Last week, Australian singer-songwriter grentperez released the EP When We Were Younger. The seven-track set includes the same smooth vocals and intimate lyrics that's gained him fans around the world. The production is a little more adventurous, with unexpected percussion and dreamy layers of keys and guitars.

In this episode of The Demi Ramos Show, grentperez talks about songwriting, growing up in a Filipino household, and the origins of his viral hit "Cherry Wine." He even blessed us with an exclusive acoustic performance of his new song "Silver Lining."

Watch the show and stream When We Were Younger below.

grentperez | The Demi Ramos Show


For more from grentperez, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.

MUSIC

Two Brothers, One Bedroom: Alt-Pop Bliss Courtesy of Chase Atlantic

Mitchel and Clinton Cave are straight out of the quiet suburbs of Queensland, Australia. Even when playing Lollapalooza, the trio (they added friend Christian Anthony to become Chase Atlantic), retain their remote Australian origins.

Born and raised in Queensland, Australia, brothers Mitchel and Clinton Cave grew up fiddling around with music in the safety and comfort of their bedroom.

While they've since moved most of their operation to L.A. and added a third member, longtime friend Christian Anthony, the group retains something of that early introversion. Mitchel, however, was extraordinarily forthcoming in his interview with Popdust from Philadelphia, where they're undertaking a tour in support of their sophomore album, Phases.

You're calling from LA I take it?

From Philadelphia, actually. We're in rehearsals for the first Philly show.

What's your impression of the city?

We've been here a couple of times, actually. We're in a sort of outskirts, body shop area of town. But I love Philly, in general. And the Philly Cheesesteaks especially.

Is there anything similar to a Philly Cheesesteak in Australia?

[laughs] Nah.

What is Australian food, to you?

It's very hearty. Warming. In general, what's cool is the pies. We have the best pies in the world.

The best pies?

Yup. In America, they try to make Australian pies, but they're just not the same, unfortunately.

So, before we start on the music, what exactly is an Australian pie?

I think it's mainly, like, gravy, sauce, and minced meat. A lot of the pies here are too dry. They're really saucy in Australia.

What part of Australia are you and your brother from?

We're from Cairns, Queensland, and Christian is from Sidney.

And you guys grew up with Christian?

We met when we were 14, 15.

It seems like from what I've read that you and your brother share a brain.

Yeah, more or less [laughs].

So how was it bringing in a third person who doesn't necessarily share a brain with the two of you?

Well, we didn't really "bring him in." We just met and realized we had a similar mentality. We didn't meet with the intention of working together; it just happened.

What brought you and your brother to music in the first place, before you met Christian?

Well, we grew up on classical music, and going to school, we were in jazz band, choir. Then, Clinton started recording his saxophone on Logic and getting into production, and he would record me singing. Ever since, I've been really into music production, as well. And when we met Christian, he was starting to get into it, as well. So it just clicked.

And what were you two listening to when you first started getting into music?

A little bit of everything, honestly. Our grandfather would play old French music. We listened to a lot of 80s records. Christian grew up with a lot of 60s stuff. And we all went through our punk and emo phases. That's kind of mandatory [laughs].

When I listen to "Phases," I kind of do hear an impressionistic vibe. Did that come from listening to Debussy, Ravel, those old French guys you mentioned?

Yeah, I think so. It's a subconscious thing, though. It creates itself, in a way. We just gravitate to what we think sounds good.

Who is the primary vocalist?

I do the majority of the singing, and Christian does some as well.

There's a phenomenon with [non-American] English-language singers; they end up sounding American. But I can hear occasional Australian inflections. Was that deliberate?

It's not deliberate at all. We don't put on any accent purposefully. There are few Australian artists who really put on the twang.

Who are those?

You wouldn't know them [laughs].

Speaking of Australia, I don't have a good sense of how the musical culture there is like.

There's not a lot of cultures behind the music, here. We're still a new country. I think in terms of people performing, it's very diverse. There's a very good underground culture, like Sticky Fingers, for instance. But for some reason, they haven't broken internationally.

Is there a breakdown along racial lines as far as what music is played by who?

Not really. We're very inspired by American culture because that's what we're fed growing up. All the movies, radio.

What about England? Do you derive inspiration from happens over there?

Not a whole lot, no. Maybe little hints. But mainly American culture.

It says you're from "humble beginnings" in the press materials. What does that mean? Like you grew up in some rough and tumble mining town?

