FEATURES
Best New Tracks: A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis, Kelela and More
As the week in music comes to a close, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks. This week’s lineup is led by A$AP Rocky, who delivered a moving tribute to rappers that have lost their lives over the years on the song “Same Problems.” Kelela has continued the rollout of her upcoming album RAVEN with the new dance track “Contact,” while Fall Out Boy shared the lead single from their first album in five years. Also in the mix are contributions from Kali Uchis, boygenius, Chicago-based rapper Wesley Joseph, as well as songs from Yaeji, Headie One, CAMO and McKinley Dixon. A$AP Rocky – “Same Problems” [embedded content] After performing the track on his livestreamed Amazon Music show last month, A$AP Rocky has finally shared “Same Problems” on st...
Lil Dicky Previews Dave Season 3, Teases Return to Rapping: “I Want People to See How Good I’ve Gotten”
I thought I would be sitting down with Lil Dicky to discuss the upcoming third season of his FX comedy Dave. But, by the end of our interview, Dave Burd and I are considering the morality of mankind. “I feel like human beings by default are good. Do you agree?” he asks, and he’s genuinely interested in my answer. We get there by way of Kanye West, as so often happens these days: While the new season of Dave will feature a ton of exciting guest stars, including Usher, Rick Ross, Don Cheadle, Demi Lovato, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Killer Mike, and Travis Barker, Burd does confirm that West will not be one of them. This isn’t shocking given how things have changed for West in the last year, but I’m curious about how Burd feels about the artist right now, as the first two seasons of the sh...
French Montana Envisions a Second Coming for the Mixtape Era
At a time in music when many up-and-coming rappers reject the idea of dropping mixtapes – or at the very least, view the format as archaic compared to the ease of unleashing singles on streaming platforms – French Montana has situated himself at the vanguard of what he predicts will be an industry-wide return to mixtape culture. The New York-by-way-of-Morocco rapper hails from a generation of artists whose discography precedes digital streaming, and, in conversation with Hypebeast, recalls passing out mixtapes by hand around his home borough of the Bronx in the early aughts. Unlike most rappers, however, Montana has kept up the tradition. Earlier this month, he dropped Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition, a joint tape with another champion of the format, DJ Drama, for the latter’s Gangsta Gri...
10 UK Podcasts You Need to Listen to in 2023
As we move into 2023, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the plethora of good podcasts that exist these days. From established big-hitters to independent start-ups that are turning a new year’s resolution into a reality; it’s no lie that the market is more saturated than ever. While the US has many more established English-speaking pods that are now certified franchises in their own right, the UK has an exciting array of talent emerging every day, as various names break through with new niches, ideas, and enthusiasm for their craft. From fashion, sport, and footwear to music interests, conspiracy theories, and interviews with personalities unlike anywhere else in the world, long-form audio content in the UK is stronger than ever, particularly in comparison to television and print publi...
Kamal. is the Rising London Musician Turning Heartfelt Memories into Beautiful Melodies
Now we’re in 2023, the Coronavirus pandemic feels like a lifetime ago. But despite life being brought to a standstill during this period, many UK creatives refused to slip into a state of inertia. For musicians, that time of existence was arguably one of the most difficult and confusing periods. Live shows were a no-go, fan interactions were limited to live streams, and any form of in-person networking for up-and-comers was officially out of the window. But for British pop-R&B artist, Kamal., the pandemic would inspire his breakthrough – with the 20-year-old using his music to convey the lonely vulnerability that everyone was experiencing at the time. After experimenting with a piano at an early age – before working with a ukulele – Kamal.’s first live performances – after his successe...
50 Most Anticipated Albums of 2023
No one really should have been shocked by how music unfolded in 2022. Everyone — everyone — was raring to get back out there. Artists that had sat on completed records for two years were finally able to share them with the world, while those who had spent their time cooped up writing new material had fresh songs ready to go. Still, it felt like there was an inundation of albums, which begs the question: Is there anything left for 2023? Dumb question. Of course there is. With the industry’s wheels turning at full capacity again, we have new music to look forward to from all corners of the landscape. Long-anticipated efforts from Gorillaz, Miley Cyrus, The Smashing Pumpkins, and (fingers crossed) Rihanna are expected. Icons like Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, and Shania Twain (!) are...
