MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: The New Avant-Garde

With popular music constantly evolving, it can be challenging to stay cutting-edge and still sell and stream. There are some incredible artists however who have defied those odds, and continue to create art that is out-of-the-ordinary and beautifully strange. From Rosalía to Florence Welch, this week’s new releases are rich in powerful women who are crafting art with more of an experimental edge. Consider these ladies as part of a modern wave of experimental pop artists who can combine intellect and intention with absolute madness through song.

Björk of course has been releasing experimental records since the beginning of her career in the early 90s with art-pop masterpieces like Debut and Post. I talked about the trip-hop movement earlier this year, and Björk’s discography, while very much a part of that movement, took things one step further. She wasn’t put in any one box, and that’s the true beauty of experimental pop. The whole idea is that everything you create is different, and if it sucks then it’s still kind of edgy. Works for me. Rosalía does her own version of this in her music, after spending many years atop the reggaeton music charts, she started to try different things and really showcase the different sides of her musical personality. Her previous album Motomami was about as experimental as popular music gets by blending everything from bachata, hip-hop and flamenco to electropop, art pop and a sh-t ton of funk. Clearly it worked because it ended up winning her a Grammy and four Latin Grammy awards. Both of these ladies serve as generational representations of a world where club culture and art music coexists and vibrates at the same trippy ass frequency. 

Rosalía recently spoke about how important it was for her to create a body of work that would require the full attention of her listeners, even admitting that she was demanding a lot of them by doing so. This is very important in today’s TikTok age where songs are reduced to nothing but a 15-second snippet. She wants her album to take us away from our screens – basically the musical equivalent of touching some grass. Her new album Lux drops this week and if the first single “Berghain” is any indication, her wish may just come true. 

Next week marks the return of millennial icon Hilary Duff with her new single “Mature”. She just announced the song on her socials, and this of course comes just a few weeks after she announced a new deal with Atlantic Records. Literally what (my) dreams are made of. This week, we have tunes from Rosalía, Björk & Yves Tumor, Brent Fiyaz, Florence + The Machine, Davido and Badshah, Wale with Odeal, and a viral new release courtesy of Olivia Dean.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Berghain” by Rosalía, Björk & Yves Tumor

Rosalía’s newest musical movement is straight out of a grand band orchestra. This turns out to be the London Symphony Orchestra playing on the record, go figure. The upcoming album Lux reportedly mirrors the theatrics of its lead single, with Rosalía showing off her multi-faceted talents, particularly her classical training. Opera is always an attention-grabber, but when a singer can perform it with such power and ease at the same time, it’s really is impressive. I may be alone in this but I wasn’t aware that she was such a gifted operatic vocalist. Even so, she’s always been particularly intentional with her sonic choices and is also a strong visual artist. For every dramatic halt in the song’s instrumental, there is an equally dramatic image in the video to match it. An entire orchestra follows her around the city as she travels along her day. Frankly, it’s all epic as f-ck. She first teased the single by posting the sheet music on her socials, which resulted in multiple fans posting their own performances playing the music on violin, guitar and piano. Gothic fans will eat up the visuals, classical music enthusiasts will devour the recording, and the rest of us can just remain amazed by all her amazingness. Then there’s the one and only Björk. This is actually their second collaboration, the first being in 2023 on “Oral” which was released as a charity single. The song itself is performed in three languages, with Björk taking over the English portion, joined by Yves Tumor. It’s a dark song, but it fits with the current experimental vibe that Rosalía is in. She also recently completed filming a role on the upcoming season of Euphoria, so the sonic shift from reggaeton to avant-garde tracks. 

 

“have to.” by Brent Fiyaz

Brent released some new singles earlier this year, and was scheduled to release a full-length studio album back in September. Things didn’t go as planned, at least according to the messages in his new video for his latest release. He reportedly cancelled the album the night before, scrapped the upcoming single and video, and sent the file to “have to.” instead. Clearly a creative and financial risk for any artist, but maybe not as risky in the streaming era where albums are basically delivered and posted within hours. Unless you are an artist who sells a lot of physical albums, which in this day and age is not many, streaming allows for a much more flexible and in some cases, not final, timeline. Was it worth the risk? Only Brent knows this for sure, I do enjoy the new single though. I’m not the biggest fan of his vocals pitched up but I like the flow and its raw message of dealing with one’s demons. This move of pulling the album only further confirms for me that no matter the consequence, he will only sing what he means and feels at that point in time. Talk about staying true to yourself. 

