MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Mother Mary

The first of five upcoming Anne Hathaway projects is gearing up for release, and no it’s not The Devil Wears Prada 2. Anne plays a pop star who engages in an “psychosexual” affair with a fashion designer. All the music in the film that Anne performs was created by Charli XCX, Jack Antonoff and FKA twigs (who is in the film as well). Charli, of course, has already had quite the year in cinema with the Wuthering Heights soundtrack and her own mockumentary, The Moment. Mother Mary already has cult classic written all over it with all the essential ingredients: multiple eccentric female characters that play into the dark fantasy of showbiz, dramatic pop songs, over the top wardrobe and most importantly… Anne in a cnty blonde wig. The songs are sexual and also satirical, but sound like legitimate pop. Anne’s music as “Mother Mary” fits right in with gay classics like Kim Petras’ SLUTPOP and anything coming from the likes of FKA twigs and Charli.

It’s a big year for Anne that sees her stepping into several streams of her acting handbook across comedy, drama, epic fantasy, and in this case, something for the gays. The list is long so bear with me. We’ve got Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, The End of Oak Street and Verity. Between Anne and Zendaya’s 2026 takeover, the movie star girlies are doing the damn thing. Anne’s always been a triple threat talent from acting, singing, and dancing – plus she’s worked off-Broadway and performed at Shakespeare in the Park. In another life she had a whole career as a musician, but the powers that be decided that we needed her on the big screen more. This role in Mother Mary is allowing her to showcase those talents while living the fantasy of a pop star. Escapism has always been a strength of Anne’s when choosing her movie roles, she IS the Princess of Genovia after all. And she’s previously lent her musical talents to other film roles in Les Misérables, Rio and Ella Enchanted – but this is the first time that the songs are more contemporary versus theatrical. We’re getting the chance to see her in a new light, which for an actor who’s been on our screens for more than 25 years is a rarity, but still a major testament to just how talented she really is. Pop culture constantly chases the next moment and Mother Mary feels like it’s creating one rather than “chasing”. It’s attempting to blur the line between cinema and pop spectacle in a way that feels indulgent and intentional. If the delivery matches the promise, at the very least Mother Mary can create a moment in pop culture that will be revered sometime down the road if not right away. Of course, with The Devil Wears Prada 2 coming out only two weeks after its release and the promo tour already under way, Mother Mary is at serious risk of being overshadowed and reaching the same fate of films like Kiss of the Spider-Woman, well-reviewed but forgotten by the public. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, we can indulge in the music that “Mother” has for us.

Next week features an exciting new collaboration between Shakira and Anitta, as well as something for the tweens in the form of a new track by Descendants star Kylie Cantrall. This week along with Mother Mary, we’ve got tracks by Chxrry, Thundercat, OMAH LAY and Bebe Rexha. Plus, a 2008 Akon track is making the rounds online

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“My Mouth Is Lonely for You (from Mother Mary)” by Anne Hathaway

From the initial electro beat drop and Anne’s breathy voice, the song grabs your attention. It sounds like a track that could be found on FKA twigs’s recent album EUSEXUA – sensual and provocative. The literal title of the song is innuendo, so you get the idea of what kind of character Mother Mary is. This is the type of original story that I’ve been craving because it blends the worlds of experimental pop music and camp cinema. “My Mouth Is Lonely for You” is Gaga on steroids, a surreal marriage between sex and pop stardom. The entire instrumental is trippy in the ways I encourage, almost other-worldly. The lyrics include references to chewing gum, chocolates, and other substances that Mother is filling her mouth with while also singing about said mouth’s loneliness that can only be filled by her subject. Let’s call a spade a spade, the movie and its music was created for the gays, the type of sh-t I call my Super Bowl. This is my Top Gun: Maverick. The entire collection of original songs performed by Anne for the film comes out in two weeks but you can listen to both “Mouth” and the first single “Burial” now.

“Hall of Fame” by Chxrry

The majority of the music that Chxrry has released up until this point fed deep into the Aaliyah comparisons that have followed her since her debut. “Hall of Fame” is a serious departure for her, experimenting more with dance and pop. Her voice flows effortlessly over the bouncy beat and feels like something Rihanna would’ve sung in her Top 40 radio prime. The song is an instant bop and feels like a sound that she can conquer if she continues on this route. It’s fun while still allowing her to show off her playful personality and smooth vocals. She’s bragging a bit on this song - feeling herself, if you will. There are some fun references to her home city of Toronto interwoven in her singing about how dope she is. “I’ma take it higher than the CN tonight” referencing the CN tower, and “you ain’t never seen brand new titties out on the 401” referring to the highway. She’s one of the artists signed to The Weeknd’s XO Records, but has always remained somewhat under the radar in terms of commercial success. The idea of trying to get a mainstream hit could be one of the incentives behind the sonic shift on this track. Having said that, artists are always going to try new things to see what sticks with the public, especially if they're signed to a major label. With an artist like The Weeknd as mentor, he knows more than anyone about finding the medium ground between experimental sounds and commercial appeal. She’s got the swag and the voice to create some great art, and “Hall of Fame” is a fun addition to an evolving discography. 

