It’s Sunday, so that means we’re back with another edition of What’s Going On, your favorite new music roundup. Metric and MIKA, two acts that came into prominence in a major way in the 2000s, are both out with kickass new tunes. Plus, the latest from Noah Cyrus, Roosevelt with Nile Rodgers, and King Ropes. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Metric – Beloved Canadian band Metric is out now with “Doomscroller”, the second track to be released from their forthcoming album Formentera. An epic 10-minute sprawl through a sonic landscape with lyrics that paint a picture of the times we’re all currently living in, “Doomscroller” is nothing short of a masterpiece. The Justin Broadbent-directed music video manages to weave footage of the band in the studio into something with more of a dystopian feel. Further explaining the music video, Emily Haines says: “Justin captured rare studio footage of the recording of ‘Doomscroller’ and we used it like a visual anchor, as evocative places outside the room keep creeping in. These traces of life on earth that appear and disappear throughout the song subtly mirror the shifting moods of the music.” You can check out Metric as they kick off their headlining The Doomscroller Tour this summer. Formentera is due out on July 8.
Listen to Metric’s new single “Doomscroller” below.
King Ropes – Indie rockers King Ropes have got a new album on the way. Super Natural is due out on May 26 and to whet your appetite, the Montana band has released the track “Breathing” as their latest single. The infectious groove of “Breathing” grabs you right away, but the slice of life storytelling will keep listeners hooked. Speaking on the new single, King Ropes frontman Dave Hollier says: “It is a simple, direct song, sculpted out of empathy and the reality that life can be a series of battles we never saw ourselves fighting. This song just felt like it needed to stand on its own without much elaboration. Ben played some beautiful slide guitar and keyboard parts, but the more we worked on the mix the more we stripped stuff out. We left a taste of that stuff in there, but it just didn’t need much.”
Listen to King Ropes’ new single “Breathing” below.
MIKA – Global sensation MIKA won the hearts of listeners around the world with his breakout hit “Grace Kelly.” Well, he’s still going strong and is out now with his new single “Yo Yo.” An absolute banger of a song, “Yo Yo” will get you up and moving, while also still hitting you right in the feels. Funnily enough, that’s exactly what MIKA was going for. Explaining what inspired “Yo Yo”, MIKA says: “I wanted to write a song that could make you cry and dance at the same time. A song to make the world, in all its harshness, feel better. Something that will always be there to comfort you. I wrote this for you, as you listen in your room, or in a club: it doesn’t matter it’s just about you.”
Listen to MIKA’s new single “Yo Yo” below.
Roosevelt – When German singer, songwriter and producer Roosevelt (aka Marius Lauber) wanted to pay tribute to Studio 54 and the disco days, there was only one person he could call for help – Nile Rodgers! The soaring slice of modern disco is the perfect soundtrack for nights out on the town, especially now that the weather is warmer. Talking about the collaboration, Roosevelt says: “Nile and I worked on the track remotely via phone calls and e-mails, before I finally met him in LA to celebrate the completion of it. The man is a living legend to me, and just talking to him about the early disco days was such a big inspiration. ‘Passion’ is an ode to Studio 54, a homage to the energy and ecstasy of late-70s disco.”
Listen to Roosevelt’s new single “Passion” ft. Nile Rodgers below.
Noah Cyrus – 2021 Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee Noah Cyrus has been hard at work on her debut album The Hardest Part, due out on July 15. Now we’ve got the new single and video “Mr. Percocet”, which acts as the first taste of what’s to come from Noah’s album. The highly evocative pop song tugs at listeners’ heartstrings with its deeply relatable lyrics, proving why Cyrus is one of the best young stars in music today. What’s “Mr. Percocet” all about? According to Noah Cyrus: “This song is written about my personal experience with the confusion and insecurities that arise in a relationship when substance abuse is involved. It causes such manic behavioral changes that you can lose sight of yourself and who you fell in love with.”
Listen to Noah Cyrus’ new single “Mr. Percocet” below