[laughs] No, just a small town. The nearest city is Brisbane, but we grew up quite far from there. It was isolated. We were middle class, there. But it was still a beautiful place to grow up: tropical, rainforests everywhere. The Great Barrier Reef is there.

Where are you based now?

LA is our home away from home. We get a house there and live there for a while. It's where we record, it's where we have a lot of friends. It's an inspiring place to be.

How did you get there in the first place? How did you get out of the bedroom and into the studio?

It happened pretty quickly, honestly. We started picking up traction online with our work in the bedroom. And we got the attention of Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte.

And what did they do for you guys?

They flew us out to LA and into a studio, gave us resources to work with. We were really grateful for that. It all took off from there.

Was there a specific scene you tapped into there?

Not really. We're kind of introverted by nature. We just kind of fell in love with creating as a whole. We didn't want to restrict ourselves to being just another band. Because we produced our own music, we will always have a sound, but it won't limit us genre-wise.

Do you prefer festival gigs to other types of gigs?

It's kind of a toss-up. On the one hand, you have these amazing festivals on massive stages in the middle of the day. There's nothing like it. But not everyone there knows your music. Whereas, when we play our own shows, it may not be as glamorous as a festival, but audiences there are going to see you.

But you get known to a wider audience with a festival.

Yeah, it's tough.

What does it look like when you play live?

It's insane. Dude, you should see what the setup looks like in rehearsals. We've got this massive video and light rig behind us. In terms of sound, it's like double the energy you hear on the record. I think it's always good to up the ante for live gigs.

Are there live instruments, or is it all pre-programmed?

Two live guitars, live bass, live drums. Everything, but on steroids. There's five of us touring. We've got our friends Jesse and Pat, on drums and bass. We've toured everywhere together.

I see you've played Lollapalooza. Is there like an automatic "meet and greet" with Perry Farrell?

[laughs] No. We're pretty reclusive, except when we're on stage.

I just imagine that bands get taken into like a tent, and there is Farrell, with a robe and a crown.

[laughs] I mean, we met a bunch of cool people. We got to see a lot of artists we like. We just soaked in the whole thing.

The title track of the album, "Phases" it's got a beautiful texture. I was listening to the lyrics though, and I'm a little unclear as to what those "phases" are.

We want to keep the idea of phases as broad as possible. A little bit of vagueness is important. If you're too specific, people can't take away their own version. It can be phases of emotion, or phases of the moon and the stars: life phases?

Like menopause?

Yep. It's important to take away your own concept.

The phases themselves go through phases.

[laughs] Exactly. It's broad. Going to through a phase is a phase.

The other thing that struck me is that throughout the album there seems to be a lot of polar emotions. And those emotions are reflected in the titles: "Angels" is sort of positive. "No rainbows" is negative, unless you hate rainbows. And "Even Though I'm Depressed" is kind of both.

It's very deliberate. That last one in particular. All the songs are very anecdotal, true to how we were feeling at the time. It was very ironic, writing lyrics to such a happy chord progression. It's interesting to experiment with those polar emotions.

Like how The Smiths used to write these tuneful ditties, but they're about, like, killing your lover with an ax.

Right. In a sense, as well, it's negative,but there's hope.

How much longer are you on tour?

Well, we're about to start.

Where are you going?

Everywhere. Everywhere. [laughs] After the US, we have a month off, and then we go to Europe.

Where in Europe?

Um, everywhere as well!

What cities are you looking forward to visiting, or have you already seen most of it?

Philly will be amazing. New York, LA. Texas. I love Portland, Oregon. We don't really have a point to prove. We set ourselves to a certain standard and we can only improve from there. We're just looking forward to connecting with people and having fun. No bullshit.

MUSIC

5 Famous Musicians Americans Have Probably Never Heard Of

If Lana del Rey and Ellie Goulding had a haunted baby, it wouldn't sound as ethereal as Québécoise singer-songwriter Beatrice Martin.

Everyone believes they have good taste in music, and everybody's wrong—particularly Americans.

Yes, the American pop music machine has dominated international radio waves, thanks to the thriving capitalism of the Big Three record labels and Ariana Grande's superhuman ponytail; but data from streaming giants like YouTube and Spotify show that some of the world's most popular musicians are virtual unknowns in the States. Considering the facts that English-speaking artists only claimed two of the top 10 spots for most streamed songs in 2018 and certain international hits certified sextuple platinum didn't even break into the top 10 in the U.S., Spotify is not your friend when it comes to discovering new artists outside your music bubble. These are just 5 of the best musicians you've probably never heard of if you're an American.

