Lauren Spencer-Smith wrote her viral hit "Fingers Crossed" at an unstable point in her life. She lived in a friend's apartment and took interviews out of her car, unsure what came next. The 18-year-old has released her third single, "Flowers," after weeks of teasing the track on TikTok. Her life is almost unrecognizable compared to when she first teased "Fingers Crossed" in November 2021. Lauren Spencer-Smith explores her poignantly beautiful new single, ‘Flowers.’ She has penned this emotionally fuelled track that intimately follows the viral breakout success of "Fingers Crossed." Led by a simple piano arrangement and atmospheric pop production, her vocals beautifully glide over the top and drive the emotional intensity of this song. Immediately hitting you in the chest, this song will comfort anyone who has found themselves in a toxic relationship in the past and might even help some people realize they are currently in a toxic relationship and encourage them to leave. It’s a powerful song of reassurance and reclamation of power within yourself. Spencer-Smith now has more than 3.5 million followers across her social media platforms, and the January release of "Fingers Crossed" seemed to solidify her as an incoming force in the music industry. Spencer-Smith's vulnerable songwriting has earned her a spot as a YouTube Artist on the Rise. "Crazy things like that keep happening, and it's still super weird," she admitted. "I'm just so grateful."

Danish singer-songwriter MØ teamed up with Rebecca Black to release a new remix of “New Moon”. The original version of the song is included on MØ's third studio album, “Motordrome,” released back in January. The triumphant 'New Moon' is given a fresh hyper-pop spin in the chorus, with Rebecca's additional vocals echoing MØ's about leaving things behind and making a new start. Rebecca says: "Mø has been one of my most favourite artists ever since I heard No Mythologies to Follow for the first time in high school. It's been a dream to get to put a verse on this song, which I fell in love with as soon as I heard it. So excited for everyone - very much including my high school self - to get to hear this song." "Motordrome" is MØ's first body of work since 2018's much-lauded "Forever Neverland," The 10-track album is a commanding new collection of songs that combine full-blown pop with darker pop grungy punk alongside honest and confronting lyrics. Alongside "New Moon," the album features the singles "Kindness," a love letter to her fans, the euphoric "Live To Survive," the raw "Goosebumps," and the ode to her teenage crush "Brad Pitt." MØ enlisted friends and long-time collaborators Caroline Ailin (Dua Lipa, Katy Perry) and Noonie Bao (Halsey, Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen) to help flesh out her original song workings, with further songwriting and production from a close circle including Ariel Rechtshaid (Haim, Vampire Weekend, Adele), Jam City (Olivia Rodrigo, Troye Sivan), S.G. Lewis (Dua Lipa), Linus Wiklund and Yangze.

With just a few weeks from the premiere of Sheryl Crow's full-length documentary, Sheryl, alongside it, a new album. The iconic singer/songwriter shares a small taste of the 2-CD set of songs by sharing her cover of The Rolling Stones' "Live With Me." The new track was initially released by the Stones in 1969 as part of their "Let It Bleed" album, and Crow and the band have performed the song live together previously on tour. The "Live With Me" cover included in "Sheryl: Music From The Feature Documentary" also features none other than rock legend Mick Jagger himself accompanying Sheryl on the blues harmonica. "Sheryl: Music From The Feature Documentary" showcases 35 songs over two CDs and includes Crow's most significant career hits like "If It Makes You Happy," "Soak Up The Sun," "All I Wanna Do," "My Favorite Mistake" and more, in addition to three newly-recorded songs. Guest features on the album include artists like Stevie Nicks, Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Cash and more. Sheryl and the accompanying "Sheryl: Music From The Feature Documentary" debuts on SHOWTIME on May 6th and, according to a press release, "navigates an iconic yet arduous musical career while the artist battles sexism, ageism, depression, cancer, and the price of fame, before harnessing the power of her gift."

