ReportWire

Tag: brat

  • What’s Trending On TikTok This Week: Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, Kid Cudi, And More

    It’s October 10, 2025, and this week on TikTok, trending audios are being led by Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life Of A Showgirl, with some familiar favorites following closely behind. We’ve been scrolling all week, watching edits of our faves, and of course, learning a new viral dance or two.

    Here are the viral trending audios on TikTok that we’ve been loving lately.

    ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’ By Taylor Swift

    Keeping it “100 on the land, the sea, and the sky!” When Taylor Swift dropped The Life Of A Showgirl last week, we knew at least one or two songs would start trending on TikTok. The internet has decided to adopt ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ as their weekly audio, and we’re not complaining! There’s also a dance, inspired by the music video, to go with it, so make sure you’re also participating in this fun trend. We want to see our honeybees on our FYP!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    ‘Everything Is Romantic’ By Charli xcx

    We’re hearing “fall in love again and again” every other scroll this week. Brat is still on a constant replay in our hive, and ‘Everything Is Romantic’ brings all those fall sad girl vibes we need this season. This trend reminds us to be grateful for the little things in life that make us fall in love – dinner dates with the girls, concerts with our online friends, reading romance novels, and life’s little everyday celebrations. What makes your life romantic?

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARLI XCX:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    ‘Maui Wowie’ By Kid Cudi

    An unlikely song that has suddenly popped up on our FYP is Kid Cudi’s ‘Maui Wowie.’ The trend? Run to New York City and hang from a stoplight or other city pole. Even though this song came out in 2008, it’s made its way back around the internet. This is why we love TikTok audios! We’re reminded of all the 2000s classics that we haven’t heard in years. Should we take a hive field trip to NYC to participate in this trend?

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KID CUDI:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    ‘Everywhere’ By Fleetwood Mac

    Speaking of classics, ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac is now back on our feed! This song seems to always make its rounds at least a few times a year, especially in the autumn season. You’ll hear ‘Everywhere’ on your feed with compilation videos of all things girly and wholesome. Add some simple text to the screen and hit upload – it’s an instant viral hit.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STEVIE NICKS:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

    ‘We Fell In Love In October’ By Girl In Red

    Every fall season, this audio makes its rounds on TikTok, and we’re sure you’ve probably heard it a handful of times by now. Picture this: warm coffees, cozy Uggs, and pumpkin carving with your bestie. Girl In Red knows how to make all the fall vibes immaculate, and ‘We Fell In Love In October’ is an essential add to any fall playlist or TikTok video.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIRL IN RED:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ By RAYE

    RAYE is taking 2025 and TikTok by storm with her latest release, ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ We’re so glad RAYE is finally getting her flowers – it’s about time! You may also know RAYE from some of her other viral TikTok hits, like ‘Escapism’ a few years ago. Use her new song, though, on your next video and make sure you tag RAYE herself so she can see it! Tell her The Honey POP! sent you!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RAYE:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    ‘TIT FOR TAT’ By Tate McRae

    When is a Tate McRae song not trending? Tate knows how to make a viral hit, teasing it before it’s even launched. However, ‘TIT FOR TAT’ was dropped by surprise by the singer, and now it’s all over our for you pages. It’s the ultimate revenge track – we’re cheering Tate on from our phone screens! Use this song over a GRWM or storytime. Better yet, show off your Miss Possessive Tour looks and tag Tate.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TATE MCRAE:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    Which of these songs have you heard the most on TikTok this week? What are your predictions for next week’s trending songs? Let us know down in the comments or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

    Looking for more trending music news? See what we’ve got, honeybee!

    Alana

    Source link

  • The Return of Smoking Aligns With the Return of Retro Practices in General

    It’s a “trend” (read: way of life) many have been noticing for the past couple of years: smoking. Its steady rise back into mainstream culture arguably reaching a crescendo with Brat summer, the Charli XCX-fueled phenomenon-by-way-of-an-album that laid out what constitutes a “brat,” at least aesthetically: “pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.” Note that pack of cigs was placed at the top of the list, even if XCX was largely just bullshitting/trolling the press…as is the wont of a true brat.

    And yet, it was as though she “manifested” the full-fledged opening of the floodgates when it came to “social smoking” being back in a big way. Unapologetically so. For, where once there was a stigma about it, the summer of 2024 seemed to confirm something that had been brewing for a while: if the “culture” was going to be subjected to the retro practices being consistently touted and implemented by a certain administration helmed by a certain orange creature, then it wanted to at least get back one “good” retro practice out of it: the joy of smoking. No matter that everyone, by now, is well-aware of the bodily harm it guarantees. 

    Here, too, another factor is at play with regard to the “why” of cigarettes a.k.a. “cancer sticks” taking off so much in recent times: it’s apparent that more and more people aren’t seeing much of a viable future for the world, so why not really find (a.k.a. buy, for an extremely exorbitant price) the thing you love and let it kill you? It’s not like there’s going to be an assured tomorrow anyway, n’est-ce pas? So “let it rip.” Or, in this case, let it burn. Put another way by Jared Oviatt a.k.a. “@cigfluencers” (now the go-to person for articles about why cigarettes are “back”), “The dream of stability, owning a home, financial security feels increasingly out of reach. So the question becomes: why not do what you want? Why not smoke? Nothing matters!”

    However, speaking to that aforementioned point about the exorbitant price, the people smoking are actually the ones who can own a home, do have financial security. To be sure, there seems to be something to the idea that “only” celebrities are smoking again (ergo, in some enraged people’s opinions, trying to make it “cool” again)—perhaps because the cost of a pack of cigarettes, to them, amounts to pennies. Which is why Rosalía brought an entire “cigarette bouquet” to Charli XCX for her 32nd birthday on August 2, 2024. Because, while roughly fifteen dollars a pack (when bought from a metropolitan city like L.A.) is alms to the richies, it makes far more of a dent in the average person’s so-called salary. Hence, the popularity of cigarettes among celebrities not necessarily causing a major uptick in smoking among “the commoners.” Who tend to prefer vaping anyway, a much more déclassé form of smoking, with only slightly less harmful health effects. Even so, Lana Del Rey remains committed to it, despite previously being one of the earlier known celebrities of the twenty-first century to parade her cig habit (once an indelible part of her visuals). 

