British singer-songwriter Will Young reinvents classic tracks by female artists on his newly released eighth studio album "Crying on the Bathroom Floor." He intended to record an album that celebrates some of the modern female artists he admired in pop.” “In today’s times, it’s so much easier and accepted to occupy other genders, ideas and explore new avenues,” he says. It’s an intriguing concept that translates across the 10-song set, which explores many emotions through the female gaze. The pairing of Will and producer Richard X is a dream and, three albums into their working relationship, the unity between the vocals and music has never sounded stronger. Nor has Will’s voice, which is rich, warm and as distinctive as it was back in his Pop Idol days, commanding each track as both a singer and narrator of the stories he’s telling. Impressively, he makes each track his own, with Everything but the Girl’s "Missing," Lykke Li’s "I Follow Rivers," and title track MUNA’s "Crying on the Bathroom Floor are instant highlights. The ballads are, of course, stunning, with Will’s take on Clare Maguire’s "Elizabeth Taylor" a standout from the album and his career.

Tinashe has finally returned with her brand new album titled, "333" which is released independently through her own label Tinashe Music Inc. The project features collaborations with Jeremih, Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, AB, Wax Motif, Buddy, and Tinashe's brother's Quiet Child and Kudzai. Here is what she said of the project: “I think it limits creatives in how they approach creating work,” she said. “If you’re creating for a specific sound, playlist, or genre as opposed to being limitless. I love using different vibes from different genres. I would love for there to be even more exploration and normalizing, breaking down those genre barriers. Since leaving RCA Records in 2019, where she called home since 2012, Tinashe is making the music she’s always wanted to make, all of the while embracing influences from R&B, Hip Hop, pop and dance lanes and shedding the “R&B girl” label RCA tried to push on her. As far as what the final product of how we should categorize artists goes, she doesn’t have an exact solution for streaming services but would rather songs be categorized by genre rather than the artist as a whole.

British singer-songwriter Michael Joseph Nelson, aka BANNERS, released his eighth EP “It's Gonna Be OK." The EP comprises of 5-tracks, including preceding singles “If I Didn't Have You” and “Serenade.” Produced by BANNERS, Dylan Guthro and Jason Suwito. He created the EP during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This pandemic should serve as a reminder of what we are all capable of individually and as a collective. We've all looked after one another, kept each other going. It's shown me what's important and what isn't,” BANNERS said. “The things that I could live without and the things I truly need that maybe I didn't appreciate properly. The people, the hugs, the kisses. The people.” His songs are part of the soundtracks of several series such as “Love, Victor,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Feminine Power” (“The Bold Type”) and the films in the “After” franchise. BANNERS explores the space between piano chords, guitars, sweeping beats and orchestral arrangements with songs that inspire, envelop and have a timeless sound. “There are certain songs that become the soundtrack of a specific moment in your life. If the music from my BANNERS project manages to become the soundtrack of a special moment for a person, that is already a dream for me”, said Michael.

Singer-songwriter FINNEAS unveiled a new song, “A Concert Six Months From Now,” written and produced by Finneas O'Connell. This is the lead single from his upcoming debut album "Optimist," on October 15th via Interscope. The video, directed by Sam Bennett, sees Finneas moving around an empty Hollywood Bowl at night as he sings the emotive, acoustic song. FINNEAS spoke about the album, “I'm halfway through production. The way I work on my own stuff is that I write it all, then I record it. I'm halfway through producing it. Once it comes out, I'll be able to play shows again. I'm thinking of it in terms of what's going to make a great live experience. I'm having a blast.” Finneas has recently supported his sister Billie Eilish as she promotes her new album, "Happier Than Ever." The musician has appeared in two live performance videos for Vevo alongside Eilish for her songs “Your Power” and “Male Fantasy.” Finneas also starred in the music video for James Blake’s recent single, “Say What You Will.” "Optimist" follows Finneas’ 2019 EP, "Blood Harmony." The album is not yet available for pre-order, but fans can pre-save now.

Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt have collaborated on the heartbroken new single “Wishful Drinking.” It’s the first new music Andress has released in the wake of her album Lady Like and Hunt’s first new recording since 2020’s "Southside." Ingrid shared, “The sad bop you’ve wanted all summer is finally outttt! Sam Hunt, you make everything sound better tbh; thank u for being my first collab ever on a song. ‘Wishful Drinking’ out now for all you sad/happy hunnies out there.” The accompanying visuals, filmed at Nashville’s the Flamingo Cocktail Club, contrasts against the heart-torn lyrics with splashes of ’70s colour, sequins, and mood lighting. Director Sam Siske plants the viewer right into another era, even cultivating a Stella McCartney aesthetic. This year, Andress will headline dates on her "Feeling Things Tour" of the United States and Europe and play supporting dates on Dan + Shay’s headlining tour. Hunt has a handful of festival shows coming up, including Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on August 8th. “Wishful Drinking” follows the re-release of Andress’ debut LP, "Lady Like," last year and the one-off single “Christmas Always Finds Me.”

26-year-old actor Nicholas Galitzine shows off his pipes in the first song released from the upcoming Cinderella movie. He stars as Prince Robert in the film, belts out “Somebody To Love” by Queen. Epic Records and Amazon Studios announced that the soundtrack will be released on Sept. 3, timed to the premiere of the film in select theaters and on Amazon Prime Video. The 14 tracks will feature Galitzine, Cabello as Cinderella, Idina Menzel as stepmother Vivian, Billy Porter as genderless fairy godparent Fab G, and Minnie Driver as Queen Beatrice, on top of Cabello in the title role and Galitzine as Prince Robert. Among the pop perennials being adapted for use in the musical is Madonna’s “Material Girl” performed by Menzel and Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” in a medley with Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” as a large ensemble number. Kay Cannon wrote and directed the film of the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy and presents an updated twist on the classic fairy tale. Cinderella is still an orphan forced to live with an evil stepmother and sisters. Still, this time she’s less concerned with marrying a prince than she is about jump-starting her career as a fashion designer — she even designs her own gown for the royal ball. The role marks Cabello’s screen debut.

Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish performed “Male Fantasy” along with FINNEAS on guitar for VEVO live series. Eilish has teamed up with Vevo for videos from her new album "Happier Than Ever." The series launched with “Your Power” and will continue with two more videos. “All of us at Vevo have been huge fans of Billie for years and love working with her,” JP Evangelista, Vevo’s SVP of content, programming, and marketing, said. “We got to collaborate with her so closely on these Official Live Performances evident in how much they blend with her aesthetic and the creative sound of this new material. Billie is always so involved in the vision of her music videos, and her detailed input is a huge part of what makes these performances special. It’s been such a pleasure watching her blossom into the superstar she is today; from her first music videos to very intimate fan shows, Billie is truly one of a kind. We look forward to more successful future collaborations.” Last week, Eilish shared a music video for “Happier Than Ever,” the title track from her sophomore album, released July 30th. To accompany the release of "Happier Than Ever, "Eilish will be releasing a "Happier Than Ever" concert film to Disney+ on September 3rd. It marks the second Eilish documentary of the year, following "The World’s a Little Blurry" on Apple TV+.

Rapper Tierra Whack is back with a new fashion-themed club track, “Walk the Beat.” produced by J Melodic, features these repeated words: “Fashion shows, fancy clothes/That’s just the way it goes.” “Walk the Beat” is Tierra Whack’s first single since she partnered with Lego for the whimsical “Link” back in April. Whack created the music video for the song with the help of director Cat Solen and a group of Philadelphia school children, whose ideas for a rocket ship made out of animals formed the basis for the video’s storyline. She released her debut album "Whack World" in 2018. “I was so excited to work with kids because their energy is fun, exhilarating, never-ending, and full of surprises,” Tierra Whack said. “I really trusted them, and I knew they were going to come up with something great. What I loved most about the process was being able to partner with such an iconic company like the LEGO Group because we could make anything happen!” The song is a lyrical ode to Whack's favourite clothing designers. “Alexander Wang with that Helmut Lang/Ghetto fab so I'm still eatin' chicken wings/Versatile, so I can keep switchin' lanes/I got plenty Janes, I got plenty rings,” she raps. She has already filmed a music video for the song, which will be premiered soon.

