The Rub: New stuff from Demi Lovato, Jax Jones, Tory Lanez, Meghan Trainor, Lizzo, Maty Noyes, and Ariana, plus albums from Panic! at the Disco and Bebe Rexha. Not as exciting as last week. 😦
Singles
- Demi Lovato released “Sober”, her most heartfelt, personal ballad since “Skyscraper”. She’s brutally honest about falling off the wagon and apologies to her friends and family. It’s a rare look into the woman behind the curtain, whose last string of hits have mainly been huge banger party anthems: “Sorry Not Sorry”, “No Promises”, “Instruction”, “Echame La Culpa”, and “Solo”. It’s a welcome reprieve and is much easier listen than her recent, hyper-dramatic “Fall in Line” Xtina collab.
- Jax Jones, one of my favorite DJs is continuing with his more pop-forward direction with “Ring Ring (feat. Mabel and Rick the Kid)”. It’s less bouncy, house-inspired than usual songs, featuring a more sensual trop-pop feel, which is surprising for the guy famous for giving us “House Work“. It’s simple, fun, and the kind of easy-listening pop the world needs more of.
- Felix Jaehn, our favorite German LGBT DJ, released “Keep Your Head Up” an anthemic world-inspired banger that’s just in time for pride with its inspirational chorus. If you haven’t listened to his debut album that came out earlier this year, you really should. He’s evolved a lot since “Cheerleader” and it’s all fun, dance-pop bops!
- Tory Lanez offers up “Talk to Me (feat. Rich the Kid)”. Tory, whose choruses are always impeccable continues his streak with this club-ready, twerk jam. This year he’s given us so many different genre collabs: island bops with Diplo, dubstep with RL, latin music with Ozuna. He really is a chameleon.
- Lizzo is known for her audacious personality, her sense of humor is magnetic, but
her rich and soulful voice is her real calling card. I’ve been a lukewarm fan of hers for the past couple years. Her music hasn’t really connected with me in any real way, but in comes “Boys”. I think every true pop star needs a song called “Boys” tbh. With a baseline that would make James Brown jog, and a bit reminiscent of SexyBack, Lizzo is DOING IT. - Meghan Trainor is still going forward with her Treat Myself album promo, amidst lukewarm commercial response to her singles this year. Despite the GPs ambivalence to the Grammy-award winning pop star, I’ve been a huge fan of her most recent work, much more than her earlier work. This week’s promotional single “All the Ways” is another fun, guitar driven, funky track. The bouncy chorus sees Meghan Trainor really happy, and much less sassy than we’re used to seeing her. It’s excellent! Stop sleeping on Meghan!
- I love remixes that elevate a track. Dillon Francis took Cardi B’s “I Like It”, (which may or may not be going #1 soon) and ripped it apart. He turned the smooth latin bop into harsh EDM banger it’s wild, unbridled, magnificent, and yet still steamy. I’m honestly not sure if I like this on the original better. Wig!
Albums
- 5 Seconds of Summer, whose album was supposed to come out this week, actually came out last week and surprised us all with being VERY good. Good enough to possibly prevent Beyoncé and Jay Z from going #1. Because of that I’ll be featuring my favorite tracks on this week’s playlist and read my full album review here.
- Panic! at the Disco (aka Brendon Urie and his touring band) dropped their (his?) album Pray for the Wicked. I like it, my full album review is here. You can find my favorite tracks from it on this week’s playlist.
- Bebe Rexha dropped her long-awaited debut studio album, Expectations. It’s as eclectic an offering as you’d expect from the singer who’s given use “In the Name of Love”, “I Got You”, and “Meant to Be”. My fav tracks are in this weeks playlist, and my full review is here.
Dis-honorable Mentions
- Little Mix teamed up with Cheat Codes for “Only You”, which could’ve been a contender for Song of the Summer if it were any good. This song is an epic disappointment, especially because Little Mix doesn’t have to compete with Fifth Harmony anymore. I am TIRED of waiting for them to have the success they deserve in America, and while they are a group of talented women, they just keep making ALL THE WRONG CHOICES. I’m also very disappointed in Cheat Codes, who have been making some great EDM lately. This snoozefest is a step backward for all parties involved.
- Ariana Grande keeps her (insanely long) Sweetener promotion with “The Light is Coming (feat. Nicki Minaj)”. Usually, Nicki and Ari are a match made in heaven, but this time around, they don’t quite click like they ought. Pharell’s production takes center stage, which is unfortunate, because it’s uneven, stuttered qualities detract from Ariana’s silky smooth vocals. The song, much like Katy Perry’s “Bon Appetit” and Xtina’s “Accelerate” is a patchwork song whose individual parts don’t seem to blend together in the way a pop song (more-so an album promotional single) should. Not a wholly bad song, it’s also a step back from the promising, familiar sound of “No Tears Left to Cry”.
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