Kota The Friend

It feels pretentious for an artist in 2020 to ruminate on the pleasures of learning to fish or the pure joy of sipping beer cans by the lake considering all the trauma that embroils everyday life.

Last week The Washington Post reported that nearly half of Americans are struggling with mental health issues thanks to the COVID-19 Crisis. An emergency hotline run by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported a 1,000 percent increase in April compared to the same time in 2019, and the online therapy app Talkspace reported a 65 percent increase in clients since mid-February. It feels tacky to be optimistic these days. Still, on Kota the Friend's sophomore triumph, Everything, he modestly implies that the simple pleasures were always more important than we gave them credit for.

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It's hard to ignore the hype surrounding the final season of Game of Thrones.

Amidst the constant din of late night talk show appearances, trailer promos, season teasers, and SNL content, there's almost no way to escape the show's grand finale. It's no secret that GoT––known for its grandiose budgets, extravagant filming locations, and widespread popularity––has the financial power to dominate the media landscape. Now, HBO is teaming up with Columbia Records to curate a special soundtrack to celebrate the end of the phenomenal series.

The star-studded project –– For The Throne –– is set to feature musical contributions from A$AP Rocky, Rosalía, The National, Ellie Goulding, Maren Morris, and Mumford & Sons –– among other major powerhouses. Earlier this month,Pitchfork reported that The Weeknd, SZA, and Travis Scott are working on an original song for the show, but that's not where the name-dropping ends. The 14-track project will be released on April 26th, after the GoT season kicks off on April 8th. This is the first time HBO has partnered with a major record label to create a soundtrack specifically for the show with original material, which is a real testament to the series' cultural power.

See the full list of the acts set to appear on For The Throne below:

ASAP Rocky

Chloe x Halle

Ellie Goulding

Jacob Banks

James Arthur

Joey Badass

Lennon Stella

Lil Peep

Maren Morris

Matthew Bellamy

Mumford & Sons

Rosalía f/ A.CHAL

SZA

The Lumineers

The National

The Weeknd

Travis Scott

Ty Dolla Sign

X Ambassadors


Sara is a music and culture writer who lives in Brooklyn. Her work has previously appeared in PAPER magazine and Stereogum.


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