SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS WEEK
Every week, we highlight the cream of the crop in music through our best music of the week column. Here's our round-up of the best tracks and music videos across our desks. This week, we're bringing you the best new music that popular culture offers. Genres mean nothing to us, so be prepared to take a vision quest down many different avenues.
SASHA ALEX SLOAN | NEW NORMAL
Following her 2020 critically praised debut album, "Only Child," indie-pop artist Sasha Alex Sloan returned with her singles, “WTF” and "I Blame The World." The nihilistic and dreamy track. She now has released the follow-up single entitled "New Normal" from her upcoming sophomore album, "I Blame The World," set to release on May 13 via RCA Records. The forthcoming record finds Sloan embracing the weary apathy of the world around her and ushering in a bold new era of musicality. Sloan describes the new album as an “honest, non-hopeful” collection of work, distinctly encapsulating the all-too-relatable emotions of hopelessness and isolation through unflinching and insightfully nuanced lyricism and a razor-sharp sensibility. After emerging in 2017 and appearing on a handful of high-profile collaborations, Sasha Alex Sloan had garnered over 2 billion streams worldwide before even releasing a debut album. Sasha has established herself as a true wordsmith, crafting emotionally rich, left-of-center releases filled with potent melodies and poignant lyrics. Sasha gained attention through the release of hit singles including “Lie,” “Normal,” “Older,” and “Dancing With Your Ghost,” leading to sold-out headlining tours in North America and Europe.
GAVIN JAMES | SWEETEST PART
Having clocked up over 1.8 billion Spotify streams throughout his remarkable career – as well as one diamond record, 45 platinum and gold records, a No.1 album, and a sold-out world tour – Gavin James is set to release his third studio album, "The Sweetest Part," on July 22. Now he has released the title track from the album, which was written and produced by Gavin and Kodaline guitarist Mark Prendergast and will feature previously released singles "Greatest Hits," "Circles," and "Jealous." The album, which will explore "the highs and lows of love and relationships," was written and produced by the Irish singer-songwriter alongside some of pop music’s most highly regarded names – including Ivor Novello-nominated songwriter Mark Ralph (Years & Years, Clean Bandit, Jax Jones), Fiona Bevan who co-wrote One Direction’s number 1 hit ‘Little Things’ with Ed Sheeran, Patrick Pyke Salmy and multi-Platinum awarded Richard Muñoz (Zoe Wees), Ollie Green (Freya Ridings, Lewis Capaldi) and Jimbo Barry (The Script). Following his UK tour with James Blunt, which kicked off earlier this year, Gavin will also embark on his Irish headline tour, album in hand, later this year.
HOLLY HUMBERSTONE | SLEEP TIGHT
Holly Humberstone released a new track and a music video for her sweet yet melancholic single “Sleep Tight,” It follows her as she rides a messy minivan through a sleepy neighbourhood. “I wrote the song during the first summer out of lockdown, which was a pretty crazy time for my friends and me. We finally had our freedom back, and it kind of felt like we had nothing to lose after such a difficult few months,” Humberstone tells Rolling Stone as she premieres the song’s video. “I wanted the video to have this lighthearted and carefree feeling and ultimately be something fun at heart.” Humberstone enlisted none other than the 1975’s Matty Healy to piece together the song’s lyrics after the two worked together on “Please Don’t Leave Just Yet” from her debut EP. After releasing her EP, "The Walls Are Way Too Thin," last year, Humberstone dropped a set of singles, including “London Is Lonely” and “I Would Die 4 U,” this year. The new music from Humberstone comes as the rising star is currently on tour supporting Olivia Rodrigo in the US and will return to the UK for her biggest headline dates in June, ahead of a summer of festival appearances.
RUELLE | IN IT
There’s a reason: the Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ruelle's tracks give you goosebumps. They’re full of intense urgency and ethereal mystery, something rare in pop but perfect for dramas full of emotion and turmoil. Ruelle’s cinematic approach and emotionally fierce lyrics have graced a wide range of popular shows, from "Love Island" and "Dancing with the Stars" to "Teen Wolf" and "Shadowhunters." Ruelle helped shape the sound for "Shadowhunters," including the original song written for an iconic, long-awaited kiss scene that wowed fans. “There is just something so magical and powerful about her music,” explains music supervisor Chris Mollere. “It has everything to do with the brilliant instrumentation, arrangement, performance, songwriting and of course, her gorgeous vocals. Her music lends itself so beautifully to a plethora of scenes by creating a way for the story to be told onscreen through the actors, but at the same time taking the scene to a whole other amazing level.” The young songwriter built her career on sync when she got a surprise call while living overseas. Someone at Apple heard a track from her indie-released debut EP and messaged her, asking if they could talk about using it in a Japanese commercial for the brand.
STEVE AOKI & HRVY | SAVE ME
HRVY and Steve Aoki have collaborated on a new single, "Save Me," a club-ready dance-pop bop with lyrics that pack an emotional punch. "My mind wasn't pretty, Until you took me somewhere else, Got high 'cause I'm feeling low, No, I'll never let you go 'cause, One night in the city, One night you changed it all," sings the English singer and songwriter. Discussing the track and its accompanying video, Aoki said: “For ‘Save Me,’ I wanted to create a vibrant and fun drop that had a special bounce to match HRVY’s incredible vocal style. When we did the video, it felt like a haunted church vibe was the perfect setting for what the soul-stirring lyrics depict.” Commenting on the collaboration, HRVY added: "I’ve always been a huge fan of Steve’s. So after I wrote the song last year and heard he wanted it to be single, it was an immediate yes. We’d not actually met until the shoot in LA, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to perform it together at some festivals in the summer and throw some cake out too!!” The single follows HRVY's 'Views From The 23rd Floor' EP that came out in January, Aoki's recent singles "Stop The World" with Marnik and Leony, and KULT with Grandson featuring Jasiah.
MADELINE THE PERSON | MEAN
Breakout alt-pop star Madeline, The Person, has returned with her empowering and honest new single, “MEAN!”. The song’s raw, relatable message is reflected in the Tess Lafia-directed video, which showcases the young artist’s inspiring outlook on otherness. “MEAN!” is the introduction to Madeline’s much-anticipated upcoming EP, Chapter 3: The Burning. The video finds Madeline dressed as a clown at a party. Outcast by the cool kids, the singer/songwriter ultimately connects with another like-minded soul, rocking clown makeup. “One single event, or even a couple of words, can literally impact your whole life and crush your self-esteem,” Madeline says of the song and video, which she made “in the hopes of letting others know they’re not alone in the sinking feeling that rushes over you when you hear hurtful words. The cool part about it is that you will find people who love every part of you.” She is her own person and is always her authentic self. The Houston, Texas native has spent long hours building a significant following on TikTok through her soulful covers of everyone from Frank Ocean, Phoebe Bridgers, and Harry Styles. Now she is rising up at only 19 and releasing her very own personal music.
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