’s about leaving any materialistic things behind and basking in the appreciation of the truest loving from a pure ground zero — whether that be with yourself or with someone else. We could leave everything we have and still be happy.”

Sugar, spice, and everything nice color the vibrant music video for ‘Right Now,’ the latest release from powerhouse girl group NewJeans. The record arrives as the precursor to their forthcoming single and mini album Supernatural, which finds the five-piece performing in Japanese. Directed by Youngeum Lee, the Takashi Murakami-collaborated video follows NewJeans as their animated counterparts mix up ingredients to create the perfect concoction to cure Hanni’s broken heart. At the start of the visual, the singer makes a brave first move and invites her crush over to watch a movie, but when she only gets a flower emoji back in response, it sends the group on a collective mission to decipher what the cluster of colors could possibly mean. “Your chance is here and now,” NewJeans warns on the song’s second verse, reminding their romantic prospects that time is of the essence. When Hanni’s crush double-texts to clarify that the flower text was an accident at the end of the video, the scene closes out with the appearance of the dreadful three-dots indicating that the other person is still typing. The cliffhanger ending sets up a world of possibility for Supernatural, out June 21. [via Rolling Stone]

MOTHICA has released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘Toxins,’ is taken from the Los Angeles-based alt-pop singer-songwriter’s upcoming new album, Kissing Death, which is scheduled to be released in August this year, via Heavy Heart Records/Rise Records. Speaking about the new song, the artist shares, “’Toxins’ is the first song that made the record, since I originally wrote it for a Halloween release in 2022. I loved the image of a spider singing to its freshly caught prey. It took on a new meaning with the grim reaper as this stalker or dark shadow that followed me around, even when I made strides to get better like going to therapy or getting sober. The analogue synths David Burris put in the chorus definitely inspired the sound of the record, taking influence from the darkwave genre.” [via Distorted Sound]

Brighton power duo ARXX unleash playful ‘Good Boy’ via Submarine Cat Records. This follows prior single, equally lighthearted ‘Crying In The Carwash’ and acts as a second sneak peak into a soon-to-be-announced larger project. Laden in harmonies, a hypnotic thumping beat and dripping in spicy, submissive tongue-in-cheek lyricisms, ARXX consider ‘Good Boy’ their “big gay anthem”. On the track, they say, “It’s a little bit saucy, it’s a little bit cheeky and it’s a lot of fun! It’s a song about feeling good and making other people feel good. It’s our favourite song we’ve made so far, we hope it makes you feel good.” Undeniably groovy, this suggestive tune is bound to get you on your feet. However, whilst raunchy in its auditory nature, the video takes a more literal and adorable stance on the phrase ‘Good Boy’, seeing almost a dozen dogs audition for their spot in the Good Boy Academy, featuring Hanni and Clara judging and dancing with the contenders.

Suki Waterhouse has returned with news of her second collection of mellow alt-pop following her 2022 debut I Can’t Let Go. The actress/musician will unleash Memoir of a Sparklemuffin on September 13 via Sub Pop after gaining traction on the festival circuit over the past two years. In the meantime, Waterhouse has shared the record’s first single in the form of ‘Supersad,’ a polished garage-rock anthem merging scuzzy guitars with the singer’s soaring and, well, at least a little bit sad vocals. “I tried to write a ’90s song you could hear playing at the mall in Clueless or as an opening track for Legally Blonde,” she shared upon the track’s release. The track also arrives with a music video that embraces those vibes equally well. [via FLOOD]

Self Esteem and Moonchild Sanelly have teamed up for a collaborative new single, ‘Big Man’. The song marks the first release from the former – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – since her BRIT and Mercury Prize-nominated 2021 album, Prioritise Pleasure, and “explores the nuances of modern masculinity and gender roles”. “I’m a big man/ Yeah, I’m a fucking big man/ What are you?” the pair sing over an electronic beat. Speaking about working with South African musician and dancer Sanelly, Taylor explained: “Me and Moon wrote a song from the perspective of a good boyfriend. The ones that are just chill and secure so they just leave you to it. The ones that don’t want a medal for doing the bins. The ones that see that you’re working your tits off so they go and get yet another thing you’ve ordered and missed the delivery of from the post office. The ones that don’t take your success as a direct threat to their existence. To me, this is real masculinity.” She continued: “We have both collaborated with Johan Karlberg on our records and I’m so grateful to him for introducing us, it was a joy to make this song together.” ‘Big Man’ arrives with an official music video, which Taylor described as “an inverse ‘I Want To Break Free’” by Queen – referring to the band’s iconic 1984 visuals. The clip sees the two artists undertake various household chores while donning oversized suits. [via NME]

