Olivia Rodrigo is lovesick but self-aware on her newest release “the cure”. The second single from her upcoming album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is now out, and provides a clearer portrait of Olivia in 2026: 90s grunge-inspired rock chick. Think emotional chaos with a sharp sense of humour still intact. With a number one single “drop dead” and a sold-out world tour already in the can for this album cycle, Olivia maintains her status as the modern day grunge princess.

One thing that has been gaining traction online is Olivia’s incorporation of the baby doll dress in her album aesthetic. Olivia told British Vogue that her Pinterest board is “all babydoll dresses and 70s necklines”. But online critics are coming for her, calling the dresses an inappropriate sexualization of the dress, and that Olivia as a 23-year-old woman should not be wearing them. Are we supposed to be telling women how they should express themselves and what they should be wearing? Those who remember the 90s can tell you that pretty much all the rock chicks were wearing them, from Courtney Love to Shirley Manson, and of course even Baby Spice, not a rock chick but obviously a major popstar in the 90s. Courtney has defended Olivia from the backlash on her IG page, reposting a content creators breakdown of the situation and why Olivia is in the clear. Those OGs were also pissing people off back then, so it’s safe to say that Olivia is following in the footsteps of her idols. This incredible piece by Harper’s Bazaar looks at the history of the dress and the influences that Olivia pulled from. This isn’t cosplay for her either, she has studied the DNA of grunge. From the beginning of her music career, Olivia has played around with different rock influences sprinkled into her albums, while the other half of the songs were Taylor Swift-like tracks. Three albums in, and she’s finetuning and leaning in to the angst, the femininity, the vulnerability and the rebellion, and that means a lot more guitar. It’s all there in the music she’s presenting, and as a result has made a fan of me and people from various generations. I’m older than she is, but out of all the younger pop girlies, she’s one of the only ones who makes music that I don’t feel aged out of. If anything, she makes me feel encouraged to rock the f-ck out.

Next week is Ariana Grande’s big pop return after the last few years as Glinda. To say that I’m excited for this is an understatement. I’m not a Broadway gay, I never have been. I’ve tried to be but it’s just not me. I miss the Ariana I loved for the last 13 years, and I’m ready for her to come back. This week, Olivia is joined by HUGEL with Imael Angel and Ultra Naté, Khalid with Ahn Hyo-seop, 6LACK with Leon Thomas and AZ Chike, and Kylie Minogue. Plus, JLo goes viral and gets on the floor.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“the cure” by Olivia Rodrigo

The opening chords of this song immediately transported me back to the music I would hear watching music videos on MuchMusic. It’s that quality alt-rock grunge that I would devour from the likes of Hole, Garbage and Liz Phair. Olivia has a haunting quality in the way she sings that it feels like a confessional. The music itself is also just so f-cking rad. It’s giving a little Smashing Pumpkins and Foo Fighters but filtered through the Olivia Rodrigo pop blender. “the cure” reads to me as Olivia at a new creative peak. Lyrically the song is about not throwing all your eggs in one basket – the basket being love. It’ll never be the cure. I like the message, but also, this track is more about the sound than the lyrics. There’s a clear 90s alternative rock chick influence, and Olivia is going deeper into the genre than ever before. Right now, TikTok algorithms are focused on feeding us 30-second snippets or two-minute interludes that mask as “songs” because that’s all our attention spans can take. Olivia is staying true to the grunge genre and crafted a five-minute musical complete with a dramatic build up and powerful bridge. In a world of Tate McRaes and KATSEYEs, where the music seems to take a backseat to the image, Olivia is as equally a musically intuitive artist as she is a visual one. Hole’s Melissa auf de Mar recently stated in her interview with ETALK that Olivia told her and her daughter that the music of Hole is the reason she is here today. It’s evident in both the aesthetic and sound that she meant every word. The younger generation of music listeners need someone like her.

“Movin’ To The Sun” by HUGEL, Imael Angel, Ultra Naté

HUGEL is the king of Latin house grooves. His upbringing in the south of France, by the Mediterranean, helped inspire his sound, which was fully formed once his DJ sets in Ibiza took off. “Movin’ To The Sun” is an immediate trip to the beach club - a late night, slinky groove that is so infectious. It’s a sun-soaked turn-up banger through and through, and just in time for summer. 90s house legend Ultra Naté lends her vocals on this track and elevates it to a new level. HUGEL previously worked with Ultra on a remix to her iconic 1997 hit “Free” which was released last year. Between “Free” and “If You Could Read My Mind”, Ultra Naté is a force on the soundtrack of my childhood. She’s right up there whenever I am needing some euphoria, the sh-t you blast at 3am when you want to keep the party going. “Movin’ To The Sun” is a strong addition to her rich and diverse collection of house anthems.