    But then, that’s because Del Rey was always touting twentieth century views and “ideals” in the first place. It’s only now that “everyone else” has “caught up” to her (as she herself presently chooses vaping instead—to which her recent opening act, Addison Rae, would say, “Ew, I hate vaping”) by allowing themselves to fall behind. And why shouldn’t they, when everything around them reflects a society that has entered a time machine, reinvoking the worst of what “hippies” and “crusaders” fought against in the mid-twentieth century: racism, sexism and an overtly patriarchal society.

    Alas, since all of that has bubbled up to the surface again with a vengeance, many seem to think that, at the bare minimum, that should include the erstwhile “glamor” of cigarettes. Before the myth of their “doctor recommended” cachet was debunked with an early 1960s study that definitively concluded cigarettes cause lung cancer. It was in 1964, with the publication of Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, that things for the tobacco industry started to get really dicey. Because that’s when the PSAs, both in print and on TV, started coming out, making increasingly indelible impressions on people as the decades wore on. 

    The 90s were an especially “anti-smoking” time, in terms of campaigns going hard against tobacco. One ad, seeking to satirize the supposed glamor of smoking now mostly associated with Old Hollywood films, depicted a man and woman with “movie star vibes” as the former asks, “Mind if I smoke?” Her reply: “Care if I die?” The message was out: smoking was decidedly gross, selfish and, worst of all (for men and women alike), caused impotence. And yes, it’s almost certain that’s a problem for “cigfluencer” Matty Healy, who went from dating the “wholesome” Taylor Swift to the “brat-adjacent” Gabbriette, a fellow smoker. Because, despite the 90s being always on-trend with the likes of those in the “Brat orbit,” anti-smoking isn’t something that took hold from that hallowed decade. Besides, even the it girls of the day (e.g., Kate Moss, Chloë Sevigny, Winona Ryder) clearly never paid much attention to such ads. Or the influence their unabashed smoking had on those who wanted to be like them.

    Even so, that didn’t stop the effects of the anti-smoking movement at the government level, with California in particular being ahead of the curve on banning smoking in restaurants, workplaces and bars starting in 1995 (though Beverly Hills specifically started banning smoking in certain public places in 1987). Rather ironic considering that Hollywood was the place that started selling cigarettes as “glamorous” in the first place. The dive that the reputation of the cigarette took by the mid-2000s was so noticeable that it can best be summed up by Aaron Eckhart’s character, Nick Naylor, in 2006’s Thank You For Smoking, when he laments that the only people you see smoking in movies anymore are “RAVs”: Russians, Arabs and villains (the former two often neatly fitting into the latter category for Americans anyway). 

    Enter Mary-Kate Olsen, who, despite her twin also being a smoker, was arguably the first to really bring back cigarettes as a mark of “class” and “wealth.” This while also embodying the brat definition of wielding them as an accessory long before Charli XCX herself crystallized what brat even meant. MK’s cigarette-smoking advocacy reached an apex at her 2015 wedding to Olivier Sarkozy, an event that prompted Page Six to famously describe the reception as having “bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes, and everyone smoked the whole night.” It was a phrase—and scene—that pop culture enthusiasts couldn’t stop obsessing over. And maybe it took XCX’s Brat to “inspire” a new generation glom on to what Mary-Kate had already done for cigs anyway. Well, her and a few other 00s-era “bad girls,” including Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears (as a certain infamous 2008 Rolling Stone article phrased it, “She is an inbred swamp thing who chain-smokes”).

    All of which is to say that, sure, the “coolness” of smoking has survived numerous threats to its clout in the years since the truth about its dangers was made public. But it—smoking—has always been there, just waiting in the wings to reemerge again as a viable thing to do for securing one’s “effortless” chicness. However, the fact that the confluence of retro political policies and stances on gender (de facto, gender roles) has aligned with smoking’s latest renaissance doesn’t seem like a coincidence at all. So much as an additional way to “mirror the past.”  And to further undo all the human progress that was made since.

    Genna Rivieccio

    Source link

  • Will Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo Work It Out on the Remix?

    Will Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo Work It Out on the Remix?

    We’re in the best of times (brat summer), but we’re also in the worst of times (constantly fielding articles by Some Guy about how brat summer is dead). But how could brat summer be over if I feel it in my heart? If they’re still playing “Guess ft. Billie Eilish” at Tenants of the Trees in LA (where Charli XCX herself had her birthday party for some reason)? And if the impact of brat summer is still causing ripples through the culture it cannot be over.

    No, I’m not talking about Kamala’s brat green rebrand. I’m talking about something more substantial — the very same thing that had last summer in the same chokehold: the infectious and irresistible power of girlhood.

    Last summer caused a vibe shift. Culture started catering to women. Let’s be real: Women have been the drivers of pop culture for a long time. I, for one, will never forget that artists like The Beatles and Elvis, who are still taken seriously as iconic musical artists today, caused fanatical frenzies, not unlike artists like Justin Bieber and One Direction. Yet, despite our clear good taste, women have historically been written off as fickle while culture catered to men.

    Just think of how the 2000s were defined by blockbuster summer movies. Usually, an action movie would dominate, followed by a “chick flick” that was relegated to date nights or the whims of teenage girls. Yet, when
    Barbenheimer resurrected this dynamic, one had a clear chokehold on the internet and the world. And since I haven’t seen Oppenheimener-flavored Olipops, no prizes for guessing which one it was.

    This summer isn’t defined by movies (Twisters and It Ends With Us aren’t the Barbenheimer redux we wanted) it’s characterized by music. And while the guys gave it the old college try — Kendrick did release the ultimate hater anthem with Not Like Us in the Spring — the girls take it yet again.

    And despite seasonal albums from established pop stars like
    Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande, queer (or queer-coded) female artists have blown up this summer. All of them have also been grafting behind the scenes for years before finally getting their flowers. But now the world is listening. We’re learning. And we’re obsessed.

    Of course, there’s the princess of the summer,
    Sabrina Carpenter, who is the latest Disney veteran to make it big. We’ll get to her Disney drama later, but this summer, it’s all about our Short n Sweet queen’s infectious earworms. We called it earlier this year: she is the moment. Her rise to fame has been inevitable.

