MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Two of A Kind

Bringing together two different artist’s energies on a song is one of the easiest ways to take an already strong piece of art to the next level. It doesn’t always work but when it does, it can be lightning in an mp3 file. Whether it be the fusing of genres, or having different voices from the same genre in one track, it excites the fans and opens up the possibilities to expand an audience. The oldest duo in the book is the husband-wife, and every generation needs their Sonny & Cher. I’m not saying Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are that by any means, but if the promo for their newest album I Said I Love You First is any indication, they might be the closest thing we have to it today.

I happen to love them together. I’m a big cheeseball, and I love watching two people who genuinely love each other share their love with the world. The two have done many songs together in the past, including some of Selena’s biggest hits like “Kill Em with Kindness” and “Same Old Love”. The problem with this new album is that the majority of it is just the simplest bland pop you can imagine. I try to be open-minded to the Gracie Abrams’ of the world, but it’s hard eating chicken that has no flavour. Having said that, there are definitely some highlights and one of them is featured in this week’s picks. Selena may not be the world’s best musician, but she can still deliver a strong pop song here and there, and with Benny by her side she has the confidence to give the pop star thing one more go around.

If the 70s had Sonny & Cher, the 90s had Mariah and the biggest rappers of the time. Whether it was ODB, Bone Thugs n’ Harmony, Jay-Z or Mobb Deep, you name them Mariah worked with them. It came at a time when merging singers and rappers was unheard of. I’ve mentioned this before and this will be something I write on more once Mariah earns her well-deserved induction in the Rock Hall of Fame (you can still vote for her here). My point is, she laid the foundation for what would inevitably become one of the most essential combinations in music duets today: the rapper and singer collab. This week’s pick that follows this trend comes from Lil Durk and Jhené Aiko.

But before we get into that, Miley Cyrus has officially announced her upcoming visual album Something Beautiful, due May 30th. The artwork is out and has Miley in archival 1997 Thierry Mugler couture, which is intended as “a nod to the album’s bold aesthetic and visual storytelling”; we’ve been promised 13 songs. Knowing Miley and what she’s learnt from her mentors (Beyoncé especially), my seatbelt is buckled.

Next week, the long-awaited deluxe album by Ariana Grande eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead drops, and will feature six new songs along with the standard tracks from the original version of the album. Ariana was my top streamed artist of 2024, so you can imagine how much I overplayed this album.

This week, along with Selena/Benny and Lil Durk/Jhene Aiko, we also feature duets from Jack Harlow & Doja Cat, and a new pop gem from MARINA. Plus, this week’s viral trend comes from Mother Monster herself.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Just Us” by Jack Harlow, Doja Cat

I have a crush on Jack Harlow. He’s cute, his flow is smooth, and he makes music that hits. The lyrics to his songs are provocative without being unrelatable, and I mentioned he was cute right? He’s a real guy, and makes music for the everyday guy. This time around he’s teaming up with Doja Cat for this flirty pop-rap track. Their chemistry is evident in both the song itself and the video. Side bar: I love that Doja is back and making songs with a pop undertone to them, she does it so well. The multiple pop culture references in the lyrics like “I know it sounds like Zack and Cody. This life’s sweet, I mean high key” and “We can just be friends like Musiq Soulchild” are a highlight. The visuals for the song center around a dinner party with some very famous guests like John Mayer, Matt Damon, PinkPantheress and more. Nothing like a good ol’ video filled with celeb cameos to get some buzz. Jack Harlow’s last three singles (while I personally loved them) didn’t do much on the charts, so it’s interesting to see just how much star power was used for this song. The song already features one of the most successful female artists of the last few years. Jack really pulled out the big guns for this one.

