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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Born from Riot Grrrl, VENUS GRRRLS are an alternative rock band from Leeds. From twinkling synth motifs to raspy guitar lines, the girls present the dark yet empowering discourse surrounding their own synergistic experiences. Seeing someone you care about manipulated, demeaned, and have their self-esteem crushed by a narcissistic individual can evoke a sense of helplessness and frustration. ‘Liar Liar’ is written from the abuser’s grip, but encourages the idea that people can reclaim their autonomy, rediscover their worth, and ultimately, forge a path towards renewed emotional well-being and empowerment. The band say, “‘Liar Liar’ took some time to finish, both lyrically and instrumentally. The topic, often very personal and contextual was something I wanted to make sure was adequately represented despite its vast nature. The idea was that the ‘narrator’ of the song has become aware of the dynamic of another relationship, and that it isn’t necessarily a good dynamic. Spotting patterns of emotional manipulation and abuse, the narrator seeks not only to empower the victim but to let the perpetrator know that they’ve figured out what’s happening despite the ‘games’.”

Acclaimed indie R&B singer, songwriter Celine Love shares the gorgeously cinematic music video for her new single ‘Gold Plated Tears’. The track is taken from her upcoming new EP Colouring In, out on October 26. Following the release of her breezy, summer single ‘Candy Eyes’, the new single slows the pace down and showcases Celine’s love for indie and folk music. With a haunting guitar riff at its core, Celine’s gorgeously sultry vocals take centre stage. Lyrically, it explores situationships that you find yourself pouring too much of yourself into. She says, “I am a sad guitar girl at heart and find that I get to be me truest as an artist when writing with an instrument in my hand. My love for Jeff Buckley definitely comes to light in this track through dark and deep metaphors with an emotional and soulful performance. The song is about a situationship I poured far too much of myself into. The first half was written when I was still very confused about it. By the time I recorded the song and wrote the rest of it I was more angry and hurt, which is why the song takes a turn emotionally. The idea behind the ‘gold plated tears’ line was a happy accident because I was simply trying to make the song fit the colour theme of the EP. However once I wrote that line, it shaped the meaning of the track. Tears were spilled because of the sadness and anger I felt but because I get to create art from my experience they became valuable. Plated in gold. I can only hope the listener is inspired to be true to their emotions. This is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written, and I especially struggle writing about people who have hurt me. If sining or crying along to the track can give anyone some sort of catharsis, then the message has been delivered.”

“Our hostess starts out perfect, but gradually begins to unravel as the song progresses,” says SURVIVAL GUIDE, a.k.a. Emily “Agent M” Whitehurst (former vocalist for punk standouts Tsunami Bomb) about the deranged Stepford Wives treatment for her video for ‘Pie,’ the third single off her fourth full-length electropop Survival Guide album deathdreams, out October 19 via Double Helix Records. The vivid metaphor in the lyrics as a protector (“Let me bubblewrap you / Hide you from his eyes”) begins to reveal itself as she dreads younger women having to endure some of the darker things she’s been through. The song’s origin as a “basic demo” with just a “weird clicky drumbeat, a few bass synths and the vocals” was fleshed out at Mesa, AZ’s Flying Blanket Recording Studio with producer Bob Hoag (Dear and the Headlights, The Ataris, The Format) who added in some various layers in production to make the song shine. “Bob really filled it in with harps, violins, mellotron flutes and so much more, and turned it into this unique song,” she says. “Also, I really love desserts and baking, so I’m excited that I figured out how to make pie such a focus in one of my songs.” “Some of the instrumentation on ‘Pie’ gave it a hint of a 1950s sound, which inspired video director Bryan Heiden and the team at The Motivated Mind Group to create the look and feel of the music video,” she adds on the video’s treatment. “Even though the song isn’t literally about pie” she laughs, “we all wanted to use the imagery of it, so we filmed a cooking show set in the ‘50s. I loved getting to attempt all the different emotions that went into this character. And since I enjoy baking so much, it was super fun to do an exaggerated version of a baking show for the video. It even comes with a few commercial breaks!” The deviant ‘Pie’ video follows in tune with the previous action-packed videos: ‘Lady Neptune’ which follows a narrative driven ‘rise and fall’ type story that features a plot of a character who wants something more out of life, but ends up choosing organized crime,” and the macabre and blood-splattered short film-esque music video for ‘Blood Perfume,’ which stars Em as a deranged serial killer who outsmarts her victims.