Mallrat shares her new single “Surprise Me," featuring rapper Azealia Banks, lifted from her forthcoming debut album "Butterfly Blue," out 13 May via Nettwerk. After crafting the track with producers Jam City and Stylaz Feugo, the stars aligned for the prized pop songwriter when Banks supplied the unforgettable verse and decided she and Mallrat “should Eve and Gwen Stefani this shit,” sticking around for the outro. Before she collaborated with one of her idols, Mallrat made a triumphant return with the release of the dreamy indie-rock cut, “Rockstar.” The song kicked off an exciting new era for the multi-talented creative. She’s continued to live up to the hype sharing two other singles from her hotly anticipated debut album: the defiant “Your Love,” which highlighted her newfound confidence as a producer and artist, and most recently, the dark and distorted “Teeth.” The album was several years in the making; Mallrat spoke of the album in 2020 when it was starting to take shape. “I want it to sound like angelic children’s choirs and monster trucks at the same time,” she said of the album at the time. Mallrat’s debut record Butterfly Blue solidifies her reputation as a master of clever, timeless pop. Surprising samples and sounds are sweeping across vast, airy productions: chopped-up Gangsta Pat bars, a flipped recording of a children’s choir performing Lisztomania, and distorted effects recorded from discarded children’s toys. As an instrument, all their own, layered are her signature breathy vocals, more assured and confident than ever before.

Few musicians hustle as effectively as 29-year-old singer-songwriter Anitta, a superstar in her native Brazil for nearly a decade. She’s said that she made her last album, 2019’s "Kisses," a tremendously entertaining set sung in Portuguese, Spanish and English, as a musical calling card to attract attention from international record labels. It worked: she’s now signed to Warner in the US and continuing her global charm with her new album "Versions of Me," a searingly ambitious album executive produced by OneRepublic‘s Ryan Tedder that features collaborations with Cardi B, Khalid and Saweetie. In the sonically-diverse "Versions Of Me," she included a little bit of everything: reggaeton, R&B, Brazilian funk, and electro-pop, delivering a well-executed pop album that we’ve been missing these days. Like "Kisses," it’s a trilingual affair, but Anitta sings a lot more frequently in English. "Que Rabão," which features late Brazilian icon Mr. Catro, is the album’s only Portuguese song. She got candid on the title track, an electro-pop that sounds like a modern update of Madonna’s mid-’80s sound. The album’s opening track, "Evolver," is a brilliant reggaetón bop that has become her highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. There’s more rock-solid reggaetón where that came from, especially the sultry Khalid collab "Ur Baby" and harder-edged "Gata," but Anitta also pulls off Panic! At The Disco-inspired powerpop (‘Boys Don’t Cry), dreamy alt-R&B (‘Love Me, Love Me’) and a Saweetie-assisted blend of EDM and Brazilian funk (‘Faking Love’). Given its gleeful genre-hopping and features, it would be a stretch to call ‘Versions of Me’ cohesive or streamlined, but it’s held together by Anitta’s ambition and charisma. She knows exactly what she wants – and on this evidence, she will get it.

After breaking up in 2013 Swedish House Mafia reunited for a surprise set at Miami’s Ultra Festival in 2018. They’ve been in the studio ever since, working out what the group should sound like now. Swedish House Mafia has released their long-awaited album, "Paradise Again," serving as the trio’s debut album (2010’s ‘Until One’ and 2012’s ‘Until Now’ were singles compilations). And they’re taking no chances: hyperactive opener "Time" and the glitching club beats of "Calling On" feels like classic Swedish House Mafia, all infectious melodies and absolute euphoria. In contrast, "Heaven Takes You Home" is an instantaneous burst of joy. With British singer Connie Constance’s vocals celebrating the ability to “backflip through tragic,” it feels like an evolved form of what the dance titans were doing a decade ago. Then there’s "Redlight," a playful and rave-ready EDM reworking of The Police’s "Roxanne" featuring Sting. So far, so safe, but there’s also plenty of new across "Paradise Again." "Moth To A Flame" sees the group embrace melancholy with help from The Weeknd, while the industrial instrumental of "Mafia" acts as an ominous scene-setter for the A$AP Rocky-starring "Frankenstein." A lot is going on across "Paradise Again." Rather than sounding like a vintage group struggling to find their identity, though, Swedish House Mafia’s debut album sees the trio flexing their musical and emotional muscles across 17 brilliant, fearless and often surprising tracks. The kings of dance music are very much back.

Singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin has released his sophomore album “(Un)Commentary,” his first album in two years. More than two years ago, Alec Benjamin watched the world swirl in disarray through his television as the pandemic unfolded, which would lead to the cancellation of about 150 tour dates and leave the now 27-year-old to face and overcome his inner anxieties. Alec Benjamin shared on social media, “The last year and a half or so haven't been the easiest for anyone. I myself have had a lot of ups and downs. I spent a lot of time reflecting and trying to find myself again. It feels so liberating to finally share new music with you.” While the string of distressing world events left Benjamin soul-searching, the situation led him to inner transformations that ultimately brought him to create his sophomore album, "(Un)Commentary," which he described as reflecting “a more mature version” of himself. His new album comprises 13-track, produced by Aaron Zuckerman, Lenno, Sam de Jong, Sir Nolan, SixTwentySix Productions, Steven Martinez and Zach Skelton. He co-wrote the songs with Charlie Puth, Dan Wilson, David Hodges, Eli Teplin, Justin Lucas, Lenno, Nathan Fertig, RØMANS, Ryan Tedder, Sacha Skarbek, Sir Nolan and Zach Skelton. Benjamin said he musically matured in his latest album, using more live instrumentation and dialling back the use of his usual electronic production. This past year, Benjamin teamed up with 23-year-old Chinese artist Zhao Lusi to recreate his older song “Water Fountain” in Mandarin, and also did so on his own with “The Way You Felt” from "(Un)commentary."

After hinting at new material with several singles in 2021, Mariam Hill have finally returned with their new album, "why can’t we just pretend?" which arrives four years after "Unusual." The duo wrote the songs for the album during the pandemic. Jeremy Lloyd said the songs that made the new album are genuinely the best of the best of almost three years of songwriting. "why can’t we just pretend?" explores more abrasive textures. Glitches jolt listeners awake, layered with oscillating clicks and manipulated voices that blur the line between artificiality and reality. It is another chapter in Marian Hill’s ever-evolving exploration of pop music underneath it all. Samantha Gongol’s velvety vocals and Jeremy Lloyd’s hip-hop-influenced production blend into the futuristic palette they use to paint sensual, intimate electronic R&B. Along with frequent collaborator Steve Davit, "why can’t we just pretend?" also features appearances from Tennyson, Kemba and Baby Tate. The duo spoke about the album in an interview. Jeremy Lloyd said, “I think it's a lot more mature. I think there's a lot of fun and theatricality in our earlier stuff, which was sexy, fun, cool music. I think the more we write and grow, the more we are able to get personally intimate with our songs. There are songs on our last EP and this album that mean a lot to us.”Alongside the album’s release, the duo has announced their first tour since 2018. In July, the duo begin their journey in Seattle and make their way down through the West Coast and South before settling on the East Coast for performances in New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Tickets are on sale Friday, April 15.

Pop band Why Don't We, consisting of Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron, released a new song, “Let Me Down Easy (Lie),” along with a music video. The light, the synth-led pop track is out now via Atlantic Records and marks the Los Angeles quintet's first new song of 2022, following their 2021 LP "The Good Times And The Bad Ones." Earlier in 2022, they featured on Jonas Blue's single "Don't Wake Me Up." The new track was written by Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron. Antony Muse directed the accompanying music video. Tackling themes of love, loss, highs and lows, the new cut was penned and produced by the band with JKash and Jack & Coke. The group's Jonah Marais said: "Let Me Down Easy (Lie) is a real, open, and honest song about being in a relationship and feeling your significant other start to lose feelings. It’s asking them to 'let me down easy' instead of being too harsh. It's one of those songs that has sad undertones, but because it’s talking about the human experience and is relatable, it overall leaves you in a good mood."Before the song's release, the band announced the pre-sale and public on-sale of their 2022 North American tour would be postponed due to legal complications. Initially, ticket sales were set on sale on April 8, 2022. The tour kicks off at USANA Amphitheater in Salt Lake City on June 17, 2022, and will conclude at White River Amphitheatre in Seattle on August 24, 2022. The ongoing litigation the band references are the duelling lawsuits between the band's current manager Randy Phillips and their former manager David Loeffler.

Singer-songwriter Conan Gray announced his sophomore album “Superache” would be released on June 24, 2022. He unveiled a new song, “Memories,” from the album on April 15, 2022. The song serves as the fifth single off the album and was written by Conan Gray and Daniel Nigro, who also produced the track. The new album is his first project in two years. “A superache is something that hurts you so much; it lingers with you for years after,” Conan Gray told Rolling Stone about the album. “It’s something that can only be healed through years of dramatic mourning, self-sabotage, songwriting, crying to your friends. It’s a super ache.” He continued, “It was a miserable and terrifying album to write, but it became an album that felt like a very true representation of myself. Superache is definitely a vulnerable album, but not without its sarcasm. It’s a story of heartbreak, friends, yearning, mourning, and grieving parts of your past you ignored for years.” He added, “I’m aware that being a young adult holds levels of extreme feelings that I’ll look back on ten years and laugh at, but I wanted to accept the histrionic nature of growing up on this album.” Gray’s first LP included TikTok-favorite ballad “Heather” and the catchy “Maniac.” Last year, he released a trio of singles: “Telepath,” “People Watching,” and Astronomy.” He kicked off 2022 with rock-leaning “Jigsaw,” which featured his work as cover art. Before "Kid Krow" Gray built a fanbase thanks to his EP "Sunset Season," with songs like “Crush Culture,” “Lookalike,” and “Generation Why.”

