Lorde – “Solar Power” (Official Music Video)

 Lorde has returned. After revealing its revealing cover art earlier this week, the New Zealand pop star has released her first new single since 2017’s Melodrama. It’s called “Solar Power” and was co-produced by Jack Antonoff. Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo sing backup vocals on the track. Matt Chamberlain plays drums. Solar Power is also the name of her upcoming third album.

“The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalising the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors,” Lorde wrote in her newsletter. “In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learnt to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.”

Over in our Week In Pop column this past week, we ran down everything she’s done since wrapping up the tour for her sophomore album — it amounts to not much! But she’s coming back to a pop mainstream that has been remade in her own image.

Watch a “Solar Power” music video directed by Joel Kefali and Lorde below.

Here’s the full email Lorde sent via her newsletter:

You ready?

There’s someone I want you to meet.
Her feet are bare at all times. She’s sexy, playful, feral, and free. She’s a modern girl in a deadstock bikini, in touch with her past and her future, vibrating at the highest level when summer comes around. Her skin is glowing, her lovers are many. I’m completely obsessed with her, and soon you will be too.
 

It’s my divine pleasure to be introducing you, at long last, to my third studio album, SOLAR POWER.

The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalising the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors. In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learnt to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.


The first song, also called SOLAR POWER and written and produced by myself and Jack, is the first of the rays. It’s about that infectious, flirtatious summer energy that takes hold of us all, come June (or December, if you’re a Southern Hemisphere baby like me but I know that’s literally IMPOSSIBLE for you all to wrap your little heads around so don’t worry about it!!).


I made everything with friends here in New Zealand. My best mate Ophelia took the cover photo, lying on the sand as I leapt over her, both of us laughing. The director who made my first ever music video, Joel, helped me create the videos, building an entire cinematic universe that I can’t wait for you to see. I made something that encapsulates where I’m from — my family, my girlfriends, my outdoors, my constant ruminations, and my unending search for the divine.

There’s SO much more detail to come — a truly comical amount of detail, honestly. You can look to the natural calendar for clues. I’m trying to listen to what’s out there more, and the vibe I got was that you’re ready for this, that you need it. I want this album to be your summer companion, the one you pump on the drive to the beach. The one that lingers on your skin like a tan as the months get cooler again.


Today’s the only solar eclipse of the year, did you know that? Feels right.

Lorde also gave an interview to Triple J where she talked more about the album. “Every song on the album, I did say it has to sound like the sun, and this one in a big way,” she said. “It sounds like the beach, the waves, the girls lying on the beach. I really wanted it to have that vibe. The guitars, the drums – everything’s so sunny.”

Trailer: ‘1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything’

 In a tumultuous era, 1971 would be a year of musical innovation and rebirth. Fueled by the political and cultural upheaval of the time, fresh talent exploded onto the scene, stars reached new heights, and boundaries expanded like never before. Watch 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, now on Apple TV+:  https://apple.co/_1971Doc

This eight-part docuseries will take you back to the birth of the most original artists and songs that we still listen to 50 years later, including never-before-seen footage of The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed, and more. 

The Pretty Reckless - Only Love Can Save Me Now (Official Music Video)

 The Pretty Reckless have released a visual accompaniment to their track 'Only Love Can Save Me Now'. 

Featuring Soundgarden's Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil the song is an emotional eruption of dark riffs and deep sentiment, and the video matches the depth with plenty of thunder, lightning and wave after waves of pouring rain.

Vocalist Taylor Momsen had this to say about the collaboration and what the song means to her:

"It's hard to describe the feeling around our song 'Only Love Can Save Me Now,'" says singer Taylor Momsen. "The song was born out of tragedy and brought to life by two of my favorite musicians of all time — Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil. Hearing them play it is simply surreal. This song represents getting through the worst time in my life, and yet, is one of my proudest achievements. It means that there is hope, and that life has to go on, and most importantly, is worth living."

Kim stated this:

"It was super fun to spend time in the studio with Taylor, Ben, and Matt, and to have the opportunity to contribute to this The Pretty Reckless song. 'Only Love Can Save Me Now' has elements of classic Soundgarden and the riff would probably be at home on Louder Than Love. These are great guitar parts that Ben came up with. They lay down a heavy foundation that allows the entire song to open up with Taylor's powerful and haunting vocals. Cheers, and thanks to The Pretty Reckless for inviting Matt and me to play on this track!