London-based newcomer Lola Wild shares her debut single ‘Rendezvous’ via Tip Top Recordings. The single, a pensive indie burner for fans of artists like Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and Chromatics, is the first to be taken from her forthcoming debut EP. The single is accompanied by a striking music video featuring showgirl dancer Coco Belle and directed by Jack Satchell and Mars Washington. ‘Rendezvous’ is a retro-tinged ode to pansexuality and sexual fluidity. The story of the single holds a more poignant meaning than the up-beat crooney, Fosse inspired video lets out. Written about two same sex lovers and the social pressures of where they should sit with their sexuality and gender roles, the song recounts Lola’s own experience at the time she began exploring her sexual identity. It details the challenges faced by two friends falling in love and fear of the judgement and stereotypes that came with it. Of her new single, Lola says: “Bob Fosse is one of my biggest idols, he influenced the choreography in the music video. Films like Sweet Charity and Cabaret inspired me to make music in the same way that Fosse made films. He created an entire signature style through embracing insecurities and experiences, ditching emulation and embracing individuality. I never thought that ‘Rendezvous’ would end up turning into a queer love song. It’s loosely based on my own experiences and the stereotypes I faced when exploring my own sexuality.”

Scene Queen has released a new single, ‘Pink Push Up Bra’. “I wanted a song about finally getting the Justice you deserve because I realize that doesn’t happen for a lot of women,” she explains. “I was having a not so great day that ended up turning into one of my new favorite songs. The idea for the song actually came to me in the shower as I was getting ready for the studio session because I was feeling very triggered that day. I was an hour late to the session because of it, but knew it would be a quick write. The whole song top to bottom took about 2.5 hours total to write and record. It’s probably my most rage-filled song and one of my heaviest. I hope anyone that relates gets the Justice they deserve or at least can use it as an outlet for all the complex emotions that go along with the trauma of assault.” [via Dork]

This past Friday, CHAI released their new self-titled album, the Japanese group’s fourth full-length overall, and they’ve been rolling it out over the last few months with ‘We The Female!,’ ‘PARA PARA,’ ‘NEO KAWAII, K?,’ and now they’re sharing the video for ‘GAME’. Here’s what the group’s MANA had to say about it: “Winning isn’t the goal, it’s the strategizing and challenge that matters♡ So it doesn’t matter if you lose. Take that loss and turn it into an even better strategy! Life’s a game! We made the video with our lovely friend Ginger Root♡ It’s fun and NEO KAWAII♡ As long as you’re living, you can play the game as many times as you want. Be honest to your heart, don’t take it too seriously, and live life.” [via Stereogum]

Experimental pop artist Eartheater has released her sixth full-length studio album Powders. The project is available via her own label, Chemical X, and features the previously released singles ‘Pure Smile Snake Venom’ and ‘Chop Suey.’ The latter is a blissed-out cover of System of a Down’s nu-metal classic. Producers and contributors on Powders include Yves Rothman, Sega Bodega, Lecx Stacy, Casey MQ, Elliott Kozel, Tony Seltzer, Luis Aponte, Isaiah Barr, Sammy, and Kiri. Powders arrives alongside a video for the album track ‘Crushing.’ Andrew Thomas Huang, who has previously worked with Björk, FKA twigs, and Kelela, directed the video, which culminates with Eartheater shattering a wine glass with her extraordinary voice. In a statement, Huang says, “The video concept for ‘Crushing’ arose out of a mutual intention between me and Alex [Eartheater] to focus on process instead of results. After long conversations about the themes of chance, entropy and chaos behind Powders, we landed on the idea of breaking a wine glass with Alex’s voice as a simple, powerful performance act. The resulting video is builds to this climax while drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of erotic thrillers of the early 90s, the introspective surrealism of Albrecht Durer’s Melencolia, and the ‘memento mori’ eroding dice collection of the late actor magician Ricky Jay exhibited at the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Ultimately, ‘Crushing’ is a portrait of the artist as an observer contemplating the unraveling universe both in the external world and in the crashing inner depths of the heart.” [via The FADER]