Lewis Capaldi (Scotland)

With a dry wit and hilariously self-aware satirical videos on social media, Capaldi says, "I don't think I'm a pop star." But the 22-year-old Glasgow native found mainstream success in the UK with his gruff ballad "Someone You Loved." The track spent seven weeks as the number one song on the UK Singles Chart. Similarly, his 2019 debut album, Divinely Inspired to Hellish Extent, was number one in the UK but only 49 in the U.S. His long list of accolades span from winning MTV's Brand New Award for 2019 to being called "the male Adele."

In short, he's like a Scottish Seth Rogan who occasionally speaks in poetry about being lovelorn and soulfully infatuated while wearing tracksuits around his mom's house (where he still lives).

Someone You Loved


"I'm a god amongst men": Becoming Lewis Capaldiyoutu.be

BabyMetal (Japan)

babymetal

This Japanese kawaii metal band is at the center of its own Internet sub-culture. The founding members formed the perfect asynchronous gimmick: heavy metal meets Japanese anime school girls. Capitalizing on the appeal of kawaii style (marked by childlike "cuteness"), three teenage girls—Moa Kikuchi, 16, Yui Mizuno, 16, and Suzuka Nakamoto, 18–developed adorable death metal stage personas as Moametal, Yuimetal, and Sumental. They're precious, adorable, are backed with some of the most outstanding metal guitar solos available for streaming, and they sing about how much they love chocolate. They're such a bizarre phenomenon, they've earned their own Funko Pops.

BABYMETAL - ギミチョコ!!- Gimme chocolate!! (OFFICIAL)youtu.be

Coeur de Pirate (Quebec)

If Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding had a haunted baby, it wouldn't sound as ethereal as Québécoise singer-songwriter Beatrice Martin. Performing under the name Coeur de Pirate ("pirate heart"), her airy pop is predominantly in French, but her barely-there accent works melodically in her English songs. That includes her soulful piano cover of The Weeknd's "Wicked Game."

Crier tout bas


Coeur de Pirate - Wicked Gamesyoutu.be

Dean Lewis (Australia)

Sydney-born Dean Lewis is a breakout artist who stokes feelings of warm nostalgia, particularly in those who swooned for James Blunt's melodic voice and Jason Mraz's quirky rhythm changes: Lewis's style is a wholesome mix of both. His single "Be Alright" recently hit one billion streams after reaching number one on the Australian charts and being certified sextuple platinum. His 2019 debut album, A Place We Knew, only peaked at 31 on the U.S. charts, but it debuted in Australia as number one, knocking Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" down to number 2. Internationally, the album earned top 10 spots in Belgium, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, and Denmark, earning Lewis the Australian music award for Breakthrough Songwriter of the year and Outstanding International Achievement Award.

Dean Lewis - Be Alright (Official Video)youtu.be

Tasha Reid/Yoon Mi Rae (South Korea)

Korean music is capable of producing better acts than formulaic, soulless pop and armies of Twitter trolls pretending to personally know Jungkook. Before BTS, Blankpink, or even Psy, Korea had a "Queen of Soul." Born in Texas to a black father and a Korean mother, Natasha Shanta Reid became a leading female in Korean hip-hop after she debuted in Korea at 16. At her peak in 2008, she dominated the Korea Music Awards, winning for both the Best R&B/Soul album and Best R&B/Soul song. Performing under her Korean name, Yoon Mi Rae, she was among the first to give a rare voice to biracial identity in otherwise homogenous Korean pop culture. (Even in 2019, Korean celebrities of mixed heritage are rare, while the insular society stills battles racial discrimination.) It has to be noted that Tasha Reid is preceded by the legendary Korean R&B singer Insooni, also half African-American and half-Korean and born in the 50s; but today, Reid has founded her own music label and continues to work with her husband in one of Korea's most popular hip-hop groups, MFBTY.

[MV] Yoonmirae(윤미래) _ Black Happiness(검은 행복)youtu.be

MUSIC

Leanne Tennant Releases Super-8 Inspired Music Video for "Cherry Cola"

Austrailian singer-songwriter releases slice of life music video ahead of upcoming third album.

