CMAT – ‘Have Fun!‘
Having made her name as “everyone’s favourite global pop star™”, Irish sensation CMAT is back with a fresh slice of gleeful alt-pop, careening her way around funky fiddles on the streets of gay Paree. There’s a bit of Paul McCartney’s Wings in the DNA of ‘Have Fun!’s jaunty piano hook, which is perfectly befitting given that the song is inspired by the wild parakeets of London, using them as a metaphor for throwing caution to the wind and making time for joy at the end of a harried relationship. If this is CMAT in her ‘fuck it’ era, she’s truly never sounded better.
Madison Beer – ‘Home To Another One‘
While Madison Beer has been a big-name artist for some time, the uniqueness of her musical identity hasn’t always been obvious, overshadowed by an unhelpful media fixation on her (admittedly gorgeous) looks. As such, ‘Home To Another One’ marks a timely moment of artistic reinvigoration, teaming the breathy, bow-topped delivery of Lana Del Rey with pulsing, romantically understated disco. A comeback of impressive restraint, album two may well be the era to finally beam her into her own dizzy pop orbit.
Hannah Georgas – ‘Better Somehow‘
Though Hannah Georgas worked with Aaron Dessner on her debut record (All That Emotion, released back in 2020), her new project sees her embrace the benefits of self-production, emboldened to confront her emotions and dark thoughts with brutal honesty. With its winding guitars and wistful melodies, ‘Better Somehow’ definitely feels like a down-on-itself confession, but still strives to find some hope in its stirring chorus; “Maybe if I say it out loud it will all be better somehow\It will all be better.” If BoyGenius are ever looking for a fourth, Georgas would fit right in.
Emei – ‘Irresponsible‘
Right in time for festival season, newcomer Emei bounces into focus with ‘Irresponsible’, capturing the spirit and energy of being young, dumb and ready for whatever life can fling your way. There are shades of playful stadium emo in the chorus, but it’s mostly a love letter to drum and bass, the spiritual soundtrack to chaotic joy rides on the dodgems long after the bands have ended and the sun has set. Who needs ‘adulting’ anyway?
Lana Lubany – ‘Expectations‘
Remember in the early 2000s when the only mainstream pop representation of Middle Eastern culture was the odd sitar on a dance track, or a white Disney star culturally appropriating a bindi at Coachella? Thankfully, a lot has changed since then, and breakout Palestinian-American star Lana Lubany leads the charge perfectly on ‘Expectations’, singing in both English and Arabic about letting go and finding one’s true place. The results are truly gorgeous, seamlessly connecting cultural tradition with shades of US-contemporary R&B.
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