Lime Garden are a Brighton four-piece who, whilst growing into adulthood together, are writing coming of age indie-rock with the influence of the modern pop culture that surrounds them Horrifying and brilliant in equal measure, Lime Garden’s video for new single ‘Love Song’ dropped earlier this week at your peril! Last week, the band announced that their debut album One More Thing will be released next February and they’ll be going on a big ol’ UK tour so they can bring all your favourite newbies to life. The debut album One More Thing is the band’s love letter to the indie music they surrounded themselves with in their formative years, as well as a statement of love, fear, gratitude and embracing imperfections. [via The Fat Angel Sings]

Sadness & Complete Disappointment have released the second instalment of their forthcoming GBH EP. The ‘B’ of the EP, ‘BARB’, is out now. Says drummer and lead vocalist Esmee Baker, “Everyone thinks this song is about someone called Barb. And I am happy to let them believe that. BUT alas, it is not. My grandmother’s name was Barbara though – she changed it to sound more English – yuck. BACK TO THE SONG – this one is simultaneously about wanting to fuck someone’s brains out (not grandma), but also knowing they are a terrible person. And then it’s also about how, no matter how we wile away our mortal hours, we are all on the slow march to the grave (like grandma).” As is becoming the band’s signature move, a delicate and atmospheric overture of falsetto vocals gives way to a magnificent riff-edged finale.

Girli has released a new video for ‘Matriarchy’. The single follows her 2023 EP why am I like this?, and arrives to coincide with a headline tour of North America. She says of the track: “I wrote ‘Matriarchy’ about sapphic relationships and how they feel like an act of rebellion towards the patriarchy. Women are taught that they exist for the male gaze, so when women love women, it’s like putting a massive middle finger up to the homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, patriarchal society we live in and saying “f**k you, I exist and I’m gonna have fun”. Existing in the female gaze feels so liberating. When I’m in love with a woman, it feels like we’re rewriting the rules of society and creating our own brand-new world.” Of the video, she adds: “I wanted to create a dreamy her-storical matriarchal world ruled by sapphics, set in a forgotten era of the past. We shot the video at a palatial manor house and had an amazing cast and crew of women. It’s sensual, powerful and queer. It’s the kind of music video I wish I’d seen growing up and figuring out my sexuality.” [via Dork]

Pop sensation Slayyyter has just released the highly anticipated music video for her latest single, ‘I LOVE HOLLYWOOD!’ The track is part of her new album, STARFUCKER, which has been generating buzz among fans and music critics alike. The ‘I LOVE HOLLYWOOD!’ music video exudes a sense of glamour and extravagance, perfectly capturing the essence of the album’s theme. Set against the backdrop of the luxurious Chateau Marmont, the video features stunning visuals, vibrant colors, and Slayyyter’s signature edgy style. It is a true visual feast for fans and a testament to Slayyyter’s creative vision. [via Foggy Media]

Last year, the impossible-to-categorize New Jersey artist 070 Shake released her album You Can’t Kill Me. This year, Shake appeared on RAYE’s massive UK pop hit ‘Escapism’ and on Christine And The Queens’ ‘True Love,’ and her sampled voice popped up on the Fred again.. banger ‘Danielle (Smile On My Face).’ Right now, Shake is touring American stadiums as Coldplay’s opening act. She’s got another new LP in the works, and she’s just dropped its first single. The new 070 Shake song ‘Black Dress’ is a banger. Shake recorded the track with her longtime collaborator Dave Hamelin and with Johan Lenox, a producer who’s done a lot of work with Metro Boomin. Shake has been performing ‘Black Dress’ live all year. It’s a ghostly, pretty song with heavy, churning guitars, blurry synths, and trap 808s — the kind of thing that might happen if the Deftones tried to make a Future song, or vice versa. The song’s Noah Lee-directed video starts out with Shake stuck in a tree, hanging from her parachute, with the wreckage of a crashed plane strewn on the ground around her. From there, things get psychedelic. [via Stereogum]

In addition to dropping her fourth studio album, Scarlet, Doja Cat also released a music video for her song ‘Agora Hills.’ The song is the ninth track on Doja‘s latest album, and has already amassed over 1 million views on YouTube. The highly stylized, mildly hellish video features Doja Cat in several unique outfits, hanging with friends at a dystopian mall setting, as well as sitting on a sign that says ‘Agora Hills.’ The video is directed by Hannah Lux Davis & Doja Cat. [via American Songwriter]

