Tag: good times ahead

The Week's Hottest Gaming Takes, From The Game Awards And Fallout To GTA 6

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It was a big week for the scantily clad at Kotaku this week, with both GTA 6 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth giving players plenty of skin. We’re also feeling very excited about the new Fallout show, but decidedly less enthusiastic about the minimal focus on the actual awards at this week’s Game Awards.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

These are the week’s most interesting perspectives on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of video game news.

God I Hope My Xbox Series S Can Run GTA 6

Gif: Rockstar Games / Kotaku

Grand Theft Auto 6 looks gorgeous. Unless its debut trailer this week was faked, it might end up being one of the best-looking games of this console generation when it comes out in 2025. By that time, my Xbox Series S will be five years old. I shudder to think of that sleek little white box trying to play Rockstar Games’ latest open-world blockbuster. – Ethan Gach Read More

The First Hours Of Ubisoft’s New Avatar Game Are Gorgeous, Fun, And Empty

Screenshot: Ubisoft

I’ve played about six hours of Ubisoft’s new Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora and my big takeaway is that Avatar sickos will love this game, Far Cry Primal fans will get a kick out of Ubisoft returning to this formula, and everyone else, well… uh…dang, the game sure is pretty, huh? – Zack Zwiezen Read More

GTA 6 Proves 2023’s Best Video Game Trend Is Here To Stay

An intimate moment in GTA 6.
Screenshot: Rockstar / Kotaku

Good news, everyone! Unless you’ve been living in a monastery, you’re likely aware that 2023 is the year that video games got horny again. And no, I don’t mean tastefully Hades frisky, I mean Leisure Suit Larry and Night Trap levels of unhinged lust, the likes of which “mainstream” gaming (whatever that means) hasn’t seen since the 1990s. – Jen Glennon Read More

The Fallout TV Show Trailer Is Melting Away My Skepticism

Screenshot: Amazon

Historically, TV and film adaptations of video games don’t have the greatest track record. The last few years, however, have started turning that around. Pikachu, Sonic, and Mario have all starred in successful movies, and earlier this year The Last of Us got a proper prestige adaptation that certainly left a mark on fans. – Claire Jackson Read More

The Game Awards Needs To Drop The Act And Just Become Winter E3

Screenshot: The Game Awards / Kotaku

And so that’s that. The Game Awards 2023 are over. 32 awards were handed out over three and a half hours. You might think, with that much time to spare, the show took its time and truly celebrated all the creators and games nominated for what the show calls “Gaming’s Biggest Night.” Nope. Instead, more so than before, the show sped through them at a rapid pace, making me wonder why it still pretends to be an award show at all. – Zack Zwiezen Read More

Hope For A Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Springs Eternal

Image: Square Enix

Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the best games Square Enix ever produced, and it’s not available anywhere on modern consoles or PC. A remaster is an obvious way to fix that problem, and it seemed like all signs were pointing to one getting announced any day now. So it’s an especially cruel twist of fate that the original game’s director, Yasumi Matsuno, keeps toying with fans’ emotions about whether a remaster is actually happening or not. – Ethan Gach Read More

Cyberpunk 2077′s Romance Update Is Sweet, But Underlines A Big Problem

Screenshot: CD Projekt Red / Kotaku

Cyberpunk 2077 is in a pretty good spot these days. After a dumpster fire of a launch, the next-gen update, 2.0 patch, and Phantom Liberty expansion have gotten CD Projekt Red’s open-world RPG to a respectable state. The 2.1 patch that launched this week adds a nice little bow to the game as its “last big update.” It has long-requested features like a working subway you can take across Night City, and it also lets V, its mercenary protagonist, spend a little time with their lover in their apartment. The results are an adorable stay-at-home date with your paramour, but for as sweet as it is, these hangouts underline something that felt left out of the Cyberpunk 2077 redemption arc: the romance. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

