MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Back to Basics

For a while it seemed like the focus behind the making of a lot of mainstream music was simply achieving astronomical streaming numbers versus actually creating something of substance. Maybe the perfect place to live in 2025 is a happy medium between a streaming hit and still a piece of art that pushes the boundaries; or is at least at its core, a great song. I see this being showcased in the form of this week’s new releases, as majority of the artists featured have stripped away any of the gimmicky controversies and gone back to the basics of what we love in their music, and music in general.

Last week I wrote about Lady Gaga and her new album Mayhem being one of the best pop albums of the last few years. While she has almost always been a sure thing, it’s always a breath of fresh air when one of the next generation of artists does the same. Look no further than JADE. She took over the BRIT Awards stage earlier this month and won the prize for Best Pop Act, cementing her as one of Brit Pop’s shiniest rising stars. Her grand performance was very reminiscent of early Gaga performances and the good news is that JADE has the music to match, and she proved that during her set. If you dig a little deeper into the rollout of her as-of-yet untitled debut album, it is chockfull of pop culture references ranging across all the divas from Mariah Carey to Madonna. There may just be hope for the traditional performance pop star after all… is it 2003?

Speaking of 2003, two other new releases this week from Chappell Roan and Lil Nas X contain some serious nods to the early aughts. I know I can sound like a broken record, but I do have a literal podcast completely dedicated to music of the decade, and I know I’m not the only music nerd who lives from music from that era. In a world where genre exists less and less, Chappell Roan takes “back to the basics” to another level by honouring her Midwest roots with a country song. The best kind of country, the kind of country that LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain were doing back in the late ‘90s and early 2000s (the era that raised me). Then we have Lil Nas X, who has had a rocky road in the music world in the last year or so. I’ll touch more on that later, but the point is that instead of continuing his trend of controversial publicity stunts, he opted for a lighter approach by releasing the easy, breezy, y2k throwback song “HOTBOX”. If anything is a sure thing in 2025, it’s a throwback sample (see: Doechii “Anxiety”).

Someone who should’ve brought it back to her basics on the other hand is Gwen Stefani. I’m always going to be a champion for my girl from Orange County, no matter how badly she tries to prove she’s an Oklahoma country chick now. Her newest single “Still Gonna Love You” was co-written by Finneas, clearly an attempt to create a contemporary sound. Unfortunately, and I say this with love, the song is a snooze fest and frankly so is the accompanying album Bouquet. I’m all for Gwen making a musical comeback, as I am openly a huge fan, but it does seem like she’s forgotten why we all fell in love with her in the first place.

Next week, one of my favourite R&B artists Leon Thomas releases some new music and since we’re only a few days away from spring, it couldn’t be a better time. This week, along with Chappell, JADE and Lil Nas, we also have some new tunes in the world of Hip-Hop and Rap. Plus, a viral hit that I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of TikTok, and I’m not exaggerating.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“FUFN (F*ck You For Now)” by JADE

Since her debut as a solo artist last July, JADE has been showcasing her knowledge of pop music through her visuals and general sound. Her latest “FUFN” is no different, giving us the grandeur of Gaga’s late-2000s tracks, with a modern contemporary twist. Co-written with none other than RAYE, it’s no surprise that the song is a pop banger made for a pop girlie determined to bring back the greatest parts of pop music. The lyrics were inspired by a dream JADE had of her boyfriend cheating on her, bringing the concept to RAYE and voila, another pop gem was born. The big chorus is like ripping a page out of The Fame Monster, and I can’t wait to be singing this on the dance floor at a gay bar. After winning the BRIT award for “Best Pop Act” a few weeks ago, the anticipation for JADE’s full-length debut album has ramped up to an all-time high. She’s now five singles deep into the rollout, so it’s only a matter of time. Every single one of her releases has been strong, easily making her the standout solo release by former Little Mix members. Her ascension to the top of the British pop music scene is giving me flashbacks to Geri Halliwell back in 1999-2000 when she had a string of #1 hits off her solo album post-Spice Girls. I love a full circle girl group moment. Cheers to miss JADE.

“RATHER LIE” by Playboi Carti, The Weeknd

The five-year wait for fans of Playboi Carti is finally over as he released his latest album MUSIC last Friday. The album is 30 songs long, so you could argue that he made it worth the wait. Whether or not mumble rap is your thing, there’s no denying its popularity especially on streaming. Majority of this new album isn’t my style, however the standouts that grabbed my attention were strong. Just like any genre, there’s an art to making a mumble rap song that can crossover into mainstream airplay. “RATHER LIE” is a prime example of that, it has all the things needed for a lit trap song, but also has a melody that is catchy enough to be played on Pop radio - Abel knows his way around a catchy chorus. The song was designed to be screamed by herds of people on a rooftop beach club on a hot summer night. Carti and The Weeknd have been on a hit-streak over the last year, and the two will be touring together this summer. Seems like they’re a match made in heaven, now I just have to secure my tickets to one of the four sold-out shows they are doing in Toronto, wish me luck.

