Can’t forget about the other epic song that dropped today – this morning to be exact. I was getting ready for work and got the notification that a new song featuring Travi$ Scott released.
*Pause everything*
Definitely had to stop what I was doing to listen. Well, not only did we get a new song from SZA (pronounced SIZ-UH), we received the visuals to the track as well. Love when that happens. Directed by Nabil and part of the Top Dawg Entertainment family (Kendrick’s squad), the visuals are sensual, sexy, and a little chilling.
Initially I first heard the audio, but after watching the video and listening, I’m thinking of the song in a completely different way. What I was picturing in my head during that first listen was definitely not what was being portrayed in the video.
And OMG, the ending… like what?! Was NOT expecting that.
What a nice surprise! Well, a surprise to me at least.
As I was casually scrolling through Twitter, I stumbled across a new track from one of my favorite duos – Majid Jordan. I saw them in concert last fall for the first time, and they were so good live. Definitely recommend seeing them.
Okay, so “Phases” starts out really slow on the piano. Right as those opening vocals hit though… YASSS.
“I keep going through different phases, stay going through different phases”
Then slowly but surely, you start to hear the song pick up. At about one minute in, the tempo quickens but in a very subtle way.
Then when the real deal beat picks up…
“omg. this is a new sound for majid! it sounds a little more techno but I AM HERE FOR IT. I LOVE THIS.”
The quote above was my actual real-time reaction to listening to that part of the song for the first time, so I decided to leave it. Clearly, I’m v excited.
PS – I think Majid Jordan makes the best late night driving music. And this song in particular is perfect for those late night summertime drives.
Anyway, I’m really digging “Phases,” and I’m hoping that the release of this song means a new project is on the way! Or at least one sometime this year 🙂
Last night (Saturday, April 22) Frank Ocean released a new song titled “Lens” on another surprise episode of blonded RADIO on Apple Music. Funny how Frank disappeared for four years before giving us Blonde, and now he’s dropping surprise radio station episodes AND new tracks. Any who. One version is with Frank solo dolo, but the other features one of my absolute favorites – Travi$ Scott.
The version with just Frank is around four minutes long, and the one with Travi$ is a little over six, and it is everything.
p u r e v i b e s
“Lens” has a god-like sound and exudes some MAJOR Kanye “808s & Heartbreak” vibes. The Auto-Tune. Wow. I’m listening now as I’m writing this, and I’m so obsessed. This song should honestly be called “Vibes” instead of “Lens.” Imagine listening to this while floating in the ocean, riding a bike along the beach, exploring your city, driving down the freeway in the rain – it fits so many scenarios. Here for it.
And as if the song can’t get any vibey-er (obviously not a word), Frank calls on La Flame to take “Lens” to the next level. Now, I heard “Lens” last night but didn’t hear the T. Scott version until I was driving home from a friend’s house this AM. And fam am I glad I didn’t hear it until then. Driving up the 405 with the windows down and sun shining – w o a h. I definitely had a moment. A moment of inspiration and just thinking how epic the hip-hop community is and all these amazing collabs we continue to get. Our favorite artists hopping on tracks with one another that we wouldn’t expect. Hearing familiar sounds of other artists on certain songs and albums.
m a g i c
Got a little sidetracked there, but I think it’s important for us as fans to really appreciate not just a new song but the artist(s) behind those songs and the magic that went down to get us that new song. Now I’m sure most tracks don’t come together in one singular moment, but I would love to be in a recording studio for when that happens. Or just in general. I think it would be very motivational. Bucket list item for sure.
Okay, enough of me rambling. Listen to the two versions below, and let me know if you catch the same vibe I did.
So while everyone was watching the March Madness Championship Finals, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed and noticed Desiigner dropped three new tracks. We haven’t really received any new songs from him recently so for him to drop three in a row on a random Monday night – I’ll take it.
UDPATE 10:01AM PST: Just watched the video, and it is nothing short of epic and uniquely trippy. I’d expect nothing less from Travi$ Scott! And I really like Kendrick’s placement in the video as well. Travi$ continues to kill the game.
It’s here! Travi$ Tweeted last week he would be dropping this video, and I’m glad he has blessed us with these visuals on a Monday. What a good start to the week. Watch here!
I’m about to watch for the first time myself. Too pumped for this. Let me know what you think!
You guys. Stop what you are doing and watch these new visuals from Kendrick right now. And they are new visuals for a NEW song.
This beat is all the fire emojis. I love More Life, but fam, this beat is the sickest. And I am in love with the creativity of the video. On a scale of one to five fire emojis, this gets all five.
Last Friday, Big Sean stopped in Los Angeles for his I Decided Tour and his third stop on the West Coast. He performed at the Hollywood Palladium which is now a venue I’ve been to a handful of times. It’s intimate vibe is great, but I do wish the stage was a little more elevated. It’s hard for us short people to see! I digress.
There were four of us who went and before posting up in the GA section, we obviously had to buy some beverages and cop some merch. I held us down in the merch line while the others secured the drinks. Teamwork makes the dream work.
After successfully buying the exclusive I Decided California t-shirt (see below) and the official I Decided Tour sweatshirt, it was time to go find our place in the crowd.
We knew we’d be in the back when we first arrived at the Palladium. The line was wrapped (and I mean wrapped) down and around the block.