    Then there’s the surprise star of the year,
    Chappell Roan. So glad bisexual women decided not to gatekeep this absolute star. The fact that I’ve been listening to Chappell since 2020 and I’m still not tired of “Pink Pony Club” says a lot.

    But
    Charli XCX’s mainstream moment is arguably the most surprising. Charli is a giant to music lovers and, of course, the queer community. A real dyed-in-the-wool party girl, she grew up in the clubs and doesn’t just talk the talk, she throws the parties. Despite her collaborations with literally everyone, her Grammys, and her hits, Charli XCX is only now becoming a household name. Why? Because we’re finally ready for her.

    Girlhood is brat. Brat is girlhood. Girl, it’s so confusing, but it’s about being a girl

    Girlhood is the name of the game and Charli writes for the girls and the gays. Her album speaks to the desire to hold on to the feeling of youth juxtaposed with the realities of growing up. Who can’t relate? She talks about themes integral to girlhood: going on vacation and thinking it will change your life, going to a party and thinking it will change your life, and having dinner with a girl and thinking she hates you.

    @thepopupdates The best duo everrrr #charlixcx #lorde #girlsoconfusing #brat #popmusic #music #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – Pop Throwbacks & Updates

    The latter was the impetus for the internet-breaking track “The girl, so confusing version with lorde.” After Charli released the original version of “girl, so confusing,” the internet rightly assumed it was about her years-long pseudo-beef with
    Lorde. Lyrics like: “I’m all about throwing parties / You’re all about writing poems,” and “People say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” added fuel to the fire of their reported feud. So imagine our surprise when Charli released a version with Lorde herself. Like Miss Ella, honestly, we were speechless.

    Lorde knew what she was doing when she said: “When we put this to bed, the internet will go crazy.” Sure enough, the internet erupted. And it did the same once again when footage was released of the two scream-singing their instant classic of a collab at Charli’s birthday party. What a way to put the feud rumors to bed.

    Will Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo work it out on the remix?

    @ce__1l girl girl 💚 // #ce__1l #fyp #foryoupage #lyricsvideo #music #sabrinacarpenter #oliviarodrigo #brat ♬ Girl, so confusing featuring lorde – Charli xcx & Lorde

    After Lorde and Charli worked out their decade of competition over a Jack Antonoff beat, the internet speculated: who would be next to quell their beef with the power of song? If it seems like the plot of a Disney movie, get in for the ride — the Disney of it all has just begun.

    A few weeks ago, sources reported that former Disney stars turned stadium-selling pop stars Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter might be collaborating on a song. With the upcoming release of Carpenter’s highly anticipated album sneaking up on us, fans speculate that this could be a surprise track waiting on the record.

    If you don’t understand how earth-shattering this is, let me take you back to 2021, when
    Olivia Rodrigo first took the world by storm with her song “drivers license.” The song, and subsequent album, chronicled her heartbreak about how her costar and ex-boyfriend Joshua Bassett left her for “that blonde girl.” The blonde in question? Sabrina Carpenter.

    That’s right. Our very own me espresso was the villain in
    the “drivers license” saga. And you mean to tell me the two of them have put their boy drama aside to collaborate? Please, please, please tell me if this is true. If it is, I’ll be sat watching it unfold. As if I needed another reason to eagerly await the release of Short N Sweet.

    In the meantime, I’m making a list and checking it twice about all the other celebs I want to see quell their beef. And yes, the list gets more and more unhinged as you go down, tis the summer of collabs. And our favorite artists are proving that magic can be made if they do it together. Billie and Charli did it. Kendrick and the entire rap community did it. Who is next?

    @kittywaless their lore😍 (pls keep the comments respectful) #catherineprincessofwales #princessofwales #princesscatherine #princesskate #catherinemiddleton #katemiddleton #duchessofcambridge #brat #girlsoconfusing #britishroyalfamily ♬ Girl, so confusing featuring lorde – Charli xcx & Lorde

    People we want to see work it out on the remix:

    One Direction

    This is my ultimate dream. The
    Paris Olympics may have made you fantasize about what life would be like if you hadn’t quit JV basketball, but it made me dream about seeing my beloved One Direction again. After all, I can’t watch an opening ceremony without thinking about their performance at the 2012 London Games. Stranger things have happened than a boyband reuniting. The second they announce a tour, I’m quitting my job and dedicating my life to following them around on tour. Hold me to that.

    Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan

    The Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo feud is the closest our generation will ever get to experiencing the magnitude of drama caused by Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff. As the two defining Disney sensations turned movie stars of their time, Duff and Lohan were pitted against each other by the media. Everybody knew it: the two were rivals in their careers and in their relationships. We’ll never experience that kind of TMZ-stoked animosity again. But we’re older now. Duff and Lohan are both in new phases of their careers. If they worked it, the (millennial side of the) internet really would go crazy.

    Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber

    These two divas have been competing to be the prince of pop for years. And their silent feud runs deep. In a radio interview at the beginning of Shawn’s career, Justin responded to a question about the other Canadian crooner with the dismissive and deadly, “who’s Shawn Mendes?” Then, after Mendes appeared with Hailey Baldwin at the Met Gala in 2018, Bieber quickly reignited his relationship with our favorite nepo baby and married her. Talk about winning the battle. The two already have a song together, “
    Monster,” but no one is buying that they’ve really worked it out. I want to see Shawn at Justin and Hailey’s baby shower or bust.

    Justin Bieber and Harry Styles

    Speaking of pop feuds, Bieber and Styles have been toeing a tension-laden line since 2012. Rumors swirled that One Direction was supposed to open for Bieber on his
    Believe tour but the plans were canceled — and dreams died. Reasons abound as to why but I suppose we’ll never know. As someone who attended that Believe tour, I have been waiting for them to work it out on the remix ever since.

    Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers

    Other feuds from my childhood I want fixed: the Disney Channel stars involved in the seminal sustainability single, “Send It On.” That was our Fleetwood Mac
    Rumors. With loyalties crossed, relationships breaking friendships, and a whole lot of teen angst going on, the Disney Channel producers had one song and one song only to change lives. While we were watching “Send It On” play during Disney breaks, we had no clue about the drama simmering beneath the surface. But imagine if they put that to bed? The internet would go crazy.

