RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

In the summer of 2017, Calvin Harris released "Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 1", a dance-pop-hip-hop collection that featured a number of impressive all-star vocalists which included Frank Ocean, Katy Perry, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. This volume proved to be a big global success with five hit singles. Now the Scottish DJ/producer feels it's time for a follow-up volume with "Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2". This is his first studio album in five years and due out later this summer. The first single, "Potion" has just dropped and features Brit-pop star, Dua Lipa and rapper, Young Thug. This funky Caribbean-flavored track teams Harris with Lipa for the first time since their smash hit, "One Kiss" back in 2018 while Young Thug appeared on the track, "Heatstroke" with Pharrell Williams and Grande from the first volume.



June is LGBTQ+ Pride month and to celebrate, here is a collection of talented artists, spanning different musical genres, who also happen to be out and proudly queer:













And while I do not watch "Stranger Things", I have heard that the show's current fourth season has used Kate Bush's 1985 tune, "Running Up The Hill (A Deal With God)" to great effect, helping to propel this song back up the charts across the globe. The song was Bush's highest charting in the US, reaching number thirty on the pop chart in it's initial run but now the British artist has her very first top-ten hit here. I have long admired the work of Kate Bush with her bold experimental style and offbeat sonic textures. And I loved the video for "Running Up The Hill" which features the singer performing interpretive dance. Alt-rock performer, Meg Myers had released her version of Bush's song in 2019 (and her cover is also benefiting from this resurgence) which maintains the spirit of the original yet is still distinctly innovative.