Less than a month after the premiere of his G Herbo-featuring “Darkest Times” video, Sean Kingston has returned with another new release, this time featuring the percussion prowess of Travis Barker. “Love is a beautiful thing in a relationship, with family,” Kingston says of the new track, titled “Love Is Wonderful” and set for a live debut next month on "Live With Kelly & Ryan." “Love is healing the nation! Everyone can relate to love.” Working with Barker, whose 2020 and 2021 release pace is virtually nonstop, was a “dope experience” for the “Beautiful Girls” hitmaker. “Everyone knows Travis is the drum king,” he said accurately, adding that Barker is also “a stand-up dude.” The release of “Love Is Wonderful” on Spotify and beyond was supported by the debut of the track’s official video, directed by Daniel Centrone and shot in the California desert. “The video is very effortless and fun,” Kingston says of the clip. “Two people in love willing to ride ’til the wheels fall off. I love this video; very straightforward.” It has been 12 years since Sean Kingston’s hit was released, “Beautiful Girls,” though his next couple of years weren’t great, the release of “Love Is Wonderful,” his latest single, he can make a comeback.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter TILSEN released a new song, “Forever, For Now,” in which the bounce from the beat will carry you down 110 with a renewed appreciation to music. Tilsen has a smooth and heartwarming voice that will have you feeling that things will be alright. The song serves as the second single of 2021, following “Little Worse,” released in May. “I'm excited to share my romantic bop "Forever, For Now" about the excitement of new love. It's optimistic about the future, but with a self-aware cynical viewpoint,” TILSEN said of the song. “I wrote the song at the beginning of a relationship when it was still unknown territory; the future a mystery and the tension high. I was aware that I could get very badly hurt, but I decided to follow my feelings for once and really go for it, falling hard and fast. Whatever happened, I felt it was worth it to love them; to let myself fully give in to the feeling and experience everything that came with that.” The overarching theme that is always found in the artist's music is a message of love. However, the voice is intimate and can even tell stories from under the covers. But this is done with finesse and woven into catchy pop productions. Above all, Tilsen wants to convey music that is easy to relate to for the listener.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett have once again reunited, just in time for Bennett's 95th birthday. On the same day as his birthday, the pair are celebrating majorly with announcing his second collaborative album with Lady Gaga, "Love for Sale," out October 1. Alongside the announcement comes a lively first single, “I Get a Kick Out of You.” The song debuted in Porter's "Anything Goes" musical in 1934 and has been covered by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Dolly Parton in the decades since. Gaga and Bennett's new version keeps the original lyrics referencing cocaine intact, though they've often been substituted over the years. Plans for a Bennett–Gaga reunion were first reported in February; it was reported that Bennett had been living with Alzheimer’s and readying the collaboration as one of his final projects. Despite his diagnosis, Bennett has continued singing, per the magazine’s feature, and spent the COVID-19 pandemic practicing music multiple times per week. Along with the announcement of Love for Sale, Bennett is scheduled to perform two final shows with Gaga at Radio City Music Hall today, August 3, as well as on August 5.

Singer-songwriter Beyoncé dropped two new music videos for “MOOD 4 EVA” and “OTHERSIDE”. Both songs are included in the Disney animated film “The Lion King: The Gift” soundtrack, released in 2019. The videos are taken directly from the visual album but released individually via Queen Bey’s YouTube channel. “Mood 4 Eva,” which has already garnered over one million views on the video-sharing platform, was shot in Los Angeles at the famed Beverly House over two days in September 2019. Beyoncé and Dikayl Rimmasch directed the visual. While the entire visual album coincided with Disney’s "The Lion King, Black is King" also retells the story of a young African prince who flees his home after his father’s death, goes through a journey of self-identity to reclaim the throne. For fans of the original flick, “Mood 4 Eva” reflects the moment Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa and learns about the carefree concept of hakuna matata. The track features JAY-Z, Childish Gambino and Oumou Sangaré. Bey’s twins Rumi and Sir appear in the music video for “Otherside.” Draped in a white gown, Beyoncé serves as a guide for the royal child in the story. The video for “Otherside” symbolically represents Simba’s moment of self-awareness and his journey back to the Pride Lands.

