MUSIC

PREMIERE: Natalie Shay Welcomes You into Her '80s Soaked World with “People Like Me”

On "People Like Me," Natalie Shay explores the challenges of living in a world in which the rose-tinted digital lens of social media distorts our perception of artists.

Natalie Shay

Natalie Shay isn't slowing down anytime soon.

The 20-year-old singer hailing from North London may be young, but in the last year she's released a slew of infectious indie pop singles and garnered a reputation as one of the most promising songwriters in the game. Today, Popdust has the pleasure of premiering Shay's fourth single: "People Like Me."

On "People Like Me," Natalie Shay welcomes you into her transfixing sonic world of 80's synth textures and bright pop melodies, one where listeners will discover vibrant hooks and earnest lyricism. "People Like Me" details the challenges faced by artists in a society where the rose-tinted digital lens of social media masks harsher realities.

Shay told Popdust: "'People Like Me' was written about the discoveries and struggles of being a young artist or creative. The song expresses the emotional journey of finding out things aren't always as they seem, to finding your way in the world."

Shay, who started off as a classically trained guitarist at the age of 5 and went on to hone her skills at the acclaimed BRIT school, is taking her career in stride––releasing one immaculate single at a time. Shay's new track, "People Like Me," continues her string of glimmering pop following previously released singles "Yesterday," "This Feeling," and "Perfume." Whereas "The Feeling" showcased a guitar-driven sound, "Perfume" and "Yesterday" adopted a sweeter, more nostalgic sensibility––and on this new track, Shay leans into a fully-realized'80s soaked sound.

"People Like Me" is a remarkably fresh synth-pop hit. Shay's soaring vocals are layered on top of energetic electronic arrangements, and her songwriting talent is clearer than ever, featuring breezy hooks and a catchy chorus that's sure to get stuck in your head.

"People Like Me" is out now. Listen below:

MUSIC

Beabadoobee's New Music Video is Absurdly Delightful

The 18-year-old singer-songwriter's new music video proves that apathy can still be fun.

Beabadoobee's latest video for "If You Want To" perfectly compliments the grunge-tinged pop song.

Her voice is infectiously smooth and her melodies roll in with comely delight, but Beabadoobee's new single is no bubblegum pop affair. There's an edginess to it that asserts itself in distorted, palm-muted power chords and a music video that could be straight out of the early '90s.

As the video opens, Beabadoobee sits in bed. A hand-wringing mother leads a no-nonsense doctor into Beabadoobee's overwhelmingly pink bedroom. "She hasn't slept in weeks," the mother figure informs the doctor. The song starts just as the doctor begins his examination. Beabadoobee sings with a face of pure apathy as the doctor performs his equally detached checkup. The absurdity and alienation of this exchange – alongside dramatic cuts to the first-person point of view, sudden jolts of animation, and surrealistically cartoonish sets – make the video feel almost like an obscure 20th-century French film at times. At others, like when we see Beabadoobee performing alongside a band of grungy guys whose hair perpetually obscures their faces, the video pokes fun at the disposition of ironic indifference characteristic of the 1990's (and often associated with hipsters today). The overall result is a fun and layered music video for a shy but confident love song.

If you like what you hear, you can look forward to Beabadoobee's upcoming EP, Loveworm, out on April 26th.

beabadoobee - If You Want Towww.youtube.com



Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).


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