    Joe Jonas and Taylor Swift

    Of all of Taylor’s exes, she’s clearly already worked it out with Taylor Lautner — who was backflipping across her Eras tour stages for a brief stint last summer. But the reconciliation I really want is between Taylor and Joe. Sure, she’s written some scathing songs about him. And she told the world on
    Ellen that he broke up with her in 17 seconds. And she’s befriended Sophie Turner. But for a brief moment, Taylor made up with Kanye West, so stranger things have happened. Can you imagine a mashup between “SOS” by The Jonas Brothers and “The Story of US” by Taylor Swift? My Spotify Wrapped would become unshareable.

    Katy Perry and Taylor Swift

    Though allegedly this feud started due to the backup dancers, Perry has become one of
    Swift’s famed list of enemies. And as the queen of “Karma,” Swifties know that all of Taylor’s adversaries never fare well — just look at Ye or Scooter Braun. Katy Perry’s comeback might be another one of these casualties. Ouch. If the two managed to reconcile their “Bad Blood,” imagine the album Katy Perry would create.

    Nelly Furtado and Fergie

    Remember the song “
    Give It To Me” by Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake? Thanks to TikTok, the song experienced a recent resurgence. But did you know the entire song is a diss track? Justin Timberlake’s verse is about Prince (more insane than “what tour? The world tour”), Timbaland’s verse is about Scott Storch, and Nelly Furtado’s verse is about Fergie. But what if we stopped pitting two pop icons against each other and instead begged them both to have a comeback … together?

    The Don’t Worry Darling Cast

    The
    Don’t Worry Darling press tour pitted all our favorite stars against each other in the public arena: Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pine, and Gemma Chan. And while that trainwreck of a movie doesn’t need a sequel, I would animatedly watch one just to keep keen eyes on the press tour.

    The It Ends With Us Cast

    If we thought there would never be another press tour as dramatic as
    Don’t Worry Darling, Justin Baldoni of the It Ends With Us cast just hired Johnny Depp’s lawyer — so it’s inarguably surpassed its dramatic predecessor. With Blake Lively and Baldoni both waging a press war, some are hoping It Ends With Us will just … end. But I need a little entertainment to tide me over into fall. And if the movie itself won’t provide it, the hope of a last-gasp reconciliation might.

    Kendrick Lamar and Drake

    I know this will never happen. In fact, if it did, I’d
    lose some respect for Kendrick, honestly. But sometimes I like to imagine that all of this was just marketing for a joint album a la “Watch the Throne.”

    LKC

    Source link

  • Artist Profile: Charli XCX

    Artist Profile: Charli XCX

    Charli XCX, the artist behind the album Brat and the “brat summer” phenomenon, made headlines after endorsing presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The Onion shares what you need to know about the singer-songwriter.

    Female Competitive Drowner Explains Why Trans Athletes Should Not Compete In Competitive Drowning

    • Birth Name: Charles Entertainment Cheese
    • Birthplace: Myspace Office of Research and Development
    • Vocal Style: Singing into electric fan
    • Eye Color: Dilated
    • Most Frequent Collaborator: Girl in next bathroom stall over
    • Fashion Aesthetic: Goth Slimer
    • Fandom Name: Crucial voting bloc
    • Habitat: Warm, open brushlands bordering on rivers and streams
    • Most Famous Feud: John Williams, after edging him out for job composing Bottoms soundtrack

    Source link

  • A Panty-Dropping, Project X Affair: Charli XCX and Billie Eilish’s “Guess” Video

    A Panty-Dropping, Project X Affair: Charli XCX and Billie Eilish’s “Guess” Video

    When Charli first, er, teased the album artwork for the “Guess” remix featuring Billie Eilish, she dared her fans to, that’s right, guess who it was joining her on the cover for this revamped edition. Despite the retroactive dead giveaway that it was Billie Eilish (you know, the butch, 90s boy aesthetic), perhaps no one, in their wildest fantasies, could have imagined that such an iconic collaboration would come on the heels of Charli working with Lorde on the “Girl, so confusing” remix. And, like Lorde, Eilish has plenty to offer when it comes to contributing a new verse to this track. One that is on-brand for the sex-drenched nature of the song.

    Funnily enough, it seems to have taken a millennial to help Gen Z remember that life doesn’t have to be sexless. It can be raunchy, promiscuous and, yes, even panty-dropping. In short, it can recapture all the key visuals of Project X. And if Charli and Billie comprised the collaboration people had only dreamed about, it would be in keeping with the premise of that movie, with its tagline: “The party you’ve only dreamed about.” This is the effect Charli is going for in the Aidan Zamiri-directed video for “Guess,” which also seems to recreate the garbage-filled aesthetic of the Atacama Desert in Chile, where fast fashion goes to die, creating massive piles within the landfill. It’s a similar pile that Charli and Billie mount toward the middle of the video, only to roll back down it with glee as they meet one another at the bottom in a shot that positions them lying side by side as though they just banged (metaphorically, they kind of have).

    To that end, perhaps Charli has learned her lesson (somewhat) about promoting environment-destroying behavior (hear: any of her songs that serve as love letters to driving) by including a disclaimer at the end of the video that reads, “All unworn garments will be donated to survivors of domestic violence through I Support the Girls.” Of course, all the “garments” in question are lingerie-related, which is a bit of an odd donation to make to victims of domestic abuse, but anyway…

    Zamiri, who also photographed Eilish for her Rolling Stone cover earlier this year, opens the video on a close-up of Charli’s sunglasses-covered face (the ultimate symbol of her Brat era) as she asks, “Billie, you there?” The answer to that question is: not just yet. Billie’s big entrance will be made once the party is already well underway. A party that takes place in a more 90s-ified version of the apartment style Charli showed us in the “Baby” video. After the close-up on her face, she introduces herself by cuntily walking across the trash-filled carpet. The timeline of whether the party already happened or is about to happen or she’s simply having another one without cleaning up from the night before isn’t important. What is, however, is the fact that Project X has so obviously remained a tried-and-true inspiration for XCX’s work. It was back in 2020 that she declared, “I think I’ve officially decided that Project X is my favorite movie of all time.” No matter how retrospectively uncomfortable the R. Kelly mention gets. And while others might see the 2012 high school comedy as “nothing special,” it makes sense that XCX would continue to idealize it. After all, she’s a big believer in party alchemy. The “power of the party,” as it were.