To usher in the official start of summer, Pop-rulebreaker UPSAHL makes her long awaited return with a brand new single and accompanying music video titled ‘Summer so hot,’ out now via RCA Records UK. ‘Summer so hot’ kicks off a new era for UPSAHL as she demonstrates her sonically elevated new sound. Destined to be played on a speaker out by the pool in warm weather, the track is a sexy summer anthem showcasing UPSAHL’s breezy vocals, impressive breath work with packed lyrical verses and an electro-infused bassline keeping the beat. The music video, replete with fans, ice cubes, and popsicles, emphasizes the sweltering heat UPSAHL is doing her best to cool off from. Alternating between a poolside dance party (from which you can see the detritus of the previous night’s debauchery strewn across the lawn) and a sensual video shoot in the cool confines of the house, UPSAHL perfectly encapsulates what a typical summer hang looks like in the throes of soaring temps. On the track, UPSAHL shares: “I wrote ‘Summer so hot’ in the middle of winter in London. I was feeling nostalgic for that perfect summer day where all fucks fly out the window, you’re just being present with friends, and escaping to wherever the day takes you.”

Italian-born, London-based riser Sans Soucis has shared another preview of their forthcoming debut album Circumnavigating Georgia, which now has a confirmed release date of October 9. New track ‘If I Let A White Man Cut My Hair’ is a homage to the significance of nurturing Black communities, and a testament to how even small, everyday acts can serve to resist structural marginalisation. “I think when you build your personality around everything that society wants you to be, then you also agree to a lot of norms that don’t belong to you,” Sans Soucis – aka Giulia Grispino – has said of the laid-back, groove-infused single. “But to really own my narrative, I needed to move on because I didn’t want the society I live in to tell my story for me”. [via DIY]

Multi-artist talker recently dropped her debut album, I’m Telling You The Truth. Along with the album’s arrival, she has shared a video fot ‘Return to Sender.’ Directed by Sylvie Krakow and choreographed by Nadine Olmo. talker’s Celeste Tauchar on the video: “I worked on the Return to Sender video with my good friend Sylvie who also directed the ‘TWENTYSOMETHING’ video. We already have a relationship where we really push each other to go for crazy concepts in our work, and I love working with her so much because she doesn’t think any idea is too much. She’s always going to find a way to make it work, and I’m the same way. Sylvie instantly saw the funeral idea when she heard this song, and together we unpacked the idea of having a funeral for my relationships and my emotions. We paid homage to the album’s intro track, which encapsulates putting to rest all of the experiences and negative moments in my past that I unpack in the record. We brought in Nadine Olmo to choreograph the dance, which of course was amazing. She’s worked with Olivia Rodrigo, Blink-182, PVRIS Tinashe, just so so many amazing artists and it was both intimidating and a huge honor to work with her, and that she wanted to be part of it.” Celeste tapped into her dance background, but it’s been a long time since she used her body in a way to physically tap into emotions. “It brought me to a whole different plane with expressing the song and getting back into the headspace, because I wasn’t just singing the lyrics and thinking about them. The song was seeping out of every part of my body and I really felt drained the next day, physically and emotionally. But I’m so happy with how it turned out, and I think it’s the most fitting way to paint the full picture for this song and really tell the whole story. And since it’s coming out the same day as my album, I wanted it to be as honest and raw as possible.” [via Northern Transmissions]

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The SIDE A/SIDE B release format pays homage to 90s-era mixtapes and illustrates the duality of UPSAHL. ‘GOOD GIRL ERA’ is upbeat, infectious, and invites the listener to chant along as she voices her frustration with green juice, pilates, and trying to be “good.” The accompanying video is a cartoonish, Jekyll and Hyde-esque battle between the two sides of UPSAHL. ‘CONDOMS’ is a stripped-down melody that’s emotional yet comical, putting her vocal prowess at the forefront as she sings about “burying her problems into no-name lovers.”

