Damiano David, the front man for the popular Italian rock band, Måneskin, has recently released a side project. David, along with fellow musicians, Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi and Ethan Torchio, first came together to form a band as high school students in Rome back in 2016. They chose the name "Måneskin" (which means "Moonlight" in Danish) and developed their skills by playing on the streets for tips. The band soon worked their way on to the Italian version of "X-Factor", finishing in second place. This lead to a recording contract with Måneskin releasing their first album, "Il ballo della vita" that featured a mix of Italian and English-language rock songs. Måneskin's next big achievement was representing Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 and creating a bit of an upset by winning the finals with their song, "Zitti e buoni (quiet and well-behaved)". This victory helped to drive even more buzz for the band with their previous recordings receiving some new found interest throughout Europe including their cover of the Four Seasons' 1967 hit, "Beggin'" that reached the top-ten in the UK and even charting in the US.
The twenty-six year old singer's debut solo album, "Funny Little Fears" is a clear shift in musical direction from his band, with a softer, pure pop sound. David began writing for the album in Los Angeles (in part to be closer to his current girlfriend, musician Dove Cameron), working with numerous songwriters and producers, and ended up with about seventy songs. This was narrowed down to fourteen English-language tracks which expressed a more personal and sensitive side of the artist, songs that might not fit as well with his band. David plans to hit the road this fall, beginning in Warsaw on Septemeber 11th, that will take him around the world to promote the album.
Here is a collection of new music that I'm connecting with at the moment: Devonté Hynes, better known as the British performer and producer, Blood Orange, has a new track that features the Durutti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polachek and Daniel Caesar; Christine and the Queens join forces with disco legend, Cerrone for a cover of his 1977 hit, "Supernature" which is remixed by Purple Disco Machine; the pop stylist, Kim Petras is back with "Polo" that has her in a techno-driven vibe; Tinashe teams up with DJ and producer,Disco Lines for a remix to proclaim she wants "No Broke Boys" and an inspired paring of Norah Jones and John Legend with "Summertime Blue"
I am sad to report that Walter Scott, one of the original members of the r&b group, The Whispers that found fame beginning in the post-disco era and shared lead vocal duties with his identical twin, Wallace, passed away on June 26th at the age of eighty-two. Formed in Watts, CA in 1963 with the Scott brothers along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson, and Nicholas Caldwell, The Whispers first became known as a thrilling live act. Harmon became seriously injured in a car accident in 1973 and was replaced by Friends of Distinction member, Leaveil Degree. The Whispers would get a recording contract but struggled to gain some traction with their music. By 1978, they signed with Solar Records and finally hit it big with the dance tune, "And The Beat Goes On". The song was their first number-one single on the r&b chart and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nineteen. More hits followed with "It's a Love Thing", "Keep On Lovin' Me" and "Rock Steady" which became their highest charting on the US pop chart, reaching number seven and their second number one on the R&B chart.
And Calvin Yarbrough of the r&b duo, Yarbrough & Peoples has died on June 19th at the age of seventy-one. Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples both grew up in Dallas, TX, and they had met taking piano lessons as young children. They grew-up to become professional musicians together and formed a group first called Grand Theft. An encounter on the road had them meeting Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, who are better known as The Gap Band, and they introduced them to Lonnie Simmons, a songwriter and producer who went on to work with them to help put together their first album. In 1981, Yarbrough & Peoples released their debut, "The Two of Us" which featured, "Don't Stop the Music," that went to number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and also reached the pop chart, making it as far as number nineteen. This would become the most popular song by the duo (who would later marry in 1987) but had four more top-ten R&B hits before heading back to Dallas to start their own music production company in 1986.
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, collectively known as Pet Shop Boys, have been creating music together since 1981. Throughout this time, the British music duo have never strayed too far from their original sound: electronic dance music. Pet Shop Boys have just announced their upcoming fifteenth studio album, "Nonetheless", due out in April. With producer, James Ford, the Boys continue to explore the diverse emotions that makes us human through dance-oriented beats and their sound has expanded to include orchestral string arrangements. The first single, "Loneliness" from the album takes me back to the time of their breakout song, "West End Girls" which will be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the original dance club version with the song re-recorded two years later and becoming a worldwide pop music smash.
Here is a collection of recent dance songs which includes the latest from Charli XCX (with a wild, crazy music video that I love); the inspired pairing of Sia and Kylie Minogue; another sexual, dance-floor ditty by Kim Petras from her recent EP, "Slut Pop Miami", a sequel to her 2022 release; Olly Alexander of Years & Years just dropped a romantic, beat heavy track and the latest dance anthem from the queer performer, Vincint.
