London duo Dahlia Sleeps have released a new track, "White Flag," the final taster of the band’s debut album "Overflow," set for release on 8th April. Speaking about the track, vocalist Lucy said: “The whole B side of this record speaks a lot about family. The period that Luke and I were writing the album was a very difficult one for mine. None more so than my Dad, who this song is about. I have kind of unfathomable gratitude to Luke for creating such beautiful vessels for those words and melodies with his production. And to my family for allowing me to tell these stories. Being able to put all this into music has been a pretty overwhelming and powerful experience, and I hope people can hear the love, support, healing in these songs as well as the struggle.” The debut album comprises 10-track. The duo said of the album, “The title 'Overflow' was chosen because this is a record that features a lot of struggle, fight, bravery, will, hope, and ultimately, triumph.” Early on in the writing process for the album Lucy Hill battled a severe episode of mental ill-health, which strongly influenced the direction of the record. “What we have now is an album about entering the very depths of despair, those who hold us when we’re there, and climbing back out again,” she said of the record. The new track follows up on previous singles "Divided," "Too Good To Hide," and "Close Your Eyes."

Charli XCX has released her latest single alongside a music video for her upcoming album "Crash." The track is produced by Justin Raisen and Sad Pony (aka Jeremiah Raisen). “Baby’ was one of the first songs that came together for this album,” Charli XCX said in a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “I was working on it with Justin Raisen, and we’d done a lot together for my first ever album, "True Romance." So it kind of felt cyclical to go back and with him again on what is my final record in my deal with Atlantic.” Charli XCX continued: "But obviously so much has changed, and, this song, it was kind of the foundation of the vibe of the album. It’s probably the sexiest song I’ve ever made. It’s about sex and sexuality and having good sex and just feeling yourself essentially. I know that that’s the tone. I knew that that was the tone I wanted to carry across for the entire record. This kind of hyper-sexualized, feminine power zone was where I was feeling myself going, and “Baby” was the genesis of this." Her new album "Crash" will be out on March 18. and follows her Rina Sawayama–featuring the single “Beg for You” and its subsequent remix from A. G. Cook and Vernon of the K-pop band Seventeen. Last year, Caroline Polachek, Christine, and the Queens joined Charli XCX on “New Shapes.” Charli XCX also released the single “Good Ones” in 2021. This weekend, on March 5, Charli XCX will perform on "Saturday Night Live." Revisit the Cover Story “Charli XCX Is the Pop Star of the Future.”

Following the explosive Season, two finale of HBO’s “Euphoria,” composer Labrinth and star Zendaya have released the full version of “I’m Tired.” The gospel-inspired track was first heard in Episode 4 when Labrinth performs the song live during an emotional fantasy scene where Rue (Zendaya) envisions she is in church. In Sunday night’s finale, viewers heard the last minute of the song, which features Zendaya singing solo accompanied by bare-bones piano. Co-written by Labrinth, Zendaya and show creator Sam Levinson. Labrinth has played a massive hand in the show's music so far, sharing "Yeh I F*ckin' Did It" from the second episode of season two earlier this year and earning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics last season. Speaking with the Emmy-winning composer recalled the emotional experience of performing the song on set. “I knew what Rue was going through. Being in a church, it felt spiritual,” said Labrinth. “Zendaya was crying. I was crying. We had Hunter [Schafer] and Dom[inic Fike], and everyone could feel the vibe there was different.” Kid Cudi has expressed his interest in recording a remix to “I’m Tired.” “Please, dear GOD put me on a remix of this @Zendaya @Labrinth,” he tweeted, which prompted Zendaya to respond, “Yoooo! What a dream that would be… @Labrinth???” "Euphoria" was renewed for season 3 in February. The first two seasons of the Emmy-winning series are available for streaming now on HBO.

