Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
flowers, the first single from Miley Cyrus’ eighth album, hit No. 1 on charts around the world almost as soon as it was released. In the song, the Tennessee singer talks about recovering from her split from ex-husband Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus sings about the importance of self-love, stating that “I can love me better than you can,” a message that is emphasized by the music video.
Belle and Sebastian – ‘I don’t know what you see in me’
Stuart Murdoch, the lead singer of indie pop group Belle & Sebastian, says that every time he produces a record, he secretly produces a new one. While the former is about meaning and order, the latter is about fun and messiness. Maybe that’s why the song is I don’t know what you see in me is much lighter and brighter than the band’s last studio album, A bit of the previous one, which was released eight months ago. The song, which comes from the band’s 12th album late developers, is as tongue-in-cheek and fresh as any of the band’s classics, but also has a touch of – as Murdoch puts it – ’90s power ballads. What’s the secret to this new sound? The song was co-written by Pete Ferguson of the band Wuh Oh.
Iggy Pop – “Frenzy”
The good news is that Iggy Pop is still making music at 75 years old. The song madness is the opening of his impressive new album Every loser, which is already a contender for one of the best records of 2023. Iggy Pop performed without The Stooges, enlisting instead Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) on bass and Andrew Watt (Ozzy Osbourne) on guitar. Together they create the abrasive sound that is the trademark of Iggy’s music. Fueled by 70s punk rock, madness is fast, aggressive, and precise—an especially remarkable feat for a musician who could be playing dominoes in a Los Angeles mansion. However, Iggy prefers to keep on spitting fire.
Josh Ritter – “For Your Soul”
Josh Ritter is one of the great talents to emerge from the impressive American neofolk scene of the 21st century. Whatever he plays, he always makes it his own: he is a very special musician. Ritter’s new song For your soul with its soaring choruses has a more upbeat sound. It might look like cheese, but instead it works its way into your head. Simply put, Ritter has the ability to ignite the spirit with simple songs filled with feeling.
I have it – “Aselestine”
Yo La Tengo can move between many different styles, but the veteran trio has a special knack when it comes to the lazy ballads sung by Georgia Hubley. These songs are sweet, tender and very moving. You hardly ever understand what they’re talking about, but they create an atmosphere that draws you in and won’t let you go. This ability is seen in the power of aselistin, the band’s second single from their upcoming album This stupid world. We may have no idea who Aselestine is or why they walk on snow, but you can almost feel the cold on your face.
Everything But The Girl – “Nothing Left to Lose”
In one of the biggest announcements of 2023 so far, Tracy Thorne and Ben Watt – the English duo behind Everything but the Girl – will release their first new album in 24 years. I have nothing to lose is the first unrecorded single Security guard, which is expected to be released in the spring. The first thing you notice about the song is Thorn’s voice, which is deeper and huskier than it has been in the past. I have nothing to lose it’s halfway between a ballad and a dance song. It shows that the band has something new to say. Their comeback isn’t just an exercise in nostalgia, even if their 1994 song It’s missing is as powerful today as it was when it was released.
A$AP Rocky – “Same Problems?”
Same problems? is a single from A$AP Rocky’s fourth album. In the song, the Harlem rapper openly reflects on the influence of violence and drugs in rap music, pointing out the frequent deaths of rap artists. “Am I a product of the things I’ve seen?” he sings. “Am I a product of the things in my songs?” Co-written with artists such as Tyler The Creator, Lil Yachty and Thundercat, Same problems? is a slow, purposeful song that has the power to move all listeners, whether they like rap or not.
Sleaford Mods – “UK Grim”
This duo from Nottingham don’t like the state of their country much. With this frustration as their main driving force, Sleaford Mods built a surprisingly successful career, given the aggressiveness of their lyrics and sound. UK Grim is the first single from their new album. In the song, the duo criticizes Britain’s political class – a criticism that develops into a music video that compares the UK to a medieval kingdom. But the track repeats too many of the band’s tropes and adds an unnecessary industrial element to the music.
Arlo Parks – “Weightlessness”
Arlo Parks was one of the biggest surprises of 2020 when he took the music world by storm with his dark and confessional songs. But the Londoner’s sound became less original over time. Now she is back with weightlessness, a trip-hop track that combines production from the 80s. It’s a beautiful tune sung by an already recognizable voice, but it lacks depth. As enjoyable as it is pointless.
La Plazuela – “The Land of Sorrow”
There is a lot of anticipation surrounding Spanish band La Plazuela, who are due to release their first full-length album in April. The first song from the record is the land of sadness (or, The land of shame), which gives listeners an idea of what they can do.
Rosalia – “LLYLM”
Rosalia’s self-esteem is so high that she’s convinced we’ll remember the title of her new song: LLYLM. Take the quiz and ask a friend, “Have you heard LLYLM?” The name of the song is actually an acronym for Lie like you love me. Musically, the piece falls in the middle between them ill will and Motomami. In other words, it’s neither very flamenco nor very pop. in LLYLM, Rosalia sings in a mixture of Spanish and English about an impossible love. It’s not one of her best songs and the sudden switch to flamenco is a bit forced, but here we are humming it anyway.
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