Rockstar Is Really Good At Making GTA Trailers

Image: Rockstar Games / Kotaku

The first trailer for Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto game, likely to be named GTA VI, comes out December 5. What can we expect the trailer to reveal? Well, based on Rockstar’s past GTA trailers, which are fantastic, there’s a pattern that can help us predict what we might see during GTA VI’s official debut. – Zack Zwiezen Read More

The 11 Best Video Game Sequels, According To Kotaku Readers

Image: BioWare / Bethesda / Capcom

Earlier this week, we asked you all to give us your choice for the best video game sequel. Any sequel would count and everyone was free to suggest any game they wanted, no matter how old, obscure, or divisive. And we tallied up all the answers, crunched the numbers, and figured out your top ten sequels. – Zack Zwiezen Read More

2024’s Best Minigame Is Already Here

Sultry singlets everywhere, oh my!
Screenshot: Sega

The secret is out: the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has great minigames. Whether you enjoy playing retro arcade brawlers like Virtua Fighter, dumping dozens of hours into becoming a real-estate tycoon, or chatting up bodacious babes at the hostess club, Sega’s goofy action series has plenty of pleasant timesinks to wile away the hours. Though it’s still several weeks away, it’s already clear that the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is no exception to that rule. – Jen Glennon Read More

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December 10, 2023
GTA 6 Trailer Makes Tom Petty Song Explode On Spotify

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Earlier this week, Rockstar Games released the long-awaited first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI, the massive sequel to 2013’s GTA 5. And while the trailer itself is quickly racking up millions of views every hour, the Tom Petty song featured in it is also doing pretty dang well, too.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

I probably don’t need to tell you that on December 4, after a small leak, Rockstar released the first GTA 6 trailer a bit early and, in the process, blew up the internet. That trailer, which revealed the game won’t be out until 2025 and also showcased some incredible-looking NPCs, has since hit over 100 million views already, breaking some world records in the process. And the trailer’s song, “Love Is a Long Road,” is predictably blowing up too, according to Spotify.

Rockstar Games

As reported by IGN, Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road” has seen a ridiculous increase in streams since the trailer went live. According to Spotify, streams of “Love Is a Long Road” have increased by 36,979% compared to last week. As of December 6, the song has over 11 million plays on Spotify.

Originally released in 1989, Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road” was included on his massively successful album, Full Moon Fever, alongside hits like “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” While “Love Is a Long Road” will no doubt continue to explode online thanks to the GTA 6 trailer, this isn’t the first time Petty—who died in 2017—has had his music featured in a GTA game.

Tom Petty / UMG

If you played GTA San Andreas back in 2004, you know that “Runnin’ Down A Dream” was included on the game’s classic rock radio station K-DST. According to the official Tom Petty Twitter account, the famous singer “loved contributing” the song to Rockstar’s massively successful open-world sequel.

I’d like to think if he was still alive today, Petty—who was born in Florida— would love his song being featured in a trailer for what looks to be the ultimate “Florida game.”

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Zack Zwiezen

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December 6, 2023
GTA 6 Trailer Reaction Livestreams Hit With Takedowns

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Screenshot: Rockstar Games / Kotaku

Grand Theft Auto reveals are arguably among the biggest cultural events in all of gaming. It was no surprise, then, that hype for GTA VI blew through the roof as thousands of people patiently stared at a black screen, waiting for the official trailer to release. However, after someone leaked the trailer on Twitter, Rockstar made the decision to publish it early, which left livestreamers scrambling to Go Live as soon as possible to provide their reactions. Unfortunately, at least some of those reactions were hit with copyright strikes.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

According to IGN, content creators reacting to the GTA VI video ran into some trouble. Streams across TikTok were muted, possibly because the trailer makes use of Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road.” The song is copyrighted, after all, and most platforms have restrictions on copyrighted materials. Meanwhile, some streams on other platforms were taken down entirely. In the video below, for instance, YouTuber TheProfessional details how his reaction video was hit with copyright strikes. Thankfully, after some time passed, most content was brought back.

TheProfessional

It’s hard to specify how widespread the issue was given that it was temporary, but the strikes point to the chaotic flurry surrounding the trailer’s release. GTA VI has been in development for many years now, with copious leaks providing tons of information on the highly anticipated crime simulator. We’ve learned that the game will take place in Vice City and really bring theFlorida energy, and will feature two protagonists in a Bonnie and Clyde kind of relationship. Kotaku readers also shared their many wants from the next Grand Theft Auto, and we’ve learned that it will skip PC when it launches sometime in 2025.

The trailer sure looks stunning, with richly detailed environments and character models. Let’s hope the Xbox Series S can handle it.

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Levi Winslow

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December 5, 2023
The Week's Hottest Gaming Takes, From GTA 6 To Starfield

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The long awaited (official) debut of Grand Theft Auto 6 is nearly upon us, Starfield is shedding like a bad wig, and Coral Island has hunks in every direction.

The Top 10 Most-Played Games On Steam Deck: October 2023 Edition

These are the week’s most interesting perspectives on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of video game news.

Why Is Starfield Hemorrhaging Active Players?

Screenshot: Bethesda / Kotaku

In the weeks following the launch of Skyrim developer Bethesda’s highly anticipated RPG Starfield, the game has caught a bit of attention for its plummeting player numbers on Steam. Its ranking from user reviews has also dropped on Valve’s digital storefront, falling from “Positive” into the pale orange of “Mixed.” Why is one of the biggest RPGs of the last few years seemingly falling out of favor with players so soon? Read More

It Happened To Me: The GameStop Black Friday Deal From Hell

Image: Nintendo

One of my favorite Black Friday traditions is scrolling through GameStop on my phone and getting a bunch of cool games for cheap. Usually it works out just fine. Last weekend it was a nightmare. It’s hard to convey just how terrible navigating the experience of trying to buy something from GameStop has become in 2023, but I’m going to try. Read More

New Disney Movie Wish Could Have Big Ramifications For Kingdom Hearts

Image: Disney

Wish, the 62nd film released by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is a bad movie. The film is meant to celebrate the studio’s 100th anniversary, but instead, its incoherent story and reliance on millennial cliches for cheap jokes come off like it was fed into an AI generator and spat out onto the big screen. And the music, always a staple in Disney films, has some really lovely parts that are sadly weighed down by terrible lyrics. Read More

I Want To Smooch Every Man In This Disney-Inspired Farming Sim

Image: Stairway Games / David Ardinaryas Lojaya

Coral Island, the new farming and dating sim by Stairway Games, is the latest example of a game in which pursuing a handsome lad is enough to drag me through something I’m otherwise lukewarm on. I’ve spent chunks of my playtime chopping trees trying to make a real farm out of my designated plot of land. But I do not wish to chop trees, I simply wish to climb Coral Island’s residents like trees. Read More

Baldur’s Gate 3’s New Ending Is The One It Deserves

Screenshot: Larian Studios / Kotaku

I don’t have a lot of complaints about Baldur’s Gate 3, but the original ending is probably my biggest issue with Larian Studios’ excellent RPG. Though I was content with the ways the story concluded, its rushed execution left me wanting more, which was even more readily apparent when I tried the game’s “evil” ending and it was about as fleshed out as an intrusive thought. Larian has been adding new content to the ending since launch, including a new scene dedicated to Karlach, but in Patch #5, the studio has created an entirely new epilogue that feels like the debrief the original game was missing. Read More

Kotaku Asks: What Is The Best Video Game Sequel?