English singer and songwriter Olivia Rebecca Devine is known as L Devine, has released her new EP ‘Near Life Experience: Part 1, where she explored all the corners of pop – a bold and arguably tricky endeavour. Instead of honing one sound, the Newcastle artist’s latest EP deliberately plays like a collection of distinctive singles rather than a cohesive body of work. She covers a lot of ground in the process, shifting from the deft nu-disco favoured by the likes of Dua Lipa, Shura, and Jessie Ware (most evident on the pulsating ‘Naked Alone’) to ‘Off the Grid’s gleaming (if slightly predictable) reggaeton-lite beats. Though L Devine’s voice shines clearly in certain lyrical moments – "Girls Like Sex" expertly takes precise aim at lazy heteronormative narratives – she treads less in the way of new musical ground. Sometimes ‘Near Life Experience: Part 1’ can feel like a protracted game of ‘guess the influence’ – ’Wish That You Saw Me,’ for instance, sounds so uncannily like a Tove Lo B-side that the thought soon becomes impossible to escape. L Devine’s wit collides with her obvious and forensic knowledge of contemporary pop music, and she’s a force to be reckoned with. Ultimately, ‘Near Life Experience: Part 1’ serves up enough immediate earworms that it’s easy enough to forgive the odd derivative lull.

New York-based, queer pop star singer-songwriter Nicolas McCoppin has released a deluxe repackage of his 2020 EP, "Loverboy (The Heartthrob Edition)" via Loverboy Recordings, AWAL/Kobalt Music Group. Led by US radio Top 40 single ‘Heaven,’ “Loverboy (The Heartthrob Edition)” shares the classic tale of queer love and heartbreak. The record is packed with infectious yet heartfelt hooks; this project solidifies McCoppin as a trailblazer in the next generation of pop. In 2021, McCoppin made his official US radio debut with ‘Heaven’ the lead single from the forthcoming project. Ten weeks after Nicolas McCoppin’s initial chart introduction, “Heaven” broke Top 40 on the Mediabase Activator Chart at #40 with national radio, fan support, and 200,000 on-demand streams. ‘Heaven’ continues to climb higher each week with rave reviews from station programmers across the US. When you take a new generation of young, queer producers and writers and pair them with industry veterans like Bonnie McKee (Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Kesha), the result is a project like Loverboy (The Heartthrob Edition).

The Danish pop star MØ has returned with her second new track titled "kindness." She made her comeback in May with the track ‘Live To Survive’, her first music since her second album ‘Forever Neverland’ in 2018. Now, she’s shared the second slice of her as-yet-unannounced third album, which is set to arrive sometime later this year. “I wrote it at a time when I was feeling, like a lot of people, disconnected from the physical world,” MØ said in a statement. “Despite being isolated, there was this beautiful connection and support from my fans and from our little online community, which I was so thankful for. “I wrote the first demo in Copenhagen on a beat by my friend Yangze. Ariel Rechtshaid then joined the process and – working online and across timezones – we made this song take shape.” ‘Kindness’ is described as a love letter to MØ’s fans and was co-written alongside Ariel Rechtshaid, Jam City and Yangze.

The 2000’s teen heartthrob David Archuleta is back at it again, releasing his new single, “Movin." This is the first release since May, and it has the potential to do very well on the pop Billboard charts. After my first listen, I seriously don’t think Archie has aged a day since his American Idol season. His new single is easy listening pop, similar to his early 2000’s days. His new tune is upbeat and is about enjoying what someone does to make his heart race. It’s a fun song about young love written by Archuleta himself with the help of Nate Dodge and Michael Campbell. David Archuleta writes on Twitter. “But seriously, #Movin out everywhere!” That’s David cheekily announcing that his new song “Movin'” is out everywhere. He’s not talking about himself! The American Idol season 7 alum came out as LGBTQ last month. This is Archuleta’s fifth new single this year, but the excitement doesn’t stop there as he will be touring the upcoming year after rescheduling the dates three times. Archuleta became the Junior Vocal Champion on the second season of "Star Search" known as "Star Search 2." and best known for being the second on the seventh season of "American Idol" in 2008.