Three years after the release of their collaborative hit “Juicy,” Tyga and Doja Cat have officially reunited for another one. Tyga’s new single with accompanying music video for “Freaky Deaky” launches with a breezy lullaby chorus from Doja before heading into three new Tyga verses and an additional energetic rap verse from Doja. It feels like a true collaboration, as much her moment as his, with enough vocal flourishes and backing runs to squeeze its way into Doja’s "Planet Her' era. The song and its Christian Breslauer-directed visual launch “an exciting new era of Tyga,” according to a press release. The rapper told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 that “Freaky Deaky” is the first single for an album that’s “about 80 percent done” and should drop “probably sometime early summer.” That would land it about three years after his "Legendary" LP, which featured Nicki Minaj, Gunna, Lil Wayne, Blueface, J Balvin, Chris Brown, and more. The decision to recruit Doja Cat for “Freaky Deaky,” Tyga told Lowe, “She’s a true artist. And I think we see that from her outfits, her Lives, her TikToks, but that’s what makes her, and she’s a real true artist, and that’s what I appreciate about her. … Working with her is real easy. It’s like working with Chris [Brown]. I feel like Chris, and Lil Wayne are two people that I can go in the studio with and make a great record in 30 minutes.” He noted Breezy will also be on the album. “Freaky Deaky” is the first single from Tyga’s upcoming album, "80 percent done," which is expected to arrive in early summer.

HONNE has released a special deluxe version of the latest album, "Let's Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do?" In addition to the release of the Deluxe version, they have also dropped a brand new song, "I'm Blessed." 'Let's Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do?' forms HONNE's third studio album following critically acclaimed LPs, "Warm On A Cold Night" (2016) and "Love Me / Love Me Not" (2018), as well as "no song without you" - a surprise 14-track mixtape in the summer of 2020. Featuring bonus tracks, sessions and remixes, and a heartfelt new song, "I'm Blessed," the Deluxe version compounds the messaging that made HONNE's latest record some of their most sincere and profound material to date. "Throughout 2020/2021, there were large periods during which we couldn't see most of the people we love," HONNE explains. "Lockdowns, and wanting to keep our families safe, meant that we weren't able to visit our parents, families or our friends. James lost a grandparent, and Andy became a dad when being around loved ones was difficult. There was this massive realization that we'd taken these times for granted in the past. When we finally were able to see everyone again, it was a celebration. "I'm Blessed" is that celebration in song form. It touches on the love we feel from our partners, as well as that from our families and friends, and how lucky we feel to have that in our lives, no longer taking it for granted."

Since her early-aughts breakout with bombastic singles like “Take Me Away,” “Bye Bye Boyfriend,” and “Everything,” leading to her self-titled 2003 debut album, Fefe Dobson has carved her place in the pop-rock pantheon, The Canadian pop-rock star has returned to her sonic roots with Friday's release of her comeback single "Fckn in Love." Fusing electronic pop and rock-tinged production, the song sees the 36-year-old professing her affections for her partner in the immediate aftermath of a passionate encounter. "We just made love. I'm in bliss; I don't want to get up. Let's just stay here, sun is shining. Every part of me is shaking in awe," she sings at the start of the song before the chorus explodes: "Damn, I'm so in love with you. I'm so f---ing in love with you. Damn you, in your birthday suit. I'm in love." The single marks the "Take Me Away" and "Everything" performer's first official single in four years, from her upcoming first album in over 12 years. Though she followed up her eponymous debut's early-aughts breakthrough success with the critically lauded 2010 album Joy, Dobson has only released one-off singles on her own — or as part of soundtracks, like her 2020 "Unpregnant" soundtrack song "White Line Runaways" — in the recent past. She intended to release her sophomore album, "Sunday Love," in the mid-2000s, though, as she told EW in an exclusive interview last year, those plans fell apart, and the album's songs were dispersed to other artists, such as Selena Gomez and Jordin Sparks, for their respective projects.

Following three sold-out shows at London’s Lafayette, British singer-songwriter Sam Ryder has just released his first single of 2022, "SPACE MAN," available now on all streaming platforms via Parlophone/Elektra Records. Sam has quickly become a reliable name when it comes to releasing songs of depth, honesty and quality and the new single is an exciting taster of what’s to come this year. SPACE MAN’ is richly raw, as Sam describes what the world would be like if he were an astronaut, in the dreamiest sense. His original lyrics are paired perfectly with the gravelly voice that makes Sam Ryder’s music remarkable. Sam Ryder’s bold music is storytelling refracted through a universal lens; it’s reminiscent of Elton John’s work, a bouncy pop anthem full of both fun and deeply personal lyrics. Since the industry spotlight fell on him, the Essex-based singer-songwriter has been making sure he remains true to his art. The meteoric rise was caused by the viral hit ‘Whirlwind’ that was uploaded online without any expectations or anticipation of what was to follow. The voice behind it was utterly new to the premise of where writing a great song might lead him. Even now, he’d tell you that he’s still slowly working it all out, but this new single sounds as fully realized and confident as any in recent memory. When the world was plunged into darkness in 2020, Sam Ryder found his light through music; this led him to post cover versions of his favourite tracks online. Consequently, this was picked up and shared by the likes of Justin Bieber, Sia, and Alicia Keys – just to name a few; from there on in, life changed for the musician.