 

“Sympathy Magic” by Florence + The Machine

Florence brings her goddess energy out to play in both the song and video for “Sympathy Magic”. In a similar vein as Rosalía, Florence has always opted for a more cinematic and theatrical vocal approach. The song has a more empowering tone than the previous single “Everybody Scream” which served as her new album’s lead. Dramatic and raw, her vocals can take your breath away. That is when the production doesn’t completely immerse you into an imaginary world filled with playful sounds and metaphorical flashing wind. She of course in the video has real wind, or at least some excellent wind machines but you get the picture. Florence belts out lyrics like “I do not recognize my face… the vague humiliations of fame” and “Let the chorus console me”. The real kicker to me is “I no longer try to be good, it didn’t keep me safe like you told me that it would”. Following the rules and staying quiet doesn’t always keep you away from getting taken advantage of.The music is her savior, the one that she looks to for comfort through her struggles, whatever they may be. Except the difference is that the gift of her voice makes even the most painful lyric sound so f-cking angelic. Once again, a goddess. The album itself was inspired by Florence’s own life-saving surgery during her last tour in 2023 so it’s an emotional rollercoaster. Then again, what Florence + The Machine album isn’t? Her ability to make us feel is one of the things that make her art so intoxicating, however I can say that this feels like some of her best work to date. She first premiered the song last week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and left the audience just as impressed. 

 

“City On Fire” by Wale, Odeal

Those of you unfamiliar with Wale should at least know the iconic duet he did with Lady Gaga at the beginning of her career. Sometimes I still have “lookin’ at, lookin’ at, lookin’ at me” on loop as background noise in my mind. Whichever way you discovered his music, the point is that decades later he’s still got it. The song is a beautiful listen, a blend of hip-hop/R&B with emotional lyrics about being fed up with the star f-cker tendencies of the nightlife. Anyone who has an ounce of fame or success deals with this on different levels, but I couldn’t imagine dealing with pressures that high. The added vocal touch of Odeal on the song brings it to an ethereal level, and it feels like you’ve been taken somewhere. Odeal has blown up over the last year, with Justin Bieber showing up at one of his recent shows and snapping some photos backstage. His soulful voice has resonated with millions of fans and he’s quickly becoming a go-to for features. Wale on the other hand is using this new single and forthcoming album Everything Is A Lot. as a fresh start for his music career, as it has been more than four years since his last project. 

 

“Wallah Wallah” by Badshah, Davido

An expert example in blending musical cultures together for a grand celebration, “Wallah Wallah” is a party from start to finish. Indian rapper Badshah together with the king of Afrobeats, Davido, works perfectly. When asked about the collaboration with Davido, Badshah talks about wanting “to create something that felt authentic from where we both come from”. In the same interview he mentions that music should be borderless, and I agree. So long as the music that is being created is done with respect, and of course it has to actually be good. Lucky for him and Davido, this track is an automatic yes within seconds. It’s an instant dancefloor anthem with an irresistible rhythm. It deserves an automatic addition to any wedding reception playlist and that’s said with love. Maybe it’s the horns, the hard bass lines or the general worldwide appeal. Either way it makes me smile and want to dance while I’m dressed to the nines. The smile on my face as I listen and write this is so big that only a true winner of a song can achieve that! Davido isn’t the first international musician that Badshah has collaborated. He joins a list including J Balvin, Sean Paul, Tiesto and more. His takeover is an example of just how powerful and relevant India’s music scene is on a global scale. 

 

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“So Easy (To Fall In Love)” by Olivia Dean

One of the most encouraging results of Billboard’s recent chart rule change is the appearance of new artists in the top 10. Olivia Dean is one of those fresh faces, having recently earned a top 10 hit with the single “Man I Need”. If social media numbers are any indication, she’s on her way to score another hit with “So Easy (To Fall In Love)”. TikTok users have “fallen in love” with the song at rapid speed since her album release last month. Just in the last week the song was up 1000% in searches on the app, bringing its total uses to 326.K and counting. The song and Olivia’s music as a whole seems to be bringing an awareness of soul to Gen Z listeners, and my gosh is it very necessary. The song is stunning, with a laid-back jazz club vibe that is perfectly paired with an espresso martini. You’ll find people creating videos of themselves doing everything from singing karaoke, to playing the song on piano, and even incorporating their own improvised sax solos to the already jazzy tune. Olivia has a very Norah Jones-esque vibe to her music, but with the contemporary appeal that Norah never had. Olivia creates music that is ageless and can be enjoyed by everyone from every generation, yet she has a pop girlie star quality. It’s this quality that landed her a spot as one of the opening acts on Sabrina’s Carpenter current Short n’ Sweet Tour which just completed a five-night run at Madison Square Garden. Olivia is well on her way to becoming one of the biggest acts to debut this decade; and she was right, as she said it best in the song, she makes it so easy to fall in love with her.

@allysalort

🌷🌷🌷 #oliviadean #soeasytofallinlove #cover

♬ original sound - ally salort

@theo_troy_

This song is so good #oliviadean #piano #music #cover

♬ original sound - Theo

@prazull

i feel like im frolicking @Olivia Dean #oliviadean #manineed #saxophone #saxsolo #oliviadeantour

♬ So Easy (To Fall In Love) - Olivia Dean

@tonicademusic

So Easy by Olivia Dean is the next big TikTok sound, and here’s why! #music #tonicade #oliviadean #soeasy #singer

♬ So Easy (To Fall In Love) - Olivia Dean

 You can also check out my “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC