The thought puddle

Nu Music Monday #21 / 03-05-2021

May 03, 2021

Hey there,

I’m Red, and welcome to Nu Music Monday. Glad to have you here.

Every week I write quick bites about some of my favorite tracks released in the past seven days (-ish). I also go into the latest music news when I feel like it and share stuff I think is worth your time.

Today I bring you some news of the world along with an interview with Billie Marten and the best music I’ve heard this week.

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The Nutshell ~ news of the week

St. Vincent recently pulled an interview after she felt misrepresented BEFORE she had even seen the transcript or edited text. Not once, but twice. This brought back discourse of power balances in the media industry and the subtle but definite shift to ‘no criticism’-criticism, especially in music journalism. I recommend this piece in Jezebel titled ‘You Don’t Have To Give Interviews, St. Vincent’ by Hazel Cills for a deeper dive.
In their years long strategy of doing-the-least-to-stay-relevant, the Grammys have decided to eliminate their opaque secret committees for a more transparent nomination process. The decision came months after The Weeknd got a bewildering zero nominations despite a well-crafted, intelligent and catchy chart-topping album.
Nas and JAY-Z have come together on the same track; finally burying a decades-old hatchet. Shame that it had to be under DJ Khaled’s patronage.
Lady Gaga’s dognappers were arrested for attempted murder (of the dog walker) and robbery. Paws up.
Florence Welch will be writing the music for a new ‘Great Gatsby’ musical and I’m impatiently waiting for a sequel to her incredible ‘Over The Love’ made for Baz Luhmann’s version of the classic.

Introducing: Billie Marten

Billie Marten’s new album is her statement of purpose: Flora Fauna is an affirmation of undeniable talent and, this time, it sounds like Billie believes it too.

When ‘Garden of Eden’, Flora Fauna’s lead single, dropped in late January, it resounded like a gong signalling the return of better days. Far from the claustrophobia of lockdown, the track is an airy ode to coming into one’s own, drawing parallels between plants (flora) and humans (you guessed it, fauna). It came at a time when we were all gasping for air, impatiently waiting for sunlit days.

It also felt like Billie’s most confident work yet. Her discography up until that moment was marked by an ability to make her audience feel like a fly on the wall, weaving quiet reminders of ‘look but don’t touch’ between every other strum and vocal inflection. With Flora Fauna, Billie Marten is now inviting the listener to sit at her table and engage with the material like never before.

It’s not a usual rollout for Billie: although she’s doing press ahead of the album, most of it is done remotely, at home, in a calm and safe environment. The pre-release jitters are kicking in, but she’s keeping them in check. “I just think rumination is the deadliest killer,” she tells us, “you’re snowballing into this kind of thought puddle. It’s really hard to climb back out again because all you’ve got is your own brain. And that’s sometimes not your friend. So I’m trying more and more to just actively push those cycles away and just be more present.”

Read my full interview with Billie Marten in Highwire Mag.

Track of the week: Twisted Fantasy - Justine Skye, Rema

Justine Skye just announced a Timbaland-produced album (!!) slated for release in late June with the groovy ‘Twisted Fantasy’. The Brooklyn chanteuse linked up with Afrobeats magician Rema and the alliance is significantly more impactful than the sum of its parts. The track whizzes by under the Justine Skye’s sensual croon from an artist that doesn’t try to come off as anyone else than herself.

Runner-up: All Pride Aside - Shelley (with Summer Walker)

DRAM becomes Shelley. Shedding old skin, he embarks on a more soulful ride with the help of R&B’s infamous introvert Summer Walker. Enjoy this track: no frills, just vibes.

TUNG TIED - LoveLeo, Rico Nasty

The customary hyperpop moment of the week. The genre is a big hodgepodge of hit-or-miss but I only bring you hits, I promise. Also the video is ace.

Cheers - Faye Webster

Announcing Faye Webster’s next album (June)! Consistently on the money, ‘Cheers’ is no exception and it even grows on you. If you love it now, wait until you’ve heard it a dozen times!

Please - Jessie Ware

Jessie Ware has started pulling from the ‘What’s Your Pleasure’ vault to promote the deluxe edition of her AMAZING last album (my favorite of 2020!). ‘Please’ is right up her alley: it’s not a ‘Spotlight’ or a ‘Save A Kiss’ but it doesn’t have to be for you to bust a move.

Interlude 1: Nearing the one-year anniversary of J Cole’s audacity

i sell wigs @slaybyjanay @selfiegoddesss

remember when J Cole got on the internet and told NoName she was wrong and that he don’t read but he be thinking a lot

Kilometre - Burna Boy

Burna Boy is now past making a name for himself. The bar is high and he keeps raising it. He celebrates achievements in ‘Kilometre’ and rightly so.

Die For a Man - Bebe Rexha (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)

Bebe Rexha has always been skirting the edge of pop punk and this time she gives it a proper go, adding trap to the mix. Syncing up with the cultural zeitgeist is a double-edged strategy: let’s see how it pays off with her upcoming album. Better Mistakes will be out later this week.