Zhang Yixing, a global super music force that has attracted international attention, and 24kGoldn have released the collaborative track "Dawn to Dusk (不眠不休)." The song has become an instant success as it entered # 1 on qq music's daily chart and mini-album chart and was able to go double gold in 24 hours. It contains double-version singles, whose compositions are composed by the overseas phenomenal post-millennial rapper 24kGoldn and the world's top hit single "Mood" composer Omer Fedi himself. Today's hot Chinese Taiwan Golden Melody Awards are the newest winners. Good lyricist Ge Dawei fills in the Chinese lyrics of "Dawn to Dusk (Never Sleep)," produced by AFTRSHOK, a well-known Korean musician who has created songs for top Korean idol groups such as EXO, Girls' Generation, TVXQ, SUPER JUNIOR, TWICE, etc. The song is a multinational music project planned and launched by the international music label 7SIX9 Entertainment. It is also the first project of the previous "DreamX Project" project. Jason Derulo x Zhang Yixing x NCT 127 cooperates to pay tribute to Michael Jackson's hit single "Let's Shut Up & Dance" and then collaborated with Zhang Yixing again. This time, the chorus with Zhang Yixing and 24kGoldn is a new heavyweight collaboration single after the collaboration single "Season for Love" between "DreamX Project" planning and influential singer-songwriter Wang Sulong and Australian singer-songwriter Lenka.

Salem Ilese has a thing for brands. Following the massive TikTok and Spotify success of her July 2020 single “Mad At Disney,” the musician released a slew of singles with brand references, including “Ben & Jerry,” “Hey Siri,” “Mad At Disney,” and “Coke & Mentos,” as well as the new song “Jake From State Farm.” Now she has released her EP titled "Unsponsored Content," in which Ilese says she didn’t purposely set out to create an album solely about brands, but she’s happily leaning into the aesthetic. “I'm a very observational writer. I feel like I pull from reality and put that in my music," she says. The 21-year-old pop artist has been preparing for this moment her entire life. Placed in music lessons from an early age, she attributes her musicality to legendary writer Bonnie Hayes, her first songwriting teacher. She is credited for writing songs for Cher, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Bette Midler, etc. Salem Ilese caught the eye of 10K Projects/Homemade Projects and signed a record deal. Shortly after, her breakout hit “Mad At Disney” gained viral momentum with over 208M Spotify streams and the creation of around 3.2M TikTok videos. From there, she went on to release “Coke & Mentos” in November of 2020, which was followed by the release of her EP "(L)onely Child." Beyond her music, Salem also collaborated with Alan Walker, Jamie Miller, Surfaces, and more, while also co-writing songs including TXT’s “Anti-Romantic” and Bella Poarch’s 2021 hit “Build A Bitch.”

