Dutch Mustard has shared her new single ‘Thank You’. The songwriter – who is actually Dutch-born, fact fans – is the original triple threat: a performer, songwriter, and producer. The artist moniker of Sarah-Jayne Riedel (AKA SJ), Dutch Mustard has made her name with a series of dreamy, shoegaze adjacent indie pop hymns. Recently visiting the studio of Anthony Genn – a producer/songwriter, and erstwhile Pulp bassist – the two spoke for hours about music, and sifted through her demos. “He told me ‘Thank You’ was his favourite and gave a few production tips. That’s when I decided that it should be the next single. One specific piece of advice that stood out most was the backing vocals advice, which I took on board for the track.” Out now on DM Records, ‘Thank You’ adds some grit to her sound, the drifting effects lingering on her innate pop touch. Dutch Mustard uses the song as a means of escape, a release valve for feelings that have been holding her back. Dutch Mustard comments… ‘Thank You’ is about the euphoric feeling of being freed from a situation never meant for you. It’s a song to remind you that you’re in charge, and that you can always flip the script. [via Clash]
Confidence Man, the Australian electro-pop mavericks, now based in London, have released ‘Sicko,’ the latest single from their new third album 3 AM (LA LA LA), out now via Casablanca. While known for their high-octane, dance-infused sound, ‘Sicko’ embraces a more subtle ‘90s indie-dance crossover vibe, a little less frenetic than much of the album but still unhinged and unmistakably Confidence Man. The single arrives alongside a stunning black-and-white video that almost resembles what might happen if you tried to make a musical based on Reservoir Dogs and Trainspotting—stylish, edgy with a gritty film noir sensibility and laced with a dark, twisted sense of humor. [via Under The Radar]
Ellie Dixon releases her new single and video for ‘Renaissance’, kicking off her energised new era of music. Mixed by Manon Grandjean (FLO, Cat Burns, Stormzy), ‘Renaissance’ soars with Ellie’s newfound and inspiring display of self-assuredness and self-confidence; “I’m in my renaissance, I got a new paint job”. Always refreshingly open about her experiences with anxiety and depression, especially on tracks like ‘Green Grass’, ‘‘Big Lizard Energy’ and ‘Dopamine’, this is the same beloved Ellie, but with a mediaeval twist and a wealth of life experiences, “On this day a great knight hath fallen, but an even greater knight hath risen”. “Renaissance is a musical phoenix from the ashes”, Ellie says. Grabbing the listener by the throat from her first uttering, expertly juxtaposed with a backdrop of sonic shimmering, ‘Renaissance’ opens with “Took a sword to the chest, bled out on my double bed, a hero’s got to fall I guess”. After unexpectedly parting ways with her label Decca Records earlier this year, Ellie “went through quite a deep depression while processing”. She elaborates: “after the pain came relief, a sense that this would let me carve my creative path. And then one 2am, after coming back from a Doja Cat concert, Renaissance was born. I was feeling inspired by her mix of magical soundscaping and grounded groove, so I put my twist on it. I blended the softness and hardness of the pain of rejection and change. I wanted to write a victory song, not a sad song. This was the beginning, not the end.”