Miley Cyrus has dropped a new song yet it's not actually new. Back in 2013, Cyrus teamed up musician, Pharrell Williams during the recording of her "Bangerz" album where the pop star played with a more musically funky style. An outtake from those sessions, "Doctor (Work It Out)" has just been released. Why is this song seeing the light of day at this particular moment in time? Who knows and who really cares because "Doctor" sounds just as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday. For the music video, Cyrus seems to be channeling Las Vegas showgirls who stomped on the casino stages like Ann-Margaret and Lola Falana (look 'em up) back in the '70's, right down to the choreography.
Frankie Goes to Hollywoodburst on to the music scene back in 1983 with the song, "Relax" which not only topped the charts in their native Britain but became an international sensation. But what made this band really stand out beyond their popular music was that they were unapologetically queer, which was not at all common by pop artists to reveal at this time. Two following singles, "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" impressively also reached number one on the UK pop chart . Not long after this incredible success, Frankie Goes to Hollywood imploded and went their separate ways in 1987. In the recent film, "All of Us Strangers", filmmaker, Andrew Haigh effectively uses Frankie's ballad, "The Power of Love" to close out his deeply moving dramatic fantasy about loss and acceptance. Haigh has stated that this song was an important part of his music playlist from his youth in the '80's during a time when he was trying to come to terms with love and his identity as a gay teenager.
The original plan by r&b singer, Victoria Monét was to create a trilogy of EPs called "Jaguar" before her first album. However, after that first collection was released three years ago, the thirty-four-year-old performer has delivered "Jaguar II" which will now serve as her official debut album. This record continues Monét's musical journey of classic soul with a contemporary edge. She spent the early part of her career successfully writing songs for other music acts like Brandy, Chris Brown, Blackpink, Chloe x Halle and Ariana Grande before deciding to focus more on her own path as an artist. "Jaguar II" perfectly highlights Monét's gifts; sultry, smooth vocals which help elevate her songs of love, sexuality, pride and confidence. Be sure to check out Monét on the road now with The Jaguar Tour where she will cover North America and Europe through November.
MAREN MORRIS
Maren Morris made news recently by announcing that she was leaving country music because of her frustration with the industry's unwillingness to deal honestly with its long history involving racism, sexism and homophobia. Having been vigorously vocal in criticizing Nashville and what it currently represents for some time now, causing some rifts along the way, she has realized it was getting her nowhere. And while Morris might be departing from the business side of the genre, her music will likely remain deeply embedded in the roots of country. The thirty-three-year-old from Arlington, Texas is currently in the process of creating new music with production assistance from Greg Kurstin and Jack Antonoff who had helped Taylor Swift smoothly transition from country to pop. Morris has released a two-track EP called "The Bridge" that seems to highlight the potential new direction she's moving towards with the songs, "The Tree" and "Get the Hell Out of Here".
KIM PETRAS
The long-awaited debut of pop star, Kim Petras' first album, "Feed the Beast" was finally released in June. However, the album was met with a tepid reception. This collection of largely, generic dance-pop songs disappointed especially after all of the amazing singles Petras had released over the last few years which includes "Unholy", her smash hit duet with Sam Smith. But Petras had recorded an album two years ago that originally was supposed to be her official debut, but it was ultimately shelved by her label due to a major leak of the work. "Problématique" has now been released and the songs here captures more of the catchy, high-energy Euro-pop that first brought her attention. Two singles, "Future Starts Now" and "Coconuts" were released in 2021 to promote this album but were dropped from this release although "Coconuts" does appear on "Beast".
Since the very beginning of her career, Janelle Monae has been proudly queer, long before she even came out publicly as pansexual and non-binary. And with her fourth studio album, "The Age of Pleasure", the singer now feels liberated to express her music even more openly. This collection delivers feel-good vibes with songs threaded with reggae and Afro-beats that focus on the sensual pleasures of the mind and flesh. Even Monae's image has loosened up. Gone are the little, black & white suits and in their place is the singer in skimpy clothing, revealing much more of her beautiful satin skin than we had ever seen before from the artist. This includes the music video for the single, "Lipstick Lover" which shows a lot of female skin and has even been age-restricted on Youtube.