Out of the darkness and into the light. That's the journey on Janet Jackson's seventh studio album. Following the dissolution of her secretive nine-year marriage, fans might have expected Jackson to disappear into the darkness that permeated her previous release, "The Velvet Rope," in 1997. But "All For You" is filled with a surprising mix of boundless energy and feel-good joy. This is Ms. Jackson back to set dancefloors on fire and have a little fun in the process. The new sense of freedom she was feeling resulting from the breakup is evident in the music she was making and with whom she was making it. Jackson decided to spread her wings during the album's initial recording and looked further afield from her long-time production partners, the esteemed Jam & Lewis. This exploration saw her dabbling with tracks from The Neptunes, Rockwilder, and even unexpected outings with Basement Jaxx were explored. Ultimately Jackson returned to the safe space that her partnership with Jam & Lewis had always delivered, augmenting it by bringing in Rockwilder on several songs. The result is an album that sounds like classic Janet while also stepping things up a little. Tracks like lead single "All For You" have Jackson's breezy melodies in full flight against a pounding dance that is buoyed by a healthy sampling of "The Glow of Love" by Change. Jackson is playful, provocative, and poised, as we hear elsewhere on the album. She's in command and happily relishing a return to the dating scene, flirting with the object of her seduction. Like a classic roller-skating jam, "All For You" swirls around the listener, all bright and airy, with a bounce that is hard to resist. And that's the overall tone on the rest of the album. "Come On Get Up" is a pure party joint buoyed by tribal and house elements that instantly lift spirits and packs dancefloors. Similarly, the skipping groove of the pre-release single "Doesn't Really Matter" first appearing on the soundtrack for "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" offers up a progression on the Janet sound with extra elements lifted from Rockwilder's initial remix of the track that steers it more into hip-hop. And the laid-back groove of "Feels So Good" shimmers like the sun of a perfect blue ocean, while the album's closer "Better Days" is a song of affirmation, drawing a line in the sand of trauma and hurt and crossing into a new beginning. The album's standout, "Someone To Call My Lover," is a carefree riff on America's "Ventura Highway," as Jackson fantasizes about connecting with a new lover. It's all sweet and innocent, filled with promise and optimism, and it’s one of Jackson's catchiest moments on wax. It's the skip-a-long-sing-along matching of chorus and groove is packed with excitement and energy as she rolls through the lyric like a woman who can't wait for destiny to arrive. In Jackson's cooing ballads, fantasies are also well represented (though less innocent and PG than "Someone"). Bucking the trend established with her breakthrough album "Control" (1986), which would see her softer and seductive songs playing out in the final throws of the album's sequencing, Jackson mixes things up, placing them in the midpoint of the playtime. With each passing song, the seduction and explicitness increase. Like a teasing striptease, the songs unfurl from sweet and playful in "When We Oooo" to a gentle awaking of pleasure in "China Love." The passion is kicked up in the follow-up "Love Scene (Ohh Baby), which has Jackson cooing expletives that you might not even notice on the first pass over, and "Would You Mind" leaves nothing to the imagination with its raw lust and climatic build…of sorts, with Jackson lamenting that the song finished before she got to. On "You Ain't Right," Jackson deals with broken trust and betrayal against a sharp edge, and on "Trust A Try," she sings of "pain, trickery and deceit" on a full-tilt rocker. And even on the soulful track "Truth," the conversation is a part scathing assessment of claims of influence over her agency, part self-help dealing with acceptance and moving on. The most apparent track that deals with the fallout of her marriage are the blistering "Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)" that teams Jackson up with Carly Simon and borrows heavily from the latter's sly clap back "You're So Vain." The track is a sneer-filled strut, a reckoning delivered with the power of someone all out of f's to give. It bristles with venom and side-eye melodies against a skipped beat and bubbling synth bass—another album standout. The album debuted at number one, "All For You" is a bolder, more self-assured Jackson stepping into the possibility of new beginnings and casting off the past. Bookending the slower ballads and vengeful pop-rockers with more positive and dance-oriented tracks gives the album its overly playful and upbeat vibe. This is playful, sexy Janet, ready to have fun and relish in female empowerment.

Broadway star and TV actress Lexi Lawson has just released a new single. "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" is an energetic reimagining of Whitney Houston's smash hit. The song has been brought back to the audience almost 25 years after its original release. Lexi's new version of the song is a club/dance/EDM version, created by New York City's DJ TORIE. With Lexi's electrifying vocals, this song quickly becomes an international hit. Lexi played the lead as Eliza Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning hit, Hamilton. This marked her return to the music of Miranda, having performed in the first national tour of In the Heights in the leading role of Vanessa. She also played Mimi in the National Rent tour. Lexi performed on the #1 Song on iTunes First Burn (Hamilton Radio Pop). The track featured the five leading ladies of the different productions of Hamilton. Lawson also recorded the single "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", which was released in December 2017. That same month, she was present for the unveiling of the restored bust of Alexander Hamilton at the Museum of the City of New York alongside fellow cast member Anthony Lee Medina. She teamed up with four other Eliza actresses from "Hamilton" productions on Miranda's Hamildrops in 2018. The track, "First Burn", featured Lawson along with Julia K. Harriman, Shoba Narayan, Rachelle Ann Go, and Arianna Afsar.