    Case in point, back in 2019, when she did an interview for Nowness, Charli said, “I’m very inspired by parties. Lots of emotional things happen at parties, like, maybe you fall in love with someone, or you, like, spend a really amazing night with your friends, or you break up with someone. It’s, like, there’s a lot of emotions that go on at parties…” Hence, her attachment to them as more than something that’s merely “frivolous.” It’s a microcosm, a hotbed of unmitigated feelings (mainly thanks to las drogas). And the primary ones at this “Guess” party are, in two words, “let’s fuck.” The writhing, gyrating and general “every guy, grab a girl” vibe is practically a constant of the narrative.

    In promoting this concept, Charli also proves that, theoretically, the “clean girl aesthetic” is over and that, accordingly, it’s “safe” to promote the messy lifestyle that goes hand in hand with drinking and drugging yet again (not that Charli ever really ceased doing that). Hence, the constant flash to partygoers smoking (actual cigarettes, none of this vape bullshit) and drinking throughout “Guess.”

    Indeed, it can be argued that the last time partying in this manner was so acceptable was, in fact, back in 2012, when Project X was released. It was also the year of Kesha’s sophomore album, Warrior, which continued the “grimy girl” motif of her debut, Animal. Her vehement “party or die” (or “party and die,” depending on the person) mantra endured with a song like “Die Young,” during which Kesha declared, “Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young/Young hearts, out our minds/Runnin’ till we outta time/Wild childs, lookin’ good/Livin’ hard just like we should/Don’t care who’s watching when we tearing it up (you know)/That magic that we got nobody can touch.” This is the sentiment that permeates the “Guess” video, even if the lyrics themselves are far less wholesome, and much more in keeping with the gratuitously salacious tone of Charli’s other film favorite, Spring Breakers (though Camila Cabello tried her best to co-opt that “mood board” for C,XOXO).

    This includes Eilish’s sexually-charged verse, “Don’t have to guess the color of your underwear/Already know what you’ve got goin’ on down there/It’s that lacy black pair with the little bows/The ones I picked out for you in Tokyo/I saw them when you sat down, they were peekin’ out/I’m gonna tell you right now, they’re all I’m thinkin’ about.” She delivers these lines after literally crashing the party in a bulldozer (it kind of reminds one of the way the party in Weird Science was crashed by the mutant bikers, riding right through the walls/glass doors to get in).

    Charli eventually leaves the party with Billie (perhaps taking the latter up on her offer, “Charli likes boys, but she knows I’d hit it/Charli, call me if you’re with it”), riding on the side of the bulldozer/tractor as she bounces in a similar way to how she did in the video for “360” while pouring a glass of wine. Zamiri then rapidly intercuts scenes between the original party and the two-woman rager that Charli and Billie have continued together outside in the “wilds” of a concrete jungle somewhere in L.A. (for both singers favor that city, like anyone with consummate taste).

    To conclude the even more sexed-up remix, the duo goads, “You wanna guess the address of the party we’re at (you really are not invited)/You wanna guess if we’re serious about this song.” That last line smacks of Justin Timberlake assuring at the end of “Rock Your Body,” “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song.” And sure, while he might be permanently “cancelled,” there’s no denying XCX was influenced by NSYNC, de facto Timberlake, at some point in the late 90s/early 00s.

    As for boasting about the “hoi polloi” not being invited to the party, not only is it typical Brat behavior, it’s also in keeping with the necessary exclusivity of celebrities like XCX and Eilish, who have both dealt with their fair share of creepy civilian behavior. So one supposes that’s why the party of Project X was patently more epic in scope and aftermath—it didn’t discriminate about the guest list.

    Genna Rivieccio

    Source link

  • How to Have a BRAT Summer

    How to Have a BRAT Summer

    From the moment Megan Thee Stallion crowned summer 2019 “Hot Girl Summer,” each subsequent summer has fought to earn its own moniker. And just before the solstice, Charli XCX came to claim the crown with her album BRAT. The very instant the neon green album cover made its way to our Spotify feeds, it was clear it would be an instant classic.

    And now, after sitting with the album for a few weeks — and blasting it through my headphones like armor against the heatwave — it’s undeniable that these timeless tracks will define summer 2024. So everyone, like your pilot after a flight, I’d like to be the first to welcome you to BRAT summer.

    Let’s be clear: BRAT summer is an extension of the summer of
    gay pop. Look at the charts, and you’ll discover that many of this summer’s favorite earworms are made by and for the gays. Happy Pride from the queer community! Songs like “Good Luck Babe!” by our favorite performer Chappell Roan [who we interviewed here!] and “LUNCH” by alt-pop queen Billie Eilish are proudly queer anthems that aren’t going anywhere all summer and beyond. And while Charli isn’t queer herself, she’s a cornerstone of the queer music community. Her impact on the gay music scene cannot be ignored — she did the soundtrack to the lesbian cult film Bottoms, for goodness sake. And that’s to say nothing of her years making gay pop bangers before Jojo Siwa crowned this the summer of the genre.

    Think of it like the parents who get citizenship in a country because their children were born there. For many queer folks, Charli is mother, and her music is directly influenced by and produced for LGBTQIA+ audiences. She follows a tradition of other hyperpop divas who have become icons in the queer community. Madonna. Kylie Minogue. Lady Gaga. Charli XCX.

    Though for too long she was relegated to “gay famous” — aka only a household name to queer people and mostly unknown to mainstream pop charts — everyone has finally caught on. So if you’re new to Charli standom, welcome to a party so fun you’ll never want to leave.

    BRAT is Charli’s seminal work — no wonder this is the record drawing the most public intrigue and influence of her career. She teased the album for months. With interviews, campaigns, DJ shows, and even announcing a joint tour with Troye Sivan, Charli was telling us to get ready for BRAT summer for months. For a while, some even wondered if it would live up to the hype. Luckily, it has exceeded it.