WRABEL & DUNCAN LAURENCE | BACK TO BACK Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Wrabel has teamed up with Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence to release his third single titled "Back To Back." Written alongside Kurtis McKenize (formerly The Arcade), Léon, and Jon Mills, the video finds the two laying back to back in bed, internally spiralling through questions of heartbreak, self-worth, and disconnection. The song is earnest songwriting at its finest, and Wrabel & Duncan’s performances (especially together on the star-bound chorus) are masterclasses in the emotive vocal delivery. The track is off Wrabel’s much-anticipated debut full-length album, ‘these words are all for you,’ which will drop on Sept. 24 via Big Gay Records/Nettwerk. The album will usher into the world the next chapter from modern music’s most celebrated, versatile, powerhouse songwriters and rising artists. It was recently announced of a short, intimate run of live dates, "the nothing but the piano tour," which includes a stop at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge and an album release show at LA’s The Regent Theater. UPSAHL | TIME OF MY LIFE Alternative breakout artist UPSAHL has shared her next single, “Time of my Life,” which will serve as the third single she has released this year in anticipation of her debut album scheduled to be released in October. Talking about the single, UPSAHL commented that “Time of my Life” is “… about living my best life and living my worst life, and having mixed feelings about that”. To promote the single, UPSAHL also performed the song live on Discord and has added a short clip of the song onto TikTok. UPSAHL’s first single, titled “Douchebag,” was previously released on May 14. It describes the start of her story, written when she went through a messy breakup and faced the difficult reality of a final ending. Her second single, “Melatonin,” was dropped on June 11, which she described as being about “… being so overwhelmed with your emotions that you can’t even escape your problems in your dreams.” AU/RA | SCREW FEELINGS Antiguan-German singer-songwriter Au/Ra released a new song, “Screw Feelings,” as the track is a follow-up to two previous singles, “Dead Girl!” and “Bite Marks." As for her fanbase will not have to wait much longer for a full project, as she has also announced the release of her project ‘Soundtrack To An Existential Crisis’ to be released on August 27th. Au/Ra said of the song, This song is special to me, not only but also because it's going here. So firstly, feeling so much fear is a certain thick skin that you have to have to protect yourself, so screw feelings really it's just about being like,...Ah, screw it.” She continued, “Emotions suck sometimes, and sometimes it is easier just to try not to care so much, there's like a kind of velious kind of feeling within that because it's so amazing to feel, but this song really it's just about the moment where you don't want to think we all go through everything just becomes too much.” ELIAS | HOLD IT OUT Sweden's Elias has one of the most interesting voices, and today he releases his second single of the year. With its dark soul voice and incredible nerve, we get "Hold it Out." It's perhaps not so strange that Elias is releasing a new single right now, given the monumental success of the Netflix series "Young Royals" and his taste of new music in six years since the artist released a song, and now the masses are discerning him. But for me, Revolution is just timeless and just as amazing today. "Hold it Out" begins by showing the incredible depth in his voice with difficult tones for even the most skilled bass to hit. Here we hear him sing about broken love and about how feelings can literally feel like holding out your heart for someone else to cut it. With his moving and raw voice, the singer creates magic as usual, and the song's just over three minutes are magnetizing. With similar voice abilities as Rag’n’Bone Man and Sam Smith, Elias shows that he plays in an international league. NICHOLAS MCCOPPIN | PERFECT PICTURES New York Queer pop star Nicolas McCoppin has just released his brand new single "Perfect Pictures," an upbeat electro-pop song taken from his recently released album, "Loverboy (The Heartthrob Edition)," via Loverboy Recordings, AWAL/Kobalt Music Group. With his passionate vocal delivery that New Yorksoars effortlessly over the vibrant electronic production. "Perfect Pictures," tells the not-so-perfect tale of young, queer heartbreak and shows a darker and deeper side to McCoppin's sound. The bright synths and catchy percussion instantly got me in a good mood and wanting to get up and dance. This song beautifully showcases both his vocal range & clever lyricism and has an overall feel-good atmosphere perfect for a fun summer's weekend. Nicolas has been singing since the age of 10 and aged 14, wrote and released his first song. He cites his influences from Carly Rae Jepsen, Kim Petras and Troye Sivan, and they can be heard on this first full collection of his previously released tracks as well as a few new, unheard ones. X AMBASSADORS | OKAY Multi-platinum-selling rock band X Ambassadors release a new song called “Okay” via KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records. “Okay” follows the June release of their darkly cinematic track “My Own Monster,” whose black-and-white visual finds Sam Nelson Harris performing a choreographed routine with his own shadow. Both songs will be featured on the band’s third studio album, "The Beautiful Liar," set for release on September 24th. “Okay” and “My Own Monster” mark the start of a compelling new lyrical direction for X Ambassadors and is the first new music from the band since their hyper-creative multi-part project "(Eg)." A three-song effort released in early 2021, "(Eg)" found the band collaborating with a series of similarly forward-thinking artists, including Earl St. Clair, Terrell Hines, and Jensen McRae. The band’s The Beautiful Liar Tour kicks off October 15th in San Diego, CA, at the House of Blues and will hit North America this fall with dates planned for Europe in early 2022. Scarypoolparty and Taylor Janzen will open North American.