Half-Life 2 (2004)
Image: Valve

I assume most of you reading this have played at least a few video game sequels in your life and while you might have enjoyed them all, this week at Kotaku we want to know: What do you think is the best video game sequel of all time? Read More

Spotify Wrapped Has Us Minmaxing Music Like A Game

Image: Atlus / Spotify / Kotaku

It’s that time of year again. Today, November 29, Spotify users all over are sharing their year-end “Wrapped” recaps, which try to sum up your past year of musical taste by giving stats and rankings on your most-listened-to artists and songs, alongside a sleek graphic to share on all your socials. I look forward to it every year. But as Spotify Wrapped has practically become an internet holiday, I can’t help but notice that it’s gamified how we listen to music throughout the year. Read More

Kotaku Asks: What Do You Want To See From GTA 6?

Image: Rockstar Games / Kotaku

At long last, the GTA VI rumor mill can slow down. Rockstar Games officially announced the sequel in February 2022, but the studio just confirmed that a trailer for the long-awaited crime sim sequel will arrive on December 5. As we gear up for GTA VI‘s reveal, we at Kotaku have just one question: What do y’all want to see from the game? Read More

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December 3, 2023
The Worst Versions Of The Original GTA Trilogy Are Coming To Netflix Games

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Ahead of next month’s Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, three classic GTA games from the PlayStation 2 era are coming to Netflix’s mobile library in December. These might not be the versions fans actually want ported to more platforms, though, even if some visual improvements seem to have been made.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

We first reported on Rockstar’s plans to remaster GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas for new consoles and mobile devices back in 2021. These remastered ports were finally released as Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition in November of that year on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. While select parts of them looked okay, the games were a mess, with new bugs, broken graphics, and other glitches. The issues were so bad that Rockstar Games did a very un-Rockstar thing and apologized to fans while offering them free copies of the original versions of the games on PC. And while the remastered GTA Trilogy did get some updates to fix its more egregious shortcomings, the games are still not fan favorites. That all being so, I’m not sure many people will be excited about these remasters making the leap to phones.

On November 29, Netflix announced that Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas—all released originally on the PS2 between 2001 and 2004—would be available on mobile phones starting on December 14. As with other Netflix-hosted games, you’ll need to be a Netflix subscriber to play these GTA ports on your iPhone or Android device.

Things look a bit different this time around…

Interestingly, comparing the screenshots of the new Netflix ports to the current console and PC versions of the GTA Trilogy reveals some changes have been made. I noticed this a lot in an early moment in GTA: Vice City. It seems as if the colors have been toned down a smidge and the overall image looks darker and more like the original PS2 version’s.

Screenshot: Rockstar Games / GTA Series Videos / Netflix / Kotaku

If you look carefully, you can still see the remastered Vice City Definitive Edition models and textures, so this is still (presumably) that version of the game.

But it seems someone has gone in and tweaked some visual settings—including the fog, based on other screenshots—to perhaps improve these new Netflix ports.

I’m intrigued by the changes, even if they are minor, as they seem to help the remastered versions of these beloved games look a bit more like Rockstar’s original open-world classics. So I might check these out once they arrive on mobile devices next month. I just have to remember how the hell you play Netflix games on a phone.

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Zack Zwiezen

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November 29, 2023
GTA VI Patent Hints At Rockstar’s Most Immersive Game Yet

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A recently uncovered Rockstar Games patent suggests the developer could be using new technology to make NPCs in its games more immersive, particularly when it comes to the highly anticipated action-adventure crime sim GTA VI.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

As spotted by Reddit user Tobbelobben30 (via Eurogamer), former Rockstar Games lead AI and gameplay programmer Tobias Kleanthous issued a patent in April called “System And Method For Virtual Character Locomotion.” The 11-page document, as Kleanthous described on LinkedIn, was “architected and implemented for games” at the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption studio. According to the paper’s abstract, the patent houses “a system and method for controlling the animation and movement of in-game objects.” In layperson’s terms, Kleanthous’ tech should make characters way more life-like. Tobbelobben30 detailed the patent’s contents in their Reddit post:

“Based on this patent, it seems like they’re using a clever system. They’ve built a library of small building blocks for character movements. These blocks can be combined in various ways to create a wide range of animations. For instance, think about a character in the game walking in the rain, feeling tired, or getting injured. Instead of designing separate animations for each of these situations, they use these building blocks to put together the character’s movements naturally. This means GTA 6 can have more diverse and lifelike animations. So, when you play GTA 6, you’ll see characters moving in ways that match the weather, their energy level, and their injuries. This makes the game feel more immersive. It’s like having characters that can adapt to different situations, making the game world feel more real and thrilling.”

