Leigh-Anne- Don’t Say Love
HUNS! I can’t believe this, just last week me and my friend Nina at work (hey Nina!) were reminiscing about about the Pure Garage days in the 90’s and whether it’ll ever make a comeback (even though history does usually repeat itself) and now Leigh-Anne has casually dropped this garagey bop! I can’t believeeeee it and it’s so good! Leigh-Anne said Don’t Say Love is about no longer seeking external validation and regaining my confidence and sense of self in a world where I often felt misunderstood and unheard.”
![Leigh-Anne: 'Don't Say Love' [Official Video]](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/hNSJWpULrJA/hqdefault.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
and “This video (watch above) is a visual representation of me finding my voice. I’m excited to continue to do so with my first love, music”. I’M. HERE. FOR. IT.
Gwen Stefani – True Babe
The one and the only, global icon, Gwen Stefani is finally back doing what she does best and releasing music! True Babe takes me back to the noughties in the best way-as a millennial THIS is the most delightful blend of simpler early 2010’s pop pureness! I did like Slow Clap with Saweetie in 2021 but True Babe hits differently so I’m manifesting this is the start of a new era and a new album pretty please Gwen if you read this!
Gwen has announced that she’ll be returning to The Voice for Season 24 though, along with coaches Niall Horan (omg), Reba McEntire and John Legend so we might have to wait….but hopefully not too long because it’s already been 84 years since Gwen’s last album This Is What The Truth Feels Like (2015).
Dom Dolla, Nelly Furtardo – Eat Your Man
Whoa, Nelly! (If you know, you know), Nelly Furtardo seems like she’s back to her man eating ways ha, Eat Your Man with producer Dom Dolla is truly and simply….a bop and she even references herself quite a few times, iconic behaviour! Nelly said “Meeting Dom has been an absolute blessing. We have a real creative synergy and trust when we work together – we hear music in a similar way and I am super inspired by his live shows. He’s reminded me how much fun music can be and for that I am grateful.” YAY well hopefully this is an official comeback and while we eagerly wait for more lets cherish this banger besties, which I can imagine going off at Club Revenge!
Nelly tweeted about Eat Your Man “made with 100% PLEASURE” too btw😝just saying😝.
Tove Lo – I like u
Sweden’s darkest pop export singer and songwriter Tove Lo consistently drops decent pop music, albums annnnnd singles but the Dirt Femme era has been my fave (after Lady Wood). Tove said “I wanted to make another dance song that sonically felt like a nod to 90’s and Y2K dance music. I wrote this song with Timfromthehouse, we worked on it for months in between tours to figure the perfect arrangement. It’s not the usual pop structure but it’s perfect for this song, I think. Lyrically I’m telling the story of my thoughts the first time I saw the love of my life. They’re not clean but at least I never said any of them out loud.”
I saw a tweet saying “what gay cat nip did you put in this song” and it’s SO TRUE, it’s just so addictive and eurodancey. Naww and Tove will be donating a portion of her streaming proceeds from ‘I like u’ to The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention org for LGBTQ young people.
Sam Smith and Madonna – VULGAR
“Vulgar will make you dance, don’t need a chorus,” S&M sing in unison on this messy/fierce self-aware bop! Apparently Sam and Madonna met up the day after the Grammy Awards in February to record this and it’s giving me Middle Eastern Eurovision vibes?! In the best way of course.
Madonna and Sam both get so much stick in the media so it’s so I’m loving that they’re basically clapping back and being true to themselves.
BRONZE AVERY – THE ONE (IF YOU TOUCH ME)
I got in contact with rising pop star Gabriel Brown aka Bronze Avery asking for a press release about The One and he said “I wrote and produced it and it’s the start of HEATWAVE, a collection of summer songs that are meant to make you sweat. it’ll be accompanied by a short film when it’s all said and done!” oooft a collection of summer songs AND a short film sound lush! Bronze Avery is one to watch (and to listen to obvs).
