Global rock sensations Måneskin return with their new single “SUPERMODEL”, written in Los Angeles and produced by acclaimed producer Max Martin (The Weeknd, Coldplay, Lady Gaga) and his team – LISTEN HERE. The release of ‘Supermodel’ follows news of the band reaching 1 Billion streams last week for their chart hit “Beggin’”.
With its Californian sound and infectious modern rock grooves, “Supermodel” is a sublime new offering from a burgeoning act who continue to carve out their own inimitable brand of rock’n’roll. Måneskin came up with the concept of “Supermodel” after being inspired by the many characters they met during their time in L.A.
The band explained: “We wrote Supermodel after spending the best few months in LA. At times we were surprised yet intrigued to find how people cared so much about the idea of “celebrity” and status, obsessing over their looks and connections.
They add: “We started to imagine an enigmatic Supermodel character. She is really cool, fun and social, yet in reality she is troubled, hiding sadness and addiction. In a way you love her, because she knows how to have a good time, but you also want to avoid her, because she might get you into trouble”
Måneskin will be marking the release with the debut live performance of the single at the Eurovision Song Contest final on May 14th, celebrating a year since their triumphant win which helped catapult them to no.1 in the global charts.
The band will kick off their world tour “LOUD KIDS TOUR” on October 31 with a sellout gig in Seattle and will hit other sold out cities including New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington, as well as a new date in Los Angeles before embarking on their sold out European leg in 2023 – playing iconic venues including London’s O2 Arena, Accor Arena in Paris and Berlin’s Mercedes Benz Arena. For all tour dates, tickets and information, please visit:www.vivoconcerti.com
With a sound that’s at once classic and thoroughly modern, Måneskin are bringing rock’n’roll back on top of the International charts, perfectly mixing it with contemporary tastes. Now co-signed by the likes of Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, Mark Ronson and more, Victoria (bass guitar), Damiano (vocals), Thomas (guitar) and Ethan (drums), started their career busking in the streets of Rome in 2015 and, in just few years, they conquered the world by becoming one of the most popular rock acts of their generation. At the moment the band has over 5 billion streams on all digital platforms. With their brand new single Supermodel, Måneskin continue to assert themselves as one of the most exciting rock bands of our time.
May 11, 2022 – Multi-platinum selling pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer have released their new single “Me, Myself & I” – listen here. The emotionally-driven song is a propulsive break-up anthem that showcases the group’s pop and punk influences with angsty riffs and a huge sing-along chorus. Produced and co-written by Jason Evigan (Maroon 5, Dua Lipa, David Guetta, Jason Derulo), Jon Bellion (Justin Bieber, Halsey, Lauv), and Pete Nappi (GAYLE, Madison Beer), and Mick Coogan (Charlotte Lawrence, Carlie Hanson).The music video will premiere Friday, May, 13 at 2pm PT/5pm ET on YouTube.
Of the song, Luke states, “’Me, Myself, and I’ is a really exciting song for us to have on the record that we’ve spent the last two years making. We’re all big fans of Jon Bellion and when he sent us the idea, we instantly connected with it. So much of what we had been writing lyrically was extremely introspective and this song fit like a puzzle piece with the rest of the album. We then ended up finishing it with Jon, Jason Evigan, Pete Nappi and Mick Coogan. ‘Me Myself and I’ explores the emotional cycle of feeling like you can do everything on your own and that you don’t need anyone else, but eventually realizing that sometimes you push away the best things in your life. We love this song and hope other people connect with it as much as we do.”
Additionally, the band has announced their highly anticipated 5th studio album, 5SOS5will arrive on September 23, 2022, which will be released independently via BMG. The deluxe CD version and digital versions of the album will have 19 tracks, and cassette and vinyl are also available.The album is available for pre-order now.
The album will showcase the band’s multi-faceted artistry and growth over their 10-year career, highlighting their dynamic sound, accompanied by reflective and intimate lyrics. 5SOS5 will include their previously released tracks “Take My Hand” and “COMPLETE MESS,” along with 16 new songs. Full tracklisting is below. The group most recently performed their smash hit “COMPLETE MESS,” on The Kelly Clarkson Show yesterday – watch here.
BAND ALBUM QUOTE
“Me, Myself & I” was Zane Lowe’s World First Premiere on Apple Music this morning, airing alongside an exclusive interview with the band discussing their new music and forthcoming album – watch here.
The band will bring their 2022 “Take My Hand World Tour” to North America this summer, kicking off on Saturday, June 11 in Vancouver, BC, making stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville and more before wrapping in St. Louis, MO on July 24. Tickets are available now at 5sos.com/tour.
5SOS5 TRACKLISTING:
COMPLETE MESS
Easy For You To Say
Bad Omens
Me Myself & I
Take My Hand
CAROUSEL
Older
HAZE
You Don’t Go To Parties
BLENDER
Caramel
Best Friends
Bleach
Red Line
Moodswings
Flatline
Emotions
Bloodhound
TEARS!
5SOS 2022 TAKE MY HAND NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: Sat Jun 11 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre Sun Jun 12 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater Tue Jun 14 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion Thu Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Fri Jun 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium Sat Jun 18 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre Mon Jun 20 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre Wed Jun 22 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium Fri Jun 24 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park Sat Jun 25 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory Sun Jun 26 – Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Tue Jun 28 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Thu Jun 30 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater Fri Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Sun Jul 03 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Tue Jul 05 – Washington D.C. – The Anthem Wed Jul 06 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage at The Mann Fri Jul 08 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena Sat Jul 09 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion Sun Jul 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Pavilion Tue Jul 12 – New York City, NY – Pier 17
Wed July 13 – New York City, NY – Pier 17 Fri Jul 15 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park Sat Jul 16 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Mon Jul 18 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center Wed Jul 20 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Thu Jul 21 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Sat Jul 23 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory Sun Jul 24 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
With teasers having already racked up over 15 million views on TikTok, Maisie Peters today drops ‘Cate’s Brother’ – listen HERE and watch the performance video, filmed at Maisie’s sold-out show at The El Rey Theatre in LA, HERE.
Based on a true story, Maisie originally teased the track live from a studio session in February and with an overwhelming response from her fanbase, continued working on the song in real time, sharing everything from Cate’s first listen reaction to debut performances.
“I wrote this song in Stockholm at a time I was revisiting a lot of the pop punk music I grew up listening to, and thinking about how live I wanted my next era of music to feel” Maisie explains. “I always wanted to be in a band and so I channelled that energy in to this song about my friend Cate’s brother, that’s become this whole universe bigger than both of us”.
Recently returning from a sold-out 19-date headline North American tour, which included standout shows at The El Rey and New York’s Webster Hall, Maisie will play to a further 2.5 million+ people this summer as support on Ed Sheeran’s ‘+ – = ÷ x Tour’. She is currently working on the follow up to her acclaimed No. 2 debut album ‘You Signed Up For This’.
Le Brassus, May 13, 2022 – Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is delighted to reveal Mark Ronson’s new song “Too Much” featuring R&B artist Lucky Daye, who received the 2022 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for his EP Table for Two. “Too Much” represents the culmination of the two artists’ collaboration documented in the brand’s miniseries Syncing Sounds, the last episode of which can now be viewed on YouTube as well as on Audemars Piguet’s website and social channels.
Falling within the scope of Audemars Piguet’s music programme debuted in 2019, the three-episode series Syncing Sounds brings the audience to the heart of Mark Ronson’s collaborative process as he works with Lucky Daye on the composition and creation of the song entitled “Too Much” in his recording studio located in New York City. This miniseries represents the first project of the brand’s long-lasting partnership with the 7-time Grammy-Award winning artist and producer – a collaborative venture which promises many more surprises to come.
The two artists performed “Too Much” live for the first time on May 12 in front of Audemars Piguet’s clients and friends of the brand, during an exclusive event hosted at the newly opened AP House in New York City. The song is now available via Mark Ronson’s channels and platforms, including YouTube and Spotify. Enjoy!
“In terms of the lyrics, I would say the theme is pretty much a party record, where you see someone who can’t really come out of their shell and you want to convince them to just have a good time. These days, it’s not that often where you can just go outside and have the time of your life.”