    In her cover story interview for THE FACE magazine, she described
    BRAT as “irresistible club pop made by a dyed-in-the-wool party girl.” And she delivered on her promise. BRAT is infectious and instantly timeless. It’s party fodder that’s surprisingly poignant. It’s not just an album, it’s a lifestyle. And everybody’s going to be living it all summer long.

    Already,
    BRAT has brought back partying. Even The New York Times has caught on — they recently published an article on partying in the new age. It included items like social media etiquette and not taking off your shoes in someone’s apartment. Overall, it feels like a treatise on BRATty behavior.

    Consider this our take. From how to dress to how to act, here’s the Popdust guide to having a BRAT summer.

    Bring back indie sleaze

    Every year since the pandemic, fashion blogs have been predicting the return of indie sleaze. This Tumblr-era aesthetic reigned during the height of the early 2010s party girl era. It was characterized by cigarettes, ripped tights, and smudged eyeliner. It was embodied by Tumblr icons like Alexa Chung and the rest of the “rockstar girlfriend” set. And, in recent years, many of its markers have returned.
    Arctic Monkeys put out a new album. Everyone is preoccupied with It-Girls again. But Indie Sleaze as an aesthetic has failed to regain its grip on the youth culture.

    However, BRAT might be singlehandedly bringing back that vibe. It makes me want to put on a crop top and buy a choker. It makes me yearn for American Apparel days and wearing Doc Martens to the club. The #CleanLook aesthetic is out. Dressing for the most feral night of your life? In. Call it inner child healing and go full tilt into Tumblrcore.

    Add one more accessory to your outfit before leaving the house

    Allegedly, Coco Chanel once said: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” Clearly she was not a BRAT. Instead, add an accessory to your look each time you leave the house. Being a BRAT is about being over the top. It’s about buying the rhinestone and bedazzled tourist caps when you’re on vacation. It’s about giant sunglasses at night. It’s not just about accessorizing, it’s about
    over-accessorizing.

    My rule of thumb is to pick a go-to accessory and exaggerate it as much as possible. For example, if you love a funky earring, commit to the biggest, most outrageous earrings you can find. Personally, I adore rings, so this summer, I’m literally stacking every ring I own every day. If my hands weigh as much as my head, I’m doing it right.

    Don’t sleep in your makeup — but make it look like you did

    The cardinal sin in beauty is sleeping in your makeup. You run the risk of clogging your pores, activating or worsening acne, causing premature aging, drying out your skin barrier, and irritating your dermis. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’re also missing out on all the potential benefits of your nighttime skincare routine when your skin needs the TLC the most.

    Being a BRAT might be about being booked and busy, but it’s also about keeping yourself at your best to do it all over again tomorrow. So, no, don’t use BRAT summer as an excuse to sleep in your makeup, but use it as inspiration to
    look like you slept in your eyeliner.

    I’m talking thick brows, smudged eyeliner, smoky shadow, and finger blush. Apply with no caution whatsoever, and you have the look.

    Say yes — to everything.

    Consider that one Jim Carrey movie
    Yes Man. When he’s bound to say yes to everything, hilarity ensues. In real life, the same is true. Doing it for the plot, as the kids say, can open doors you never expected. In the winter, I’m protective of my boundaries and selective about what I do. In the summer, I’ll take any opportunity to be outside.

    An extension of this rule is keeping the conversation open. Don’t just ask people what they’re doing, ask them if you can tag along. You’ll be surprised how often they tell you that the more, the merrier.

    Don’t flake

    Saying yes to plans is a commitment. But it’s not very BRATty to cancel at the last minute. Once you affirm plans, respond to a Partiful invite, or slide up on someone’s story about a house party, you’re bound to it. Even if you only go for a moment, show your face, and leave, it’s better than flaking completely.

    Dance!

    In the song “girl, so confusing” (not the version with Lorde, but we’ll get there), Charli says: “Think you should come to my party and put your hands up!” The queen has spoken — y’all better put your hands up.

    It might seem like a given since we’re talking about parties, but people don’t want to clock in and dance anymore. It’s time to break the cycle. This summer, let’s make a pact to actually dance at parties. No more standing on the walls, trying to look cool and nonchalant. Being a BRAT is about being chalant.

    Think Troye Sivan in his icon run of music videos last year. I want to channel “Get Me Started” energy to every song on
    BRAT. You don’t have to have full choreo, but let the music move you, for goodness sake! That’s what it’s for.

    Especially if they’re playing throwback 2000s and 2010s recession-pop

    This one is for the DJs: If you’re playing
    BRAT at the club (you should be), it’s best paired with recession pop. Play Charli mixed with the greats and their own pop bangers. BRAT is influenced by the music of the past decade. And considering Cahrli has been making music that whole time, BRAT is an homage to this era. The best way to pay it respect is by

    Pregame with sad girl music

    A BRAT is complicated. They contain multitudes. They’re complex and layered. Behind the party girl exterior is a deep yearning that can only be soothed by sad girl music. If you’re watching
    Lana Del Rey’s Coachella 2024 performance on YouTube before going out, congratulations, you’re a BRAT.

    I personally find that starting the pregame with Phoebe Bridgers, moving on to Billie Eilish, and ending with Charli sets the perfect mood. You have to work your way up to Charli. You have to emotionally earn it.

    Wired headphones forever

    The above is true when you’re alone, too. Listening to music in your headphones, it better be either La Del Rey or Charli this summer. But the headphones themselves matter. Until they make neon green skins for your bulky wireless Airpods, wired earphones are the official choice for a BRAT summer. Whether you choose the classic Apple earphones or trendy ones like the Koss vintage-inspired earphones,
    as long as they have a wire, you’re good.

    Ponder the meaning of life

    “I think about it all the time, that I might run out of time,” ponders Charli on BRAT. “My career feels so small in the existential scheme of it all,” she ends the song, “i think about it all the time,” before leading into a song of the summer, “365.” Clearly, her career means something — both to her and the culture. And it’s a sign to us all. It’s normal to ponder the meaning of life, to spiral at the club, to have an existential crisis in the car on the way home. As long as you show up and dance.