Oh and he tweeted “HEATWAVE sounds like sitting in the backseat of a car going 1000MPH. it’s kissing your crush at a party. it’s watching your best friend go after their dreams. it’s the comfort of freedom. it’s the sweet syrup of diet coke. it’s riding the wave. it’s facing your fears then fearing nothing. it’s the pressure of a dance floor. it’s the smell of a fresh gin and tonic. it’s letting go and letting things be light. it’s the kindness of a stranger. it’s the performance of ordering fajitas. it’s the final zip of a skin-tight outfit. it’s the fiery jet of a hot tub. it’s trusting your intuition. it’s dancing because you can, and babe, it feels so good.” GASP.
Georgia – Give It Up For Love
Georgia has finally dropped Give It Up For Love wooo which is apparently inspired by the 2000 Danny Boyle film The Beach and Georgia’s work with super talented producer William Orbit-Georgia tweeted: “this song is about finding light despite what pain life throws at you which seems hard to do these days but i hope you find some comfort in this song as i did when i wrote it”. Taken from her upcoming third album, Euphoric, out on the 28th July, was co-produced wiith Rostam, the first time ever Georgia has worked with someone else for her own work.
Georgia will be in Brighton btw, for her Euphoric album launch show and signing on the 28th July (2023) at Resident. Click here for more info. I can’t believe I can’t go though because I already have tickets for The SpongeBob Musical in London (I know right), if only I could be in two places at once!
Album Of The Month
Kraak & Smaak – Twenty
Omg this album is so perfect for the summer-if you’ve never heard of them, Kraak & Smaak are Oscar de Jong, Wim Plug, and Mark Kneppers and they’ve established themselves as a formidable force in the music industry. I’ve been a fan of Kraak & Smaak since 2017 when I first heard them in a tattoo studio and I had to ask Siri who they were😆. Anywayyyyy, their stylish live performances and exceptional studio work have resulted in a series of innovative albums, while their extensive global tours across Europe, South America, Asia, Mexico, and the USA have showcased their incredible skills as DJs and live performers.
Known for their warm and uplifting sound that spans multiple genres, the band first introduced themselves to the world with their debut album, Boogie Angst. Their success in the Netherlands and the UK quickly led to invitations to perform at major festivals in Europe and the United States, including SXSW, Coachella, Detroit Movement and Miami’s WMC. Their hit single Squeeze Me, off their second album Plastic People helped solidify their international audience and media attention as a “must-see live act.” They went on to perform at Glastonbury, Lowlands, and Sziget, as well as on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC television-so they’re a big deal!
Their upward momentum continued with the release of the albums Electric Hustle, Chrome Waves, and Juicy Fruit (my personal fave), featuring collaborations with a string of high profile artists. After a series of one-off singles for various top tier record labels and their own imprint, Boogie Angst, they released their latest album Pleasure Centre, hotly pursued by a remixed version of the album. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Kraak & Smaak stayed highly productivity in the studio. They crafted remixes for notable artists like Yuksek, Tensnake, and Blank & Jones, while also releasing their introspective EP, Scirocco.
2023 sees the Dutch meisters of Nu Disco, Funk and all things Electronic celebrating their 20th year in the scene. This anniversary will be marked by a long overdue compilation with hand-picked selections of their two decades long catalogue released on Jalapeno Records and called simply – TWENTY. The album works its way through the band and fan favourites and showcases some of the incredible guests they have worked with over the years – from Lee Fields to Parcels, Romanthony to Mayer Hawthorne, Ben Westbeech to Durand Jones.
Alongside the TWENTY album there will be a series of refreshing remixes of their back catalogue hits presented monthly on their own Boogie Angst label with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard kicking things off with a rework of Let’s Go Back, featuring the aforementioned late legend Romanthony. This steady stream of remixes will also culminate in a full remix album at the end of the year and of course the band will be celebrating the milestone with a tour including their now legendary and always sold out annual ADE show at Melkweg.
My fave tracks are alllll of them btw!