In the midst of working on her third album and after winning the prestigious Carol Lloyd Award in 2018, Australian singer-songwriter Leanne Tennant continues to branch out from her acoustic style.

She enters entirely new sonic territory in her new music video for her latest single, "Cherry Cola."

The clip, directed and edited by Jennifer Embelton, begins with Tennant getting into the back of a mysterious, vintage car. As the track's simple guitar picking starts to play in the background, the vehicle drives off to an unknown destination. The songstress croons about loving and missing someone and the feelings of loneliness that follow.

Throughout the video, viewers are shown various day and night scenes of young people skating, kissing, and going on with their lives as Tennant voyeuristically watches from inside the car. As she continues on her seemingly aimless drive, Tennant sings heartfelt lyrics like, "Once you were sweet on me/ ice cold, you're a mystery/ Now I'm not who I used to be/ Cherry Cola, your hold on me."

"The 'Cherry Cola' music video is a snapshot of life. A display of different people all experiencing different slices of life," said Tennant. The singer goes on to explain that, "The clip was filmed in various locations around Brisbane over the course of a couple of rainy days and was inspired by Tennant's love of Super 8 Film. "We tried to capture in this imagery, a feeling of happiness, yet also a feeling of something being unexplained, or not quite right," said the singer.

Viewers then follow Tennant to a tennis court where she is joined by brightly dressed cheerleaders. The dancers perform a routine to the tune of the final chorus and dance in a circle around Tennant as she looks forebodingly into the camera. This final scene is intercut with alternating shots of the dancers smiling and with shots of them similarly looking into the camera with ominous, foreboding expressions as if to say that there is more complexity to their lives than what is perceived at first glance.

Check out the music video for "Cherry Cola" below.


Alessandra Rincón is a journalist, writer, and photographer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana living in New York City. She loves covering music, art and culture news and you can usually find her at a show or with her nose in a book. In her spare time she is a musician, comic book nerd and wannabe cook.


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MUSIC

Happy #LesbianVisibilityDay: 10 Queer Musicians Who Are Changing the Industry

They make up just a fraction of the many lesbian and queer musicians who are revolutionizing the industry, but you should definitely know each one of the artists on this list.

Friday was Lesbian Visibility Day, but lesbians deserve representation every day of the year—after all, they're not only around on April 26.

Here are 10 incredible queer musicians to know, each of whom has contributed to music and culture in hugely significant and inspiring ways.

1. Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko's exuberant pop has propelled her to the top of the charts and has made her a religious icon of sorts for queers everywhere. With her unabashedly gay lyrics and imagery, she's carving out space for a confident brand of sexuality that has long been relegated to ambiguous lyrics of even openly queer musicians.

Hayley Kiyoko - SLEEPOVERwww.youtube.com

2. Hurray For the Riff Raff

Fronted by the Bronx-born Alynda Segarra, Hurray for the Riff Raff has created a blend of Americana so sophisticated that it merits dozens of listens, and each time it will inevitably offer up different bits of wisdom. Segarra, a former punk of Puerto Rican descent, has always traversed political and personal themes and is one of the strongest voices in protest music today. Her music explores the complexity of the queer, mixed-race experience, delving into politics and mixing English and Spanish into pure poetry. Her music does justice to its complex themes, while also maintaining a sense of hope and idealism. With her album The Navigator, she took on a David Bowie-type alter ego with her own twist. "I learned I could create a character, the Navigator, who would stand at the intersection of all these identities and weave in and out," she toldThe Times. "And I related to being the alien. I began to take that as a badge of honor."

Hurray For The Riff Raff - Pa'lante (Official Video)www.youtube.com


3. Janelle Monae

Sometimes it seems like there's nothing Janelle Monae can't do. She rose to the fore with her gender-bending, androgynous appearance, only to cast off even that label in exchange for truly fluid shifts from the silver screen to the largest festival stages. About a year ago, she told Rolling Stone that she identified with elements of bisexuality and pansexuality. "I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you," she said in an interview. "Be proud."

4. Julien Baker

Now practically legendary in the indie folk circuit, Julien Baker made waves by speaking openly about her experiences growing up queer and Christian in Tennessee. Since then, her ingenious methods of looping, drawing spare melodies out of her Telecaster, and spinning pain into reverent poetry have made her a prominent and critically acclaimed solo artist in her own right. Plus, boygenius, the trio comprised of Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers (both of whom also identify as queer), is one of the best supergroups of our modern era.

Julien Baker: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concertwww.youtube.com


5. King Princess

Producer-songwriter King Princess has never been shy about her identity as a lesbian—her first tour was called "Pussy is God," and she's referenced a variety of historical and contemporary queer themes in her music. Her best song, "1950," may be referring to the Lavender Scare, when homophobic paranoia reached a peak and many queers had to hide their identities in order to keep their jobs. Despite its heavy inspiration, "1950" is full of electric joy; though its political undertones are very intentional. "I want to get to a place where the story is less about me and my face and more about what the fuck's going on this world. How I can be an active voice for gay people but also the music industry," she said to Rolling Stone. "This is the art we need right now. This is what we need right now. We're in a renaissance, and we need people to rebel, come forth and bring messages into art."

King Princess - 1950www.youtube.com


6. LP

LP's voice sounds like a mix of Bob Dylan's and Stevie Nicks'—which would be enough to merit a listen on its own—but she's also a masterful songwriter and artist, as well as an open lesbian. Having written hits for Christina Aguilera and the Backstreet Boys, she's now taking the music industry by storm with her infectious, sophisticated brand of folk-rock. Not only does she shred on the ukulele she also wears sunglasses at night and has mastered the art of suit-wearing, so if you're looking for someone to fall in love with, look no further.

LP - Girls Go Wild (Official Video)www.youtube.com


7. ROES

Formerly known as Angel Haze, ROES has just released one track— "Brooklyn"—and if their future releases are anything like that one, we're going to be hearing a lot more from them. The song is a dreamscape, evoking the likes of Frank Ocean as they layer their vocals and bars over brooding electric guitar. The rapper-singer openly identifies as pansexual and has said that they don't consider themselves any particular sex or identify with any particular pronouns, and they prefer to keep their music ambiguous so that everyone can relate to it. They've also been a staunch advocate for mental health. "If I can't say how I feel I go crazy," they told The Fader recently. "Every day I wake up and I'm like 'goddamn, you lived. You're alive again.'

8. Tash Sultana

The virtuosic polymath gained fame after their YouTube videos took off, and they've been touring steadily ever since. With their blend of guitar, effortless vocals, and psychedelic grit, they should be on everyone's live show bucket list. Open about their experiences with drug abuse and queerness, they also identify as non-binary, use they/them pronouns, and have often spoken about the ways music has helped them overcome challenges.

Tash Sultana - Can't Buy Happiness (Official Video Clip) 4Kwww.youtube.com


9. Tish Hyman

A formidable talent in the R&B and hip hop spheres, Hyman has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business. Having cut her teeth on battle rap in the Bronx, she moved to Los Angeles, worked as Lil Wayne's tour manager, and started writing with the likes of Alicia Keys and Kanye West before going solo. Her vocals have drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill, and her first release, "Subway Art," is a tribute to the twists and turns of life in the big city.

Tish Hyman - Subway Art (Official Video)www.youtube.com


10. Young M.A.

The Brooklyn-raised rapper has always been committed to being authentically herself—the M.A. in her name stands for "Me, Always"—and it seems to be paying off. She sold out her North American tour with 21 Savage, opened for Beyoncé, and her first album Herstory is a triumphant reclamation of her queer black feminist identity. She's always been openly proud of her sexual orientation, telling Vogue that once she came out, she felt she was able to move forward with her career. "I held in being sexually attracted to women for so long that once I got that out of me, the music became easy," she said.

Young M.A "Stubborn Ass" (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com


Honorable Mentions: Let us give thanks to our queer foremothers—to Tegan and Sara, Tracy Chapman, and all the many others who paved the way.

Tracy Chapman - Fast carwww.youtube.com



Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York City. Follow her on Twitter @edenarielmusic.


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MUSIC

6 New Songs You Should Hear this Week: Music in the Eye of the Storm

Featuring Tash Sultana, Anderson .Paak and Smokey Robinson, Khalid, Lostboycrow, MADELIN and more

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

This was an incredible week for music, with releases from the likes of Khalid, Sara Bareilles, Aurora, Marina and the Diamonds, Weyes Blood, Mac DeMarco, Vampire Weekend, and Anderson .Paak promising to brighten your day no matter what kind of music you're into.