Gearing up for the release of his new EP, rising 20-year-old JUNO Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Dylan Sinclair - ranked as one of Apple Music and Complex's R&B Artists to Watch this year - returns with introspective and moody new single "Suppress" via The Orchard. A new production backs the Toronto native's signature smooth vocals by Jordon Manswell, Zachary Simmonds, and Jonathan Martin. "A weak man will make a girl feel insecure," shares Sinclair on the greater meaning behind the personal track. "This song is an acknowledgement of where I can fall short in my relationship and where I aim to do better. It's me showing so much empathy because I understand how hard it could be to be with someone in my position. As a man, I want to be reassuring of the fact that - yeah, there's all these girls around - but it's you." The 20-year-old JUNO Award-nominated Toronto R&B singer-songwriter Dylan Sinclair is ready to cement himself as one of the genre's most promising up-and-coming stars. Recently named one of Apple Music and Complex's R&B Artists to Watch for in 2022, Sinclair is gearing up to release his new EP via Five Stone Records. The coming-of-age record finds Dylan stepping into himself and transitioning from teenager to young adult - remaining grounded, authentic, and aware that this is just the beginning.

Madonna has released the maxi-single for her classic track "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina." The track was the second single to be lifted from her hit 1996 movie "Evita," and, marking its 25th anniversary, the Queen of Pop shared the expanded release on digital platforms. Alongside the original and radio versions, the nine-track single includes various remixes, including the Miami Mix, Miami Spanglish Mix and Miami Dub. Don’t Cry For Me Argentina was a Top 10 hit in the UK and US, hitting No. 3 and 8, respectively. The release comes ahead of a monumental year, which will see her begin a career-spanning reissue project, documenting her entire discography. The film Evita was based on the 1976 concept album of the same name produced by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, inspiring a 1978 musical. The film depicts the life of Eva Perón, detailing her beginnings, rise to fame, political career and death at the age of 33. Meanwhile, Madonna recently revealed she was in the studio with Swae Lee, with whom she collaborated on her 2019 ‘Madame X’ cut "Crave," working on new songs. “So great to be back in the studio making music again,” Madonna penned. “Surprises [sic] in the New Year.” Madonna recently released her ‘Madame X’ concert documentary on Paramount+, along with a live album featuring tracks from the performance. In a review of the record, Retro Pop said ‘Madame X (Music From The Theater Xperience)’ “captures the ‘Madame X’ Tour and reaffirms that she is and remains at the top of her game.”

Maintaining incredible momentum with tens of millions of streams, rising pop singer-songwriter today Ashley Kutcher unveils a new single entitled “Love You More” via Darkroom/Interscope Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The vulnerable song layers her dynamic vocals, hazy production, and warm echoes over the delicate guitar. It builds towards a relatable and real confession, “If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I feel love as I did when I was young.” In the end, she promises, “I love you more,” as if speaking directly to the object of her affection. Kutcher said, of the song, “‘Love You More’ encompasses the thoughts and emotions of being stuck in the past. This song is about feeling as if you’ll never love as innocently as you did when you were young. Even when you find someone really great, you feel like you’re incapable of loving them as strongly as you loved before.” Ashley incited a wave of anticipation for the track’s arrival with a pre-save campaign on TikTok. In advance of the song, she dropped a series of videos, generating over 100K-plus cumulative views and counting. This March, fans can expect to hear it live at her first-ever shows in Los Angeles and New York City. Gracing stages on both coasts, she performs at Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles, CA on March 8 and Mercury Lounge on March 10 in New York, NY.

Canadian singer Alicia Moffet has an obvious talent for translating her experiences into heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies. Whether it's danceable pop anthems or a poignant ballad, her unique voice carries and inspires. Her new track, "Hard Feelings," is no exception. This second excerpt reveals a great vulnerability and a skin-deep sensitivity where the artist creates a universe full of contradictions, between harmony, dissonance, power and fragility. "Hard Feelings" is the work of Richard Beynon (BYNON) who also signs the production, Dani Poppit , Alex Saad , Cole Citrenbaum and Alicia Moffet . An independent production of Alicia Moffet Productions, THE ORCHARD distribution. The release of "Hard Feelings: is also accompanied by a new music video of incredible beauty and moving sobriety. Directed by Thomas Soto, under the photography direction of Benoit Jones-Vallée, this production by the Moonstruhk creative team features Alicia, alone in an unreal and confusing universe, literally upside down, perhaps reflecting feelings. who inhabit it where she gets lost and tries to find herself… Catherine Thibault signs the choreography of this clip to debut on March 3. Also, last October, Alicia launched the acoustic versions of 4 of her songs – "Beautiful Scar," "Body High," "Strangers," and "Take Control" – with "Billie Ave. (Unplugged)" . The original album "Billie Ave." and "Billie Ave. (Unplugged)."