Lucky Daye Songwriter and singer
“This sound really takes me back to my childhood with its touch of disco, it makes you move! It is incredibly inspiring to be part of such a creative encounter between these two amazing talents.”
François-Henry Bennahmias
Chief Executive Officer, Audemars Piguet
“Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.”
About Mark Ronson
Internationally renowned DJ & Oscar, Golden Globe and 7-time Grammy Award winning artist and producer, Mark Ronson was fascinated by music from a young age. He made his debut as a DJ in New York in the late 1990s and received much acclaim for his blend of funk, hip-hop and rock. In 2003, he released his debut album Here Comes The Fuzz but it was his ground-breaking 2007 album Version that catapulted him onto the global scene.
He has collaborated with a wide variety of artists including Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Queens of the Stone Age, to name but a few. His Grammies include Producer of the Year for the Amy Winehouse Back To Black album (2006) and Record of the Year for his Bruno Mars collaboration “Uptown Funk.” In 2018, he won an Oscar for co-writing “Shallow” from the film A Star Is Born.
In 2021, Mark co-produced and hosted the acclaimed Apple TV+ documentary series Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, created by Morgan Neville. The series explored the creative process in addition to the role new technology plays in musical innovation. He also hosted seasons 1 and 2 of the successful Fader Uncovered podcast. Each episode features in-depth conversations with the world’s most impactful musicians, discussing the past, present and future of music and artistry. — www.markronson.co.uk/
About Lucky Daye
New-Orleans-native Lucky Daye is a rising R&B artist who has already received one Grammy award and six Grammy nominations since his debut album Painted, released in 2019.
Signing with Keep Cool/RCA Records, his breakthrough hit “Roll Some Mo,” which earned him two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance has garnered 121 million streams worldwide. His debut studio album Painted was also nominated for Best R&B Album, while “Real Games” received a nod for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Lucky is notably known for his collaborative work with artists such as KAYTRANADA, Buddy, SG Lewis, Big Freedia, Kehlani, Kiana Lede, Babyface, Victoria Monet and Earth, Wind & FIre.
His latest EP Table for Two (2021), which includes many collaborations with talented artists such as Tiana Major9, followed in the footsteps of Painted with one Grammy award for Best Progressive R&B Album and one Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his song “How Much Can a Heart Take” with Yebba. This project has also gathered over 20 million streams on Spotify.
Lastly, the success of Lucky’s new singles “Over” and “Candy Drip” bodes well for his highly anticipated album Candy Drip, released on March 10. – www.luckydaye.com/
About Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Based in Le Brassus since 1875, the company has nurtured generations of talented craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends. In the Valleìe de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, Audemars Piguet has created numerous masterpieces, testament to the Manufacture’s ancestral savoir-faire and forward-thinking spirit. Sharing its passion and savoir-faire with watch enthusiasts worldwide through the language of emotions, Audemars Piguet has established enriching exchanges among fields of creative practices and fostered an inspired community. Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world. — www.audemarspiguet.com
DUE OUT MAY 27TH VIA RCA RECORDS – PRE-ORDER NOW HERE
TATE TO HOST IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL CONCERT ON ROBLOX
(New York, NY – May 13, 2022) – Multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter/dancer Tate McRae gives fans another look into her debut album i used to think i could fly with the release of her latest track “what would you do?” (listen here). The track was co-written by Tate, Blake Slatkin (Lil Nas X, Kid Laroi), Alexander Glantz aka Alexander 23 (Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez), Charlie Puth (The Kid Laroi, Ava Max) and produced by Slatkin, Glantz and Puth.
The highly anticipated debut album will be released on May 27th via RCA Records and showcases Tate at the top of her game. The album features All-Star writing collaborators and producers including Greg Kurstin, Finneas, Charlie Puth, Alexander 23, Blake Slatkin, Louis Bell and more. The album will feature already released tracks “feel like shit,” “she’s all i wanna be,” and “chaotic.” “she’s all i wanna be” has over 200 million streams and is currently in the Top 12 on the Top 40 chart. Fans can pre-save the album here.