Train is back and giving fans another glimpse into what they can expect from the group’s forthcoming eleventh studio album, "AM Gold," set for release on May 20th via Columbia Records. Since the release of their current single, “AM Gold,” earlier this year, fans around the world have been shouting for more, and in return, Train has unveiled a new song, “Running Back (Trying to Talk to You),” providing another taste of their highly-anticipated new music. Additionally, the diamond-selling band has revealed the album tracklisting, including Jewel and Sofia Reyes features. The 11-track album marks Train’s first release of all-new original music in five years. “AM Gold” debuted to both fan and critical acclaim. The track has seen continued success across the globe since its February release, currently, No. 17 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and No. 20 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart, as it continues to climb. This summer, Train will be hitting the road with their upcoming Save Me San Francisco Wine Co Presents Train – "Am Gold" Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the North American Summer 2022 tour will kick off June 8th in Mansfield, MA, making 35+ stops in New York, Nashville, Dallas, San Diego, and more before concluding on August 6th at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Joining Train on the road is singer-songwriter Jewel as direct support on all dates and multi-platinum rock band Blues Traveler as direct support on all dates except Red Rocks. Thunderstorm Artis and Will Anderson will also join as opening acts on select dates.

He is currently in the Celebrity Big Brother House, though Todrick Hall has released his new single "Rich Forever" from Hall's album "Femuline Gaymeova." The track was co-written by Todrick and produced by Jeeve, who's previously worked with the 'Father of Disco' Giorgio Moroder and collaborated with Todrick on his last album, "Femuline." Since its release, "Femuline" has accumulated more than 18 Million collective streams, while the video for "Rainin Fellas" is approaching 3 Million views on YouTube. "Femuline" is bold and unapologetic like it's the creator. Hall exudes new confidence, and his magnetic charisma shines through on every track, not to mention his clever wordplay. Hall's album was entirely written with production from Grammy-winning Wiidope (Nicole Scherzinger, Ciara) and Jeeve (Bruno Mars, Britney Spears). Guests include Chaka Khan, Nicole Scherzinger Brandy, Tyra Banks and TS Madison. Hall's unstoppable, self-sustained rise has taken him a long way from his roots in the tiny Texas town of Plainview. He quickly went from national fame on "American Idol" to international attention through "RuPaul's Drag Race" and ultimately commanded a huge global following on social media. He has starred in a selection of Broadway smashes, including "Kinky Boots," "Chicago," and "Waitress," and was featured as the dance captain on the BBC's "Greatest Dancer." His profile continued to explode in the wake of his COVID-19-themed anthem "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs," which he followed with hosting duties for Global Pride 2020 on YouTube.

Lizzo has made her return as she unveiled her highly-anticipated and fittingly titled new single, “About Damn Time,” via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records. The track introduces her upcoming album, "Special," set to release on July 15. This is a follow-up to her critically acclaimed Grammy-winning album, 2019’s "Cuz I Love You," Lizzo released a summer 2021 collaboration with Cardi B, “Rumors,” and launched her Yitty shapewear line. Lizzo has also released the accompanying music video directed by directed Christian Breslauer sees Lizzo flee a “Stressed & Sexy” support group in a video that features an office building with light-up disco flooring and a scene where she plays the flute while standing atop the water in a swimming pool. In a new interview, Lizzo chatted about the inspiration behind her latest track, “‘About Damn Time’ can lead into so many conversations,” she said. “It’s about damn time I feel better; it’s about damn time we get out this pandemic. It’s about damn time we to get the first Black female Supreme Court Justice. There’s so many things. It’s about damn time we popped the champagne. It’s about damn time the tequila got here.” This weekend, Lizzo will work double duty as the host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live." She made her SNL debut in December 2019, performing “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell,” hosted by Eddie Murphy.

Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Jewel has released her new album Freewheelin’ Woman, her first new studio album in seven years. The new album presents Jewel’s boldest and most unbridled body of work to date, revealing entirely new dimensions of her breathtaking voice. A common lyrical theme in "Freewheelin’ Woman" is Jewel sitting in cars and thinking about moving forward but being stuck looking back. On the lively “Alibis,” she sings about never seeing a man clearer than she does in her rearview mirror. The R&B-inflected pop records from her youth-inspired jewel, and this song sounds the most in that vein. “Dance Sing Laugh Love” is a lively country-leaning jam. She concludes that these four adjectives are about all worth it in life. And don’t fight, after all. In “Living With Your Memory,” she touches on the downfalls of shooting from the hip. She gets tired of constantly following her feet since no work ever felt like her true calling and is stuck living with the memories of a man who wanted to settle down with her while she was busy wandering. Darius Rucker appears on the touching ballad “No More Tears,” initially released in 2020 without the country star Hootie and the Blowfish singer. The new version of the song has a fuller and twangier sound. However, it’s not a country song—more Hootie ballad than a country one. On “When You Loved Me,” Jewel’s effortlessly smooth vocals stretch and grow into a belt from deep within. "Freewheelin’ Woman" concludes with “Nothing But Love,” where she praises the power of love and how it can bring the world to its knees. All in all, "Freewheelin’ Woman" is almost exactly what you’d expect from Jewel, and that’s precisely why it’s worth a listen.

Oh Wonder has revealed the second taste of their upcoming album "22 Make," with a new single, "Fuck It I Love You." “Fuck It I Love You” is piano-driven pop at Oh Wonder’s finest, a bridge in many ways between the worlds of accompanying albums "22 Make" and 2021’s "22 Break." It was written way back in the summer of 2020 and represented a glimmer of hope for the couple, then in the throes of what seemed like the end of Oh Wonder (and Anthony and Josephine’s relationship). Following up on last month’s lead track "Magnificent," the duo’s Josephine Vander West explains: “We clung to the demo for months, secretly hoping that we’d get to release “Fuck It I Love You” in happier times. It was almost like the song told us that we couldn’t break up and disband because it needed to be released. It probably kept us together!” Speaking about the album, they explain: “When we nearly broke up during the pandemic, we used music as a way out. We wrote all our pain, sadness and confusion into a collection of songs that we eventually released as the album 22 Break. But for us, that was only half of the story. We managed to survive our rocky patch and emerge stronger than ever and full of love for each other. Therefore, it only felt right to write about the other side, where you realize that you’re meant for each other and that it also takes two people to make a love flourish. We are thrilled to be releasing 22 Make, an album full of love and life-affirming songs that reflect on fate, gratitude and being there for someone.” "22 Make" is scheduled to be released on July 22nd, 2022

Little Big Town has released their latest single, “Hell Yeah,” which is the first single released by the ACM, CMA and Grammy-winning band in two years and will be on their forthcoming 10th studio album. The new single is a chill, backbeat-driven tune about, well, being stuck in a rut. Philip Sweet takes the lead on the entire song, using his smooth baritone to carry the dreamy vibe. For the track, the group's Jimi Westbrook explained that he and bandmate Phillip Sweet co-wrote "Hell Yeah" with Corey Crowder and Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard. The new record follows the No. 1 Country album "Nightfall," released in 2020, which included singles “Over Drinking,” GRAMMY-nominated “The Daughters,” and “Wine, Beer, Whiskey.” “Phillip and I wrote this with Tyler Hubbard and Corey Crowder,” said LBT’s Jimi Westbrook. “I remember when Corey brought that hook in that day. He sang his idea, and when he turned that phrase at the end of the chorus, we were all like, ‘hell yeah!’ We always have a blast writing with those guys.” They first entered the music scene more than 20 years ago with hit songs “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Little White Church.” The band's breakthrough albums "Tornado" and "Pain Killer" produced multiple #1 singles, including “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking,” as well as the history-making, best-selling country single of the year (2015) “Girl Crush.” 2017’s, The Breaker debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Charts and Top 10 (No.4) on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim.