And Matt added this:

"Kim and I had a blast recording with Taylor and The Pretty Reckless on their new single 'Only Love Can Save Me Now,' a fantastic rock track that sounds amazing at full volume. Many thanks to the band for inviting us to play on their new album Death By Rock And Roll."

Here we go:

illuminati hotties - Pool Hopping (Official Music Video)

 illuminati hotties, the project from Sarah Tudzin, have revealed that their new album 'Let Me Do One More' is going to be released on October 01 via Snack Shack Tracks in partnership with Hopeless Records. 

Alongside the announcement, they've also released 'Pool Hopping' and irresistible summer anthem chock full of cutesy refrains and twanged chords.

Sarah had this to say about the track:

"It’s POOL HOPPING SUMMER. I’m so stoked to have grilled up a splashy new song & music video (directed by Katie Neuhof) to soundtrack your wettest & wildest parties to date. This track is for when it’s hot, you’re crushing on someone new, and your adventure senses are tingling. Come on in, the water’s fine!!!”

That aforementioned video is tonnes of fun and ready and waiting for you to watch below:

You can also check out the previously released 'MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA':

Coldplay - "Higher Power" (Official music video) (Dave Meyers, dir.)

 A tightly choreographed dance journey through the future.

• Coldplay, artist
• Higher Power, song
• Dave Meyers, director
• Parlophone, label
• Nathan Scherrer, producer
• freenjoy, production company
• Jaime Rabineau, Lark Creative, independent representative
• Scott Cunningham, director of photography
• Alyssa Oh, editor
• Nathan Scherrer, executive producer
• Mathematic, visual effects
• Boram Kim, Ambiguous Dance Company, choreographer

Lil Nas X "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" (Official music video) (Tanu Muino & Lil Nas X, dir.)

 Welcome to Montero, where things are over-the-top fantastical as we see Lil Nas X go from an Eden-esque setting to a fiery hellscape.

• Lil Nas X, artist
• MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name), song
• Tanu Muino & Lil Nas X, director
• Columbia, label
• Saul Levitz, Frank Borin, Marco De Molina, producer
• UnderWonder Content, production company
• Hart Represents, independent representative
• Saul Levitz, commissioner
• Mathematic, visual effects
• Hodo Musa, creative director

Justin Bieber - "Hold On" (Official music video) (Colin Tilley, dir.)

 A daring and dangerous motorcycle chase, before we flashback to the desperate situation that inspired Justin Bieber to take a big risk.

• Justin Bieber, artist
• Hold On, song
• Colin Tilley, director
• Katelyn Pippy, producer
• Boy In The Castle, production company
• Elias Talbot, director of photography
• Vinnie Hobbs, editor
• Jamee Ranta, Colin Tilley, executive producer
• Digital Axis, visual effects

Imagine Dragons "Follow You" (Matt Eastin, dir.)

 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-stars and real-life couple Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney get treated to a private Imagine Dragons concert where their imaginations run wild.

• imagine dragons, artist
• Follow You, song
• Matt Eastin, director

21 Savage "BETRAYED" (NABIL, dir.)

 The lines between reality and video game are very fine indeed in this tie-in to director Nabil Elderkin's feature film, Gully.

• 21 Savage, artist
• BETRAYED, song
• NABIL, director

Roddy Rich "Late At Night" (Director X, dir.)

 It was all a dream... maybe, in this magical Roddy Rich that takes off with the discovery of a time-traveling Ferris Wheel and ends with an unexpected wake-up call.

• Roddy Rich, artist
• Late At Night, song
• Director X, Julian Christian Lutz, director
• Fuliane Petikyan, producer
• Fela, production company
• Tommy Labuda, independent representative
• Taj Critchlow, Fuliane Petikyan, executive producer
• Joseph Boyd, commissioner

Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - Like I Used To (Official Video)

 A collabo between two indie stars in this video filled with artful, and occasionally and variously split-screened visual compositions.

• Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen, artist
• Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, featured artist
• Like I Used To, song
• Kimberly Stuckwisch, director
• Ian Blair, producer
• Invisible Inc, production company
• Justin Hamilton, director of photography
• Ellis Bahl, editor

Machine Gun Kelly feat. Kellin Quinn - love race (Official Music Video)

 Welcome to camp Emo Pointe, where there's a healthy dose of comedy and slasher horror flick homages mixed in with the usual Summer fun activities.

• Machine Gun Kelly, artist
• Kellin Quinn, featured artist
• Love Race, song
• Isaac Rentz, director
• Interscope, label
• Andrea Saavedra, producer
• Hound, production company
• Tommy Labuda, independent representative
• Maz Makhani, director of photography
• Chris Simmons, editor
• Missy Galanida, Isaac Rice, executive producer
• Vincenza Conticchio, commissioner

J. Balvin, Maria Becerra - Qué Más Pues? (Official Video)

 An Intimate set-up with J. Balvin and Maria Becerra get contrasted with uptempo dance and performance shots at a colorful container yard. 

Space Afrika - B£E ft. Blackhaine (Official Video)

 Space Afrika, the Manchester electronic duo made up of Joshua Inyang and Joshua Reid, have announced a new album called Honest Labour, their first since last year’s well-received hybtwibt? dub-techno mixtape. Titled after the loving nickname of one of Inyang’s Nigerian family members, Honest Labour brings guitar and strings into their drizzly experimental soundscapes, and lead single “B£E” is a thrilling collaboration with the Lancashire MC Blackhaine. “Ultimately this is an homage to UK energy, and an album about love and loss,” Space Afrika explain in a statement. Listen to “B£E” below.

Tierra Whack – “76” (Official Video)

 Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers are tied 1-1 with the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs. And as part of their Phila Unite campaign, the Sixers have tapped the great Philly rapper Tierra Whack to record “76,” a musical tribute to the team filled with references to its players.

“Been winnin’, just ask Ben Simmons, practice from start to finish, Doc Rivers layin’ up with winners,” she raps. “Embiid, big stepper, stampede, team player like Tyrese Maxey, I get all up in your face like acne, Tobias comin’ for the top spot, I’m flyin’, tryna beat the shot clock, Shake Milton, makes millions, hard ball, no loss, no feelings, got Green, three rings like Danny, I ball hard for my family.”

Tierra Whack is known for her colorful visuals, and the accompany music video for “76” combines her playful aesthetic with a drumline and actual footage of the 76ers playing on television. Watch and listen below.

Amber Mark - Competition (Official Video)

 New York R&B dance-pop singer and Artist To Watch Amber Mark is finally releasing her official debut album later this year. She shared its lead single “Worth It” back in April, and today she’s sharing a second single called “Competition.” “I hold this one so close to my heart. ‘Competition’ comes from a state of always comparing yourself to others and how ruthless that competitive nature can be towards yourself and towards others,” Mark says in a statement. “The song is a reminder of how much stronger we are together.” Listen below.

L'Rain - Suck Teeth (Official Video)

 ’Rain’s new album, Fatigue, is coming out in a couple weeks. We’ve already heard “Two Face” and “Blame Me” from it and today we’re getting another new song, “Suck Teeth.” “I’m thinking through childhood and having children, wondering if it’s possible for someone to prevent their failures and shortcomings from getting passed on,” Taja Cheek said of the track in a statement, continuing:

“‘Suck Teeth” was originally going to be the name of the entire album because I loved how it encapsulated a very Black sound of disapproval, annoyance, and disappointment. This song also includes a hand game I made up with my collaborator Ben Chapoteau-Katz to add to the percussive sound in the second verse. I wanted to very specifically invoke children’s play, even if it wasn’t obvious, I wanted the listener to feel it.

Listen below.

Lunar Vacation - Shrug (Official Video)

 Atlanta indie rockers Lunar Vacation have become the latest signees at Keeled Scales, the Austin label that has recently brought us gems from the likes of Katy Kirby, Buck Meek, and Sun June. Although not announcing an album today, the band is sharing a promising new track called “Shrug.” After hooking me with catchy guitar riffs and vocal melodies aplenty, the song sold me once and for all with the line, “This isn’t how I want to be/ I didn’t know I could care that much and/ Invited but I’ll never show/ Sit at home playing too much Wilco.” As if there is such a thing as too much Wilco!