Here are some of the week's best new tracks—some by lesser-known artists, some instant classics, but all finding some kind of peace within chaos, whether through forgiveness, self-love, wistful nostalgia, or comfort in one's makeshift family.

1. Anderson .Paak and Smokey Robinson: Make It Better

Anderson .Paak - Make It Better (ft. Smokey Robinson) (Official Video)www.youtube.com

This is the sonic equivalent of a long, deep drink of water at 3 AM; somehow refreshing on a soul-deep level, it's enhanced by cinematic strings and Smokey Robinson's '50s soul-style harmonies, which rise and fall over a punchy beat. It all comes together to form a song that's joyful and full of life, equal parts experimental and true to its influences. "Make It Better" is about deciding to work on a relationship instead of letting it fade away, and it's the perfect soundtrack for anybody trying to do the same. It also sounds tailor-made for a walk in a park on a spring day after a long, dark winter, or for a reconciliatory dance in the kitchen as the sun rises; in short, it sounds like a quiet redemption.

2. Tash Sultana: Can't Buy Happiness

Tash Sultana - Can't Buy Happiness (Official Video Clip) 4Kwww.youtube.com

Tash Sultana has returned with a luxuriously dreamy new single, her first release since 2018's excellent Flow State. "Can't Buy Happiness" is a slow burn, beginning with a still, quiet reflectiveness that bursts into full-on ecstasy about halfway through. Sultana has never been one to hold back, and here she unleashes the full scope of her voice, guitar, and creative vision, creating a psychedelic firework display that ebbs and flows with all the violence of a tropical storm. You might have to take a breath afterward because this is a rollercoaster in the best way, a wild ride through rich sonic textures, crashing waves, and flawless, emotive guitar riffs.

3. Noname: Song 32

Noname - Song 32www.youtube.com

Noname is one of the best in the game right now, and she's returned to solidify this representation with a subdued new track called "Song 32." Her crystalline bars fit neatly over a sparse beat and erupt on the chorus, before settling back down into the rhythm and then rising back up again. It's a calm, gentle, and yet softly assertive composition; and ultimately, it sounds like a woman at peace with herself, keyed into her own strength. "I'm the best of America," she repeats, letting the music take over for a moment before launching back into her effortless, intricate verses.

4. Lostboycrow: Cody in the Valley

The rising singer from East L.A. has been touring relentlessly and steadily releasing bits of his first LP Santa Fe. This week, he dropped a new addition featuring the title track as well as "Cody in the Valley." The latter is misty, mournful pop at its purest; it's a sultry and unaffected tune that begins with pristine piano and builds up to a guitar-streaked chorus, fleshed out by rich harmonies. It's a song for sunsets and smoky nights and carries with it some of the nostalgic, saturated gloom of early Lorde; and it's a promising addition to Lostboycrow's growing body of impressive work.

5. MADELIN: Monarch

Monarchwww.youtube.com

Experimental pop artist MADELIN just released a new single, and it's an eclectic and euphoric dance track that carries with it all the energy of a summer night in New York City. She told Popdust, "Monarch is inspired by the colorful intensity of the New York City and Brooklyn queer nightlife scene. I wrote it at a time in my life when going out and seeing all the unique, beautiful, artistic drag queens and club kids was the only thing making me feel truly alive. It's about being inspired by other people's creativity and getting closer to your own, feeling the collective energy of misfit humans together in one space, getting lost in the adrenaline, love, and beauty of a fleeting moment."

"Monarch" does justice to this mission. It's a gleaming collage of synths and beats, a danceable and energy-filled celebration of all the joy, strangeness, and communion that Brooklyn nightlife and queerness have to offer. Check out Popdust's 2018 interview with her here.

5. Khalid: Paradise

Khalid - Paradise (Audio)www.youtube.com

Though he's no longer a young dumb broke high school kid, Khalid is still just as good at creating effortlessly catchy tunes as he was back then. His songwriting talents have grown over the years, though, and Free Spirit showcases his knack for turning ordinary experiences into cinematic events. "Paradise" in particular is a casual, ultra-relaxed tribute to escapism, a song that seems made for smoke-filled rooms and late nights. His falsetto rises above a fluorescent beat, and a buoyant guitar outro adds to the song's carefree, dreamlike atmosphere. It's one of the highlights of his all-around fantastic sophomore album.


Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York City. Find her on Twitter @edenarielmusic.


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