    Take digitals. Post the good, bad, and the ugly

    Every other year comes a photo trend. During Tumblr, it was the Polaroid camera. For the past few years, it’s been the disposable. Now, it’s the digital cameras. While we don’t have to bring back Facebook albums compiling every photo from every night, I shudder to recall that dark time, digital cameras offer both whimsy and functionality. Just don’t dilly-dally before sharing with your friends.

    It’s also about being real online and offline. There’s no room for shame or regret when you’re a BRAT. So post every pic, even if your eye is half closed — in fact, that makes you seem cooler. Like, wow, you’re too busy living your super cool and awesome life to stress about your photos. And I’ll be in the likes of all your photo dumps and stories because BRATs support BRATs.

    No beef. Work it out on the remix

    Undoubtedly, the most viral storyline from the BRAT rollout came a few weeks later with a remix. Many had already speculated that the song was about Cahrli and Lorde’s purported beef. After years in the industry, the two kept being compared to each other and Charli has spoken out about these comparisons before. While they weren’t fighting it out on Instagram Live, the fans hyped up this so-called rivalry. It finally seemed like Charli was addressing it in “girl, so confusing,” a song straight out of the
    Barbie soundtrack (which she also worked on).

    So, imagine all of our surprises when Lorde and Charli worked it out on the remix. Released days after the initial album, “The girl, so confusing version with Lorde” was a surprisingly vulnerable and completely powerful move to end this alt-girl beef. Lorde hopped on the track to talk about her insecurities and the defense mechanisms we make to protect ourselves and hurt other people. I almost cried to that heavy pop beat. And Charli wouldn’t have it any other way.

    In a world filled with nonsensical (though entertaining) feuds like Kendrick and Drake, this summer is about working it out on the remix. It’s about supporting other BRATs. And inviting that girl you think hates you to your party. Truly iconic.

    Langa Chinyoka

    Source link

  • These Can’t All Be The Songs of the Summer: Summer Hit Showdown

    These Can’t All Be The Songs of the Summer: Summer Hit Showdown

    Each new song is claiming to be
    the song of the summer. This is not random TikTok singers doing their obligatory self-promo with the tried-and-true hook: “Did I just write the song of the summer?” But don’t blame them. Blame the labels that are vying for a number-one hit. Blame TikTok for making songs viral overnight. Or blame each and every one of us who exclaims “song of the summer!” whenever our favorite songs come on the radio. There’s even a Spotify playlist power ranking all of this years contenders.

    Everyone’s seeking the perfect summer soundtrack. I make a new playlist once time April hits (overeager, I know) with all the songs I have on repeat for the season. It ranges from UK Drill to Alt-Pop bangers. If you don’t have Central Cee and Clairo playing back-to-back this summer, what are you even doing?

    But yet, come summer one song stands out as
    the song of the season. It’s the song that’s on everyone’s mind and everyone’s playlist. It’s the song everyone requests at parties, that plays every hour on the hour at the club, and the song we find ourselves humming mindlessly at the pool and on the beach.

    Some years, it’s obvious. But this year, we’re spoiled for choice.

    Dare I say it: we’re having a Summer 2016 Replay. For Gen Z and younger Millennials, Summer 2016 has taken a mythical quality online. Fall and Winter were when everything started to go wrong — some even say the killing of Harambe that May was the catalyst to all the ceaseless tragedy that’s happened since. If you’d told us then what the world would look like now, I would
    not have believed you. It was the rise before the fall. It was a summer of possibility, incredulity. And it was a summer of really good music.

    Leading up to Summer 2016, we had new albums from Beyonce (
    Lemonade), Rihanna (ANTI, her last project), Drake (Views), Justin Bieber (Purpose), and Ariana Grande (Dangerous Woman). Those albums gave us summer hits like “Sorry,” “Work,” “One Dance,” “Controlla,” “Love Yourself,” “Into You,” and so. Much. More. Not to mention, right at the end of summer, Frank Ocean finally dropped “Blonde” and changed music forever. He ushered in the genre-less, experimental sound to mainstream music and is on the inspo board of everyone you love, I promise.

    The radio was also blasting singles that still get regular play at clubs. Mike Posner’s “I Took a Pill In Ibiza,” “This is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa’s first hit “Hotter than Hell,” “Cheap Thrills” by Sia, and “Panda” by Desiigner. Doesn’t that take you back?

    Since then, no other summer has matched the vibes and the soundtrack of Summer 16. Last summer was the summer of cinema — with
    OppenBarbie taking over the box office and the planet. It was the summer of the girl, too. But summer 2024 is promising to have it all.

    The summer festival circuit is in full swing with lineups that people are actually excited about and performances that are making and reigniting stars. Chappell Roan at
    Coachella blasted her way to success, going from a niche, “gay famous” singer to a mainstream hitmaker. Lana Del Rey is so back in a big way after headlining Coachella with a special appearance from Billie Eilish. Billie released her best album yet, full of summer bangers and ballads alike.

    But we can’t talk about Summer 16 without talking about Sabrina Carpenter. “Espresso” has been sitting pretty at the top of the charts since spring. It’s everyone’s hyperfixation song. It’s been played and played and I’m not even close to tired of it. While Sabrina has been writing music for years, her 2023 album
    emails I can’t send has been a gamechanger for her career. Her mainstream success was slowly climbing with hits like “Nonsense” and “Feather” but nothing can compare to the level of fame she’s seeing in the wake of “Espresso.”

    Out of nowhere, the lead single from her upcoming album became the unexpected song of pre-summer. But as we head into the season’s later months, can it keep up its momentum? Only time will tell. We’re spoiled for choice this summer with a bevy of hits from artists of every genre. Of course there are expected summer stars like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Post Malone, but other more surprising contenders are vying for the Song of the Summer Title.

    Here’s what we think of all of summer’s most infectious songs:

    Espresso — Sabrina Carpenter


    The perfect summer anthem. “Espresso” is a feel-good bop that I can listen to on repeat. I doubt I’ll ever get tired of it — no wonder it won’t exit the Billboard chart. The only thing keeping it from being the definite song of the summer is that it came out in early Spring. But don’t worry, Miss Sabrina has more than one card up her sleeve.

    Please, Please, Please — Sabrina Carpenter

    After announcing her next album, Sabrina released her latest single, “Please, Please, Please,” alongside the video with her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan. “Don’t embarrass me, motherf*cker,” she croons in the song — talk about relatable. Taking a different tone than “Espresso” but no less infectious, Sabrina’s close-to-Country crooning displays that she’s a versatile star who won’t be banging out versions of the same song forever.

