Welcome to this week’s instalment of What’s Going On, Biff Bam Pop!’s weekly new music roundup. From chart-topping acts to indie darlings to stars on the rise, join us as we sift through the latest releases and bring you the hottest tunes to fuel your week. There’s always something new to discover in the ever-evolving world of music and we’re here to point you in the right direction. As always, if you dig what you hear, be sure to stream and follow the artists.
King Cruff – Canadian-Jamaican artist King Cruff is flexing his artistic growth on his new dancehall single “FALLBACK,” out now via Tuff Gong Collective/Universal Music Canada. The song sees Cruff teaming up with Jamaican artist Runkus. The track has a particularly striking Kit Weyman-directed music that was shot in Jamaica. Explaining the concept of the “FALLBACK” video, King Cruff states: “We wanted to capture Jamaica in a different realm visually. Everyone’s seen the party video, the gyal bruk out videos. I wanted to capture the supernatural mystics of the island – the old folk stories and the superstitions that are so ingrained in our culture. Kit killed it as a director and our team was built of Jamaican people which I love. It’s honestly one of my favourite videos to date.”
Photo Credit: Neil Watson
Listen to King Cruff’s new single “FALLBACK” ft. Runkus below.
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The highly anticipated Hurray for the Riff Raff album The Past Is Still Alive is out now via Nonesuch and is already being lauded with widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone, Paste, and NPR, are just a few of the outlets head over heels for the project from singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra (aka Hurray for the Riff Raff.) Their unique take on indie folk and Americana coupled with their unabashedly queer storytelling makes for a compelling listen. Alongside the release of the album, Hurray for the Riff dropped standout “Hawkmoon” as the latest single. The road trip-ready tune is an ode to the first trans woman Segarra met.
Further explaining what “Hawkmoon” is all about, Hurray for the Riff Raff states: “‘Hawkmoon’ is a song about running away – a trans song, and memories of the first trans woman I ever met. Miss Jonathan was a German rapper, poet and train-riding crusty homeless kid who loved to wear the skimpiest outfits she could get away with and was a surprisingly great shoplifter. We became best friends for a winter, before I learned to play music in New Orleans, and I would ride shotgun in her beat up car and search for abandoned houses to sleep in. Meeting her changed my life and opened doors in my mind about gender, though it would take me many, many years to feel free enough to expand within myself. I have always wanted to honor her, since I have not seen her in decades and wonder if she is even alive. She suffered a lot of violence the last time we saw each other, and I think about her often.”
Listen to Hurray for the Riff Raff’s new single “Hawkmoon” below.
Steve Aoki & Lil Jon – Can you believe Lil Jon’s crunk classic “Get Low” is now over 20 years old? The track has gotten a new makeover thanks to a collaboration between the energetic rapper-producer and veteran DJ-producer Steve Aoki. “Get Lower” takes the track to new heights with newly recorded vocals from Lil Jon and Aoki’s signature big room production. Unsurprisingly, as they have similar party-starter energy, the two have been friends for quite some time. Speaking on the collaboration, Steve Aoki says: “Jon and I have been friends for years, and whenever we get together on a track, it’s a party. When we performed at Tomorrowland last year, the energy was off the charts, and we knew we had to create another festival anthem. ‘Get Low’ is one of the most hype tracks of all time, and it’s an honor to work with Jon to bring it back for the next generation.”
Listen to Steve Aoki & Lil Jon’s “Get Lower” below.
Kings of Leon – GRAMMY award-winning rockers Kings of Leon are back! Newly signed to Geffen Records/Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada, the band is kicking off this phase of their career with a new album and a hotly anticipated tour. Their 9th full-length studio album, Can We Please Have Fun, is due out on May 10. Fiery lead single “Mustang” serves as the perfect taste of what listeners can expect from the project. As you’d expect from the album’s title, this era is all about the family band (brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and cousin Matthew Followill) having fun and letting loose. “It was the most enjoyable record I’ve ever been a part of,” Caleb says. “It’s like we allowed ourselves to be musically vulnerable,” Nathan adds. “I love it when a rock band is not embarrassed to admit that every song doesn’t have to be on 11.”
Listen to Kings of Leon’s new single “Mustang” below.
Lil Yachty – Genre-defying artist Lil Yachty loves to keep listeners guessing, and his new single “Something Ether” is sure to have his fans on the edge of their seats. His latest release via Quality Control Music/Motown Records/Universal Music Canada is a glitchy affair with an infectious beat and sparse 808s. The Little Miles and AMD Visuals-directed music video perfectly captures the frenetic energy of the song. Viewers with photosensitive epilepsy may want to sit this one out. After the release of his psychedelic rock-inspired album Let’s Start Here last year, Lil Yachty is keen to show that he can’t be boxed in and recently announced that a collaborative album with critically acclaimed electronic artist James Blake is in the works.
Listen to Lil Yachty’s new single “Something Ether’ below.