“I AM” by OMAH LAY

OMAH LAYs newest album is filled with vibey Afrobeats bangers as one would expect, but with this project he takes his lyrical content one step further. “I AM” is a self-love anthem that promotes clarity of the mind and building the confidence within to become the best version of yourself. People will laugh in your face all day long, people who are supposed to nurture you and look out for you. The truth is that you are your greatest project, and you are your greatest teacher. OMAH sings “nobody fresh like I am” over a smooth beat, and the vibe that sometimes you really do just have to say “f-ck it” and acknowledge who you are: that bitch. If you’re someone who enjoys an herbal refreshment, you might want to spark up to this one and just bask in the glory that is your own existence. I needed that energy right now, for sure, so whoever said that music can’t heal both physical and emotional wounds clearly hasn’t caught a vibe with an OMAH LAY track.

“Hysteria” by Bebe Rexha

I’ve been called out on this a few times this month but I feel no shame in the matter. YES, I am in fact a Bebe Rexha stan. How else am I supposed to feel when she just continues to drop fire songs week after week? Keeping up with the dance hits after hitting it out of the park with her last single “New Religion”, Bebe has arrived with “Hysteria”. A bopping hit for all the club kids who are gearing up to spend their summer on the festival circuit. She launched the single through a collection of panties with a QR-code embedded in the back that led to the song. Those panties were handed out at ULTRA in Miami last weekend, where Bebe made a special appearance during Loud Luxury’s set. I have to give my girl her props for getting creative with the promotional campaign this time around, she’s leaning into all the avenues where she has shined in the past. The dance circuit has always been kind to Bebe, her most recent top ten hit was “I’m Good (Blue)” and it took over dance floors all over the world. Between “New Religion” and now “Hysteria”, the Dirty Blonde era is quickly turning out to be the Bebe dance album fans have been asking for. The song is about having a good time on the dance floor and leaving all stresses, whether personal or professional, at the door. The dance floor is where many of us find release. It’s a place where you can be free and let loose entirely. I know for me, it’s where I feel the most liberated. A song with the power to take you to that place deserves to be celebrated, and for that, we celebrate Miss Bebe Rexha!

“Funny Friends” by Thundercat, A$AP Rocky

Thundercat keeps things interesting in this song from his latest project Distracted. A piano riff, hard-bass, haunting strings, and a bed of background vocals elevate a song that talks about friendship to something far more layered. While his previous works were tailored on the lines of experimental R&B, this feels like he took multiple steps towards the experimental and away from his usual sound. It’s giving outer space meets psycho-thriller. Fitting given the entire “Mother Mary” theme this week, wouldn’t you say? He’s got a signature lightness to his music especially with his vocal tone, but this track balances that lightness with a more hard-hitting sound. It’s perfect for those who want to hear something different than what’s trending on socials. However, now that Tame Impala has scored a major viral hit with his JENNIE assisted track “Dracula”, I wouldn’t be surprised if “Funny Friends” earns its own moment soon. A$AP Rocky bringing his style and cerebral rap flow to the song is always a plus. A$AP’s feature helps with visibility online but I also think people are just yearning for something weird to be obsessed over.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“We Don’t Care” by Akon

At this point I feel like the songs that get picked up on viral trends are a process of natural selection, because there’s no particular reason why “We Don’t Care” is getting the attention that it is, and hitting #20 on TikTok’s Top 50 is no small feat. The song is being used either as a lip sync or as a carousel post with each slide or clip following the lyrics of the song. The specific part of the song that is being highlighted is from the first verse just before the chorus, and the kids are obsessed. Who ever thought that Akon singing “I didn’t see the ring on her finger, asked me has she even been with a singer before” and “Let me introduce you to my world” was going to create a trend that has people jamming so hard? The trend is particularly popular with the 18 to 21-year-old crowd. Likely because they would’ve been too young when the album itself came out. This is the same album that has one of Akon’s biggest hits “Right Now (Na Na Na)” for context. Basically the sound of my junior high years. Some people are even posting that this is Akon’s “comeback” not realizing that the song is 18-years-old… ahh, children!

@strictlycaseoh Immaculate vibes 🪩 @Case #caseoh #caseohgames #caseohfunnymoments #caseohclips #kunkunnest ♬ We Don't Care - Akon

@duckdannys

♬ We Don't Care - Akon

@awwzzy @AKON #akon #viral #fyp #foryoupage #music ♬ We Don't Care - Akon

The song wasn’t even a hit when it was first released as the fourth single from Akon’s album Freedom in the summer of 2009. It only charted in the UK and Australia, and not high. It’s well on its way to getting a debut on the Hot 100 as it is currently one of his Top 5 streamed songs on Spotify with over 400,000 daily listens. Akon is still a strong force in live performance, he’s about to embark of a sold out tour of amphitheatres and arenas in North America co-headlined with Ne-Yo. This viral moment is always great promo for both his iconic collection of albums and anything new he might have up his sleeve since the internet wants him to “introduce” them to his world.

The 2026 “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist is live. You can add it here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC