Welcome to another exciting edition of What’s Going On! Biff Bam Pop’s weekly new music roundup is here to keep you in the loop with the freshest and most captivating sounds that you should be listening to. From established legacy acts to Gen Z faves and everything in between, we’ve scoured the musical universe to bring you the hottest tunes that will have you tapping your feet and nodding your head. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
Duran Duran – Legendary band Duran Duran just announced their 16th studio album and this time, they’re getting a little spooky. The new album Danse Macabre will consist of new original material and a variety of covers and is set to arrive on October 27, just days ahead of Halloween. If you’ve ever wondered how Simon LeBon would sound singing Billie Eilish’s “Bury A Friend,” you’re in luck as that is one of the songs that the band will be giving the Duran Duran treatment along with other staples from The Rolling Stones, The Specials, Talking Heads and more. The first taste of what’s to come from Danse Macabre is the eerie title track that serves as the lead single. We’ll keep you posted on more releases to come from this forthcoming Duran Duran album.
Photo credit: Stephanie Pistel
Listen to Duran Duran’s new single “Danse Macabre” below.
Conan Gray – Gen Z pop sensation Conan Gray is out now with “Winner,” his new single via Republic Records/Universal Music Canada. Teaming up with famed pop producer Greg Kurstin, “Winner” is just as raw and vulnerable as it is bombastic and anthemic. The emotional chorus is designed not to just be an instant earworm but also to hit listeners right in the feels. How did “Winner” come to be? Conan Gray states: “I wrote this song at 2am. everything at the piano just spilled out all at once. it was a moment where I finally felt like, “fine. great job. you did it. you hurt me more than anybody ever could hurt me.” and it oddly felt nice. I see now that there is a certain freedom that comes from recognizing that you’ve been hurt. in no longer running, and just facing the fact that “you win. you hurt me.” I hope this song helps people find a little piece of that freedom.”
Listen to Conan Gray’s new single “Winner” below.
Wilderado – Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Wilderado are out now with their first new release of 2023. “In Between,” available now via Bright Antenna Records, was produced by heavy hitters Chad Copelin (Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Belle, SYML) and James McAlister (Gracie Abrams, The National.) Blending contemplative lyrics with twangy melodies, the gorgeous new indie Wilderado song evokes a feeling of bittersweet uncertainty, painting vivid landscapes of love and potential heartbreak against an Oklahoma backdrop through the band’s soulful vocals and acoustic instrumentation. You can catch Wilderado on their headlining US tour this fall, kicking off on September 23rd in Tempe, AZ.
Listen to Wilderado’s new single “In Between” below.
Poolside – Songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Paradise, better known as Poolside, just dropped his new single “Ride With You” on Ninja Tune/Counter Records. Cut Copy’s Ben Browning lends his vocals to the seductively tropical track. The song has a subtly nostalgic vibe that gets complimented by a retro-soaked music video. Describing the feel of “Ride With You,” Poolside explains: “‘Ride With You’ has everything you’re looking for in a quintessential late summer nostalgia jam.” You won’t have to wait long for the new Poolside album as Blame It All On Love is set to be released on October 20.
Listen to Poolside’s “Ride With You” below.
Mae Muller – There’s exciting news for fans of English singer Mae Muller. The “I Wrote a Song” hitmaker’s highly anticipated debut studio album Sorry I’m Late is due out September 15. After a few more upbeat releases, Mae is showing her fans a deeper taste of what to expect from the album in the form of her new single “MTJL.” An acronym for ‘Maybe that’s just life’, “MTJL” is an emotionally vulnerable ballad that really lets the sincerity of Mae’s vocals shine. How did Mae Muller approach the track? She states: “I think it was really important for me to have a moment where it was just going to be really stripped-back, just me and a guitar. I just wanted it to be a diary entry – I wasn’t worried about the usual verse, pre-chorus, chorus structure of the song as such, I just wanted to get it off my chest.”
Listen to Mae Muller’s “MTJL” below.