“I had been writing so many songs since the beginning of the year and started sharing them with friends the way I shared music when I was a kid growing up in Phoenix. Sort of like how mixtapes used to be passed around,” UPSAHL explains the process of the mixtape curation. “This release is different from my past releases because there was no specific purpose during my writing process. I feel so free in making music right now, and everything I’m creating feels like an experiment. There are no boundaries, no genres, no lines that I am too scared to cross.”

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On the heels of UPSAHL’s highly successful first-ever headline tour, Sagittarius promises to provide an introspective glimpse into her fiery persona and pay homage to her sign. Each song on the EP represents a different quality found in Sagittarians. The latest taste of her upcoming EP, ‘Into My Body,’ is a passion-fueled exploration of “what ifs” that channels a level of intensity characteristic of UPSAHL. As explored in her previous single, ‘Antsy,’ UPSAHL tends to get lost in her thoughts, but this time she’s focused on feeling like herself again.

Set to a syncopated pop beat, ‘Into My Body’ is an anthem for combating self-doubt and reclaiming confidence. The accompanying video amplifies the singer’s message through visuals of mannequin silhouettes and a high-octane dance routine. Dancers push and pull UPSAHL much like the inner battles that prevent her from staying present in her body.

Of the single, UPSAHL shared, “I wrote ‘Into My Body’ at the beginning of the summer after getting back from almost 6 months of touring,” UPSAHL says about the song, “For the first time in a while, I wasn’t surrounded by chaos and constant brain stimulation, so I was kind of left to me and my own thoughts. I got stuck in my head and was completely disconnected from reality. I’m an intense person, so this feeling got very extreme. I wanted to write a song about how I was having an out-of-body experience, but it became a song about getting back into my body. It’s also definitely, maybe a masturbation anthem lol.”

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100 gecs have shared a new video for latest single ‘Doritos & Fritos’, lifted from their forthcoming second album 10000 gecs. Directed by Chris Maggio, the accompanying clip sees the duo – Laura Les and Dylan Brady – flying through the skies in wizard robes, much to the confusion of bystanders. A local news channel tracks their movements, as they attempt to escape potential captors. [via NME]

Bringing back more of that raw and pulsing alt-rock-inspired aesthetic she is cultivating for herself, ‘Scared’ sees Gali Gavon deliver a fresh and alluring new delight. Accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek horror movie-inspired official video, she is once again breaking down the preconceptions about her sound, and delivering something bold and compelling from start to finish. Speaking about ‘Scared’, she said, “‘Scared’ was written at a time when I felt like I had two very contradicting sides within me. The one being soft and empathic, and the other- borderline dangerous. It helped me accept what I’ve been feeling for a long time.”

Back in March, Sudan Archives returned with a great new song called ‘Home Maker’. Now, she’s back with another new song, and this one’s a banger too. Sudan Archives’ latest is called ‘Selfish Soul,’ a song she describes as being “about women and the celebration of hair. It’s about representation of different hair textures and embracing all colors and textures of it.” She offered more detail in a statement: “I feel like there’s an American standard of what beautiful hair is, and I wanted to show in this video that’s not what all beauty is; to showcase different hairstyles and different types of women and their hair. I was inspired by India Arie’s ‘I Am Not My Hair,’ one of the first songs I heard about this subject. She talks about extensions and weaves and natural hair and nappy hair, and that she’s not her hair; she won’t conform to the comparisons that would come up if you had a weave or sew-in or natural hair or Afro — that doesn’t represent her.” ‘Selfish Soul’ comes with a video directed by Trey Lyons. [via Stereogum]