Tate will also be making her metaverse debut with the launch of the Tate McRae i used to think i could fly Concert Experience on Roblox. Inspired by her debut album, fans will get to explore an immersive airport terminal to compete in mini quests, collect hidden tokens, and shop exclusive digital verch. The space opens on May 17th, with the virtual concert kicking off at 4 p.m. PDT on Friday, May 20th with additional performances re-airing hourly over the weekend.
Tate just wrapped her 2022 North American Tour and is currently headlining dates in the EU with dates in the UK and Australia later this summer. Starting in September, Tate will tour as the special guest on Shawn Mendes’ Wonder: The World Tour 2022. For more information, please visit www.tatemcrae.com/tour.
i used to think i could fly Track List
1. 1. ?
2. don’t come back
3. i’m so gone
4. what would you do?
5. chaotic
6. hate myself
7. what’s your problem?
8. she’s all i wanna be
9. boy x
10. you’re so cool
11. feel like shit
12. go away
13. i still say goodnight
ABOUT TATE MCRAE
Calgary native singer/songwriter/dancer Tate McRae has become the artist to watch with over 3.9 billion career streams, over 765 million video views, a #1 Top 40 hit and multiple #1 dance hits. She was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 List for 2021 as the youngest musician on the list as well as Apple’s Up Next Artist for 2021, Amazon’s Artist to Watch in 2021, Pandora’s Artists To Watch 2021 list and included on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 and People Magazine’sOne’s To Watch list. She was also named one of YouTube’s Artist on the Rise, and MTV’s Push Artist for July 2020. Most recently she was nominated for a People’s Choice Awards for The New Artist of 2021, three 2022 iHeart Radio Music Awards and a 2022 Billboard Music Award.
Tate’s #1 multiplatinum-selling single, “you broke me first” has over 1.4 billion streams worldwide. Tate has collaborated with Khalid on their track “working,” DJ Regard & Troye Sivan’s on their #1 Dance hit “You,” blackbear’s “u love u” and Jeremy Zucker on her single “that way.” She capped off 2021 with the release of “feel like shit” which currently has nearly 90 million streams worldwide. She’s released two EP’s ALL THE THINGS I NEVER SAID and TOO YOUNG TO BE SAD EP and spent 2022 touring festivals including Lollapalooza, Firefly Music Festival, Governor’s Ball, Austin City Limits, iHeart Radio’s Jingle Ball tour and more.
Tate was announced as Maybelline’s newest brand ambassador and is the face of their new Vinyl Ink liquid lip color.
Help us celebrate their return to the stage starting on May 16 in St. Austell, UK at Eden Project.
The band is about to embark on a reunion tour with dates in North America and Europe, which was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic. The tour begins in the U.K. on May 16, continuing through Oct. 17 with five dates at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. My Chemical Romance is also hitting the festival circuit this summer, performing at emo fest When We Were Young and Riot Fest.
Multi-platinum-selling singer/songwriter Calum Scott premieres his newest sublime single“Heaven,”— listen HERE. Along with sharing the triumphant and timeless ballad, Calum has announced that his highly awaited sophomore album Bridges will arrive on June 17. Soon after the album’s release, the U.K.-based artist will embark on a headlining summer tour of North America.
The fourth single released from Bridges, “Heaven” once again reveals Calum’s gift for finding unexpected ways to express universal emotions. “As songwriters, we’re always searching for new ways of saying ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you’ or ‘I want you back,’” says Calum, who co-wrote “Heaven” with Hayley Warner (an Australian singer/songwriter who’s also penned songs for artists like Katy Perry and Tori Kelly). “‘The concept of ‘Heaven’ is the love between two people being so powerful that it is far superior to anything else, any other form of paradise that could be offered. I loved the idea of putting the power into the relationship.”
Produced by Fraser T. Smith, “Heaven” unfolds in a dynamic arrangement of soulful piano work, luminous strings, and elegantly swinging drumbeats — a glorious backdrop to Calum’s masterful vocal performance. “It felt important to really push my vocal range on a song like this, so by the first chorus I’m already up in the rafters,” he says. “But if you’re talking about something so passionate, it should be delivered in a very passionate way.” Threaded with lyrics that offer a certain poetic wisdom (e.g., “What good is life if we’re all just waiting to dance in the sky?”), the result is a breathtaking tribute to living in the moment by fully surrendering to love.