“The Giver” by Chappell Roan

Talk about bringing it back to basics, it was only a matter of time before the Midwest princess dabbled in Country music. “The Giver” is a honky-tonk, bubble gum country bop that is reminiscent of the music of The Chicks or Shania Twain. Chappell first performed the song last fall during an appearance on SNL, but has waited until now post-Grammys to officially release it commercially. The song reminds me of the country-pop songs from my childhood that were feel-good and karaoke ready, which is the best kind of country for pop heads like myself. Chappell has that natural sass that lends well to the genre, and that fits perfectly with the lane that Shania Twain carved for country girls back in the mid ‘90s. Whether this is an indication of a full country-pop album to come from Chappell is yet to be known, but nonetheless, the song is a bop and can sit perfectly with the likes of “Goodbye Earl” and “Man, I Feel Like A Woman”. Thirty years ago, a song like “The Giver” would not be getting such a warm reception as the gatekeepers of country were much more vocal. Nowadays, Chappell taking the men of country to task by delivering a lesbian anthem is about as good of a bad bitch move you can get. Shania, I hope you’re proud.

“HOTBOX” by Lil Nas X

After his disastrous attempt at a comeback early last year, Lil Nas X has taken another stab at the lead for his sophomore project with “HOTBOX”. The easy, breezy song is miles better than the mess that was “J CHRIST” and has summer written all over it. The song and its accompanying video are bright, light, and free of graphic religious imagery, so that’s already a step up. The issue with Lil Nas X’s work in the past was that it seemed that shock value was the main focus behind every creative decision. Coming back to music with a song that instead clearly focuses on feel-good vibes and just quality pop/rap music was a smart choice on his part. The song samples “Frontin’” by Pharrell and Jay-Z, continuing the trend of artists writing songs around samples from classic tracks of the early aughts. He describes his new era as being filled with joy and being unapologetically himself, and that means there will be lots and lots of pink. Work. I’m always rooting for more queer artists to take over the mainstream, so it makes me happy to see him back to making the type of music that people will be able to enjoy and bounce to with a glass of rosé. Summer is coming soon folks, hold tight.

“No Sweat” by Key Glock

Key Glock is making his major label debut with “No Sweat”, a banger that I’ve already tested on the stair master; passed the test with flying colours by the way. He was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee where he came up as a rapper, releasing mixtape after mixtape as an independent artist since 2017. Now being signed to a major label, he’s taking the world by storm. Plus it’s time for someone other than Justin Timberlake to represent Memphis, which I’m sure we’re all happy about. A thumping bass accompanied by an operatic background vocal throughout the song makes for one of the most impressive rap debuts of the year. Key Glock’s flow is smooth and effortless, and the song had me bopping my head instantly. His upcoming album is titled Glockaveli, and the cover art has already been released. While a release date isn’t confirmed, Key Glock has nine mixtapes for us all to discover until the major debut is released, happy listening!

MC’s VIRAL PICK

Janet Jackson “Someone To Call My Lover”

Well folks, it finally happened. Gen Z has discovered Janet Jackson, and it’s not the song that I thought was going to do it, but I am most pleased nonetheless. I first caught wind last week when my Gen Z cousin started singing the song on a FaceTime call with me, explaining to me that she saw it on the app. All of a sudden, I noticed the song all over my feed, jumping from 6,000 uses last Wednesday to 25,000+ at the time of posting this column (which is less than a week). There isn’t even a real challenge or theme to any of the viral clips, it’s simply doing numbers because of how f-cking good the song is, rightfully so. Take a scroll through the comments of some of these Tik Toks, watching teenagers discover who Janet is may be my new favourite Tik Tok sub-genre lol.

“Someone To Call My Love” has always been one of my favourite Janet songs. It played constantly on the radio when I was very young and remains one of those nostalgic pop songs that have just always been a part of my life. Having said this, it’s not like “Someone” was one of Janet’s biggest hits, but that’s the beauty of the new era we live in when it comes to sharing music. If a song is timeless, it doesn’t matter, it will get its due. The song samples the classic yacht rock jam “Ventura Highway” by America, and makes for a perfect summer pop song. The 2004 Super Bowl fiasco resulted in Janet not getting play on the radio for decades and an entire generation to miss out on her incredible music. May this be the beginning of Janet’s Gen Z redemption arc.