On Friday, December 8, Nicki Minaj went back to her roots by releasing the second installment of her no-skips debut album, Pink Friday, with Pink Friday 2. The 2010 debut included radio hits like "Super Bass", "Fly (feat. Rihanna)", and "Moment 4 Life", and went triple Platinum. So you can imagine the hype behind The Queen of Hip-Hop's fifth studio album is surging to an all-time high...

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We are officially approaching the middle of August already. How is the summer flying by that fast that it feels like every week I'm discussing a new season approaching? Taylor Swift was right, August does really slip away like a bottle of wine.

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Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent by Lewis Capaldi

LEWIS CAPALDI / CAPITOL RECORDS

Aannnnddd we're back with another weekend playlist curated by yours truly. Luckily enough for all of us, this time of year is a hotspot for releasing new music. As I mentioned last week, we are now witnessing the competition for Song Of The Summer, and honestly I don't know if we've heard it yet.

So this week I'm feeling extra hopeful that more music is here to get us through these next few hot months. Nothing complements those days spent roasting on the beach quite like having a playlist to get you through. It's almost as essential as staying hydrated and wearing sunscreen - almost.

Every week, I'm scouring Spotify New Music Friday playlists, I'm taking in recommendations, and I'm listening to the songs myself. I'm specifically choosing songs that will stand out to you and your friends as you pack your schedule with weekend getaways and parties on rooftops.

This week, we have new music from the lovely Lewis Capaldi, Popdust favorite Austin Millz, and more...so it's turning out to be one of my fave playlists yet. Here's my new playlist of songs that came out around today, May 19.

Lewis Capaldi - Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent



The thing about Lewis Capaldi is that he will never disappoint. His voice is unmatched, leaving nothing to be desired and everything on the table. It's what got him chart-topping records like "Someone You Loved" and "Before You Go", and this new album is no exception. After a raw documentary and vulnerable, triumphant singles like "Wish You The Best" and "Haven't You Ever Been In Love Before?", this album is classic Capaldi, but with a new glimpse inside.

Austin Millz & Alina Baraz - "Breathless"



It's been a big year so far for Austin Millz, who we've covered releasing "Inhale/Exhale" with Sabrina Claudio and "Freeway" with Estelle. He's performed at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and in Coachella's Heineken House, and now he's here releasing "Breathless" alongside Alina Baraz. Pair Millz' ability to make a catchy beat and Baraz' smooth, summery vocals and your transported into another world with "Breathless".

Bad Bunny - "Where She Goes"



You already know you will be hearing this at every bar and club you enter for the foreseeable future. "Where She Goes" sends you right to the club with a punchy beat and his silky voice gliding throughout the whole track. The shocking part is that this music video features Frank Ocean, who has barely been seen the last decade. The video is riddled with other stars like Lil Uzi Vert and soccer star Ronaldinho.

Lana Del Rey - "Say Yes To Heaven"



It only made sense for Lana Del Rey to finally release "Say Yes To Heaven" after the unreleased version blew up on TikTok. It's an essential Lana song, with her unique tone and crooning sound that sends you back to sometime far in the past. Her voice is like the summer, and this single is just what you need alongside you at the beach.

Post Malone - "Mourning"



With a new album coming soon and more live performances on deck, Post Malone is constantly showing us how a hit record is made. It's his classic tone, a little sprinkling of vulnerability, and a must-listen. If it's any indication of what the rest of the album sounds like, you won't want to miss it.

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Harry Styles, TikTok Boys, and the Exciting Evolution of Men's Beauty

Brands are finally realizing that Gen Z is not here for archaic gender roles

Harry Styles

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Harry Styles has done it again.

Gracing the cover of Dazed magazine, Harry has gone viral for his gender-fluid outfits and his full embrace of eccentric fashion choices. This comes as he launches Pleasing, his beauty brand that celebrates individuality and beauty through nail polish and skincare.

This is not the first time Harry has tested the boundaries of gender norms in clothing. Since his departure from One Direction in August 2015, Harry's solo career has been one defined by curiosity and color. No longer constrained by his 1D image, the "Watermelon Sugar" singer is flaunting the freedom to explore his own tastes and identity beyond any boundary he can break.

Naturally, this has opened him up to much media speculation — especially about his sexuality — all of which he's managed to expertly brush off with the ease of someone who is used to the scrutiny of fame. His sartorial boldness has earned him many fashion fans — including Anna Wintour — who cast him as co-chair of the 2019 Met Gala and made him the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue.