That ’90s Show Review: A Sweet, Low-Stakes Revival of a Tried-and-True Formula
The Pitch: 17 years after the Formans shuttered their basement doors forever, a new era of revels, reefer, and joyrides is unfolding in Point Place, Wisconsin — this time on Netflix, rather than Fox. That ’90s Show follows Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon)’s daughter, Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), as she spends the summer crashing with her grandparents, the inimitable Red and Kitty Forman (played by Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, respectively). Now in the era of grunge-influenced fashion, Alanis Morrissette, warehouse raves, and disposable cameras, That ’90s Show introduces a new era of fun-seeking basement dwellers: Ashton Kutcher’s Michael Kelso and Mila Kunis’ Jackie Burkhart are mostly out of the picture, but their son Jay Kelso (Mace Coronel) a...
Governors Ball’s 2023 Lineup One Day Later: Highlights, Lowlights, Surprises, and Omissions
New York City festivals are always tricky. Not only is there a general lack of large, open fields ripe for thousands of festival goers, it’s difficult to compile a music festival that aligns with the city’s fusion of cultural identities. Governors Ball has been adamant about offering both components in their 10+ year history, and their 2023 lineup, announced on Tuesday, January 17th, is a testament to that mission. With Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, and ODESZA topping the bill this year, Governors Ball is taking after their older festival siblings by prioritizing unique, global, and must-see artists. Though you can catch an act like ODESZA at virtually any other North American festival and Lizzo’s been making the headlining rounds for a while, there is a global twist that stands out this year. No...
A Dream Setlist for Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour”
Madonna has never been a huge fan of nostalgia, particularly where her career and music are concerned. That’s certainly not a bad thing — in fact, her desire to push forward and keep breaking boundaries (sonic and otherwise) has kept her in the public eye for forty years. In recent years, Madonna’s tours have also been focused heavily on the present day, specifically whatever her latest record is at the time. But on Tuesday (January 17th), Madonna announced a career-spanning run dubbed “The Celebration Tour,” subtitled “Featuring Four Decades Of Greatest Hits.” (To get tix, a Live Nation pre-sale will take place starting Friday, January 19th at 10:00 a.m. local time — use access code SOUND — prior to the public on-sale beginning Friday, January 20th via Ticketmaster. Tickets will...
A Man Called Otto Owes Kate Bush an Apology
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for A Man Called Otto.] Up until a certain point in 2022, Kate Bush was having a great year: Thanks to a little show called Stranger Things, her 1985 single “Running Up That Hill” became the song of the summer, making an entire generation sit up and appreciate the English singer/songwriter. But then came a film called A Man Called Otto, and perhaps the worst use of a song in a movie I’ve ever seen. What A Man Called Otto does to “This Woman’s Work”… It isn’t just on the nose, it’s a middle finger jammed right up the left nostril. There are no shortage of reasons why A Man Called Otto, the Tom Hanks-starring adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s acclaimed novel, doesn’t work. Many of them have to do with the choice to cast America’s Dad as a suicida...
15 Rising Artists to Watch in 2023
There are rising artists, and then there are rising artists that we can’t get enough of, to the point that we wonder, “Where have you been all our lives?” Each year, a handful of musicians become deserving household names — last year, we placed bets on artists who continue to swirl around 2023 festival lineups, like Wet Leg, Yard Act, and PinkPantheress. The road to becoming a top-tier artist is more complicated than ever, but here are 15 artists, listed in alphabetical order, that we feel are poised to make that jump. Remember these names — they’ll likely be headlining festivals and tours left and right someday soon. Babygirl Canadian indie pop duo Babygirl are in search of classics. Their stellar 2021 EP Losers Weepers featured some undeniable sad bangers, especially focus track “Nevermi...
Bria Fisher Is Breaking New Ground as a Director of Communications
Bria Fisher is evidence that success requires more than just hard work. It also necessitates passion, manifestation, timing and organic relationships — all of which played a pivotal role in her being named EMPIRE’s first-ever Director of Communications. When the Long Island, New York native found her passion for music PR work in college, she made the quick decision to switch her major and began interning where she could, eventually landing at Atlantic Records. Fisher’s fervor led her across the country to Los Angeles, starting off her professional career with AKW PR before moving on to FYI Brand Group and Biz 3 Publicity, where her work involved executing high-level GRAMMY campaigns for the likes of Jhené Aiko and 21 Savage, campaigns for Juicy J and Jessie Reyez, as advocacy org...
