MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Music Inferno

Furthering the complete chokehold that Madonna has had on the gay club-scene all summer long, we have the latest release from Troye Sivan. “Party” heavily samples “Music” by Madonna, so much so that the entire song is basically built around the sample. It brings an instant recognition to the song, one that is sure to be embraced on queer dance floors globally. This is the second single from Troye’s upcoming album She’s The Best which is already shaping up to be another stellar experimental pop effort from him. The first single “She’s The Best” featured Nicole Kidman in the video, and now with this new single being a serious nod to Madonna, he’s referencing the gay internet’s most beloved girls, and it’s good for business, we’re eating it up.

Madonna gave a boost to “Music” earlier this summer when she performed it at the FIFA world cup halftime show. The song also blends well with the musical direction of her latest album Confessions II which gave Madge her best sales numbers in years. To further the connection to Troye, Madge is about to release the remix to her single “Danceteria” with Troye’s longtime collaborator, Charli xcx. Could that collab and the sample of “Party” lead to a future song with Troye and Madonna? I choose to follow the signs when they are sent to me, and I’m already predicting this one to come true. One thing’s for certain… it’s been the summer of Madonna and between the sample in “Party” and her upcoming performance at the MTV Video Music Awards next week (she’s opening the show), she’s transitioning into the fall season with ease. Who says dancing your ass off is a summer-exclusive activity?

Troye also isn’t new to building songs around samples of famous dance hits. His 2023 single “Got Me Started” sampled the 2009 track “Shooting Stars” by Bag Raiders. When done well, sampling can bring together sounds from different eras to make a whole new delicious concoction of grooves. It’s about knowing when inspiration becomes imitation – and when it comes to Troye Sivan, I think that he’s right where he needs to be. It also helps that Madge herself co-signs the sample and even praised it on Instagram stories. Coming from the lady who created one of her biggest hits around an ABBA sample, that’s some high praise.

Next week, it’s officially the beginning of the third quarter and the fall music releases begin to trickle in including Leon Bridges, Tinashe, and the exciting Madonna and Charli xcx remix. This week, Troye Sivan is joined by Anderson .Paak with Cordae, Maluma with Shakira, Miley Cyrus, and Josh Levi with Brandy. Plus, Gen Z now also believes that a scrub is a guy who thinks he’s fine.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Party” by Troye Sivan

Have you ever wondered what a bunch of gays and girls partying in the medieval times would look like? Thanks to Troye Sivan and director Gordon Von Steiner, we now have a visual aid for that very scenario: dance routines, elaborate costumes, a storyline, a Sir Ian McKellen cameo in the voiceover for the opening sequence, and finally, a Madonna sample. “Party” is a euphoric expression of losing yourself on the dance floor during a night out. Music does in fact make the people come together, even back in the middle ages. Troye seems to be the only male pop artist today that is giving a full production with his work and I’m impressed. It’s giving modern day prince of pop but with a horny homoerotic edge – an edge that is clear at the 1:15 mark in the video. He’s here to fill the Heated Rivalry gap. But beneath all the medieval camp and barely contained lust, “Party” and its visuals is a reminder of what happens when a pop star fully commits to the bit. The video amplifies the already fire dance track and Troye understood the assignment.

“A Good Day” by Anderson .Paak, Cordae

Speaking of samples - “A Good Day” is an embarrassment of riches in the field. The entire song is based around a sample from “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers while the chorus also uses a sample of Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That” merging both together to make a new creation. Andy (yes, I like to call him that) and Cordae use Fatman Scoop’s portion of the song, you know the “let’s go now what/here we go now what” parts. So no, Mimi’s vocals aren’t directly in the song but I do enjoy the connection between both Mimi and Anderson, especially now that we’re far removed from the media relationship that was used to promote her last album. No shade, but we can admit that’s what it was, right? Back to the song though, it’s an optimistic rap track and the music video is giving 106 & Park. I mean that to say back when a music video would elevate the song and it would be an event. The type of event we would run home from school to catch. It’s fun and trippy and not just a recyclable lyric video. The video is bright, a direct homage to the iconic 1995 film Friday with Ice Cube. Even the verses feature similar lyrics to “It Was A Good Day” so not only is there a double homage there but it’s all keeping up with the “good day” theme of it all. The upcoming collaborative album between Anderson and Cordae drops at the end of October.

“AGUA” by Maluma, Shakira

Ten years ago when these two Colombian superstars linked up for their hit “Chantaje” they opened pandora’s box and have since become a staple duo in Latin pop music. This is their fourth song together and it’s arriving just in time for the start of Shak’s European residency in Spain. The music video is steamy as one would expect from Shak and showcases the sexiness that is Maluma in all his well-lit glory. Trust me ladies, you will understand what I mean when you watch. Shak has chemistry with just about anyone she works with but the tension between these two is HOT. They’re consummate professionals and it’s all a part of the show but still, it’s fun to fantasize. The song has a meringue vibe, the type of music that you dance to on the beach or on vacation. It’s giving “Suavemente” with an updated 2026 cadence; still timeless but current enough to take over the radio like Karol G currently is with “Bby Wow”. Growing up, my mother would listen to a lot of Spanish music and the 90s was all about the merengue influences that are all over this song, making it a nostalgic listen for me. Back in the 90s though, Shak was busy being a rock chick so she wasn’t actually creating music in this vein; that was more up Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin’s alley. She would eventually experiment with the sound in 2010 with “Loca” so this isn’t her first foray into the genre and she’s still delivering smashes decades later.