The follow-up to Calum’s 2018 full-length debut Only Human — a widely acclaimed effort that hit No. 1 on the iTunes album chart in 21 countries across the globe, in addition to selling more than 3.6 million in adjusted album sales and garnering over 7.5 billion combined streams — Bridges will also feature the previously released singles “If You Ever Change Your Mind”(a bittersweet but empowered piece produced by Greg Kurstin, an eight-time GRAMMY Award® winner known for his work with Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Adele), “Rise” (a wildly soaring track whose video features a captivating performance from British actor Georgia Hirst), and “Biblical” (a heart-on-sleeve ballad Calum later followed with an American Sign Language version made in collaboration with the Tony Award®-winning Deaf West Theatre). Fans can pre-order the album now, HERE.
Recently christened “the best rapper alive” by GQ, Future proudly presents his anxiously awaited ninth full-length and the most anticipated album of 2022, I Never Liked You, today. Listen to I Never Liked YouHERE via Freebandz/Epic Records.
To celebrate the arrival of the record, The GRAMMY® Award-winning, diamond-certified icon just uncovered the event-level music video for “Keep It Burnin” [feat. Kanye West]. Watch the music video HERE. Bound to set the internet on fire, the cinematic clip continues a tradition of blockbuster visuals for Future whose total career YouTube views have exceeded 8 billion and counting.
The album stands out as Future’s first body of work since 2020’s platinum-selling High Off Life, which emerged as his sixth consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200. He stacks I Never Liked You with powerhouse anthems. The single “Wait For U” [feat. Drake & Tems] showcases the emotional side of Future, and is an instantly quotable anthem, while he also links with Drake yet again for “I’m On One.” He continues showcasing his most emotional and honest songwriting yet with the crooning solo cut “Love U Better,” while Atlanta stands up with the raucous and raw “For A Nut” [feat. Young Thug & Gunna], and “Voodoo” [feat. Kodak Black] conjures an unbreakable spell of its own. The album concludes with “Back to the Basics,” marking a full circle moment for the hip hop titan. These sixteen tracks seal the record’s status as the biggest and boldest release of the year.
Check out the full tracklisting below.
Last week, GQrevealed Future as the cover of their May 2022 issue in a massive and insightful feature. Penned by Elliott Wilson, it marks his first cover issue of the publication. Calling I Never Liked You “reignited, unstoppable,” the profile makes its case for one undisputable fact: “His impact can’t be denied. Especially not after eight solo albums, 19 solo mixtapes, one collaborative album, four collaborative mixtapes, two EPs, and one soundtrack (for 2018’s Superfly). Worldwide, he’s been streamed over 30 billion times and has, in the process, inspired an entire generation of rappers. Few artists are as prolific. When you survey the hip-hop landscape, no other artist has been as consistently excellent, or as influential, for as long as he has. He invented his own sound, which has since become the dominant style in rap. He has delivered hit after hit after hit. And he’s done it all on his own terms. I’ll say it again: Future is the best rapper alive.”For the cover of his new album and additional promotional materials, Future chose images from his recent GQ cover shoot. Photo credit: Gregory Harris for GQ.
Next up, he will headline Rolling Loud Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on July 23 this summer.
SOFI TUKKER have taken over the world with their intoxicatingly glossy mixture of striking electropop with global influences that always takes dazzling and unexpected turns, leaving the listener on the edge of their seat if not lifting them off of it. Their new album WET TENNIS, the follow up to their twice GRAMMY nominated debut, is out tonight at midnight via Ultra/Sony Music.
