I feel like this week has just been arduous. I'm counting down the hours until I can clock out and focus on my hot date with my couch and a glass of wine. And there's no better way to enjoy your weekend than with a whole host of new music released today!
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I moved to the New York City area last August, and one of the first venues I heard of was the elusive Brooklyn Mirage. It’s a live music venue located in the heart of Brooklyn, New York where any DJ whose anybody plays night after night in the summer. It draws huge crowds, fans of EDM and people who just like dance music come together in this courtyard-esque venue.

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MTV

Awards shows were once the epitome of all things Hollywood. Glamorous ball gowns and men in fresh suits, the best new singer or actor celebrated, the greats all in attendance. But how the mighty have fallen.

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MUSIC

HIRIE Talks Addiction, Bipolar Disorder, and Spirituality on her Album "Dreamer"

Tropical-pop singer-songwriter releases third album ahead of headlining her U.S. fall tour.

Tropical pop singer HIRIE's third album, Dreamer, is a sonic journey base-lined by islad beats that celebrate the bold, joyful, and even messy impulses that drive the female experience.

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MUSIC

Louis Tomlinson Wants to Be in Oasis So Bad

"Kill My Mind" is an Oasis rip off in the least flattering way.

Louis Tomlinson wants us to know that he's been listening to rock music.

Louis Tomlinson - Kill My Mind (Official Lyric Video)www.youtube.com

In an awkward 2017 profile with The Guardian, the former One Direction member described himself as "forgettable" and endorsed the idea that he was the "lowliest" member of the group, citing the fact that he never had a single vocal solo during his time with the band. "I'm trying to work out why it is that I'm [doing this]," he said, as a few offerings off his upcoming solo album played in the background. So he did what any uninspired artist would do: he went back to his "roots" and listened to the music he grew up with. "I grew up loving bands," Tomlinson told MTV. "Because I'm from the north of England naturally everyone's obsessed with Oasis and Arctic Monkeys." Consequently, Tomlinson's new single, "Kill My Mind," sounds like a mediocre tribute to early aughts British rock.

"Kill My Mind" is melodically reminiscent of a 2006 Arctic Monkeys B-side, while lyrics like, "kept me living from the last time, from a prison of a past life," attempt to carry the metaphorical significance of an Oasis record, but mostly just don't make any sense. Tomlinson's attempt at a low nasally growl when he sings, "and you hate me, and I want more," just sounds like Liam Gallagher mimicry. Thematically, Tomlinson's wish-washy narrative makes it sound like he's trying to appear more prolific and rock-and-roll-esque than he actually is. Even the lyric video shows a cartoon Tomlinson directly copying the outfit and stance of Liam Gallagher during an Oasis performance. All of it feels fraudulent, none of it is compelling, and all of it suggests Tomlinson would rather be a third Gallagher brother than himself.

MUSIC

SHY Martin Saves Herself on New Single

"Out of My Hands," the latest release from the Swedish songwriter, confronts a toxic relationship with lovelorn pop.

In an exclusive Popdust premiere, SHY Martin shares her newest release "Out of My Hands."

The Swedish artist's latest is a moody breakup letter, combining dreamy production with melancholy lyricism. SHY cut her teeth as a songwriter for artists like the Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha, and Kygo before releasing her own EP, Overthinking, last December, a project drawing on the atmospheric pop acts she wrote for melded with her own pining flair. "Out of My Hands" continues the trend in darker territory, as SHY narrates leaving a toxic relationship, even as its hooks sink deeper into her.

The track opens with SHY Martin's vocals, tinged with an exhausted heartache, leading into a minimalist synth melody. "Out of My Hands" only builds from there, the melody expanding its scope along with an echoing guitar and a percolating beat. SHY's delicate voice gives a focus to the hazy production, providing clarity in the song's somber pop—and giving the lyrics a perfect context to unfold in. "Hating you is hard / Harder than I'll ever let you know," SHY admits, embodying the song's central contradiction of leaving an addictive love behind. She reflects on how good this relationship was, what it gave her before it consumed her world and chipped away at her identity. The act of leaving in "Out of My Hands" is SHY saving herself, but she's still haunted both by her feelings and the fear of starting over. By the end, she's determined, but the sound crystallizes her uncertainty, suffusing the track with a powerful apprehension.

With an ear for atmosphere and a clear sense of artistic direction, "Out of My Hands" is a stirring new offering from SHY Martin and an exciting indication of what's to come.

Out of My Hands



Matthew Apadula is a writer and music critic from New York. His work has previously appeared on GIGsoup Music and in Drunk in a Midnight Choir. Find him on Twitter @imdoingmybest.


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