MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Tyla takes bad bitch energy to another level with new bop, "IS IT"

When I press play on an R&B album there are a few things my soul needs to find in the music – live instrumentals, strong vocals and emotional lyrics that either make you want to party or take you to deep into your feelings. I know I’m not the only one who has put on a Whitney Houston record simply because I needed a good cry. So much of the music we are hearing in today’s zeitgeist is crafted with digital sounds and instruments and while there absolutely is beauty in that, there’s nothing like live instruments to really heal a broken heart. Enter Givēon.

Since his breakthrough in 2020, Givēon has delivered quality R&B music rather than chasing trendy sounds or gunning for a viral TikTok hit – something that far too many of his contemporaries are guilty of. His latest album BELOVED took three years to make and just as expected, he made a record that reads like a personal journal. From wasting your twenties on a failed relationship to exploring the complications and aftermath of a broken heart, he exercises R&B heartbreak in the best way. In a recent interview during the promotional circuit for the album, Givēon looks to Usher as an example of taking R&B music to the highest level. Listen to the Confessions album and you’ll hear some real heartbreak, and Usher was able to run that music to the Super Bowl Half-Time show. Givēon is also giving old-school vibes, when male singers would do some real begging for their lover on songs like “Backup Plan”. NOTHING screams R&B male crooner than some good sexy pleading. This is Givēon at the peak of his musical powers, demonstrating the most creative control and use of his immense talent as of yet. Many casual music listeners may say that R&B doesn’t have as many true artists as it once did, but Givēon is living proof that we’re at least headed in the right direction. His latest release feels like a return to the form that R&B was in the golden years of Al Green and Teddy Pendergrass, when you really felt the yearning in the music.

Next week’s new release schedule sees new albums from Alex Warren, Jessie Murph and Joyner Lucas. Jessie particularly is giving FKA Twigs vibes in the way that she has been exploring her sexuality in her work, so my ears and eyes are peeled for that one. This week is where R&B shines with tunes from Givēon and Justin Bieber. Plus, Tyla, Burna Boy and Shaboozey and two soundtrack hits get new life in 2025.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“I CAN TELL” by Givēon

His deep vocal timbre has become directly associated with his sound and has helped amass a devoted group of fans making his release one of the most anticipated R&B albums of 2025. Filled with rhythmic R&B grooves and smooth vocals, the album is rich in quality and is polished to perfection. While every song on the album has strengths, it’s the record’s latest single “I CAN TELL” that stands out as not just a favourite of mine, but as a general highlight amongst critics and fans. It’s a throwback to the days when R&B music was just that – Rhythm and Blues. Live instrumentation, raw vocals and emotional lyrics, before trap music came into play. Don’t get me wrong, I love a trap beat here and there but there’s a time and place for everything and while it can work sometimes, generally when I’m listening to R&B, that’s not what I want to hear. Givēon is a true student of the genre and as a music geek myself, I appreciate this. The song tells the story of a girl he’s lusting after and wants to make his – the catch is she’s got a man but he “can tell” that she wants him. I particularly love the line “never had nobody talk you through it like I talk you through it” – go off daddy! The idea of forbidden fruit is textbook, we really do often want the things we know we can’t (or shouldn’t have), that’s what makes them most appealing, especially in the context of an R&B slow jam. The video takes a more somber turn, turning his lustful message into one of loneliness and longing. He and his girl talk through their issues and reminisce on all the things that went wrong in their relationship that led her to go to the next man, too real.

“IS IT” by Tyla

Tyla is taking bad bitch energy to another level with this new bop and music video to match. “IS IT” serves as the second single from Tyla’s upcoming mixtape We Wanna Party which she promises will be filled with dancefloor anthems and bangers to heat up our summer. If the rest of the songs are anything like “IS IT”, we are in for a treat, because she exudes a type of confidence and sex appeal that only a true star possesses. The lyrics tell a story of a new romance that feels right and complete, forcing her to ask a series of questions about why that is. She sings like a siren on lines like “Is it the f*ks that I don’t give?” or even better, “Is it the men that I don’t miss”, and my personal favourite “Is it the way this dress unzips?”. A very Rihanna lyric and the entire aesthetic of the video is echoing our Bajan queen too. Every look she dons in the video screams Y2K-TRL era and I will always endorse that aesthetic – points if you can actually sell it, which Tyla most definitely can. The song is an undeniable smash and upon early listens, easily rivals “Water” and “PUSH 2 START” as one of the stronger cuts in her small but mighty discography. If Tyla knows how to do anything, it’s make a dancefloor banger that is perfect for summer.