“Immersive” can so often be an empty marketing buzzword thrown around ahead of game releases, but when it comes to this patent, the adjective couldn’t be more apt. Based on the tech described, Rockstar Games’ games—particularly GTA IV—should have characters with more dynamic animations, giving their worlds unparalleled realism. While Tobbelobben30 couldn’t verify if the system was used in Red Dead Redemption 2, they did say that the animations in Rockstar’s upcoming game will be “incredible.” (Kleanthous gave a talk during GDC 2021 about some similar tech used in the cowboy RPG.)

Various Reddit users have shared their reactions to this new locomotion patent. “Yeah it’s gonna be mind-blowing, even in the leaks the animations and physics looked insane,” ArkhamIsComing2020 said, referring to leaked development footage from September 2022. “Soo procedural animation? Niceeeee,” quipped ProceduralFish. “So basically if my arm gets hit with a bat I won’t be able to shoot as well? That’s kinda cool,” noted rustynutsbruh.

Kotaku reached out to Rockstar Games and Tobbelobben30 for comment.

We still don’t have a definitive release date for Grand Theft Auto VI, despite learning a lot about the game in recent months and years. A plethora of details have been made public, though, including the city in which the game will take place and the characters we’ll play as, all thanks to an 18-year-old hacker who used an Amazon Fire Stick to gain access to Rockstar Games from a hotel room.

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Levi Winslow

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October 30, 2023
How GTA Online’s Halloween Update Made A GTA V Urban Legend Real

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Grand Theft Auto Online’s latest update unleashes ghosts across the world of Los Santos, letting players track down and photograph them for rewards. And one of these ghosts might look kinda familiar if you’ve played GTA IV’s Lost and the Damned DLC…

Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

Every October for years now, GTA Online has enjoyed an influx of spooky new game modes and creepy secrets to celebrate the Halloween season. Last time it was killer cars and aliens. This year, Rockstar has added 10 ghosts to the online crime sim and tasked players with photographing these haunting spirits. One of these phantoms is returning GTA character Johnny Klebitz, making real an old GTA urban legend.

GTA Series Videos / Rockstar Games

Fans have already figured out where and when all 10 ghosts appear, as seen in the video above. They’re spread out all around the large GTA Online map. Some appear in places you’d expect, like old cemeteries or abandoned homes. Others are chilling near waterfalls or inside trailers. The ghosts only appear during certain in-game hours, and players have to photograph them to “expose” them.

One of these ghosts is not like the others…

Once you’ve captured the first nine ghosts—who appear to be random, generic characters—on film, you can find a 10th and final ghost in Sandy Shores, north of Los Santos.

This 10th apparition, haunting a trailer park, is none other than the ghost of Johnny Klebbitz, the protagonist from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned. And, spoilers for a 10-year-old game, Klebitz was beaten to death by GTA V protagonist Trevor Phillips in the opening hours of that game. In fact [lowering voice and putting a flashlight under chin] he was killed in the same spot where, a decade later in 2023, his ghost now lingers! According to players visiting Klebitz’s spirit, you can hear him yelling about Trevor before you snap a pic.

Seeing the ghost of a former GTA protagonist is a neat Easter egg by itself, but this is also Rockstar making real a previously debunked urban legend that after Klebitz was killed you could find his ghost hanging around the Sandy Shores trailer park. Although players claimed to hear his ghost yelling or found evidence of his spirit haunting the area, these were all lies and hoaxes spread online in the years following GTA V’s release.