Mary J. Blige caps off another fantastic week of success with a stellar performance at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards. The legendary singer performed a medley of hits, including her newest number one hit, “Good Morning Gorgeous.” Taped at the famous Apollo Theater, where she was inducted into its hall of fame last summer, Blige, styled in a beautiful purple number culled from Tony Ward Couture’s recent collection, started her intimate set with the self-care anthem. To coincide with the 30th anniversary of her debut album "What’s the 411?," Blige made a smooth transition into the jazz version of “Love No Limit.” That Anita Baker-inspired track was another massive hit for Blige on the R&B/hip-hop charts in the spring of 1993. At night five of the NAACP Image Awards non-televised televised categories, Blige won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Monet Tejada in Power Book II: Ghost. It’s her second year winning this award for this role. Earlier this week, Blige received word that “Good Morning Gorgeous” peaked atop the Adult R&B chart. It also debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 83, marking her first entry in a decade. More new music is coming from Blige as she confirmed another album collaborating with Dr. Dre. She’s worked with him on two previous albums, "No More Drama and Love & Life."

One Republic has been dreaming up a much warmer and brighter reality than the one in front of them. On their latest single, “West Coast,” the Ryan Tedder-fronted band escapes into the warmth of California. “West Coast” arrives with an aspirational music video directed by Tomás Whitmore, who helmed the visual for the band’s previous single “Run,” shared last year. The new visual finds Tedder fake cruising in a top-down Cadillac convertible, following a deep red line drawn on a map up the coast. Tablet in hand, the singer gives forms to his over-the-top ideas to make them a reality, even throwing a space-themed dance party. While it may not be as intergalactic, OneRepublic will throw something of a dance party on their newly announced "Never Ending Summer" tour. The 40-city North American tour will kick off on July 8 at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina. From there, the band will make their way through Tennessee, Ontario, New York, California, Illinois, Texas, and more before wrapping in Florida on September 4. NEEDTOBREATHE will join OneRepublic on the road as an opener for the tour stretch.

Becky Hill has been dropping great hits left, right and centre, working with some most prominent names in music, including David Guetta, Sigala and now, Swedish DJ duo Galantis. She has now released the music video that features Becky in a house that wouldn't look out of place in Netflix's hit show Selling Sunset while cut with sweeping scenes of the hills around Cape Town. Listening to the new track features distinctive Galantis sounds, accompanied by Becky's incredible vocals. Speaking about her new song, Becky revealed she worked with an old friend on the track: "I’m so excited to release 'Run' with Galantis. I wrote it with my best friend MNEK, who I’ve been writing with for ten years and the magic I felt when we first wrote my single 'Losing' back in 2012 I still feel to this day when writing with him. As well as being nominated for Song of the Year at The BRIT Awards 2022 for "Remember" with David Guetta, Becky Hill won Best Dance Act. She also gave an emotional speech to thank fans as she collected her first BRIT Award.