The album is a celebration of self-empowerment, owning your right to pleasure, and liberating yourself from outside constraints. The title itself is an acronym: When Everyone Tries to Evolve, Nothing Negative Is Safe. It’s about leaving behind lesser fears and vices in favor of pursuing joy. Whatever challenges the duo face throughout the album, it isn’t long before they return to defiant positivity; it’s a story of ecstasy undoing human error, of delight outdoing our inevitable fallibility. Written over the past three years, WET TENNISis a testament to the duo’s durability and their commitment to their fans, TheFreak Fam. When in person events became impossible, SOFI TUKKER’s livestreams were a daily ceremony. Sophie and Tucker were able to interact in real time with their community, experimenting and getting feedback on ideas that would eventually become WET TENNIS. These are songs made for their fans but perhaps more significantly, with them. Tennis features prominently into the album’s iconography. The game itself represents Soph and Tuck always hitting ideas back and forth to each other in their writing process, and the overlapping tennis rackets represent the venn diagram of their brains. They both have very different interests, but where the rackets intersect is that sweet spot that’s SOFI TUKKER.
Wetness itself is key to the album, with each track feeling akin to just having emerged from a warm pool., dripping with an irresistible sensuality. Whether the album finds them in a playful mood or profoundly earnest, it never misses a step, gliding through a slick, dewy world through which they’re the only fitting guides.
SOFI TUKKER will perform live from NYC at 11:30PM EST to celebrate the album’s release. Fans across the world can livestream the performance with Amazon Music & Twitch here.
The album’s focus single “Summer in New York” is a guided tour across SOFI TUKKER’s NYC, and marks a full circle moment for the pair as they return to live in the city after spending the past few years in West Palm Beach. Above all, it’s a dedication to their city: the birthplace of SOFI TUKKER, the home that welcomed them straight out of college, and provided inspiration for their earliest work. Sophie’s beloved Miss Favela in Brooklyn where Brazilian music and food reign, Bang Bang tattoos where Tucker gets his ink done, The Knocks’ Chrystie St studio where “Drinkee” was made, The Box, and much more. The song weaves in the hook from an NYC classic, Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” to connect all that is exciting about the city past and present. In a moment of collective consciousness, a cover of “Tom’s Diner” is also currently a sensation on TikTok, bringing the song to a new generation of dream chasers along with “Summer in New York.”
As the first track and most recent single “Kakee” readily displays, SOFI TUKKER exist to toy with and upend expectations. Sung entirely in Portuguese by Sophie Hawley-Weld, the song is an ode to female pleasure with a tongue-in-cheek persimmon metaphor. What could so easily have been a high tempo dance track is an ecstatic romp layered with supremely cool guitar with post-punk energy, morphing it into a stellar concoction only the duo could have created.
The “Kakee” video was filmed in Hawaii and is full of visual double entendres that correspond with the lyrics. Persimmons are squeezed until they gush and drip everywhere culminating in an ecstatic Sophie laying in a field. It was directed by Aerin Moreno with creative direction from Amber Park and styling by Johnny Wujek who were also the team on the “Original Sin” video.
“Original Sin” immediately takes another turn, opening with Tucker Halpern’s melancholy words, delivered in a nearly monotone manner so as to maximize their crippling power. He’s backed by gently strummed guitar and then by throbbing synths and bass, all before Sophie enters the fray with a retort of her own to his dismay. There’s one thing they can agree on: “So I think you’ve got somethin’ wrong with you / something’s not right with me, too.” It speaks for all of us barely concealing a mess beneath a calm facade. On another level, it’s a rejection of sin itself: none of us can be saints. Belying the existential woe of the lyricism, the song itself pulsates with life, hooking its talons in instantly and never letting go.
The “Original Sin” music video is steeped in playful eroticism and introduces the joyful and seductive iconography of WET TENNIS. In true SOFI TUKKER fashion, they decamped to a tropical location radiating lush greens and sunlight and realized the video in Oahu, Hawaii.
“Forgive Me” finds Sophie pleading for understanding and a reclamation of someone lost, regardless of the price (“I’ll just let you yell at me all you want”). Alongside Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan, SOFI TUKKER manage to morph an act of pure desperation into something both addictive and universal. It’s about the ultimate power, and surrender, of true forgiveness. The video was filmed on location at Evcik Beach and Kilyos Beach in Istanbul.
For the title track, “WET TENNIS,” the pair ramp things up with an intro that doesn’t sound all too far removed from a parade one might hear in New Orleans (though the track was recorded in Miami with a group of Latin-American musicians), before expanding into a guitar and horn driven extravaganza, a sexy affair that will have you reaching for your partner or seeking out the nearest equally, shall we say, driven individual. Like they say: “the ball’s in your court.”