Here’s what singer Grace Repasky had to say about the song:

I look back now and realize that this song was a pivotal moment in delving into self-identity and ultimately identifying as a non-binary person. The more I tried to fit into a box, the more I felt out of place. Reconstructing thinking patterns and unlearning a binary outlook is a lifelong journey, and I think “Shrug” is a documented beginning for me.

Below, watch the “Shrug” video, directed by Violet Teegardin with animation by John Andrews.

The Goon Sax - Psychic (Official Music Video)

 Back in May, the Goon Sax announced their third album, Mirror II. Along with the news, they shared a lead single called “In The Stone” — a promising first glimpse that landed amongst our favorite songs that week. Today, they’re back with another.

The trio’s latest is called “Psychic.” Here’s what Louis Forster had to say about it:

“Psychic” exists in the fragile intersection of fantasy and reality — a supernatural world you escape into until you feel realities grip on your collar. As you’re dragged back to linear time and supposed objectivity, the supernatural reinstates its claim to a more powerful truth. Eventually, the friction between these worlds causes you to question your faith in both, wondering to what degree truth can be chosen and what forces from both are too strong for you to stand in their way. Much like “In The Stone,” this song is a conversation. Two people’s truths of the search for this very thing.

“Psychic” also comes with a video directed by Christine Marie Jones. Check it out below.

Pi’erre Bourne – “SOSSBOY 2” (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert) (Official Music Video)

 This Friday, the popular and influential Queens-via-South Carolina producer Pi’erre Bourne — maker of off-kilter and hallucinatory trap beats for figures such as Playboi Carti, Young Nudy, and sometimes himself — will release his new album The Life Of Pi’erre 5. Today he’s sharing one last single from the project, a team-up with Lil Uzi Vert called “SOSSBOY 2.” It’s the kind of woozy, booming, halfway melted rap song Bourne specializes in. His dazed, sighing vocals are a good match for his own production, and they nicely complement Uzi’s more melodic, jittery, staccato approach. Zone out to it below along with prior singles “4U” and “Groceries.”

Bleachers - How Dare You Want More (Live Video)

 Last month, in-demand pop producer Jack Antonoff finally returned with his own project Bleachers, whose last full-length project arrived in 2017. Last month he announced their third studio album Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night and released the lead single “Stop Making This Hurt.” This new record will also feature the two new Bleachers songs from last year, “45” and the Bruce Springsteen collab “Chinatown.”

Today, Bleachers have unveiled another single, “How Dare You Want More.” It’s as sonically buoyant and lyrically crestfallen as the rest of the songs, which makes sense for a record that’s titled Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night. In addition to Antonoff’s usual fixation, this one finds Antonoff drifting back to 2010s indie rock sounds — think the Drums or Best Coast.

José González - Head On (Official Music Video)

 In September, the Swedish singer-songwriter José González will release Local Valley, his first album in more than six years. González recorded the LP in his home studio outside Gothenburg during quarantine. On the album, he sings in English, Swedish, and Spanish. We’ve already heard the early tracks “El Invento” and “Visions.” Today, González has shared a new one called “Head On.”

“Head On” is not a Jesus And Mary Chain cover — or, for that matter, a cover of the Pixies’ Jesus And Mary Chain cover. Instead, it’s a hushed but propulsive acoustic song, with González playing intricate acoustic guitar over a straightforward four-four beat. The song has a video from director Mikel Cee Karlsson, and while González appears in the clip, it mostly follows the progress of fractal pixelated lights around the walls and floors of a dark house. Check it out below.

Wavves - Hideaway (Official Video)

 Last month, Nathan Williams announced a new Wavves album called Hideaway, the project’s first new collection in four years and one that marks its return to Fat Possum. So far, we’ve heard a couple tracks from it, including “Sinking Feeling” and “Help Is On The Way.” Today, he’s back with another.

Williams’ latest preview of Hideaway arrives in the form of its title track. The album’s title apparently references a shed in Williams’ parents’ backyard, where he secluded himself and wrote these new songs. In the song “Hideaway,” a ragged but jaunty rhythm leads Williams to a desperate chorus, pleading to get back to that hideaway. The song comes with a clip directed by Jesse Lirola, billed as the second in a trilogy of Hideaway videos.