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BIBI has unveiled the music video for ‘Animal Farm’, from her upcoming studio debut Noir: Lowlife Princess. The release also marks the musician’s 24th birthday. In the blood-soaked new visual, BIBI shows up at a lavish party attended by masked elites. Brandishing a katana, she begins to behead each partygoer, revealed to all have pig snouts in the place of noses, one by one. “Sing the song of lies to death / Dance like the devil / Under the big guillotine at the centre of the grand feast / Whose neck is that?,” she sings in the chorus. ‘Animal Farm”s music video also introduces a figure named Oh Geum-ji, inspired by the character Lee Geum-ja from famed film director Park Chan-wook’s 2005 revenge-thriller Lady Vengeance, who the narrative of BIBI’s album will be based upon. [via NME]

Weyes Blood has shared the music video for ‘It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody,’ the first single from her anticipated new album And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow. Directed by Charlotte Ercoli, the video casts Natalie Mering in a post-apocalyptic musical where, Omega Man-style, she is the last person alive on earth, though she does dance amid the debris and the dead with an animated smartphone. Natalie herself calls this video “demented” and you can watch it above. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Baby Queen has shared her much teased new single ‘Lazy’. Following on from her stint supporting Olivia Rodrigo on the European leg of her ‘SOUR’ world tour, and coming ahead of another support slot with fellow icon Conan Gray on his US dates throughout October, you can check out the track above. A press release claims Baby Queen – aka Bella Latham – “was asked to elaborate on the track but, in line with the sentiment expressed, she’s too f*g lazy.” [via Dork]

Explosive and energetic femme nu punk/grunge-rockers DOWNGIRL have doused stages around their hometown in Gadigal land in their highly flammable sonic kerosene and are kicking things up a notch with the release of their track, ‘Manic’. Bursting onto the scene with the dynamite ‘Beauty Queen’, this epic second track, ‘Manic’, off the group’s upcoming EP is 4 and a half minutes of powerful punk goodness. The gradual build of gritty riffs and fury-driven drums match the energy of the lyrical confessions that escalate with a fight or flight intensity. By the time it gets there, it fervently begs for relief with a euphoric, wall-to-wall noise-filled chorus and its refrain, ‘Manic’. The song hits like shots of cinnamon whisky – hard, fast and to dizzying effect, with a sweet but spicy aftertaste. Each member gives it their all, and collectively let go like an unrelenting force of nature. The enthralling track begs your worst enemy, ‘Do I have to keep reminding you I’m not too much for you?’. DOWNGIRL on the track’s origin: “‘Manic’ was written during Sydney’s last pandemic lockdown as a back and forth via the WWW. It explores mental health issues and the responsibility we must take for them during a time which is insular and introspective.” Filmed and directed by Stackhat, the music video for ‘Manic’ reflects a distorted reality with scenes of the band members at home, but flipped upside down. Things progressively get weirder. One band member draws a widening circle of smudged pink lipstick in repeated motions while forcing an unconvincing smile. Another beats drumsticks against a box of Froot Loops, while a third screams into the bathroom toilet. It’s disorienting and uncomfortable to watch, much like experiencing the timewarp of lockdown and getting caught in the mental battlefield of too much time spent alone. The mania-fuelled chorus is emphasised with DOWNGIRL piling into the car for a head-banging / scream-along drive down a tree-lined road.

‘Repeat After Me,’ the new single from Cornish singer-songwriter Nell Davies, is a witty indie pop song about being replaced in someone’s affections. Like all Nell’s songs, it’s a completely DIY production, recorded in a converted pigsty in the garden of her house near Penzance. The video, which features Nell’s evil twin, and was inspired by equal parts The Parent Trap, Twin Peaks and Fight Club, was filmed guerrilla-style at a remote Victorian folly in the early hours of the morning, before the tourists turned up. Nell says, “’Repeat After Me’ is about people going through life stubbornly refusing to learn from their mistakes, so making the same ones over and over again. It’s a trait I find extremely irritating, especially in myself.”

flowerovlove has shared a video for her most recent track, ‘I Gotta I Gotta’. Following up on recent singles ‘Get With You’ and ‘Hannah Montana’, she explains: “‘I Gotta I Gotta’ is fueled by searching for where you want to go in life and not knowing where that is, but needing to go now, fearing a lack of time.” [via Dork]