The night started with an opening set from Big Sean’s DJ, DJ Mo Beatz. He’s extremely talented and was spinning all the right songs to get us to the appropriate energy level. Next up…
Now while I don’t listen to MadeinTYO on the reg (I really should though – he’s underrated), he has quite a few bangers and performed them all – “I Want,” “Uber Everywhere,” and “Skateboard P” to name a few. He was the perfect opener for Big Sean, and he definitely kept the momentum going.
I’ve seen Big Sean perform multiple times now, and he has yet to disappoint. His energy, positive vibes, love for the crowd, and just overall passion he has for performing makes him an incredible artist to watch live. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eye. Anyways.
His setlist included most of the tracks from I Decided and a handful of other fire emoji worthy songs like “Champions,” “I Don’t F*ck With You,” “Don’t Like,” “Paradise,” “Blessings,” and more. While I had hoped for a Migos or Jeremih surprise appearance, he did bring out his boo Jhene Aiko. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her live before this, so it was great to not only add her to my concert resume (yes, I have one of those), but it was awesome seeing the two perform together and witnessing their chemistry IRL. MadeinTYO also came back out during Sean’s set so they could perform the “Skateboard P Remix.” YAS. Seriously one of my favorite songs out right now.
Okay, now this is sort of embarrassing, but I don’t even care. Towards the end of Big Sean’s set, he began to talk about positivity, surrounding yourself with a solid group of people, and that it’s never too late to make your dreams a reality. Well, I started crying. I sort of wish I was joking. This is the second time I’ve cried at a concert. The first was during the On The Run Tour (Beyonce and Jay Z). v. emotional. But yeah. I’ve always been a fan of Big Sean not only because of his music but also because of his positive nature and vibes he exudes.
Overall, this was one of the better Big Sean performances I’ve seen. If you’ve listened to I Decided, you can tell this project means A LOT to him and is full of inspiration which all came to life on that stage. He’s a real one.
Why did I cry though? I believe I’m at a really good place in my life right now. Weeding out the negativity, surrounding myself with great people and influences, and just doing epic shit. I’m really the only person who can control all of this for myself, so yeah… I’m pretty pumped.
The night ended with me going to In N Out, ordering a grilled cheese and fries via drive-thru, and sitting in my car to indulge before heading home. All in all, it was a solid night.
Next concert… Sampha at the El Rey Theatre. I’ve never seen Sampha perform nor have I been to that venue so I’m pretty amped!
Say whaaaat. The actual track hasn’t dropped yet, but Calvin Harris just posted the artwork for the single on his Instagram.
I’m not sure what this is going to sound like, but if it’s anything like the vibes we got from Calvin and Frank…
I’m #HearForThis.
The track titled “Heatstroke” is sure to be another summertime banger. Maybe I missed this, but are we expecting a new album from Calvin? It makes sense with these singles he’s been dropping. A summertime playlist?! All about that.
Definitely check back for when the track officially drops!
The visuals are here for one of the most epic collab songs of the year… or maybe ever.
Directed by Warren Fu, the video’s grainy and old-school feel is the perfect fit for the overall vibe of “I Feel It Coming.” The visuals even play into The Weeknd’s starboy theme and new persona.
And as if The Weeknd’s voice didn’t already sound like Michael Jackson’s, Abel’s dance moves in this video make the MJ comparison even more real. Actually, while watching “I Feel It Coming,” MJ’s “Billie Jean” music video came to mind. Not necessarily all that’s happening in the vid, but the lighting, how it’s filmed, and the dance moves. I’m digging it. Watch below!
And while we don’t see Daft Punk until the very end, I still think the video works and flows overall. I feel Daft Punk’s presence is best for a DJ set and this video wouldn’t be the proper setting for such. Why am I talking in some weird proper English form? Anyways.
Right now it’s just over 350,000 views, but I can guarantee this will hit 1,000,000 in no time.
Have I told yinz how big of a Chance fan I am? He continues to spread positivity through his lyrics and more importantly through his actions. His biggest one yet?
**donating $1M to chicago public schools**
It is so refreshing to see someone with power and a voice do good and actually DO. Not just talk about it. He announced the donation during a press conference that was streamed live at Oliver S. Westcott Elementary in Chicago. Below is what he said regarding the generous act.
“Today, I am proud to announce that I am donating $1 million to CPS,” he said. “This donation was made possible by my fans, through ticket sales for my upcoming tour and an unprecedented coordination from Live Nation, AEG, and Ticketmaster, competing corporations who were able to band together — also with independent promoters and venues across the country — to use funds from ticket sales to donate to CPS…I’m honored to make this donation to Chicago Public Schools Foundation and help cultivate Chicago creative minds.”
As if this isn’t major enough, Chance also said that his foundation, Social Works, will donate $10,000 to a specific public school for every $100,000 that’s raised. This will begin with Oliver S. Westcott Elementary.
The love that Chance has for his Chicago hometown and those still residing there, especially the youth, is truly heartwarming. He met with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner on Friday to begin the discussion on public school funding. Post-meeting, Chance wasn’t too happy with the outcome, saying the Governor’s answers were vague. Well, hopefully this $1M donation will be a wake-up call to those higher-ups in Chicago that Chance means business.
Californyinz 