After winning the inaugural season of “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson experienced commercial success that vastly exceeded previous talent show winners. Shows like “Star Search” were notorious in the American music industry for churning and burning artists out, with few success stories to speak of. Despite the odds stacked against her, much like Will Young after winning “Pop Idol” in the UK just a few months prior, Clarkson’s debut single “A Moment Like This” topped the Billboard Hot 100 became the fastest-selling single of 2002. It shattered a decades-old record held by The Beatles for the most significant leap to No. 1 in history, after ascending from to the summit from No. 52. Critics were quick to point out that this was likely American Idol’s success more than Clarkson’s, and she knew she had more to prove, having openly pined about how the single has “never felt like me.” While she followed up that No. 1 hit with a Top 10 hit in “Miss Independent,” the following singles from her debut album "Thankful" dissipated without much noise. The album kicks off with a spectacular firework: opening with the title track, "Breakaway," then proceeds directly into singles No. 2, 3, and 4, “Since U Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and “Because of You.” These songs, undoubtedly some of the strongest pop singles of the millennium, carry the album to the finish line, along with a late-game assist from the 5th single and runt of the litter, “Walk Away.” While there are strong tracks outside of these five, the deep cuts significantly drop overall quality. With Clarkson making a clean break from the R&B sound that catapulted her to the crown on Idol and her subsequent debut album, it makes sense for "Breakaway" to emulate that theme. Freedom rings on all eleven of the record’s tracks as she liberates herself from, of course, romantic relationships but also family trauma. With that liberty that accompanies being a young adult comes consequence, as the then 22-year-old Clarkson is free to stumble and make mistakes on her own accord. She falls under the spell of addiction on track six and literally “hates [herself]” for her errors on track 10. The Avril Lavigne penned “Breakaway” is sanguine, encapsulating the whimsical atmosphere of 2004 with effortless ease, and will be the best bus and plane ride soundtrack imaginable for the foreseeable future. Its colourful “Da-da-da, un, da-da” hook has been a relentless earworm over the last decade and a half, painting a mood that is impossible to pin down. With Clarkson being known for her soaring soprano vocals, “Breakaway” offers a more restrained performance that demonstrates her ability to move even when staying in the middle of the staff. However, that halcyon energy doesn’t last long as the record segues into the career-defining smash hit “Since U Been Gone.” Its full-throated chorus and Strokes-like guitar riffs set the gold standard for Pop-Rock anthems and deservingly sit atop that mantle. While many in the years since – including Clarkson – have tried to recapture that lightning in a bottle, any attempt to emulate is cursed to sound like a Walmart quality knock-off. “Behind These Hazel Eyes” is the fan-favourite track and might have earned an impressive legacy of its own had it not been the follow-up to “Since U Been Gone.” It’s one of the darker tracks on the record, in part thanks to Aaron Moody’s hand in the production. Clarkson’s work with Moody, guitarist of the then red hot Evanescence, foreshadowed what was to come with her follow-up record, the angry and exasperated "My December." But “Eyes” doesn’t slip that far into vengeance, striking the right balance of revenge and heartbreak to keep that sweet, poppy appeal. Here, Clarkson offers a knockout vocal performance, perhaps the best on the record, as she unleashes a flurry F#s in the final chorus amid her emotional devastation. Though “Gone” – no, not “Since U Been Gone” – is another fan favourite, it doesn’t offer much else that the other singles have already put up, and there’s little variety in the tracks that follow. There’s a flash of R&B on “I Hate Myself For Losing You,” but the rest of the album sticks to its core "Jagged Little Pill" like sound. The album’s greatest weakness quite obviously lies in its ballads and midtempos, “I Hate Myself For Losing You” and “Where Is Your Heart,” though Clarkson still sings them with the same conviction as any other track. “Breakaway” is what it is — harmless pop with rock hooks. Strip away the pro-tools and have Clarkson writing her material, and I’m not sure what you’ll get. But such tactics are commonplace in the pop genre, and I find it hard to fault Clarkson for anything here. She has a great voice, and the songs are much better than more than half of the rest of the music said genre cranks out on an annual basis. So to say there’s little if anything, to hate about “Breakaway” rings as good an endorsement as any.

Justus Bennetts unveils the magnetic new single and video "Don't Trip" with teen hitmaker GAYLE. The acoustic alt-pop DIY anthem thrives on the exact reflective hooks, unapologetic lyrics, and brash vocal delivery that propelled both self-made artists to stardom. "Don't Trip" finds the North Carolina newcomer observing his peers' questionable behaviour while remaining true to himself. He was once overcome by loneliness-"I used to want to have a conversation every night, would always search for someone to fill the hole in my life"-but now he opts for carefree living. His collaborator is of a similar mindset. "All my friends keep hitting me up; they're sick of waiting for replies," GAYLE belts in her verse, later joining Justus for the chorus: "'Cause it takes me so much time just to make up my mind." "Don't Trip" follows Justus' nostalgic alt-pop November smash "Cool Kids," which galvanized late-bloomers everywhere, as well as other 2021 standouts "Bad Day" and "Nightstand." Overall, the 21-year-old singer/songwriter has tallied over 120 million streams in less than a year, with only seven singles out. Similarly, GAYLE has rocked to prominence via "abcdefu." The Gold-certified breakup anthem broke through to the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 chart and boosted the 17-year-old breakout sensation to the top of coveted charts such as Billboard Global 200 and Emerging Artists. GAYLE has racked up over 925 million streams to date.