“Something Special” by FANDOM, Khalid, Ahn Hyo-seop

I have Lainey to thank for this one. She sent me this track on Friday night and I instantly took to it. “Something Special” is a pop/r&b slow jam that has Khalid’s sound with Hyo-seop’s sweet vocals as an added touch. This is Hyo-seop returning to his musical roots, after spending much of the last few years acting in K-dramas like Doctor Romantic (Lainey’s favourite of all his shows). I haven’t watched, but I’m aware of its massive reach and incredible success. I still have to get on that, but there’s just too much music to listen to. Khalid on the other hand is experiencing a liberation in both his professional and personal life, having just released his first album after coming out last year. This song may feel a little random at first, but it’s actually the result of a music project, FANDOM, that came out of Roc Nation, with the intention of blending global music markets, genres and cultures with each release. Hyo-seop told Forbes that he’s always been a fan of Khalid’s and jumped at the chance to do the song when he saw he’d be singing with him. Ahn Hyo-seop is Canadian, but is a huge star in Korea and he currently resides there. Hiis presence on this track with Khalid represents an American and Korean crossover. FANDOM previously released a collaboration between Jon Bellion and Swae Lee which blended pop and rap. It’s an interesting concept, and one that has the potential to create some incredible work.

“All That Matters” by 6LACK, Leon Thomas, AZ Chike

6LACK’s album Love is the New Gangsta has arrived and “All That Matters” is an instant stand-out. The chill r&b song has a smooth old school hip-hop beat. The song is moody, emotive and sensual. Something you might want to have on while entertaining some company. Last week I wrote that Leon feels like a modern day Babyface the way he has been making his mark across the genre, from writing, producing and performing some of the biggest hits on Urban radio in the last two years. At this point it can be a weekly series to track just what song he is featured on that week. I smell a playlist coming along. “All That Matters” would be classified as a sex playlist song through and through. It’s not the song you will be putting on to soundtrack any type of wholesome gathering. Having said that, it’s still a romantic tune but maybe I don’t need to have my grandmother next to me while I listen to it, lol. This entire album of 6LACK’s is a collection of softer more romantic songs, embracing love with all its trials and tribulations. My one criticism is that it risks getting lost in the shuffle of summer releases since it definitely has more of a cuffing season tone to it. I’ll bookmark the rest of the album for that time.

“Light Up (From the Netflix Documentary ‘Kylie’)” by Kylie Minogue

Now that I’m a few days (and two re-watches) removed from the Kylie Minogue Netflix doc, you’d be right to assume that she has completely dominated my playlists ever since. Lucky for me and all my fellow Kylie fans, she blessed us with a new song to mark this career-defining moment. “Light Up” is an inspirational pop anthem about wanting to inspire people and using your gift to do so, something that she knows all too well. “But when you tell me you see the world in my eyes, then, I come alive” is the perfect lyric to describe the relationship she has with her fans. She’s mother to us all, and the love affair between us is fierce. The elusive “us” being all her loyal gays obviously. The song is emotional while still bringing the glitter and gloss that we associate with Kylie. Like “Story” from the Tension album, “Light Up” allows listeners to dance the night away while also getting in touch with their feelings on closer listens. Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of “The Loco Motion” and Kylie has already teased that a world tour is on the horizon to mark the milestone. In the meantime, to accompany the docuseries, Netflix is also releasing the “Tension Tour” live concert in its entirety for the first time, so if you missed the tour last year, now is your chance to bask in all the Kylie glory.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“On The Floor” by Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull

The internet has been a rough place for Jennifer Lopez over the last few years, too many talking heads trying to discredit her place in pop culture. But the tides have been shifting for Jenny, as they have always done through her career. Some justice for all the J-Lovers in the land has arrived as her 2011 hit “On the Floor” is now mega viral thanks to Off-Campus. In the show, Allie who is played by Mika Abdalla wears a replica of the iconic Versace dress that Jennifer wore to the Grammy’s in 2000s. Yes, THAT dress. In the scene, Jennifer’s “On the Floor” plays, and now teens and tweens are discovering the dancefloor classic. Jennifer has lovingly referred to it as a new “Jen-eration” and never one to miss a viral opportunity, Jennifer and Mika teamed up to re-create the now famous scene from the series in a TikTok posted to Jen’s page.  the result has been nothing short of seismic. At the time of writing, just that short collab clip has a combined 87 MILLION views on TikTok and Instagram alone.

@graca.br oq foi essa dançaaaa | #offcampus #amoresimprovaveis #allieanddean #foryou #edit #jenniferlopez ♬ som original - Graça

 

@jlo

It’s a new Jeneration of party people…🎶

♬ original sound - JLO

In less than a week, the song has soared in streams and is currently earning around 2.5 million streams a day just on Spotify and has entered the Top 20 most streamed songs globally. For reference, streaming wasn’t around when the song was first released so this is both the highest this song has ever reached, but also the highest SHE has ever reached on any streaming chart since Spotify came to North America in the early 2010s. Jennifer as expected is basking in the attention and love for the song, responding to fans online who are now asking for the leaked solo version of the song that was never official released.

If there’s one thing that 2026 has taught me it’s that what’s old is new again, and the sheer amount of young people who are just learning the tracks that have soundtracked our lives is reaching new heights. I can honestly say that I never thought I’d see the day where JLo dominates a music chart again, but I am very happy to be here.

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

Photo credits:  Zach Hilty/BFA.com/Shutterstock

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