Having recently announced her new album Arkhon is now due to be released on June 24 via Sacred Bones Records, Zola Jesus has shared the third single and video from the album, entitled ‘The Fall’. Following previous singles ‘Lost’ and ‘Desire’, Nika Roza Danilova comments on latest cut ‘The Fall’ saying: “I wrote ‘The Fall’ for myself. It was an exercise in using music as a tool for the sake of my own inner catharsis. I had a lot of turmoil and complicated emotions that I couldn’t process in any other way. I suppose some feelings require you to write a pop song in order to fully understand them. For that reason, this song is very precious to me.” Speaking on the track’s accompanying video, she adds: “Working with Jenni Hensler as a director was such a soul-feeding experience. She’s someone I’ve been collaborating with for ten years, and a dear friend to me. I value her own artistic perspective so much that at some point I realized there was no one else I could trust with my vision. We connected on an emotional and spiritual level regarding the intent of the song, and then I handed it over and let her make her magic. I’ve never felt so freed by a collaboration. And working with choreographer Sigrid Lauren was such an empowering experience. She was able to interpret and support my idiosyncratic movements in a way that allowed me to feel free in the moment.” Director Jenni Hensler comments: “When we fall, we have the inner strength to pick ourselves up again. We sometimes have to struggle to find that strength, but it is there within all of us. The journey Nika goes through within the video, including confronting her reflection, removing her mask and the symbolic choreographed dance that follows are my way of expressing that. I’ve debated whether to write a heartfelt statement speaking of the long-standing collaboration and friendship I’ve had over the years with Nika, about how she has touched my life and how we have both grown. Or to only speak about the meaning of this current collaboration. The two are connected, intertwined. This video is about the feeling of being stuck in a position or way of thinking about yourself and of the world around you, including the pressures to conform to a certain way of expression. It’s about the mask we wear, and the ways artists are forced to comply in order to succeed. This oftentimes makes us forget that creating art is one of the most transcendent forms of expression and that fully feeling, being in the present and enjoying the process while creating is at the core of who we are and the art we create. It is about change and coming into the power of our creativity. We need to wholly feel and release the magic within. When we make ourselves vulnerable and find the strength to do that, the art has a deeper meaning. The unspoken feeling when we truly feel connected and in the present moment of ecstatic joy or pain as we create is palpable. When Nika and I spoke about the vision for the song, we discussed a yearning for something better, a breakthrough of creative potential, and learning along the way. And then a sort of enlightenment when you realize that you are in control and do not need to conform to external standards. There is power and magic in knowing that. There is power in the desire for something better, the feeling within that desire including the drive and excitement it brings. There is strength in the feeling of expressing the sensuality simultaneously brewing and fully releasing that inner fire. This is an expression of all of that and reflects the journey of our collaboration and metamorphosis over many years.”

Montreal duo Mayfly have shared their stunning indie ballad ‘Black Water’ along with its accompanying music video. The track will be featured on the group’s debut album, due out later in 2022 via Duprince. The surreal video follows the pair as they each navigate the repercussions of deteriorating mental health. Although it continues to evoke the melancholy and emotional vulnerability that we are used to hearing from the duo, ‘Black Water’ marks the evolution toward a more mature and darker sound. The song expresses a moment of deep suffering and fear of never being seen or heard by those around in a moment of pain. It features raw sounding, heart wrenching vocal performances from Charlie and Emma, and a string arrangement that achieves this feeling of distress while giving the song a cinematic finish. ‘“‘Black Water’ is one of our most honest and vulnerable works to date,” says Mayfly. “We are opening up on some of the darkest moments that both of us have gone through mentally. Through the video that we shot for this track, we tried to illustrate in the most visually striking and realest way possible, how someone can be feeling so unwell without anyone noticing or reaching out. We are so happy and proud to have this single open the door to a new chapter for us as artists, especially since it encapsulates the essence of the album that we will be releasing.”

