In this week’s instalment of What’s Going On, I’ve got the hottest releases coming your way from Lisa, Glass Animals, and The Darkness, the return of ’90s pop group The Party, and a great new remix that sees Amythyst Kiah teaming up with Moby. There’s something here for everyone! As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Lisa – If you’ve been living under a rock, you might not be aware that BLACKPINK is a global phenomenon. The Korean girl group already has sold-out international tours, a Netflix rock doc, and collaborations with major pop superstars Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa under their belt. The BLACKPINK brand is only going to get even stronger now that group member and the most followed K-Pop idol on social media Lisa is out with her single “LALISA.” Highly anticipated, “LALISA” doesn’t disappoint. The superstar singer, dancer and rapper floats all over the high-energy pop banger and the choreography in the colorful music video will likely spawn thousands of copycat dance videos on TikTok. Cher, Madonna, Prince…Lisa? We’ll see!
Listen to Lisa’s new single “LALISA” below.
Glass Animals – Coming off the mega-success of their 2020 album Dreamland, Glass Animals just released their first new song of 2021. To kick off their new era, the band wants you to block out the noise of life and get lost in “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance).” An earworm of a dance track, it does what it says on the tin – making listeners want to get up and move. Explaining the feel of the song, lead vocalist Dave Bayley says: “It felt like we were all put in a pressure cooker, but there was no way to let out the steam. That’s what this track is about – that pressure cooker exposing and expanding so many cracks, but struggling to fill them in and decompress. I want people to switch their devices off, put this song on, close their eyes, and have that release for a moment.”
Listen to Glass Animals’ new single “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)” below.
The Darkness – British rockers The Darkness made you believe in a thing called love and now they want to make you feel emotional with “Nobody Can See Me Cry”, the band’s new single. The latest track from their forthcoming album Motorheart is grandiose with its huge guitars, dramatic production, and compelling lyrics. It’s got all the sheer bombast that we’ve all come to love from The Darkness. On top of all that, Justin Hawkins’ vocals tear into your soul. Explaining the emotive new single, frontman Justin Hawkins says: “‘Nobody Can See Me Cry.’ It’s devastating. I yearn to be seen. On this, I’ll settle for being heard. Listen to this song, it’s brilliant. I should know, I sang it.”
Listen to The Darkness’ new single “Nobody Can See Me Cry” below.
Amythyst Kiah – When DNA flipped Suzanne Vega’s observational acapella folk song into a certified house classic in 1990, dance fans around the world embraced it with open arms. In a perfect world, Moby’s remix of Amythyst Kiah’s “Black Myself” will receive a similar reaction. The veteran DJ & remixer takes the powerful pro-Black alt-rock track into the clubs without losing the importance of the song’s message. Speaking on the remix, Amethyst Kiah says: “I never imagined hearing “Black Myself” as a club song, but leave it to Moby to make that happen. It’s such an honor, and he totally slayed this. As a big fan of dance music and remixes, I’m living for this!”
Listen to the Moby remix of Amythyst Kiah’s “Black Myself” below.
The Party – There’s one thing for sure, The Party never stops! Comprised of cast members of the 1989 revival of the Mickey Mouse Club, The Party had a huge hit in the early ’90s with their cover of Dokken’s “In My Dreams.” And now The Party is returning to the stage for their 30th Anniversary Reunion Concert on September 30th at House of Blues Orlando in Downtown Disney. Original members Albert Fields, Chasen Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, and Damon Pampolina dropped a brand new single “Party People” to celebrate the occasion. “Party People” shows that the group hasn’t lost a step, the upbeat club track is reminiscent of the relentless Black Eyed Peas sound that’s really missing in today’s pop landscape. Hopefully, this is a sign of more new material to come.
Listen to The Party’s new single “Party People” below.
