New Music Friday: 8/7/20

Victoria Monet and Glass Animals highlight this week's edition of New Music Friday!

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The weekend you felt was never coming is finally here, and with it is some great new music perfect for a beautiful summer day. This week’s edition of New Music Friday focuses on new releases by some of the hottest rising stars in music today, as well as a new posthumous song from that Purple Rain guy. 

Victoria Monet Jaguar

Women from all walks of life have gone through a bit of a revolution recently where they have torn away at the definitions that society had deemed what a woman should be. No longer do women feel they have to subscribe to traditional gender roles in relationships, workplace, or pretty much anywhere in society. 

In the world of music, female artists are more and more embracing a new take-the-world-by-the-balls mentality. Megastars like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Rihanna have led the way for others to feel comfortable portraying their true self through their music. 27 year-old singer-songwriter Victoria Monet is the latest rising star to put their self in the spotlight.

Monet began her career writing massive hits for the likes of Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, and Chris Brown. On her debut, Jaguar, Monet sets out to change the way we look at gender, race, and sexuality. There are times on the album when she is sly with her more sexually explicit lyrics and others when she is straight to the point. She softly sings, “Life is but a dream / Here we are inside of it and you’re inside of me” then later demands her lover to “Lick the beach / Fuck the shore / Make me scream / All aboard.” Pre-Jehovah’s Witness Prince would be very proud. 

The soft, sultry parts of her lyrics and vocals are very reminiscent of Janet Jackson, and Monet can only hope to have such a storied career. Jaguar is a great addition to an already impressive resume. The two-time Grammy nominee is looking to follow in the footsteps of other songwriters turned solo performers like Pharrell and Sia. Pharrell began his career as a producer and songwriter, churning out massive hits for Wreckx-N-Effect, Justin Timberlake and Kendrick Lamar while Sia wrote for Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears before going solo. 

“Dive” and “Experience” are two of the early standouts on an overall excellent album. @VictoriaMonet

Glass Animals Dreamland

Glass Animals had a growing appreciative audience after the release of two albums and were ready to take the next step as a band when tragedy struck. Drummer Joe Seaward was riding his bike in Dublin in the summer of 2018 when he was struck by a truck and nearly died. Seaward had to learn how to talk, walk, and read all over again. During his recovery, he found himself reminiscing of his childhood and writing about it and the current recovery he was going through. 

In “Space Ghost Coast To Coast,” lead singer Dave Bayley sings about a childhood friend he had drifted apart from after moving away from his hometown in Texas, who tried to bring a gun to school one day. Bayley sings with hate in the song – not at his friend but at the fact that the event seems unfathomable to him.

The album is very personal for the band as they bared their soul on the album. There are aspects that are comparable to The Beach Boys Pet Sounds. The very catchy and upbeat “Your Love(Déjà Vu)” is straight out of the the Timberland/Timberlake playbook while “Heat Wave” also borrows from a page of the mega-producer’s handbook. 

It truly feels that the third time is the charm for Glass Animals as Dreamland is a joy of an album that the band’s fans are sure to embrace. @GlassAnimals 

In addition to the great new albums out this week, there are some amazing new songs out for your listening pleasure.

First up is the latest from Almondmilkhunni. The 23-year-old singer releases “damnboy” a sultry song demanding equality in a relationship. The accompanying video is a new take on Thelma and Louise as the singer and her female partner-in-crime race through the desert in greased up cars while hiding out in seedy motels. “Damnboy” follows on the heels of Almondmilkhunni’s self titled debut EP that was released earlier this year. @almondmilkhunni

Christian French, one of 2020’s fastest rising stars, is back with his latest single “make or break up.” The 23-year-old singer’s entrancing track finds him at a crossroad in a rocky relationship. French wrote the song about a fight he was in with someone where neither was willing to budge at all. 

Christian’s much anticipated good things take time EP is set to be released later this month. @christianfrench

Lastly, one the greatest artists of all time has new music out. Prince’s Sign O’ The Times is being rereleased as a deluxe remastered edition that will feature the double album with a live concert DVD, remixes and edits of previously released tracks as well as an astonishing 45 songs directly from his infamous vault. 

Prince’s estate released the guitar heavy “Cosmic Day” which sounds like the love child of “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Delirious.” It was recorded on November 15, 1986 after Prince had completed the Camille album which later transitioned into the 3 disc Crystal Ball and that project ultimately became Sign O’ The Times. @prince 

Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75

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