Canadian singer-songwriter Kiesza has released a deluxe edition of her second album "Crave" and serves as the follow-up to her debut album, Sound of a Woman, released in 2014. With the release, we got two brand new tracks, the first titled "When The Stars Don't Shine and the second called "Dying For You." The album was released after a car accident derailed her life, the album compacts emotional and romantic upheaval into tactile electro-pop packed with splashy synths and soaring melodies. Kiesza’s house-pop hit “Hideaway” was a rush of mid-2010s dance-pop crossovers, distinguishing the Calgary singer through an ecstatic blast of energy and a viral one-take video. Kiesza’s debut didn’t deviate far from that song’s formula, yet it also led to platinum sales in Europe, three Juno Awards, and a big-tent collaboration with Diplo and Skrillex’s Jack Ü. Then, while writing her follow-up in Toronto, a car accident derailed her life, leaving her with memory loss, fatigue, and balance issues on the left side of her body. Faced with the possibility of never performing again, Kiesza worked with a chiropractor and various alternative health approaches to will herself back into physical and mental shape within two years.

Silk Sonic is the super-duo side project of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak has shared a new collaboration called “Skate.” The track arrives with a vintage visual directed by Mars and Florent Dechard. Watch Anderson and Mars play drums as ladies skate around them. It serves as the second single to emerge from the pair’s collaboration, following ‘Leave the Door Open,’ as ‘Skate’ is a characteristically smooth and blissed-out track. Both singers’ voices harmonize on their upbeat refrain. The new single was teased on social media earlier this week by the duo, who posted an image of an alleyway and a red car with an invitation to a “summertime jam.” Those aesthetics reappear in the song’s accompanying video, directed by Mars and Florent Dechard and co-directed by Philippe Tayag. They performed at the Grammys and iHeartRadio Music Awards in the following months, and Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah released his own remix earlier this month. The new album "An Evening With Silk Sonic" will mark the first studio album from Mars since 2016’s ’24K Magic’. In 2019, he released a pair of collaborative singles – ‘Please Me’ with Cardi B and ‘Blow’ alongside Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton.

Leela James has released her seventh studio album titled "See Me" which was lead by Complicated,” released earlier this spring, and it entered the Top 10 at Adult R&B radio and continues to blaze the air waves, finding its way onto everyone’s playlist. Since Leela James put out her debut album, 2005’s "A Change Is Gonna Come," the soul siren has released a steady stream of music, exploring new stylistic elements while staying remarkably focused. In a press bio from 2010, she said, “My sound today may be different than where I was five years ago, but my core is always the same.” More than a decade later, that still rings true. On the new "See Me" (BMG), the production by Rex Rideout and Jairus “JMo” Mozee, which features lots of electronic samples, might be the most experimental yet on a Leela James record. She never lets the production dominate, though, and remains in the center of the action at all times—on the title track, a reflective ballad, she makes demands of an errant lover rather than pleading for a change or caving in and accepting bad behaviour. Nearly two decades into her career, "See Me" shows she is still doing vital work.