Once you’ve found Klebbitz’s ghost and have captured the final photo of him, you’ll walk away with $250,000, 5,000 XP, and a new skin for the Albany Brigham vehicle. This new skin turns the car into a legally distinct ride that resembles a certain ghost bustin’ vehicle from the movies. A pretty sweet reward for a fun round of Halloween shenanigans.

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Zack Zwiezen

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October 13, 2023
Your Weekend Playlist: New Music Releases

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It’s been two long, arduous weeks since I last graced everyone with a playlist to listen to…and I’m left wondering if you were feeling distraught as a result? Much like you, I had to take some time on the beach for a little R&R. It would be unlike me if I didn’t flee down the shore for Independence Day!

But the good news is that I’m back, and thank goodness I wasn’t here last week to rave about Olivia Rodrigo’s ultimate Song Of The Summer, “Vampire.” I mean what a track, am I right? See, it’s already a new week full of new music and I can’t stop thinking about the perfect all-around song from Miss Rodrigo. Pathetic.

Anyways, enough about the past. That news was soooo last week, and I’m here with a fresh batch of music that is sure to get you ready for another weekend of fun. Whether you’re just relaxing and running errands or partying with your friends, get ready for a weekend playlist filled with brand new music from the week of July 5, 2023.

So get ready to turn the volume up to max level and let’s listen to this week’s new music together. We are soooo back.

Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

My childhood self is absolutely screaming as I announce that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is out. Taylor Swift is so close to completing her recreations of her old albums, and Speak Now was always one of my favorites. With classics like Better Than Revenge (with a more PC twist), Enchanted, and The Story Of Us, you won’t want to miss a more mature Taylor singing classic breakup songs.

She never seems to stop working, with The Eras Tour happening right now and moving overseas…but don’t think she probably isn’t re-recording 1989 as we speak. It’s an entirely self-written album, just like it was when she first released it…except with features from rock gods like Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams.

Peter McPoland – “Ceiling Fan/Piggy”

We are getting closer to Peter McPoland’s debut album, Piggy, which means new singles. This new one, “Ceiling Fan/Piggy” is what McPoland admits is “the darkest song on the album.” The song is McPoland’s way of dealing with his emotions during his parents’ divorce, where he likens himself to Lord Of The Flies character, Piggy. It’s dark, it’s intense, and it’s extremely vulnerable.

Accompanying the new single is a video directed by Keats, which perfectly pairs with the bassy drumbeat and the angsty lyrics. McPoland is gearing up to be a fan favorite already, and with the edgy “Ceiling Fan,” you get an idea of his range. You’re going to want to remember McPoland’s name after this track.

Elyanna – “Mama Eh”

Rising Palestinian-Chilean singer has all the classic makings of a popstar: the huge vocal range, the upbeat, catchy pop tunes that make you want to dance and sing along, and a buzz of fans catapulting her into the spotlight. She’s making history by trailblazing the path for Arabic music in the United States, she performed as the first Coachella act fully in Arabic.

She’s one of Rolling Stone’s Best New Rising Artists for a reason, and “Mama Eh” will make you want to get up and dance. It’s filled with a symphony of Middle Eastern instruments and a dreamy chorus that proves who Elyanna is as an artist. She’s the one to watch as she breaks into the U.S.

Dillon Francis x Good Times Ahead – “LA On Acid”

He can do it all: sing, write songs, produce, and DJ. Dillon Francis can easily create a hit that will be played at parties across the country for years to come. This time, he’s paired up with electronic group Good Times Ahead, to create a fun, carefree single from his upcoming mixtape, This Mixtape Is FireTOO. It’s the followup to the similarly titled mixtape from 2015 that has features from artists like EVAN GIIA, Illenium, and INJI.

“LA On Acid” is the perfect addition to a weekend playlist because you truly have no worries when listening to it. There’s all good vibes from Dillon and Good Times Ahead, which is exactly what you want from a song in the summer.

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Jai Phillips

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July 7, 2023