New Orleans no wave/disco group Special Interest signed to Rough Trade last year, and have finally released their first single for the label. ‘(Herman’s) House’ is indeed a house jam, very early-’90s style by way of industrial party starters My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. The title, however, has another meaning. Rough Trade notes that the song “is centered around the story of Herman Wallace, one of the Angola Three – three Black revolutionaries who were held for decades in solitary confinement while imprisoned at Louisiana State Penitentiary. Two of them, Wallace and Albert Woodfox, were held in solitary confinement for over 40 years. During Wallace’s imprisonment, he became close with an artist, Jackie Sumell, and the two collaborated to create Wallace’s dream house, taking four years and hundreds of letters to design it.” Special Interest vocalist Alli Logout and guitarist Maria Elena say, “Despite the sadistic torture they endured, they continued their fight towards Black liberation behind the prison walls. This song bears witness to our wonder and desire to dismantle the oppressive systems that hinder our possibilities towards true liberation, to annihilate, to destroy and to rebuild with one another. It’s a battle cry for dreamers who persist in spite of and because. This song moves us and it grooves us towards this end, may we go forward but not by ourselves.” You can watch the video for ‘(Herman’s) House,’ which was co-directed by Special Interest and Juicebox Burton, above. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Last month, Laura Veirs announced a new album, Found Light, and shared its lead single ‘Winter Windows.’ Now, she’s sharing another new track, ‘Seaside Haiku,’ a simmering one which is made up of some haikus that Veirs wrote while on a not so seasonally appropriate beach trip. “This song captures the feeling I had of my emerging independence as a solo woman in the world during that wintry time,” Veirs said in a statement. “It’s been a learning curve for me to figure out how not to give too much of myself in relationships at the expense of my own needs. This is a song to remind myself of that, and also to remind all women who are socialized to give so much to others. It’s a call to hold onto our strength and power and to share it reciprocally instead of blithely giving it away.” [via Stereogum]

Subversive pop trailblazer UPSAHL unveils her latest single ‘Monica Lewinsky’ via Arista. The brazen bop arrives with a provocative accompanying music video. Of her newest single, UPSAHL shared, “On first listen, ‘Monica Lewinsky’ feels like a playful song about people who have made a massive impact on pop culture, and it is that type of song, but writing this song was much more than that for me. In the 90’s and the early 2000’s, women like Monica, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Miley Cyrus were all dragged down by the media under a microscopic spotlight and the court of public opinion simply for living their lives. One of the main reasons I get to feel free existing in a creative industry is because of the bullsh*t that they had to deal with early on in their careers. ‘Monica Lewinsky’ is my ode to them. Thank you for making history.” Directed by George Gallardo Kattah, the ‘Monica Lewinsky’ music video sees UPSAHL dodging frenzied paparazzi and navigating the caveats that come with rising stardom. Instead of shying from the limelight, the singer embraces it flaunting her billboard advertisements and bold red carpet look. With a storied history of female artists being maligned in media, this video sends the powerful message that UPSAHL isn’t afraid to stay true to who she is in spite of it all.

If you’ve been dazzled by the entire world of Supertropicali, you’re not alone. Nashville singer-songwriter, Fleurie, has unveiled the purple era of her bedazzled new world and first offering, ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ is one we cannot refuse. Though there’s not much lavender in the track’s accompanying video, it sure is a head-turner. By far the singer’s best video yet, viewers are taken back to the early 2000’s when Avril Lavigne sk8er grrl style was all the rage while a classic Marie Antoinette theme runs rampant in honor of the song’s title and overall theme. ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ is the follow up to Chapter 1 of the Supertropicali story. Needless to say, this next chapter going to be an exciting ride. [via the Daily Listening]

Los Angeles riot grrrl-adjacent trio Lost Cat is back with the final single off their forthcoming debut EP, out next week via Lolipop Records. The single, ‘Losers Beware,’ is yet another brazen and head-strong track establishing the group’s confidently spunky energy in the vein of girl groups of decades past. If one thing’s for sure, it’s that this group know their way around edgy, psychedelic chords, and aren’t afraid to use them. Speaking on their brand new track, the band wrote: “‘Losers Beware’ was recorded at Lolipop’s Savannah Studios. Produced by Ignacio Gonzalez, the single was penned as a warning to the losers of the world that the strong always prevail. Accompanying this song is the final installment of the mini video series, bringing the dramatic timeline to an end.” [via Spill Mag]

Following last month’s ‘Double Standard’, Foushee is back in action with ‘I’m Fine.’ The record finds the singer in a reassuring space as she convinces both listeners and the person she speaks to on the song that all is well in her world. It’s another message-focused song from Foushee, just like ‘Double Standard,’ which she spoke about in a press release for the song. In it, she said the song addresses “outdated gender roles that I have experienced in past relationships and rebelling against them.” Foushee adds, “The imbalance frustrates me. Don’t expect anything from me that you wouldn’t give me, including respect and loyalty. I match energy.” [via UPROXX]

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