Check it out below.

Pom Pom Squad - Crying (Official Video)

 Pom Pom Squad are back with the another single from their forthcoming album Death Of A Cheerleader. “Crying” is arguably the best track on the record; it’s an old-timey, indulgently depressed anthem with great quips (“If I’m a bitch/ At least someone is”) and just flat-out complaints (“Naturally, I’m alone again”). It’s like the whole song is sung in one drawn out, dramatic sigh.

Read what vocalist/guitarist Mia Berrin told us about this song in our recent Band To Watch interview:

I think when you’re a person who’s depressed, especially people in our age group, it’s super easy to make a joke about it. I think a lot of the times when I was younger it was so much easier to make a joke about how depressed I was or how anxious I was than to actually deal with it or do something positive with it. My sense of humor would just bury that feeling. I think now that I feel a little bit more stable and in a healthier place, I can make fun of myself a little bit more but in an honest, self-reflective way rather than just the “this is a cry for help” kind of humor on Twitter dot com. Pom Pom Squad has always been described as music to cry to, and what we became known for was people coming to shows and sobbing. I just thought, how funny would it be to just literally have a song called “Crying” and have it be about how much of a whiny bitch I am.

Listen to “Crying” below.

VIAL - Roadkill (Official Music Video)

 Minneapolis-based punks VIAL are another band to check out if you enjoyed “brutal” or “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo. That being said, their sound is entirely their own; it’s an intense mix of post-hardcore and pop. This new track, “Roadkill,” weirdly reminds me of Panic! At the Disco’s “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time,” though that could just be the B-52’s influence.

“Roadkill” is a fierce, brooding anthem with killer lyrics: “I can’t stand/ Your condescending tone/ When you talk to me/ And every other woman in the scene.” It’s from their forthcoming album LOUDMOUTH, which was produced and mixed by Henry Stoehr of Slow Pulp and co-produced by Avery Springer of Retirement Party, and it’ll be out this summer.

Tkay Maidza – “Cashmere” (Official Video)

 Tkay Maidza has put out “Kim” and “Syrup” this year already and today she’s officially announcing her next EP, Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3, which will end the trilogy of releases she started in 2018 that included 2020’s Last Year Was Weird, Vol 2, which was one of the best EPs from that year. She’s also sharing a new single, “Cashmere,” which shows off yet another of Maidza’s many sides — this one’s dreamy and soulful and comes with an eye-popping video courtesy of Jasper Soloff. Check it out below.

Lucy Dacus – “Brando” (Official lyric videos)

 “‘Brando’ refers to a very dramatic friend I had in high school whose whole personality was the media he consumed,” Dacus said in a statement. “He showed me a lot of amazing movies and music, but I think he was more interested in using me as a scrapbook of his own tastes than actually getting to know me. He claimed to know me better than anyone else but I started to feel like all he wanted from me was to be a scene partner in the movie of his life.”

Appropriately, Brando is filled with nods to classic film: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, It’s A Wonderful Life, A Streetcar Named Desire, Casablanca. Dacus threads all that through some evocative writing and a hook that gets at the message behind the song: “All I need for you to admit is that you never knew me like you thought you did.”

Laura Stevenson – “State” (Official Video)

 Laura Stevenson is going the self-titled route for her sixth full-length album, a move that somehow feels appropriate for the singer-songwriter, who is perpetually underrated and ahead of the curve, as we explored when she released her last album The Big Freeze in 2019. Stevenson wrote the album while she was pregnant with her first child. It was produced by John Angnello and features longtime collaborator Jeff Rosenstock.

Laura Stevenson is being introduced with “State,” a glowering track that alternates between hushed intimacy and furious bashing. “I’m in a state, but I stay polite,” Stevenson sings on it. “It keeps me alive/ It’s easier, right?”

“Someone I love was hurt and almost killed by another person and I was so absolutely consumed with this level of rage that I had never known before and it was really powerful and frightening but somehow freeing when I was willing to just let it wash over me,” Stevenson said of the track in a statement.