As the back-to-school buzz kicks into high gear and sweater weather slowly starts creeping in, it’s the perfect time to turn up the volume and escape into the hottest new releases. This week’s instalment of What’s Going On is packed with tracks that promise to distract you from the homework blues and the cooler temps ahead.
TOKiMONSTA – GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer TOKiMONSTA is out now with her latest single, “On Sum” featuring fellow multi-hyphenate Anderson .Paak and rising R&B artist Rae Khalil. This track is the third release from TOKiMONSTA’s highly anticipated album Eternal Reverie, set to drop November 22 via Young Art Records. “On Sum” showcases the magnetic chemistry between TOKiMONSTA and Anderson .Paak, with Khalil’s soulful vocals blending in perfectly with Anderson’s delivery. The accompanying music video enhances the song’s dynamic energy, taking the late-summer party anthem to new heights. “I’m excited to drop this brand new collab with Anderson .Paak, marking ten years since our first song, ‘Realla.’ Having Rae Khalil on the track is the cherry on top—music just hits different when you’re making it with friends,” states TOKiMONSTA.
TOKiMONSTA will embark on her 26-stop Eternal Reverie North American tour starting September 28th at CRSSD Festival in San Diego and wrapping up on November 30th in Los Angeles at The Fonda Theater. The tour rolls through Toronto on October 23rd at The Opera House. You can get tickets here:
Listen to TOKiMONSTA’s new single “On Sum” featuring Anderson. Paak and Rae Khalil below.
Brigitte Calls Me Baby – ATO Records-signed Chicago five-piece Brigitte Calls Me Baby just dropped a striking new video for their single “Too Easy,” a standout track from their debut album The Future Is Our Way Out. The single release follows the band’s show-stealing performance at Lollapalooza Chicago. “Too Easy” features skittering guitar and pulsating beats, with frontman Wes Leavins delivering soaring vocals and exploring themes of memory and love’s fragility. Where does the band’s intriguing name come from? It pays homage to Leavins’ teenage correspondence with iconic French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot.
Watch the new music video for Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s “Too Easy” below.
James Bay – Three-time GRAMMY-nominated and BRIT Award-winning artist James Bay wants to distract you with his new single “Easy Distraction,” out now via Mercury Records/Universal Music Canada. This track sees the English crooner collaborating with The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers, marking their first creative partnership. “Easy Distraction” is a taste of what’s to come from Bay’s forthcoming album Changes All The Time due out October 4. With its infectious guitar riff, driving drums, and Bay’s signature vocals, the song perfectly melds Bay’s influences with Flowers’ distinctive style. It’s a powerhouse anthem destined to captivate longtime James Bay fans and entice new ones.
About the song, Bay said: “The song is about realizing too late that someone means so much to you, but you still want to show them and let them know. It’s exploring how, in the face of adversity we can still reach out, we can still connect. I found out from a mutual friend that Brandon was interested in writing with newer artists, so I jumped at the chance and went to work with him in Park City, Utah over in America. It was an unbelievable experience and insight into writing with one of my heroes. I hope we get to do more!”
Listen to James Bay’s new single “Easy Distraction” below.
Penny Bored – Pop-rock artist Penny Bored is back with a fresh single “Gossip” from their upcoming EP I’m Bored, dropping September 13 via Open Your Ears Records. Following the release of “Dance In Hell,” this new track furthers Penny Bored’s mission of exploring mental health and personal struggles through relatable lyrics and catchy melodies. The solo project of Faith Alesia (they/them), Penny Bored blends the sounds of early 2000s pop-rock nostalgia with raw diary entry-style lyrics creating a space for listeners to feel understood and less alone.
On the new single, Penny Bored’s Faith Alesia states: “I think at some point we’ve all had a crush on our best friend, but were too nervous to say anything. ‘Gossip’ is all about that, but instead of saying anything, you hold on to the intimacy of sharing secrets and gossiping.”
Listen to Penny Bored’s new single “Gossip” below.
Swedish House Mafia & Alicia Keys – Two great tastes that taste great together? In this case, not so much. Swedish House Mafia and Alicia Keys have rehashed Kings of Tomorrow’s “Finally,” a dance classic from the turn of the millennium, and somehow managed to strip the track of any semblance of soul. Despite a two-year buildup and hype generated by its inclusion in live sets, the remake feels like an EDM-by-numbers exercise. Swedish House Mafia have been all over the summer festival circuit—Garorock, Panama Open Air, Lucca Summer, Untold, Findings, and Tomorrowland—despite their overhyped return resulting in the churning out of musical pablum. If you need more Swedish House Mafia in your life, you can catch them at Will Ferrell’s “Ultimate DJ House Party” in Chicago on October 26th.
Watch Swedish House Mafia & Alicia Keys perform “Finally” live from Ibiza below.