The lawsuit involving pop star, Kesha against her former producer, Dr. Luke, which had begun in 2014, has been quietly settled just a few days ago. Her fifth studio album, "Gag Order" had been released last month with the title making a not-so veiled reference to her on-going legal battle which left her unable to comment publicly. Much like her previous album, "High Road", this record touches on the depression and emotional trauma she has been going through these past few years due to this case. And the songs reflect her overcoming these difficulties with the return of a lighter musical mood, with experimental art-pop and bouncy, electronic beats she was known for in her early days. Kesha plans to hit the road in October to promote the album which I'm sure she will be able to approach from a clearer state-of-mind.
Here are some recent new sounds from Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Lana Del Rey, Carly Rae Jepsen and Jaz Elise:
After years of releasing singles, EPs, making numerous featured artist appearances and a studio album that was scrapped then leaked, Kim Petras has finally released her official debut album. With "Feed The Beast", the Grammy Award winner has dropped a mixed-bag of a collection that exhibits the varied styles of dance-pop music she has been creating since 2017. The album features some previously heard tracks like the disco-pop ditty, "Coconuts"; "Unholy", the worldwide smash hit with Sam Smith that won them a Grammy this year; "Brrr" and "Alone" that samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay and has Nicki Minaj providing her trademark sassy rap. But the rest of "Feed The Beast" feels surprisingly safe and generic, even with her long-time producer, the problematic Dr. Luke having a heavy hand on the project, lacking the powerful magic that made so many of her previous songs so fascinating and fun.
"Unholy" is a new release that features the inspired pairing of Sam Smith and Kim Petras. First teased on TikTok back in August, this hyper-pop dance track (which was co-written by the non-binary performers) is about a family man leaving his comfortable life behind for a brief moment so he can sneak off to secretly get his freak on. "Unholy" just came out a little over a week ago and has already reached number one in four countries including the UK. This is the first single from Smith's upcoming fourth studio album but no release date has been revealed yet.
The New York-based, indie band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs first emerged during the turn of the 21st century, at a time when alt-rock was still a major presence in the pop music scene. The single, "Maps" from their 2003 debut, "Fever To Tell" brought worldwide attention to the band, receiving rapturous praise and award recognition. It has been almost ten years since their last album, "Mosquito" and the trio that makes up the band: Nick Zimmer on guitar, Brian Chase on drums and lead vocalist, Karen O, had not planned on taking such a long break but the starting of families, other artistic pursuits and the pandemic created an unexpected delay in coming back together.
But the wait is over and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with"Cool It Down". While the band has certainly matured (with the members all now in their 40's), they have lost none of their edge. This bold yet brief collection (running a little over thirty minutes) is filled with offbeat, punky electro-pop, taking on themes involving the global climate crisis and concern for future generations. The singles, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" (featuring art-pop performer, Perfume Genius) and "Burning" are both accompanied by stunningly vivid music videos.
Here are some new songs that are enhanced by visually exciting music videos:
And I am sad to report the passing of Coolio, the rapper who was one of the early winners of the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for his 1995 single, "Gangsta's Paradise", on September 28th at the age of fifty-nine. Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. and raised in Compton, CA, he began making music after working a variety of odd jobs. Making connections in the local rap scene in Los Angeles, Coolio recorded a few singles and later became part of the group, WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. He was signed as a solo artist to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album, "It Takes a Thief" in 1994. The single, "Fantastic Voyage" became Coolio's first hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sampling Stevie Wonder's 1976 song, "Pastime Paradise", "Gangsta's Paradise" was part of the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer-lead, 1995 movie, "Dangerous Minds" and became an incredible worldwide success, reaching number one in nineteen countries and selling over six million copies. Coolio's follow-up album, also called "Gangsta's Paradise", featured two other hits, "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot".
Nicki Minaj may have recently become a mother but that doesn't mean she's gone soft. The rap artist hasn't toned down her sexy image but she has shifted directions in her music, offering lyrics that are not as sexually suggestive and getting back to basics from her early days of making mixtapes. Two examples of this change is with her first new singles as lead performer in three years, "Do We Have a Problem?" and "Bussin". Minaj teams up with Lil Baby on both tracks with these artists impressively trading verses. The music video for "Do We Have a Problem?" is a nine-minute, action-filled mini-movie that was directed by Benny Boom. Minaj has stated that this is a preview of what's to come and expect a new album by summer.
KIM PETRAS
With the title, "Slut Pop", there is no question on what the theme of Kim Petras' latest release is about. If you need some assistance, the focus of this seven track EP is about nothing more than sex, each song going on about how much she desperately wants and needs to fornicate, set to throbbing dance-pop beats. This is quite a departure for the German-born pop princess, initially modeling herself after the chic narcissism of socialite, Paris Hilton when she first came on the scene. Now Petras has morphed into the cartoon sexuality of a porn star with a racy, new image to match. Most of these playfully, raunchy ditties (produced by the controversial Dr. Luke) are barely over two minutes long, seemingly readymade for DJs to remix so people will be able to break a sweat out on the dance floor for hours.
