In this week’s edition of What’s Going On, we’ve got hot new singles from Lil Baby, Skating Polly, and Rita Ora. Plus, a new Kylie Minogue remix and fire XXL Freshman freestyle from SleazyWorld Go. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Lil Baby – When it comes to artists with their hearts in the right places, look no further than Atlanta’s Lil Baby. The rapper has previously lent his star power to a variety of philanthropic efforts and recently dropped his new song “Merch Madness” as part of Fanatics Global Volunteer Day, which led to June 27th being the largest one-day charitable merchandise giveaway of all-time. The initiative saw roughly $20M worth of licensed apparel be donated to youth and families in need. If that isn’t cool enough already, Lil Baby dropped a music video for the song that documents the events of the day and features cameos that run the gamut from Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin to Tom Brady to DJ Khaled. A bop with a message that benefits a great cause, what more could you want?
Photo credit: Kenneth Cappello
Listen to Lil Baby’s new single “Merc Madness” below.
SleazyWorld Go – If there’s one name you need to remember this year, it’s SleazyWorld Go. The talented 25-year-old is rapidly rising the ranks of rap superstardom. In a move that solidified his ascent, he was selected for the 2023 XXL Freshman class. The famed hip-hop publication has previously anointed J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Action Bronson, and more among their past annual Freshman lists, so SleazyWorld Go finds himself in good company. Having already notched a Best New Hip-Hop Artist at iHeartRadio Music Awards, SleazyWorld Go is definitely one to watch.
Watch SleazyWorld Go’s 2023 XXL Freshman freestyle below.
Kylie Minogue – Dance-pop deity Kylie Minogue landed a surprise song of the summer contender with the infectious “Padam Padam.” Thanks to the combination of her rabid gay following and the track quickly going viral on social media, “Padam Padam” has been everywhere. And so has Kylie, with recent appearances on American Idol, TODAY show and headlining Long Island’s KTUphoria. The brand new Absolute remix of “Padam Padam” is sure to keep the track’s momentum going throughout the summer. Taking it all in stride, Kylie is soaking up the love for the lead single from her forthcoming 16th studio album Tension: “This is truly amazing and 19-year-old me would say the same thing! I am so thankful to everyone involved with ‘Padam Padam’ and am astounded at how people have made it their own. The song belongs to everyone now and I’m loving every second of it.”
Listen to the Absolute remix of Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam” below.
Skating Polly – Purveyors of “ugly-pop” Skating Polly recently dropped their double LP Chaos County Line, via El Camino Media. For their first new studio release in five years, the trio teamed back up with producer Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Veruca Salt) who brings out the best in them. Along with the new album, Skating Polly also released the standout track “Tiger At The Drugstore” as their latest single. The song’s music video was directed by actress/singer-songwriter and close friend of the sibling trio Kate Nash. Describing “Tiger At The Drugstore”, Skating Polly’s Kelli Mayo states: “‘Tiger At The Drugstore’ all spawned with Peyton’s fantastic line “faking it just doesn’t feel like how I remember it, faking it just doesn’t feel familiar at all”. Then we were tasked with finding lines to live up to that, which I feel pretty confident in saying we accomplished. It’s about unhealthy coping mechanisms. The things we do to avoid pain and discomfort.”
Listen to Skating Polly’s new single “Tiger At The Drugstore” below.
Rita Ora – People can joke about not knowing quite exactly what Rita Ora does, but one thing is for sure, she’s always cranking quality pop music. After receiving rave reviews for the Fat Boy Slim-sampling “Praise You”, the veteran is following it up with another banger “Don’t Think Twice.” The accompanying music video is sort of like a dystopian sci-fi take on the classic tale Wuthering Heights. Shot in New Zealand, the video is helmed by Ora’s director beau Taika Waititi. What’s “Don’t Think Twice” all about? According to Rita Ora: “‘Don’t Think Twice’ is about not thinking twice and just jumping in, romantically. You only live once, so it’s really about seizing the moment, and not being held back by thoughts of what might or might not happen.”
Listen to Rita Ora’s new single “Don’t Think Twice” below.