Boundary Pushing Has Been A Long Time Coming

Harry's constant boundary pushing follows in a long line of performers who exploit their aesthetics to push the boundaries of what's considered socially acceptable. Often, these have been queer and/or BIPOC artists who weren't accepted by the mainstream anyway and therefore were able — or forced — to shatter its expectations.

Think: Prince, whose widespread appeal doesn't stem from cheap theatrics or musical cliches. Prince was actively political, actively experimental, and fearlessly unapologetic. In a similar vein, Bowie and Freddy Mercury also used media such as music videos and record covers to play with gender norms — while wearing bold makeup on stage as part of their personas.

Harry isn't the only one following in the path of these status-challenging footsteps. Contemporary artists like Jaden Smith, Yungblud, and Jesse Rutherford are among other artists playing with contemporary perceptions of maleness.

In hip hop, Lil Nas X, Yung Thug, and Lil Uzi Vert are pioneering a new type of rapper, one inspired by rock music and alternative aesthetics, therefore advancing notions of Black maleness beyond mainstream constraints.

Now, it's common to see male stars sporting colorful nails and more traditionally "feminine"tailoring. A lot of these emergent aesthetics mirror looks that Mr Styles has sported — Shawn Mendes's turn to jewelry and short shorts, Tom Holland's GQ cover flared pants. And we love to see it.

The Mainstream Adoption

This increased visibility of gender non-comforming options for self-expression has made its way down from the upper echelons of artists and celebrities to the masses. In small ways, masculine dressing is shifting to something more playful.

For example, boys in crop tops and nail polish are pretty much ubiquitous on college campuses and TikTok. Male jewelry is also popular — with beaded and pearl necklaces appearing as common accessories on young demographics.

Lots of this is influenced by social media as much as it is by celebrities. TikTok beauty standards encourage young boys to wear rings, have longer hair, pierced ears, and painted nails. It also encourages a less rigid attitude that shuns archaic definitions of gender and revels in the playfulness of stepping outside of social norms.

This is no surprise considering Gen Z — who are spearheading this normalization, are more queer-identifying and more accepting of LGBTQ communities — bringing them from the fringe into the mainstream.

Big Brands are Taking Notice

Companies and brands have caught on that the same bland, binary, hetro-normative images and products do not work for this new generation.

On the cutting edge, companies like Meloway Makeupare responding to customer demands for more diversity.

Meloway Makeup, a thrilling beauty brand that believes that makeup can be versatile tools of self expression. Instead of being fussy or overly complex like some brands, Meloway wants to enhance your natural beauty in simple ways. Although their line is simple it packs a punch.

Here are our favorite products for any gender:

  1. brow creation gel($20): No matter who you are, your brows frame your face. They're the unassuming, make-it-or-break-it feature which have more impact on your looks than you think. While horrifying trends like overplucking or over-filling are behind us, we can embrace a more natural shape — just enhanced!
  1. your way eyeliner + remover($22): Everyone loves a two-in-one! This revolutionary eyeliner pen lets you easily apply the perfect cat-eye, but also remove it if it smudges mid-application. Forget those overly-complex TikTok hacks for the perfect wing — this is all you need.
  1. ready set primer ($22): Meloway is committed to innovating makeup just as much as it's interested in pushing boundaries. This primer does both: providing thicker lashes even before you apply mascara. Say goodbye to flimsy falsies or too-thick coats of mascara with this silky solution.

We're excited to see where the democratization of beauty takes us. Hopefully, it's in the direction of more brands like Meloway and more stars like Harry.

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Everything We Know About Harry Styles' New Brand, "Pleasing" — Popdust

Eternal Atake - Lil Uzi Vert

A great album is like a little world.

Some worlds are more fun to live in than others, and these albums were worlds we all wanted to move to forever in 2020. It was the year of the quarantine album—but what that album looked like varied from artist to artist. From maximalist relics of 2019 to housebound 2020 offerings, here, in no particular order, are our top 14 albums of 2020.

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Short film for Eternal Atake "BabyPluto" 🌟🛸

One of the most colossal music releases of our lifetime has finally arrived.

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After two years of teasers, delays, and a brief musical hiatus, Lil Uzi Vert kicked the Eternal Atake press run into full gear these past few weeks, spontaneously releasing a new single, short film, and the album track list all with very little warning. Leading up to one of the most highly anticipated releases of the past two years, Uzi fans became convinced that Eternal Atake would never see the light of day after a GQ expose with the rapper mentioned that he was fully pivoting into fashion. "The music is whatever, bro. I really do it just to make my family happy," he said. His family must be happy then, because the reception for Eternal Atake has already been stellar, and Uzi has finally fed his fans what they've been drooling over for years.

Check out the album below:

Eternal Atake