Another year has come and gone and during that time, I have shared the music that I have loved throughout. Here is a small collection of songs that were some of my favorites that I didn't get a chance to highlight:
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith made up the English pop-rock band, Tears For Fears who found fame in the mid-1980's most notably with the songs, "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". After working together for ten years, the duo ended their musical relationship with a nasty split in 1991. While Orzabal kept Tears for Fears going as a one-man project (releasing a couple of albums) and Smith made his own solo album, the men would make amends in 2000. The reunited Tears For Fears released another album together, "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending" in 2004. And while Orzabal and Smith would tour occasionally over the ensuing years, there was no new music. That has changed as Tears For Fears have released a song, "The Tipping Point" which is the working title of their upcoming seventh studio album due out in February. The sixty year old musicians have been working on this project over the last ten years and the haunting, mid-tempo ballad deals with Orzabal's struggles with grief over the tragic loss of his wife, Caroline who died in 2017 after thirty-five years of marriage.
Please enjoy this collection of videos of new music by a few LGBTQ artists (and one long-time ally):
Kelis is back with a new single, "Midnight Snacks", the latest song by the artist that follows a theme on the art of eating. Following her 2014 album, "Food", a cookbook and a Netflix series on cooking with Cannabis, the forty-two year old performer is going in on what do when you have cravings late at night. And I'm pretty sure she's referring to food. . .
And for his thirty-second studio album, Elton John has released "The Lockdown Sessions", a duets collection that was recorded largely during the pandemic lockdown after the seventy-four year old performer was forced to put the brakes on his final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road. This is an impressive line-up of musicians who have participated on this album; we have John's musical peers like Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and the late Glen Campbell. There are contemporary performers Miley Cyrus, Rina Sawayama, Charlie Puth and Olly Alexander of Years & Years on board. And we have Young Thug, Nicki Minaj and Lil Nas X to bring some hip-hop to the record. "The Lockdown Sessions" features covers and new material with the first single, "Cold Heart", a duet with Dua Lipa and remixed by by the Australian dance music trio, Pnau who combines elements of John's singles "Rocket Man", "Sacrifice" and "Kiss the Bride" on the track.
With the queer, electro-rock band, Scissor Sisters on an indefinite hiatus, lead vocalist, Jake Shears has been keeping himself busy. Following making his Broadway debut in the musical, "Kinky Boots" and writing his autobiography, "Boys Keep Swinging", Shears is about to release his first solo album. The self-titled record is due in August and the first single, "Creep City" is out. The track may not stray too far from the sound with his band but it's still quite enjoyable and welcome. Check out the recently released music video filled with the singer in full glamorous camp mode:
KIM PETRAS
There has been a lot of media attention about German singer, Kim Petras due to her gender reassignment at the very young age of twelve. But the focus should be on the now twenty-six year old's unabashedly pure pop songs that she has been creating since a teenager. Her latest single, "Heart To Break" is another great tune but it's been mired in controversy due to production by Dr. Luke who has been accused of sexual abuse by singer, Kesha. Petras got herself further in to hot water by stating that she would never work with someone who abused women which came across as dismissing Kesha's claims. She has since clarified her stance and apologized for any misunderstanding. Be sure to check out Petras who will be opening for the Australian pop star, Troye Sivan on his upcoming U.S. tour. In the meantime, check out the delightfully charming music video for the Euro princess of pop's new song:
COURTNEY BARNETT
After Courtney Barnett's debut album, "Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit" (I love that title) was released in 2015, plenty of acclaim and accolades greeted the Aussie alt-rocker. She is finally back with her follow-up, "Tell Me How You Really Feel", another vigorous collection of guitar-driven songs filled with her frustrations and fears which seemed to have intensified with her sudden fame. But she helps her dark tunes go down easier with high-energy pop structures and classic rock flourishes. Listen to one of my favorite tracks from the album, "City Look Pretty":
And we have the latest from Sam Smith. The single, “Pray” has gotten a remix treatment with rapper, Logic providing some verses to the gospel-inspired ballad. While the song treads familiar territory, it is uplifted by Smith’s glorious vocals. For the music video, it was shot at a mansion in beautiful Lake Como, Italy and takes advantage of the scenic location:
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