In this week’s edition of What’s Going On, we’ve got the latest releases from Mick Jagger, girlfriends, Shawn Mendes, Doechii, and Fancy Hagood. You know how we do! As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Mick Jagger – We’ve got new music from Mick Jagger! The rock legend is out now with “Strange Game”, which serves as the theme for the Apple Original series Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman. Based on the series of books by Mick Herron, the thrilling espionage series has a humorous and mischievous edge, and “Strange Game” manages to perfectly capture that right mix of energies. Discussing the new track, Jagger says: “I really enjoyed creating the theme track for Slow Horses with Daniel Pemberton, I’ve read a lot of the books and was familiar with some of the more dark and unsavoury characters and knew the direction I wanted to take it…hope you enjoy it!”
Listen to Mick Jagger’s new song “Strange Game” below.
Doechii – Newly signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, Doechii has dropped a vibrant music video for her single “Persuasive.” With her colorful visuals and imaginative music, the singer, rapper and dancer has been compared to Missy Elliott and is at the very least, following in her footsteps. The Omar Jones-directed video is a flurry of colors and out-of-the-world looks. What was Doechii’s vision for the video? Doechii says: “I had a very specific vision with the color pallet and aesthetic of this video. I envision my fans playing this video on their at-home projectors during a kickback. The video is so full of life it can fill a space… like paintings.” Mission accomplished.
Listen to Doechii’s new single “Persuasive” below.
Shawn Mendes – Canadian pop sensation Shawn Mendes dropped “When You’re Gone”, his first new single of 2022. Much like “It’ll Be Okay”, the track Mendes released late last year, “When You’re Gone” feels like someone working their way through a breakup. With lyrics such as “I need to learn how to cope without you”, it makes one wonder how much of the new material from Shawn Mendes is inspired by his recent split from fellow pop superstar Camila Cabello. If you like what you heard, Mendes will be kicking off his Wonder: The World Tour on June 27th in Portland, OR with Dermot Kennedy on the first leg of the tour and fellow Canadian Tate McRae joining on the second.
Listen to Shawn Mendes’ new single “When You’re Gone” below.
Fancy Hagood – Queer country sensation Fancy Hagood is out now with “Bored”, his new single. The bright slice of pop-country takes a good hard look at how the shiny, glamorized version of ourselves that we put out for the world to see often belies the struggles beneath the surface. The lines between perception and reality seem to be more blurred now than ever, which makes “Bored” the perfect song for this current moment in time. Describing “Bored”, Fancy Hagood says: “I’m pumped to be putting out songs that I think will be a little bit surprising to my listeners… I’m making a bit of a return to a pop sound that I strayed away from with my debut album.” Fancy Hagood isn’t just one of the brightest stars in country music today, he also hosts Trailblazers Radio with Fancy Hagood on Apple Music Country which he uses to shed a light on his fellow risk-takers that often don’t receive the warmest reception in a genre that can seem resistant to change.
Listen to Fancy Hagood’s new single “Bored” below.
girlfriends – Pop-punk duo girlfriends have a new album on the way. (e)motion sickness is due out on June 17th and the duo, consisting of industry veterans Travis Mills and Nick Gross, have unleashed two hot new tracks to stoke our anticipation, “High Again” and “Toaster for a Swim.” There are no girls in girlfriends, but that’s what makes them subversive, ok. What can we expect from the new album? Travis Mills says: “This is the most vulnerable I’ve been through my music. The music I made in the past was fun, but it wasn’t an accurate representation of anything I was going through in my life. I had profound experiences and tragic losses, but I didn’t talk about them. I struggled with severe anxiety and depression. So, there’s a lot in girlfriends’ songs that I’ve never said before. This kind of music really allows those topics to come to life and accentuate them.”
Listen to the new tracks from girlfriends, “High Again” and “Toaster for a Swim” below.