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Sorry. In 2022, the British indie rock band released Anywhere But Here. In July of last year, they shared ‘Screaming In The Rain Again,’ a revised version of the track ‘Screaming In The Rain.’ Now, they’re back with a trippy song called ‘Waxwing,’ out now via Domino. ‘Waxwing’binterpolates a set of lyrics from Toni Basil’s ‘Hey Mickey.’ About it, Asha Lorenz says, “Mickey is desire ? Mickey is the bomb? Mickey makes me money? Mickey makes my songs? Mickey makes a poem? Mickey in the drugs ? Mickey is liar ? Mickey making love? Mickey is desire ?” The mischievous earworm — which, I think, is a (convincing) attempt to seduce Mickey Mouse — is paired with an equally eccentric music video directed and produced by FLASHA. [via Stereogum]
f5ve have released their new single ‘UFO’ via LDH Records. The track, co-produced by BloodPop, A.G. Cook, and Nomak, is inspired by Japan’s popular claw game machines, and follows on from previous singles ‘Lettuce’ and ‘Underground’. The accompanying music video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford and Crystalline Structures Studio, depicts f5ve as extraterrestrial beings abducting Tokyo residents with giant claws. [via Dork]
FKA Twigs has shared her new single ‘Perfect Stranger’, alongside a music video that features cameos from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Yves Tumor. ‘Perfect Stranger’ is the latest single from Twigs’ upcoming album EUSEXUA – the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Magdalene – which will be released on January 24 via Young. Last month, the singer shared the album’s title track and its Jordan Hemingway-directed music video. Now, she’s given fans a second taste of the LP – with another video helmed by Hemingway. An intoxicating ode to fleeting relationships, Twigs sings: “I don’t know the name of the town you’re from/Your star sign or the school you failed/I don’t know and I don’t care,” while testing out roles as a half of different couples. Elsewhere in the video are appearances from Fleabag‘s Waller-Bridge and Yves Tumor. [via NME]
GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Ari Lennox (Dreamville/Interscope Records) makes her highly-anticipated return with her new single ‘Smoke.’ ‘Smoke’ is the first official release for Ari in 2024, following her 2023 single ‘Get Close.’ Directed by Chris Robinson, Ari is held at a mental asylum, where all the patients are running amuck, including her. Instead of sulking, Ari masterminds a plan to escape and dupes the employees during her performance. After a short hiatus, Ari is fiercer than ever, lashing back at her detractors, urging them to “f—k around and find out” on the unapologetic anthem. With ‘Smoke,’ Ari reclaims her power, showcasing her strength as a powerful Black woman beyond the booth.
It’s a superstar pop crossover! ROSÉ has officially launched her new solo era by teaming up with Bruno Mars on a new single called ‘Apt.,’ which arrived on Friday (Oct. 18). The song arrives just a day after the duo announced it, taking to Instagram to share the collaboration’s cover art. In the artwork, the BLACKPINK superstar lounges in front of a drum set, with the ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ singer sitting behind it, holding the drumsticks. The pair, who are in black-and-white against a bright pink foreground, are matching in leather jackets and white t-shirts. [via Billboard]
Rebecca Black’s ‘TRUST!’ music videos opens in court, as influencers take the stand talking about what they love, hate and admire about the pop star. In the Mean Girls-style opening monologue, one person says, “Boiler rooms used to be cool, then Rebecca Black ruined them,” while another claims she slept with Elon Musk. The hilarious testimonies break away to show Black masked up, flashing lights and bodies surrounding her, as an intense dance beat grows behind the pop star and DJ, eventually breaking into a full-on choreographed dance routine in front of the judge. “It felt only right to kick off the next project with the loudest and brashest track I’ve put out yet,” Black tells PAPER, “and ‘TRUST!’ embodies the essence of the fearlessness in this project better than anything.” To bring the spicy dance video to life, Black worked with Director Olivia De Camps, telling PAPER that it was “so seamless from the jump because she really understood the vision I had, not only for this song, but for the entire project.” Black also says that the heart of her upcoming project is about “tapping into this essence of delusion of grandeur and glamour that led the writing process for me. Everything I breathe is laced with camp these days and this concept felt like turning a narrative on its head in a fierce and unapologetic way.” [via PAPER]
JADE continues to delineate her space as a solo pop renegade, sharing her third single of the year, titled ‘Fantasy’. Produced by regular collaborator Mike Sabath, ‘Fantasy’ is an irresistible assemblage of post-gay disco liberation, processed ASMR purrs and ecstatic vocal ululations, all melting into a euphoric club-ready mix that speaks to the judgement-free zone JADE is rendering this era. It’s further proof the singer from South Shields isn’t afraid of throwing the listener a sonic curveball as she continues to flesh out a more experimental repertoire post-Little Mix. ‘Fantasy’ follows clubland classic ‘Angel Of My Dreams‘ and the noirish follow-up, ‘Midnight Cowboy‘. The former has accumulated over 50 million streams to date, entering the UK Official Singles Chart at No.7 – the third highest new entry for a British artist this year. Of her new single, JADE says: “’Fantasy’ is a love song that I wrote with dream team Pablo Bowman and Mike Sabath about feeling safe enough with your partner to shamelessly explore your fantasies! We wrote this the day after ‘AOMD’ was written, and from then on I always knew it would be the second single. I can’t wait for my fans to experience more of my musical world.” JADE will perform the track for the first time on ‘Later…with Jools Holland’ on BBC Two tomorrow evening. The accompanying video was filmed in LA and directed by the legendary David LaChapelle. It takes visual cues from ’70s soul train performances and the supernatural horror film Carrie, featuring iconic drag queen Love Connie as the villain. [via Clash]