Now that Paramore have returned, it makes cosmic sense that Florida pop-punk trio Meet Me @ The Altar should release a new song too. In the midst of their tour supporting MUNA, Meet Me @ The Altar are back with a brand-new song, ‘Say It (To My Face),’ and it’s a banger. Built on a foundation of soaring, shout-along choruses and chunky guitar, ‘Say It (To My Face)’ is about shutting down anonymous social-media haters and is set to appear on the band’s forthcoming debut album, coming early next year. [via Stereogum]

Sam Smith unveils the official video for their new single, ‘Unholy’ ft. Kim Petras. Directed by the inimitable Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways film, David Bowie, Christina Aguilera) and choreographed by French dance collective (LA)HORDE, the provocative film is set in ‘The Body Shop’, a debauched show-world of wonder and danger. Leading a diverse and Queer cast, Sam Smith stars as the singing MC and Kim Petras as a dancer in a lustful extravaganza of costume, dance, and sexual power. Marrying the spectacle of Bob Fosse rubbing up against the unrestrained nihilism of A Clockwork Orange with a touch of vaudeville thrown in, ‘Unholy’ is a visual feast. Cameos include Gottmik and Violet Chachki (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and adult film star Paddy O’Brian.

Royal & the Serpent has returned with the music video for ‘Death of Me,’ the second chapter of a five-part series. The latest installment from the Los Angeles artist (born Ryan Santiago) is a somber electropop train of thought, and the accompanying visual sees the singer-songwriter thrown into her own version of A Clockwork Orange. Santiago has been releasing a track and video each week as a part of a project dubbed happiness is an inside job, an effort that will allow listeners to join her in pursuit of happiness. ‘Death of Me’ marks the followup to last week’s chapter, ‘IM FINE.’ “It’s kind of like a journey through my thoughts on figuring out how the fuck to be happy (which you would think would be simpler, but they really don’t spell just it out for you!),” Santiago tells Consequence. “This week’s chapter is a song particularly referencing the notion that we’re all losing touch with ourselves and with one another — even though seemingly we’re more connected than ever,” she adds. Indeed, ‘Death of Me’ epitomizes the idea of harsh reality. In a world consumed by technology, Santiago realizes that screens and machines do the inverse of what they were intended for — keeping people connected. The despair of the track is matched by its video, thanks in part to its Kubrick-esque brainwashing sequence and cuts to an empty room colored by dark organs spewing out of Santiago.“The internet killed conversation, personality, and friends/ We’re all depressed and self-obsessed,” she sings over a soft, dragged guitar before shifting to an intense sound with drums to match. For Santiago, this track is sonically “a ride” — one that she is especially satisfied with. “I honestly very rarely am excited to listen to the music I make, but there really is something so special about this one,” Santiago notes. “It somehow still gives me chills and that really never happens if I’m listening to my own stuff. I feel like it’s a little piece of my heart and brain in song form.” [via Consequence]

Upcoming Welsh artist Thallo shares new Welsh language single ‘Pluo’ (transl. Feathering) and announces details of her forthcoming bilingual Crescent EP, inspired by a unique subject matter and one deeply personal to Thallo – immobility. On new single ‘Pluo,’ Thallo showcases her unique sound, one that is enveloping, otherworldly, and multi-instrumented, spanning bedroom and dream-pop with subtle, textured jazz infusions and contemporary classic touches, both ethereal and utterly enthralling. Pluo translates as ‘feathering’ in English, meaning ‘lightly snowing’ which relates to the song’s poignant opening line “I gather dust which is feathering stillness.” Inspired by the effects of a sudden condition that Thallo suffered in 2020 which caused chronic knee pain and debilitating mobility issues, Pluo touches on the peculiar pain of watching the world return to normal following lockdown, whilst Thallo was trapped in what she describes as “My own personal lockdown.” As she expands “I felt so stuck, unable to return to my normal life. But most of all, the song is a cry of fear for the loneliness and hopelessness of being left behind whilst everyone else moves forward.” ‘Pluo’s accompanying video, a collaboration with Welsh channel Lŵp (S4C) produced and co-directed by Aled Wyn Jones and Andy Pritchard, takes inspiration from psychological horror and is filmed at the popular ghost-hunting spot Bron y Garth Hospital – a former 1800s workhouse/hospital now abandoned and frozen in-time. As Thallo explains “The setting perfectly mirrors Pluo’s lyrics of feeling stuck and deteriorating.” It sees Thallo wake to find herself in a blood-filled bath on the decaying hospital floor, what ensues is a struggle to escape the derelict building peppered with eerie imagery and horrifying flashbacks that lead to the chilling conclusion – that Thallo is in fact dead and trapped in purgatory.

