I’ve got a jampacked instalment of What’s Going On for you all this week. Pop superstar Katy Perry is teaming up with Pokemon for a collaboration, 90s dance group D:Ream has returned and I’ll get into the newest releases from The Struts, Kontra K, and The Moontown Project. As always, if you like what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Katy Perry – When you think Pokemon, you might not only instantly think Katy Perry but hopefully that will change with her new song “Electric.” In celebration of Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, pop superstar Katy Perry has released her new single “Electric” in collaboration with Pokemon. Just like many millennials, Perry grew up playing the original Pokemon games. Stars – they’re just like us! “Electric” is just pure fun, a vibrant tale of not giving up which is exactly what you’d expect from both Katy Perry and the beloved Pokemon brand. Speaking on why she agreed to take part in the forthcoming Pokémon 25: The Album, Katy Perry says: “When I visited the Pokémon Café while touring Japan, I got so nostalgic. It took me back to my junior high years. So when I got the call to be a part of the 25th-anniversary celebration alongside Post Malone and J Balvin, I was elated.”
Listen to Katy Perry’s new single “Electric” below.
D:Ream – Fear not! Things can only get better now that D:Ream is back on the scene. The legendary dance group dropped their new single “Meet Me At Midnight”, their first release of new material in fourteen years. “Meet Me At Midnight” is a blast of house euphoria that we all so desperately need right now. The boys haven’t lost a step. Discussing how the resurgence of their 1993 signature hit “Things Can Only Get Better” during the height of the pandemic impacted him, frontman Pete Cunnah says: “You do your thing and make a record for all the clubbers in the early 90s to dance to, and the next thing everyone’s hanging out of windows singing it during a crisis. I was in tears.”
Listen to D:Ream’s new single “Meet Me At Midnight” below.
The Moontown Project – The Moontown Project is back with “Mademoiselle”, their brilliant second single. I loved their previous single “Moon Honey” and have been eagerly awaiting new music from and let me tell you “Mademoiselle” doesn’t disappoint. Keeping all of the synthpop goodness that I loved on their debut solo single, “Mademoiselle” packs an extra punch with some added funk elements and intriguing post-punk lyrics. On what influenced their new single, The Moontown Project says: “Mademoiselle embraces some of the 2-step rhythms, funky bass and ethereal synth lines that once seemed so familiar when DJs and bands performed in the pre-COVID world. By bringing signature sonic aspects and merging them with melodic harmonized vocal lines and indie/post-punk influenced lyrics, Mademoiselle is a track that finds the perfect balance between euphoria and nostalgia.”
Listen to The Moontown Project’s new single “Mademoiselle” below.
The Struts – Queen songs are often covered but most of the time, the covers typically tend to sound extremely derivative or like karaoke. British glam rock outfit The Struts dropped their cover of Queen’s ubiquitous hit “We Will Rock You” and they definitely do it justice. The Struts managed to capture the triumphant energy of the original while still sounding very much like themselves. Frontman Luke Spiller delivers a vocal delivery that shows he would’ve been able to hang with the 70s rock gods. You’re going to be hearing a whole lot more of their cover of “We Will Rock You” soon as it will be featured in LG’s new “We Will Knock You” marketing campaign, promoting LG kitchen appliances. Because when you think glam rock, you think…LG.
Listen to The Struts’ cover of “We Will Rock You” below.
Kontra K – In a first for What’s Going On, I’ve got some German hip-hop for you. There are a lot of talented artists thriving in Germany’s hip-hop scene and one of the biggest and brightest is Kontra K. His new single “Wenn Das Schicksal Trifft” is all about never giving up when it feels like fate has dealt you a heavy blow and persevering in the face of adversity. The music video is particularly stunning as it was shot at Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano which erupted for the first time in nearly 800 years. Why shoot a music video next to an erupting volcano, you may ask? According to Kontra K: “I don’t want to stand still with my art, but always reach a new level and push boundaries. If you can imagine something, you can make it happen.”
Listen to Kontra K’s new single “Wenn das Schicksal trifft” below.
