In this week’s instalment of What’s Going On, we’ve got fresh new tracks from Doechii, Leith Ross, The Chemical Brothers, and Django Django. Also, a posthumous release from the late rapper Coolio. From introspective guitar pop to sizzling club tracks, there’s something here for everyone. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Coolio – This past September, the music world mourned the loss of West Coast rapper Coolio. Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr, the rapper left an indelible mark on pop culture with his hits “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage” and his many on-screen appearances. Coolio’s estate and 1 Pic Entertainment and Strategic Media Entertainment/Intercept Music are continuing his legacy with “TAG ‘You It’,” his first posthumous release. The raunchy throwback to ‘90s hip-hop also features Too $hort and DJ Wino. There’s more music to come as Coolio was working on his fifth studio album LONG LIVE COOLIO before his tragic passing.
Listen to Coolio’s first posthumous release “TAG ‘You It’” below.
Doechii – In a move that’s sure to help keep her momentum going, breakout Florida artist Doechii teamed up with Kodak Black for her new single, “What It Is (Block Boy).” The self-proclaimed “Swamp Princess” and recipient of this year’s Billboard Women in Music Rising Star award evokes the sound of the golden age of rap-sung collaborations on her first release of 2023. Speaking on the song’s throwback feel, Doechii says: “This song is a fusion of nostalgia and pop vibes. I feel like I’m showing off a side of my vocal range with this one that my fans haven’t really seen yet. I love using the old samples of ‘No Scrubs’ and ‘Some Cut’ to mix in some playful energy as well.”
Listen to Doechii’s new single “What It Is (Block Boy)” ft. Kodak Black below.
Leith Ross – Rising Winnipeg singer-songwriter Leith Ross just announced their debut album To Learn, due out on May 19. Along with that announcement came the release of Leith’s new single “Guts.” Raw, introspective and deeply emotive, “Guts” sees the Canadian pop opening up and processing their own experiences with sexual assault. Explaining the meaning behind “Guts”, Leith says: “This song is about the times in my life that I have been sexually assaulted/experienced any kind of sexual violence, and the ways that the people in my life have let me down after those events occurred. When I wrote it, it was to give myself permission to feel the whole range of emotions that started to consume me. It has a lot of rage, hurt, defeat, betrayal, and even forgiveness. I hope it can be helpful.”
Listen to Leith Ross’ new single “Guts” below.
The Chemical Brothers – Grammy-award-winning electronic duo The Chemical Brothers are back with their brand new single, “No Reason.” Their first new release since the 2021 one-off “The Darkness That You Fear,” “No Reason” is already making crowds go wild during their live DJ sets. The track’s marching percussion and acid flourishes will no doubt make it a surefire dance smash. No strangers to having cutting-edge music videos, the duo’s Smith and Lyall-directed visuals for “No Reason” feature a neon marching band performed and choreographed by Gecko Theatre.
Listen to The Chemical Brothers’ new single “No Reason” below.
Django Django – Off Planet 2, the second instalment in the rollout to Django Django’s new album Off Planet, is out now. Off Planet will be released in full on June 16 via Because Music. The standout in this drop of 5 more new songs is the single “Don’t Touch That Dial” featuring Japanese rapper Yuuko. The rapper’s insistent flow adds an edge to what’s already an impeccable club track. How did “Don’t Touch That Dial” come to be? Django Django co-founder/producer Dave Maclean says: “This was a weird instrumental track that came out of looping some little chopped up bits of a studio jam. I liked the odd groove of the track and I wanted a vocalist on there but I wanted something quite different, so I reached out to Yuuko and she totally got it, and delivered this outstanding top line.”
Listen to Django Django’s new single “Don’t Touch That Dial” ft. Yuuko below.
