While some artists have chosen to postpone releases due to the coronavirus, others are pushing forward and offering solace from the isolation with entertaining tunes. This week in pop music, especially, saw some unexpected releases. Lindsay Lohan aims to make her comeback with a club-ready single, Frank Ocean dropped a surprise track in Spanish, and Troye Sivan unveiled his first single of 2020.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new releases. Listen up.
Lindsay Lohan — “Back To Me”
Lindsay Lohan made an unexpected return to music this week. After sharing a snippet of the new song on social media, the actor/singer debuted “Back To Me” in all its pop-laden glory. While she’s had some turbulence in her personal life in the last few years, “Back To Me” proves Lohan has a certain knack for pop music. A buoyant hook and vibrant percussion make Lohan’s single destined for dance floors everywhere.
Frank Ocean — “Cayendo”
The ever-disappearing Frank Ocean also made a return this week with two new singles. Following his 2019 track “In My Room,” “Cayendo” arrives as a distinct pivot. It is, after all, the first of Frank’s songs to be sung in Spanish. Resounding guitar fills a sonic backdrop for Ocean’s thoughtful croonings on the reflective track.
Troye Sivan — “Take Yourself Home”
After teasing a leak to fans when he was bored in quarantine, Troye Sivan released his first single of the new year. “Take Yourself Home” arrives a slow-burning track to showcase his rise to fame in just a few short years. Under a gentle beat, Sivan’s captivating vocals are at the forefront of the track, detailing his introspective lyricism.
Karol G & Anuel AA — “Follow”
Latin pop sensations Karol G and Anuel AA made their relationship public with single “Follow,” which arrived alongside a heartfelt self-quarantine video. The couple recorded the track while stuck at home in Miami, detailing their blossoming relationship. “While at home under quarantine, we couldn’t stop making music,” Karol G said in a statement. “We wanted to create a song that was cool and fresh for our fans with a video that shows how we are overcoming the reality that we are all going through.”
Empress Of — “Bit Of Rain”
Indie-pop artist Empress Of released her lively record I’m Your Empress Of. “Bit Of Rain” arrives as the record’s second track and sets the electric tone of the effort. Wonky keys provide a backdrop to Empress Of’s captivating lyrical delivery. In an interview with Uproxx, Empress Of said her album’s distinct sound arises out of having a lack of collaborators: “I made a lot of these beats while touring my second album, Us. I made a lot of them on airplanes and tour sprinters and green rooms, so I didn’t have that same collaborative process as like, Us. It was just out of necessity, because I wanted to say these things.”
Yaeji — “When I Grow Up”
Queens-born Korean producer Yaeji unveiled her hotly-anticipated mixtape What We Drew this week. While much of the tape furthers Yaeji’s impressive catalog, “When I Grow Up” stands out as a captivating number. Yaeji turns her mic check into a hard-hitting beat while her timorous vocals narrate in a mix of Korean and English. In a statement, Yaeji said the track is a reflection on her childhood: “‘When I Grow Up’ is a song of two perspectives talking with each other. one is me from my childhood, wondering what it would be like when i become an adult. the other is me as an adult, breaking the truth to young me.”
Clara Mae — “Run Into You”
Swedish singer-songwriter Clara Mae offers a luminous new anthem “Run Into You.” The singer’s captivating tenor floats above cascading synths and a catchy, stomping backbeat on the lovelorn single. “What if tomorrow we’re strangers?” Mae wonders with emotive yearning in the track’s lyrics.
Bazzi — “Renee’s Song”
Following his break-out track “Paradise” that arrived as last summer’s unofficial anthem, Bazzi is showing his softer side with the ballad “Renee’s Song.” The song is devoted to his girlfriend, who he celebrated a two-year anniversary with. In a heartfelt note posted to social media, Bazzi attributed his success to his significant other: “my love – you’ve stood by my side through everything for two years. i wrote this for you & i hope you feel like the only girl in the world today…”
Diana Gordon — “Wasted Youth”
Diana Gordon released the EP Wasted Youth after teasing a new era for several weeks. In a statement, Gordon said “Wasted Youth” is a chronicle of her experience with men: “‘Wasted Youth’ is mostly about my love life and experiences with men. I didn’t have my father to learn from, so his absence was a great opportunity to learn from life. Most of the songs represent my phases of maturity and the types of men I was attracting at those times: from fuck boys with bad intentions that seemed good and tortured artists to intelligent, well-spoken savants.”
Soko — “Are You A Magician?”
French singer, songwriter, actor Soko announced her third full-length album Feel Feelings with her second single of 2020. “Are You A Magician?” deals with projecting internalized fantasies onto a relationship, and the disappointment that follows when the pristine image crumbles. The song’s accompanying video is more whimsical than its lyrics, with Soko saying in a statement that she wanted to create a specific persona: “The goal for me was to be a like a Victorian goth sailor moon princess who listens to Kate Bush a little too much.”
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music Artists. .