Atlanta-based art-rock band Mamalarky release their second full-length album, Pocket Fantasy, on Fire Talk Records. Along with the album release, the band have shared a new video for album track ‘Frog 2’, along with a video directed by Spencer Ford. “I don’t know if I’ve better synthesized the way I feel with words than in this song,” says singer/guitarist Livvy Bennett. “I think I successfully collaged what I feel every day. I was going through a majorly introverted time in my life, but I was feeling hopeful and grounded in that. I was feeling less and less alone in my own little musical world. Michael was bullied into writing this song honestly. We were sitting at this dinky Casio and I said WRITE SOMETHING, and he did somewhat begrudgingly. I wrote the words and harmonies over it on on a series of desert drives between Austin and LA, trying to make something materialize.”

girli is back, but not as you once knew her – she releases her very relatable single, ‘I Really Fked It Up’ via AllPoints/Believe. It is led by a thumping melody and culminates in an urgent chorus, showcasing girli’s soaring vocals. The artist has entered her most unapologetically pop era yet, and ‘I Really Fked It Up’ is just the beginning of the next long-awaited chapter. girli’s new era-defining glam and wardrobe complement a stunning creative directed by the inspirational Fiona Garden (Wet Leg, Years & Years, Grimes and more). Milly Toomey (AKA girli) has been on an explorative journey of self-discovery, only to conclude that she can’t be boxed in. The singer-songwriter had been questioning who she was and had put so much pressure on knowing the answer, but soon realised it’s okay to not always know. To mark this epiphany, girli wrote the music she has always wanted to release, and one of the outcomes is ‘I Really F**ked It Up’. girli explains, “I wrote this song about doing destructive things to feel excitement, and absolutely hating myself for it. Writing this song made the whole project fall into place; why am I like this? Who is controlling my puppet strings when I do things I don’t want to do?”

Alternative artist Molly Moore has released ‘Hate Myself,’ the latest single from her forthcoming album, Miserably Sublime, expected early 2023. The single, co-written with Nevin Sastry (Phem, PRETTYMUCH) and Josh Murty (Maggie Lindemann), is injected with anthemic energy as Molly speaks to the mental turmoil she faced while falling victim to depression and self-sabotage. Amplified by a blend of steady drum beats and searing guitar licks, the track features a sing-along chorus full of self-deprecating dry humor about coming to terms with how you see yourself and those around you. The accompanying music video was directed by Molly and Francesca Maldonado (Justin Bieber, Dixie D’Amelio, Ashley Graham) and leans into the track’s lyrical playfulness as Molly comes face-to-face with herself. “I wrote the song during a very transitional period of my life. I’d been going to therapy and becoming aware that I tend to have a negative narrative happening with myself in my head,” shares Molly. “I was feeling pressure seeing all of my friends living more stable lives than me, getting married and having kids, while I’m in LA writing songs every day. I was also falling in love with someone that was emotionally unavailable, so I wrote this song with a bit of a sarcastic tone to try and process all of this. My goal with this song is to create a conversation that allows people to face their negative internal battles and challenge those perceived truths with another, kinder perspective that we can be nice to ourselves and still be radically honest.” [via Broadway World]

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“Well, here we are: Still making it all happen in our very own, fully functional shit show. My heart, like a glow stick that’s been cracked, lights up my chest in a little explosion of earnestness,” Mering wrote in a letter accompanying the album’s announcement. “And when your heart’s on fire, smoke gets in your eyes.” She continued:

“Titanic Rising was the first album of three in a special trilogy. It was an observation of things to come, the feelings of impending doom. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is about entering the next phase, the one in which we all find ourselves today — we are literally in the thick of it. Feeling around in the dark for meaning in a time of instability and irrevocable change. Looking for embers where fire used to be. Seeking freedom from algorithms and a destiny of repetitive loops. Information is abundant and yet so abstract in its use and ability to provoke tangible actions. Our mediums of communication are fraught with caveats. Our pain, an ironic joke born from a gridlocked panopticon of our own making, swirling on into infinity.”

She’s also sharing the album’s mesmerising lead single, which is called ‘It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody.’ [via Stereogum]

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