Friday, 19 October 2018

new (and old) music friday #29: slayyyter, george shelley, kim petras, the 1975

i'm not even going to make excuses about my absence from this blog anymore; if i don't post for a few weeks, just assume i'm drowning in the stress of shorthand and sourcing stories, as after six weeks of searching i finally found a work placement. 

1. the 1975

my most recent discovery, i heard this song for the first time last night on the way back from watching a play about people living with HIV in manchester. not the cheeriest of topics i know, so i was elated when i pressed play on it's not living (if it's not with you), the latest single from the 1975 and felt like i was returning home, both literally and physically. 

my feelings about their last few singles have been mixed, but as soon as i heard the 80s-like synths i knew this track would be on repeat indefinitely. don't be fooled by the title though; nothing is ever as it seems with this lot, and while it might seem like a touching ode to a lover, the lyrics actually deal with matty's heroin addiction, something he talks about in more detail in this excellent NME interview. 

2. george shelley

a few weeks ago i watched learning to grieve, a BBC documentary that follows former union j member and capital breakfast presenter george shelley as he comes to terms with the death of his sister harriet in a car accident last year. music no doubt played a big part in his journey, so i was delighted to see he had released his first single as a solo artist, titled technicolour. the song is a celebration of his sexuality as he recently came out as gay, and is a certified Bop which makes my daily commute marginally more bearable. 

3. charli xcx and troye sivan

when i heard two of my favourite artists were collaborating i was overjoyed, and even more so when i heard 1999, an uber-nostalgic banger that sees the pair reminisce about The Good Old Days, despite the fact that charli would have been seven and troye only four that year. it's slightly less ~experimental~ than the sound we've come to expect from pop 2 but still Goes Off when played in Tha Club. 

(side note: today charli tweeted a list of people she would love to work with, one of which was the 1975, so catch me eagerly awaiting what would be an iconic collaboration.)

4. slayyyter

as soon as i saw the headline "slayyyter is 2018 pop, inspired by 2007 britney, lindsay, and paris" appear on my twitter timeline, i was instantly intrigued. i followed the link to a paper magazine article about slayyyter, a 22 year old from st. louis, who currently works as a receptionist and produces some of the best pop music i've heard in years in a studio that forms part of her "closet". 

a lover of all things nostalgic, she unashamedly professes her love for heidi montag and 2007-era britney. these influences can certainly be heard on tracks like BFF, candy, platform shoes and my favourite i'm high. it's refreshing to see someone proudly declare their love of music often maligned by the mainstream, and i'm right there with her. if loving trashy pop is wrong, i don't want to be right. 

5. kim petras 

the release of her latest EP turn off the light somehow passed me by, and though i'd heard mixed reviews, i was pleasantly surprised by her halloween-inspired techno-infused pop. yes, really. i've always resented being born on the 31st and avoid dressing up at all costs, so tracks like close your eyes and turn off the light (featuring none other than elvira- reminiscent of ARTPOP-era gaga - allow me to get into the spirit without slathering myself in face paint. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.