    I Had Some Help — Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen

    Speaking of Country Music, Post Malone’s country era is going swimmingly for the former-rapper with his new song, “I Had Some Help,” featuring Country star Morgan Wallen. Post Malone is no stranger to songs of the summer with hits like 2017’s “Congratulations,” 2019’s “Circles,” and his
    Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse song “Sunflower” in 2019. This summer, he’s switching up genres but still racking up streams. Be prepared to hear this at every barbecue, beach house, or lake house or this summer.

    II Most Wanted — Beyonce and Miley Cyrus

    When Beyonce released her own Country album, it came with the infectious hit, “TEXAS HOLD EM.” The song’s opening line, “This ain’t Texas,” was on the tip of my tongue for months. Now that the album’s finally out, the surprising hit is her unexpected collaboration with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” Miley had the song of the summer last year with “Flowers” and teaming up with Beyonce on this emotional ballad is pure magic.

    Nasty — Tinashe

    Tinashe has been toiling for years aiming for a hit, and now she finally has one. A true TikTok song, this summer anthem went viral in a hilarious video of TikTok user Nate Di Winer when he posted a video of himself dancing to Hey Choppi’s “Blind.” Tinashe took the video’s success, overlaid her own video and audio over it, and it went crazy-crazy-viral. The rest is history. Now it’s a sneaky, sleeper hit of the summer. And the TikTok sound “I’ve been a nasty girl” is sure to outlive it and head into the golden days of Autumn — at least.

    Million Dollar Baby — Tommy Richman

    We can’t talk about TikTok songs without mentioning Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby”. No, not the 2004 brutal boxing film starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. It’s a viral hit that instantly became an earworm. Who is Tommy Richman, you might ask? The 24-year-old singer and rapper is brand new to the scene — and what a debut. I wish it
    really was 2016 so everyone’s Instagram captions could be “Million Dollar Baby.” Simpler times.

    Too Sweet — Hozier

    TikTok is also responsible for Hozier’s first #1 hit in the US. Hozier’s been bringing his Irish accent-tinged voice to the charts since his massive debut single, “Take Me to Church.” But it took a post-album EP to skyrocket him to #1. After releasing
    Unreal, Unearth in late 2023, Hozier dropped a 4-song EP this April with some extras that didn’t make the album. And thank goodness he didn’t let these songs languish because “Too Sweet” is the folksy summer anthem we need.

    Good Luck Babe! — Chappell Roan

    The gays won with this song. Chappell Roan has been belting out her ballads and bops of yearning since her extended album promotion in 2020. Finally,
    The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, her debut album came out in late 2023 but it took until her 2024 single “Good Luck Babe!” to get people to tune in. But now that the masses are listening, they cannot stop. This unapologetically queer hit has transcended the gay pop genre and is a chart-topping summer anthem for all of us entering our eras of yearning.

    LUNCH — Billie Eilish

    Speaking of unapologetically queer, this new Billie Eilish era is unmatched. Billie’s brand-new album,
    HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, is a masterpiece and already gaining Grammy buzz. Album of the Year? Probably. And she deserves it. She traverses genres and moods with this album, managing to create a sound that’s refreshingly unique and a album that feels cohesive despite its leaps and bounds. “LUNCH” is the sapphic song of my dreams, and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a pop ballad that shows her range and her ability to create pop songs that last forever. [Read our full review of HIT ME HARD AND SOFThere.]

    Cinderella — Remi Wolf

    Remi will always be on my summer playlist so it’s exciting to hear her getting mainstream play. “Me and the boys in the hotel lobby,” is an infectious hook. And paired with her belting the chorus, it’s a textured song that I want to scream along to in my car with the windows down. [Read out interview with Remi Wolf at Spotify’s Lorem party
    here.]

    Houdini — Dua Lipa

    Queen of Vacationing. Queen of Red Carpets. Formerly, Queen of Summer. After 2017’s “New Rules” made her a certified pop girl, and “Levitating” was the post-covid anthem, we all expected Dua to have the Song of the Summer with hits from her latest album,
    Radical Optimism. Although hits like “Houdini” and “Training Season” have charted moderately well, they didn’t seem to stick. The vibes are good though, earning them a spot on my summer playlist despite everyone falling asleep on the job.

    Houdini — Eminem

    While Dua’s “Houdini” remains in the middle of the charts, Eminem’s return to music with his song, “Houdini” is climbing up the charts. It debuted at number #2 and is reaching for #1. This is his best showing on the charts in over a decade and bodes well for his upcoming album,
    The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The song is classic Slim Shady controversy bait. If cancel culture were actually real, Shady would be canceled for this one for sure — there’s a line about Megan Thee Stallion being shot (can rappers leave her alone?) and calling everything “gay.” But it’s catchy so it’s definitely going to stay in the charts for a while.

    Not Like Us — Kendrick Lamar

    By far, the most buzz-worthy rap hit is Kenrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” One of the final songs in the weeks-long saga that was his beef with Drake, it’s the final nail in the Drizzy coffin. You know you lost a rap war when one of the diss tracks becomes the song of the summer. Ouch!

    BAND4BAND — Central Cee, Lil Baby

    Wanna know who else is beefing? The US and UK rap scenes. The collaboration from Central Cee and Lil Baby isn’t bringing the two countries together, but tearing them apart. Each side is claiming their country carried the song. The British claim Lil Baby doesn’t sound as tough or “hard” as Cench, while Americans are making TikToks dancing to Cench’s verse in Bridgerton-like garb. I just want everyone to have fun. After Central Cee teamed up with Dave for my personal favorite song of
    last summer, “Sprinter,” they could never make me hate him.

    places to be — Fred Again.. Ft Anderson .Paak and CHIKA

    I wanna hear this at the club. I wanna hear this on a rooftop. I wanna hear this while sprinting through a field or rolling down a hill or doing something else to fix my inner child. “places to be” is fun, refreshing, and sounds like the endless possibilities of summer. [Read our review of Fred Again..’s Stanford show here.]

    Langa Chinyoka

    Source link