Well, hey there! What’s doin’? Slow news day, am I right? Nothing weird or uncomfortable happened. At all. Nothing involving, say, elevators. Or famous celebrity power couples and high kicks to the face, or something weird like that. That would be really insane. Nope. No news today. Hey! Look over there — a gay football player!
Anyway, here’s another installment of #MuuTunes to help take you far, far away from the daily stresses and those night terrors. Enjoy! And please do go outside at some point. (And maybe take the stairs…)
1.) Jennifer Lopez, “First Love” (Original Post) (iTunes)
Jennifer Lopez luhs her papi. In fact, she luhs her papi SO much, she’s decided to write another song about him. And this time, she’s enlisted Max Martin to work his pop magic for a surefire swoon-y summer jam. Ooo-OOOOH!
2.) Monarchy, “Living Without You” (Original Post) (iTunes)
Stylish British dark-synth duo Monarchy returns this year with an emotional, uplifting emancipation anthem packed with dizzying electronica and gut-punch lyricism. Key line: “Sometimes you only see the light when you’re surrounded by darkness.” Chills!
3.) RuPaul & LaToya Jackson, “Feel Like Dancin'” (Original Post) (iTunes)
Giggly “Hot Potato” chanteuse La Toya Jackson werks twerks and serves up the sass with Mother Ru herself on a fierce n’ fabulously camp ‘Born Naked’ deluxe track. Do you wanna doot-doot-doot?
4.) Rebecca & Fiona, “Jamie” (iTunes)
Swedish weirdo-EDM-pop darlings are back at it in 2014, supplying luscious 22nd century dance beats and romantic lyricism. What’s it about? Not sure exactly, but the line “your freedom is a prisoner of love” is everything.
5.) Lily Allen, “Take My Place” (iTunes)
Lily Allen used much of her ammunition to take on mean bloggers and Twitter trolls on her grand comeback record, Sheezus. But it’s when she steps back and reflects on the bigger picture — as with the utterly devastating, vulnerable “Take My Place” — that Lily really shines.
6.) Brooke Candy, “Pop Rock” (iTunes)
After making an Illuminati-meets-Satan splash with her glittering “Opulence” video, Brooke’s debut major label EP offers a sweet, scowling taste of what’s to come from the rising rapstress, including this twinkling, RiRi-like ode to oral fixation.
7.) Alex Banks, “All You Can Do (feat. Elizabeth Bernholz)” (iTunes)
Brighton-based Producer/DJ Alex Banks supplies a gorgeously atmospheric, left-of-center electronic landscape with a vocal performance by Elizabeth Bernholz that brings Vespertine-era Björk to mind.
8.) Kiesza, “Hideaway” (iTunes)
From blogger darling to UK #1 with her debut single in literally a matter of weeks, Kiesza’s now positioned to be one of the next acts to pop in a major way in 2014. For true lovers of early ’90’s club vibrations, “Hideaway” already feels like home.
9.) Coldplay, “A Sky Full Of Stars” (iTunes)
I’m not one for “rock” or even “bands,” generally speaking — I tend to prefer my music packaged with a hair flip and a pair of stilettos. That being said, Coldplay tends to cultivate tender tunes that soothe my soul. Their Avicii-assisted (!) “Sky Full Of Stars” is no exception — a truly seamless blend of the band’s signature soaring vocals and the EDM King’s pulverizing beats. Sky fits heaven, if you will.
10.) Conchita Wurst, “Rise Like A Phoenix” (iTunes)
A bearded Austrian drag queen with a last name that means “sausage” won Eurovision with an almighty James Bond theme in the making. As they say in Austria: YAAAAAS, QUEEN! Maybe our world isn’t so fucked, after all. Rise up, lotus, rise! This is the beginning!