“Different Religion” by Miley Cyrus, Model/Actriz

As a big Miley fan and former “Miley World” fan club member in the late 2000s, it does pain me to write this next sentence. Miley’s new album is not all that great. Out of the nine new tracks, only three of them made it into my library and that includes the lead single. Almost the entire thing just fell flat for me and clearly I’m not the only one who feels that way because she’s on track to earn her lowest-selling first week sales for an album … ever. Let’s focus on the positives though, the lead single “Bass Persuades” is a genuine banger and there are a couple other hits on the album, like “Different Religion”. The beat on this one is nasty and is meant to be played on loud speakers in a sweaty club as strobe lights flash and tequila shots flow. This sound is the most similar to the lead single and is the sound that I at least was expecting the rest of the record to hold. It’s far more rock’n’roll glamour than the rest of the album. The bass is heavy and the synthesizers mixed with guitar at the 0:55 mark were sickening enough to get to say out loud “damn!” upon first listen. Always a good sign. It’s daring and experimental while still having an authentic “Miley” energy, and that’s why it works. Had Miley kept the entire album in the vein of “Different Religion” I really do believe that it would be resonating better with fans. There’s a ton more promotion planned for this album so time will tell if people warm up to it. In the meantime, save yourself the trouble and just listen to the title track and this one if you’re not trying to branch too far out during this week’s new music search.

“SAY IT REMIX” by Josh Levi, Brandy

Josh Levi has been on the come-up in the R&B word for a solid few years now. His entire sound and aesthetic borrows from the great artists of the 90s, so now that the deluxe album is out, it’s a flex that he managed to score the most prolific artist of that era: the one and only Brandy. “Say It” is a sexy ass song and Brandy’s sultry tone works perfectly on it. She has that breathy ability in her vocals that make every note sound like butter. The first sound of her vocal on the second verse will make you feel like you are ascending to a whole other realm where all sounds are pleasant and soothing. Josh also holds his own in his vocal performance, which can be very intimidating when recording with someone as legendary as Bran. The two sound so good together that there were times that I actually thought I was listening to a Ray J and Brandy duet. Ray J may have his issues but when brother and sister get together, the vocals are unmatched. Josh has that R&B swag that Ray J used to have in the 2000s but without all the Kardashian drama (and a whole lot of other sh-t I won’t get into).

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“No Scrubs” by TLC

Arguably one of the most famous songs from the 90s, “No Scrubs” is receiving a new burst of life more than 27 years after it was first a #1 hit. Just this past week, the song hit three different Billboard charts after a serious boost in streams. That boost has made the song enter the top 50 on Spotify’s daily streaming charts in the USA, earning a total of 1.6 MILLION just yesterday. For reference, that’s more plays than any of the new songs on Miley’s new record. Sure, “No Scrubs” is a generational hit that at this point is ingrained in the DNA of R&B and popular music in general, but something has to have kicked off this sudden re-interest? Call me aged out because I only found out this week that the source is a YA film on Prime Video that was released at the end of August, and this millennial writing this paragraph had never heard of it until two days ago, well past when its initial online presence first became known. It really took TLC’s song going viral for it to hit my feed, lol.

@primevideoaunz oh she ate that i fear 👏 #TheLastSunrise #JulianAndOriah #OriahRyPera #FernandoLindez #MaiaReficco #WhatToWatch ♬ original sound - Prime Video AU & NZ

@._zz42 no scrub (he is so fine omg) #thelastsunrise #edit #fernandolindez #maiareficco #fyp ♬ son original - zaara

 

@sabrina.jdk no scrubs still eating in 2026?? my inner child is SCREAMING 😭💅 #noscrubs #tlc #90sbaby #throwback #thelastsunrise ♬ No Scrubs - TLC

 

The Last Sunrise features a scene where the lead character sings a karaoke version of “No Scrubs”, and that apparently is what has brought the love for the song back into the culture. It has even helped “No Scrubs” chart in the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart. I have this inability to watch anything that I feel like was written by AI and many of the straight-to-streaming movies give me that energy these days. However, you know I will always support the resurgence of a Y2K classic. “No Scrubs” is my most streamed song on Spotify of all-time checking in at a cool 365 listens, so this week’s viral pick was a no-brainer for me. Any of you who have actually seen The Last Sunrise can let me know if it’s worth my time; TLC on the other hand will ALWAYS get love from me – RIP Left Eye.

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