In this week’s edition of What’s Going On, we’re back with the hottest new songs that you need to be listening to this week. It’s been a trying time in the world as of late but thankfully, one can always find solace in turning to music. Whether you’re in need of music with a message or just escapist fun, we’ve got you covered with the latest releases from Mura Masa, easy life, JONO, and Comforts. Plus, the return of M.I.A. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Mura Masa – The always brilliant Mura Masa has got a new album on the day. demon time, Mura Masa’s third studio album, is due out on September 16. The songwriter-producer also got Pa Salieu and Skillibeng along for the ride on his new single “blessing me”, the latest taste of what to expect from demon time. Just as we’ve come to expect from the forward-thinking Mura Masa, “blessing me” has one foot planted in futuristic pop while also getting an infusion of Afrobeats and Caribbean flavor thanks to Pa Salieu and Skillibeng. Why did Mura Masa name his new album demon time? Well, he thought listeners would need: “vicarious, escapist music now. So that’s where this demon time idea came from – how do we soundtrack the 1am to 5am period where you start doing stupid shit that you don’t regret but wouldn’t do again when it emerges again post-lockdown?”
Listen to Mura Masa’s new single “blessing me” ft. Pa Salieu and Skillibeng below.
easy life – Big news for fans of easy life. The band just announced that MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE, their second studio album, will be out on August 12. With that comes the release of their new single “DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY” featuring Kevin Abstract fresh off the final BROCKHAMPTON show The vibey slice of R&B illustrates just how versatile easy life can be with their sound. Explaining how “DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY” came to be, lead vocalist Murray Matravers says: “The first song I wrote for the album was ‘DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY’ and I knew afterwards that this would become the cornerstone of the record. It was oozing with sonic identity and narrative and became somewhat of a benchmark for the rest of the album to aspire to.”
Listen to easy life’s new single “DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY” ft. Kevin Abstract below.
M.I.A – Genre-defiant artist M.I.A is making her return with “The One”, her brand new single. Despite all the accolades and acclaim M.I.A has garnered over the years since her debut album Arular was released to instant critical praise in 2005, she sounds as brash and defiant as ever over the track produced by Rex Kudo & T-Minus. Always one to inject her activism into her art, the rapper states that the single’s music video was: “made sustainably. No people were exploited. No animals were harmed. Locally sourced labor. Low carbon footprint.” There’s more where that came from as M.I.A confirmed that her forthcoming album MATA is on the way. If you liked what you heard, M.I.A will be out on the road doing the European summer festival circuit.
Listen to M.I.A’s new single “The One” below.
JONO – Rock instrumentalist and creative force JONO is out with a new music video for his track “Clear”. The solo project of composer, guitarist, bassist and director Jonathan Bareford carries a strong message of climate change awareness throughout and the stunning visual for “Clear” drives that point home by highlighting the beautiful terrain of Alaska and Iceland. Explaining the thought process behind the video, JONO says: “This music video for me was about perseverance. Not compromising no matter what obstacle presented itself in the way of this vision. I wanted to experience these arctic conditions that inspired the song and story in the way this video’s character was supposed to experience them. And through that, I experienced the same reaction the character in my music video experienced; an expanded respect and appreciation for our environment.”
Check out the new music video for JONO’s single “Clear” below.
Comforts – Keep your eyes on Brighton band Comforts. The rocking 4-piece is out now with their new single “Pink.” With their expert playing, catchy melodies and an instant earworm of a chorus, “Pink” shows that Comforts have got the goods to stick around for quite some time. While you can hear the influence of indie rock and Britpop of years gone by, it doesn’t sound like a retread but rather a furtherance of the sound. What’s “Pink” all about? According to the band: “Pink’ was written for the morning after. Sometimes, things are just best left unsaid. I think a lot of people have been in a conversation where they said something they regret. We all know it’s easy to get lost in the moment and you wish you’d have bitten your tongue. It’s like that old saying goes… don’t bite your nose to spite your face.”
Listen to Comforts’ new single “Pink” below.