Dutch dance music luminary Martin Garrix has been releasing new tracks at a furious pace as he rolls out his debut club album, "Sentio." The latest to arrive from the record has now arrived in the form of "Good Morning," a monster single with frequent collaborators Matisse & Sadko. No strangers to working together, Matisse & Sadko joined Garrix on his final release of 2021 "Won’t Let You Go." Not coming as a surprise, they have mastered blending their sounds to perfection with yet again an immediate classic-sounding outcome. While the trio of producers typically go the progressive house route, like in "Hold On" and "Forever," they've opted for a grittier feel this time around. "Good Morning" is a stomping electro tune with a downright nasty drop. It's so high in energy that Garrix has been playing it out as the opening track in his recent live sets, like his wild performance at Ultra Music Festival and at Lollapalooza's festivals in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Despite the flurry of new songs, fans of Garrix are still in for much, much more. His Ultra set essentially doubled as a "Sentio" showcase, and it seems he's determined to get the music out fast and furious. The next single from the album, a collab with DubVision and Shaun Farrugia called "Starlight," has been confirmed to drop this Friday, April 15th. "Good Morning" is the fifth single to be revealed from "Sentio" following massive collaborations with Zedd, Brooks, etc.

.Following the success of last month’s “WTF,” indie-pop singer, Sasha Alex Sloan, has now gifted us with another cynical gem called “I Blame The World.” The title track off her upcoming sophomore record is due out May 13. “I Blame The World” is an anthem for all the Daria-types out there. If you’re a “glass-half-empty kind of girl” like myself, we finally have a song we can dance around our rooms to with a hairbrush! The track’s accompanying video features Sasha and friends pretending to perform with a hairbrush and air instruments…as if we all haven’t already done that before. An accurate depiction of reality at the moment for a lot of us, “I Blame The World” is exactly what we need right now in the form of brutal honesty. 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. Following the announcement of her anticipated sophomore album, acclaimed singer-songwriter Sasha Alex Sloan has revealed the dates of her "I Blame The World" 2022 North American Tour. Joined by rising indie-pop artists Jessie Murph and Slimdan, the I Blame The World Tour will see Sasha return to the road this summer, kicking off in Minneapolis this July with additional stops in Chicago, Toronto, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Nashville, and more.

Gracie Abrams has released her latest single, “Block me out.” Produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, the brutally honest yet exhilarating track arrives as Abrams continues her 14-date run as support on Olivia Rodrigo’s "Sour" Tour. Co-written by Abrams and Dessner and recorded at the famed Long Pond Studio in New York, “Block me out” opens with a series of confessions that immediately prove the subtle power of her storytelling (“I’ll say whatever you want, but I’ve become such a liar/ I used to follow my gut but now I’m just getting higher”). As the guitar-driven and gauzy track unfold, Abrams’s vocals take on a dazzling intensity, sometimes spiking her outpouring with moments of self-aware humour (“I thought of leaving tonight but I couldn’t drive this tired/ Plus after all of this time I should be a pretty crier”). An intimate portrait of emotional desolation, “Block me out” ultimately expands on the strangely captivating self-reflection the 22-year-old songwriter first revealed on her 2019 breakthrough single “Mean It.” The first new music from Abrams in 2022, “Block me out,” follows her critically lauded project This Is What It Feels Like (a fall 2021 release that also drew praise from the likes of Taylor Swift). Now at work on her debut album for Interscope Records, Abrams recently wrapped up her sold-out "This Is What It Feels Like" tour which is a 21-date headlining North American run that included two nights at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles and stops at legendary venues like The Bowery Ballroom in New York City.

Singer-songwriter and YouTuber born and based in Detroit Chloe Moriondo has released her new "puppy luv" EP, featuring five canine-themed tracks. To celebrate, Moriondo has shared a music video for “nice pup,” which includes over 50 fan-submitted dog clips. “nice pup” is a wholesome track where Moriondo compares themselves to a dog. The lyrics of “sammy” presumably speak on the artist’s furry best friend, but they can also be applied to any “puppy love” one may have. Moriondo sings, “Oh, Sammy, Sammy/Your little face is sweet as candy, candy/Could have the hearts of so many, many/But I’m so glad that you’re mine.” The EP was announced with the release of the song “sammy.” It's accompanying, the painfully adorable music video features Moriondo‘s own dog. "puppy luv" also follows the release of last year’s "Blood Bunny." Moriondo recently spoke to Alternative Press about creating more playful and experimental music this year. “I feel there’s so much I still haven’t said in my music, and there are infinite things I could talk about, as well as genres and realms that I want to dive into more. I love experimenting with different styles of music, and producers and am very excited to branch out more and more. I want to write weird stuff and maybe take it a little less seriously than I normally do. I want to write more fun music next year.” In addition, Moriondo is set to support mxmtoon on a North American tour starting in May.