Up next is a brief Interlude, but one that allows SOFI TUKKER to display another side of their artistry, with Sophie singing placatingly over a stripped back musical backdrop, just her voice and the strumming of guitar. It’s a gentle, perfect lead-in for the aching drama of “Sun Came Up”. Backed by electronic artist John Summit, the song tells a tale of one of those chance encounters that becomes simply unforgettable. It starts with a glance at a party, then a shared joke, and somehow morphs into the kind of night that’s all too rare in this life. As Sophie sings, “You and I danced until the sun came up,” she manages to capture and bottle that very feeling.
“Larry Bird” comes in to play an entirely different game. Opting for a largely instrumental and Tropicáliaapproach, SOFI TUKKER let the thumping bass and steel drums do the heavy lifting. It’s a tour-de-force for guest Tuck’s Dad, and a personal moment for Tucker, who grew up idolizing Bird (Sophie even appears to sing “33” in Portuguese: both Bird and Tucker’s basketball number). The basketball legend from which the song draws its title himself has quotes peppered towards the tail end of the song, drawing a connection between his game and SOFI TUKKER: “you already know who’s gonna win this thing.”
“Hold”, meanwhile, is a glancing blow, finding Sophie mired in isolation. It unfurls like a vine, ascending from its stark beginnings into a downtempo anthem, fitting for the nightclub once it’s become too smoky to make out who your friends are, lost in the maelstrom of strangers, all looking for the same thing. It’s an exercise in duality, cold and warm all at once. Guest vocalist Adam of BOII adds to the lonely atmosphere, as if he and Sophie are so close, yet just out of reach as they yearn for anything but spending the night alone.
Spiraling around yet again, true to its title, “Mon Cheri” is sung in a variety of languages, from French to Bambara, and boasts the coaxing fun that’s ever present within the potential for the romance language. Driven by lively guitar and call-and-response verses alongside legendary West African duo Amadou & Mariam, it’s perfectly suited for an imaginary stroll through some fantastical European sojourn: all before plunging into pure ecstasy in its final minute, with a frantic, dizzying beat entering the picture. It’s impossible not to emerge without a grin on your face.
“Freak” pulls in yet another direction, swerving somewhere between Breakbeat and something entirely modern, something like a Fat of the Land for 2022. It’s a celebration of the duo’s “pandemic fam”, for those who were always present for a daily dance party during the lockdown. Hardly running over 2 minutes, it’s over in the blink of an eye, but makes for another delightfully startling detour in an album chock full of them.
To close things up, SOFI TUKKER draw away yet again, emerging with something that’s quite simply serene, with the pair daring to cover “What a Wonderful World.” Here, the duo make the song entirely their own, boiling down the raw elements of SOFI TUKKER – gently plucked guitar, twinkling keys, and Sophie’s plaintive, gorgeous vocals. It’s a strangely fitting ending to what proves to be a genuine sonic adventure. After all the trekking to be found within WET TENNIS, it’s only right they see us off with a warm embrace.
With the album release, the duo has launched a newWET TENNIS merch line, which is available on their webstore along with an ombre picture disc vinyl and a very limited number of autographed CDs. The physical formats of WET TENNIS are available for pre-order.
After a two-year break from staging some of the most noteworthy shows the country has seen,The Theatre at Solaire is back to bring your favorite artists live again.
Watch the curtains rise on June 25 for the Concert King’s comeback on the stage, “Martin NieveraLive Again!” This one-night concert is a fundraising event to support the Rotary Club of MakatiWest’s Gift of Life Project. Part of the proceeds of the concert’s ticket sales will fund the heartoperations of children in need.
Catch Martin Nievera back on stage for a night filled with exciting and heart-warming music for aspecial cause.
For more information, visit https://www.solaireresort.com/article/martin-nievera-live-again. As partof Solaire’s continued safety measures, The Theatre requires double-masking and presentation ofvaccination cards upon entry. Buy your tickets to “Martin Nievera Live Again!” by calling Ticketworld at 8891-9999 or viawww.ticketworld.com.ph.
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