“Ojos Tristes” by Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco, The Marías

I wasn’t expecting to like much of the new Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco record, simply because she has never really been my favourite voice to listen to. There are some exceptions, and this track is most definitely one. “Ojos Tristes” is a laid-back, vibey, dream-pop song that is sung in both English and Spanish. The song samples a very popular Spanish pop song from the early ‘80s, “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” by Jeanette. Shout out to my colleague Esther who gave me a whole rundown of the original song’s significance. Selena and Benny use the chorus of the song, and include a whole new set of lyrics written to the melody. The original became Jeanette’s signature song through her entire career and is about a young man with sad eyes. Selena’s song is about a breakup and the sad eyes she sees in her partner. Maria Zardoya of the Marías sings the Spanish parts of the song, giving us dreamy vocals that add so much depth and feel to the song. Selena does her own share of singing in Spanish as well on the final chorus with Maria, and the two sound great together. She may not be the best technical singer, but she does sing glam-pop ballads quite well. Given that Selena’s only Grammy nomination came from her 2021 EP Revelación, I say there’s some magic when she sings in Spanish.

“Can’t Hide It” by Lil Durk, Jhené Aiko

I love a rap and R&B duet. It’s one of my all-time favourite musical formulas (thank you Mariah!). In honour of Lil Durk’s recent nuptials to India Royale, the song opens with an excited proclamation of marriage. It’s light and catchy, something nice for spring. The “I’m sorry, I can’t hide it” repetition throughout the chorus, while annoying for some, will be stuck in your head regardless. I, myself, am a sucker for a repetitive chorus, so you can be sure that I’ve already streamed this song 10+ times lol. Sometimes I want to have fun too and imagine I got myself a lil’ boo you know? I do have to say ever since Jhené Aiko’s concert in Toronto where she literally put me to sleep, I have my reservations when it comes to her. No fear though, the song slaps. I don’t know that I’ll go to another one of her shows but damn, her voice is angelic like a lullaby. Maybe that was my bad for thinking it wouldn’t put me to sleep? Jokes aside, the song has both artists leaning into their strengths and it makes for a strong R&B bop. Lil’ Durk’s upcoming album Deep Thoughts will be out next week, so make sure to look out for that if you’re feeling the single, or you can just stay tuned in here.

“CUPID’S GIRL” by MARINA

This song makes me feel like I’ve entered a Barbie video game. I’m talking pink truck, decked out wheels, speaker on blast and the top down with Ken in the backseat. The heavy synths make it next to impossible for you not to bop your head throughout the entirety of the song. There are very few songs that literally make me need to move some part of my body, but this one got me. Pop music has been missing MARINA, who is just starting the next era of her career after a three-year hiatus. She has always been one of those artists who has flown under the mainstream radar but if you got her, you were hooked. It’s aggressively pop, the type of pop that you hear through the speakers of a sweaty underground pride party. The haunting pre-chorus leading into that thumping melody is a work of pop magic. My euro-pop girlies are sure to love this one. This is the second release from MARINA off this new project, the first being “Butterfly” released last month. She kicks off her string of festival shows at Coachella next month with many more like Bonnaroo and Osheaga sprinkled throughout the summer. Let me pull out my heart-shaped sunglasses, because it’s giving I need to make a trip to Montreal for Osheaga thanks to this song.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Zombieboy” by Lady Gaga

I know, there’s been tons of Gaga lately, but it’s not my fault the little monsters have the power that very few fan bases have to create life for obscure cuts off their fave’s albums. The first big viral fan-created dance to come out of her new album Mayhem is this fun “Bad Romance” inspired 8-count to the Gwen Stefani-coded track “Zombieboy”. The song is a tribute to Rick Genest, who was known as “Zombie Boy” and appeared alongside Gaga in the music video for “Born This Way”. The lyrics feel like something she would have experienced during the “bus, club, another club…” era, singing about a wild party night that gets out of hand fast. The popular discourse surrounding Gaga’s new project is that it is reminiscent of her early years, this song is the prime example of that. It has a funky disco feel, with a very familiar melody in the opening chant which is repeated throughout the song. Gaga gives us a mix of ‘70s and 2000s nostalgia in one dose, and the result is this magical pop confection. It’s camp at its finest, something that Gaga knows how to do in her sleep and the little monsters yearn for it (me included), a TikTok viral dance was inevitable. It’s a way for the fans to express themselves through the music and given that Gaga herself doom scrolls for hours like the rest of us, it really does feel like the old days. She has always been so interactive with the fans. It’s beautiful to see that after all these years and all the success she has had, she still wants to join in on all the fun with us.