“DAISIES” by Justin Bieber

In terms of general buzz and noise, Justin Bieber’s surprise dropping his seventh studio album Swag easily wins the battle. Since the announcement on Thursday evening, pop culture has been obsessed with the Biebs’ new music and his new era that is fully R&B – or as his fans lovingly call it: R&Bieber. I wrote about my thoughts on the album last week, and now that it’s settled in, I can confidently say I feel the same now as I did on first listen which is there are some standouts but as a whole body of work it’s a little messy. Having said this, the standouts are strong and with a little bit more fine-tuning, Bieber could really be onto something creatively. “DAISIES” is one that many listeners are gravitating towards, and I can see why. The song is one of the catchier ones the record, it has a good groove to it and Bieber’s vocals are strong. The lyrics explore the uncertainties that come in relationships sometimes and how those doubts can trick your mind into overthinking and spiraling, all out of fear of losing the thing you love the most. The actual daisy flower is Justin’s metaphor for the days that pass by without his lover, with each petal representing a day, like a game of “loves me, loves me not” type thing. He has the emotional dreamy setting down with this one – I just wish the rest of the record had this same magic.

“Change Your Mind” by Burna Boy, Shaboozey

Two artists who have been on major hot streaks in the last few years. Shaboozey is literally still in the Top 10 because of his hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and is featuring on many new hits, while Burna Boy is performing to sold-out stadiums around the world and just dropped his newest album No Sign of Weakness. Together, the two have crafted a country-tinged soulful anthem that perfectly blends both country and Afrobeats into one incredibly well-crafted pop song. In a similar lyrical theme to GIVEON’s “I CAN TELL”, this song talks about a man who’s done wrong in a relationship and is hoping to convince her to come back to him now that she’s moved on. You can’t say that the men aren’t begging in their music anymore, because Burna and Shaboozey are making their affections for their lover known. The song has “hit” written all over it, and makes for a killer festival performance, so it’ll be interesting to see how that looks once the two perform it together. Burna has done such an incredible job morphing into an artist that isn’t bound by genre in the slightest, opening the door for some incredible musical opportunities and has made for a strong body of work as a result.

“Take Me Away” from Freakier Friday by Pink Slip, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Disney

2000s Disney kids rejoice because our time has finally come. I don’t think I’m alone when I say we’re all eagerly awaiting the release of Freakier Friday in August, and as the release date approaches, the promo circuit is getting kicked into full gear. Jamie Lee Curtis has already let the fans know that there will be new music in the film, but in the meantime, we’ve gotten the updated 2025 version of “Take Me Away” to keep us fed.

“Take Me Away” was Pink Slip’s Wango Tango audition in the original movie – Pink Slip being the band that Lindsay Lohan’s character Anna is the guitarist for. The song for some reason was never available on streaming, so this 2025 version is the first time that any of us are getting to listen to the song at our own leisure (unless you owned the original soundtrack CD, which DUH, I still do). Christina Vidal returns as lead vocalist and shows she has just as much grit and sass as she did when she first sang the song in 2003. Aside from some stylistic changes in the song’s instrumentals, it stays true to the original. Given that we don’t have full context of how the new version is used in the film, for now we can just enjoy the music but soon enough the full experience will be had. My advance screening tickets are already purchased baby – let’s get freaky.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

One of the greatest love songs to come out of the 90s is having another moment in the sun, and this is one that I will always encourage because it really is just that good. “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls was first released in 1998 as a single from the City of Angels soundtrack. The movie starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage birthed a few hit songs – that was the golden era of soundtracks if you ask me. I mean sh*t, the soundtrack also featured “Feelin’ Love” by Paula Cole and “Uninvited” by Alanis Morissette, something was in the air. Fast forward 27 years and the Goo Goo Dolls’ hit is showing us once again just how timeless it is. The song has been steadily increasing in streams since Valentine’s Day earlier this year and has now reached an all-time peak, hitting the Top 50 on Spotify’s global streaming charts for earning 2.7 million streams on the platform DAILY which gives the song a strong chance of re-entering the Billboard Hot 100. It’s also worth noting that the song only hit #9 on the charts during its peak due to chart rules at the time. Songs used to only be able to chart off physical sales, but in mid-1998 Billboard changed the rules to also include radio airplay, allowing “Iris” to chart. Since this rule change came towards the end of the song’s 18-week reign on top of the radio charts it only reached #9. Could this be the ultimate redemption? Only time will tell. The band has also gotten wind of the steady surge in streams – resulting in an all-new lyric video for the song with unearthed never-before-seen footage from the video shoot.

@googoodollsofficial
We went deep into the archives to create a brand new lyric video for “Iris,” featuring never-before-seen footage taken from the original music video !!
♬ Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

The song has been associated with a bunch of different trends on socials, being used 600K+ times. From dreamy fantasy sequences and couple trends to supercuts of public figures with the name Iris (hello, Love Island USA) the song has found a new life in 2025 – and has introduced the band to a new generation.