All the Latest Music News on Nagamag

Lupe Fiasco's verses use metaphor and tongue-twisting rhymes to paint a lyrical picture that's simultaneously vivid as a Goya and as abstract as a Picasso. Observing our modern culture's warped priorities from a birds-eye view, Lupe shares "DRILL MUSIC IN ZION," a jazz-inflected new single.

Produced by Lupe's longtime collaborator Soundtrakk, "DRILL MUSIC IN ZION" bears little resemblance to the genre in its title, blending crisp, East Coast-style drums with dreamy bebop horns and atmospheric piano. Creeping through the beat's negative spaces, Lupe Fiasco examines the way greed transforms each interaction into a transaction, and how the profit motive corrodes our collective humanity: "Position jostlers monitor hegemonics/Robots make the robots that solder electronics/Nostradamus couldn't bother to keep a promise/Logic's on a rocket, where profit defeats the conscience." Lupe ties together his anecdotes with his gently-crooned hook, which slyly comments on how art created amidst strife–such as the drill music that originated in Lupe's hometown of Chicago–becomes entertainment for the comfortable masses.

"DRILL MUSIC IN ZION" is the latest glimpse of Lupe's next album, also titled DRILL MUSIC IN ZION. The product of a burst of thoughtful spontaneity, Lupe created the new album over a short period, diving into a folder of beats sent by Soundtrakk and emerging with a fully-realized album in just three days. The album is home to "AUTOBOTO" ft. Nayirah, the mischievous, playful, and deceptively dense single that earned praise from Financial Times, Complex, and more. DRILL MUSIC IN ZION arrives on June 24th via 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers.

His first new album since 2018's Drogas Wave, DRILL MUSIC IN ZION marks the start of another chapter in Lupe's illustrious career. The proud Chicago native has already had a busy 2022, marked with sold out shows, new music, and much more. Last week, Lupe shared "Galveston," an Apple Music-exclusive track that explores the origins of Juneteenth. Lupe recently closed out his "Food & Liquor Tour," a series of performances in which he plays his debut album in full. He paid tribute to his hometown in the reflective, self-produced "100 Chicagos," and dug into the archives to share "Hustlaz," a previously-unreleased song originally recorded before the release of the now-classic debut album Food & Liquor. Beyond music, Lupe continues to focus on the community organizations he founded, including We Are M.U.R.A.L, The Neighborhood Start-Up Fund, Society of Spoken Art, and his cross-cultural content venture, Studio SV. Earlier this year, Lupe accepted a professorship at MIT, where he will teach a special subjects course on rap in spring 2023.

Lupe recently launched his "LFT" program, a new NFT program that allows fans to get closer than ever to Lupe. Unlike many NFTs, which solely exist in the digital space, the "LFT" program offers token-holders an array of online and offline benefits. The benefits start with a generative art profile pic–each LFT holder gets a unique digital artwork inspired by Lupe's album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, which celebrates its 15th birthday this year.

With DRILL MUSIC IN ZION on deck, an invigorated Lupe Fiasco seeks to prove once again that few rappers in history can rhyme like him. Stay tuned for much more from the legendary artist in the coming weeks.

Buy/Stream "DRILL MUSIC IN ZION": https://orcd.co/drillmusicinzion

Pre-order DRILL MUSIC IN ZION: https://orcd.co/dmiz

Check out full details about "LFT" at Henka.io: http://henka.io/aboutlupe

The Background:

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Chicago-born, Grammy award-winning American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and community advocate. Rising to fame in 2006, following the success of his debut album, Food & Liquor, Lupe has released more than four acclaimed studio albums; his latest being Drogas Wave released fall 2018. His efforts to propagate conscious material helped solidify him as GQ’s Man of the Year in 2006, and garnered recognition as a Henry Crown Fellow. While musical genius and ingenuity are at the forefront of Lupe’s achievements, the artist extends his innovation to projects that aim to foster creative discourse and opportunities in underprivileged and impoverished communities.

https://www.lupefiasco.com/

London, UK – 9am, June 17th 2022 – Today, 20-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Noah reveals his second single ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ from his forthcoming candid debut EP.

https://bfan.link/who-s-laughing-now

The newcomer’s multi-layered alternative pop is rooted in teenage musical experimentation and confident, confessional lyricism which maps out his journey as a transmasculine guy navigating the world trying to be himself. At a time when empathy seems in short supply, the stories told by voices like Noah’s — passionate, emotive, angry, necessary — demand attention

‘Who’s Laughing Now’ follows up recent debut single ‘What The Other Boys Do’, which was described by Notion Magazine as ‘an instantly attention-grabbing debut which explores the transmasculine experience with confessional sensitivity” and garnered a string of accolades from tastemakers across the board; from The Line Of Best Fit, The Independent, 1883 Magazine and Popjustice to being crowned ‘Record of the Week’ by BBC Introducing, played by Radio 1’s Future Alternative Show and added to Spotify’s coveted Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Pop playlists.

‘Who’s Laughing Now’ is set to continue Noah’s arrival as he re-shapes expectations and paves the way for a new generation of pop music; passionate, powerful and armed with a stack of great tunes that are impossible to ignore. The forthcoming debut EP, tells necessary stories that are set to cement Noah’s status as a rising star. Recorded working with producers Jon McClure (Reverend & The Makers) and Dimitri Tikovoï (Charli XCX, The Horrors), Noah tackles hope, desperation and the battle to reclaim power across infectious pop tunes.

Noah says; 'Who’s Laughing Now’ is a song about coming out on top, despite the people who did their best to bring you down. It specifically relates to the transphobia I’ve faced, but can be interpreted any way. I wanted to speak about how childish their hate is, and highlight the fact that it’s based on nothing but stupidity.’

Born in Johannesburg, Noah spent most of his formative years in Luxembourg hating school, but enamoured with the escapism music provided. Finding joy as both a listener and creator, pulled in by the likes of 21 Pilots’ audacious genre-hopping, he now describes his sonic identity as if “The Weeknd, Billie Eilish and Lorde had a three-way love child, spat it out, then let it grow up in France.”

Determined and defiant, Noah’s debut EP will truly be just the beginning as he pushes forward and continues to be himself. A unique new artist, Noah’s strongest suit could be the ability to strike an uncommon balance between being intensely personal and curiously universal.

https://www.instagram.com/noahlosthisarc/

JUNE 17, 2022 – Arlissa has today unveiled “TAKE”, the lead single to her hugely anticipated debut album The OPEN-HEARTED” to be released end 2022

Produced by Ebenezer (Stefflon Don, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign), “TAKE” is the super cool, sexy and empowering pop/rnb outing by Arlissa. Written by her, it depicts getting out of a relationship where she’s realized: the more she loved, the more she lost herself. LA based British singer Arlissa wrote, “TAKE” in the anger stage of grief and it was a great way to process emotions and regain her power. “I felt like this person had taken so much of me, but I had compromised my own boundaries, given too much and lost myself in the process”. “TAKE” is a very relatable and empowering anthem for anyone who gives more than he/she receives.

The accompanying official video is shot by the amazing Alex "Grizz" Loucas and beautifully styled by Hugo Boss. A metaphysical journey, which follows Arlissa through various stages of acceptance of past relationship – experiencing remnants of this person in her day-to-day life, in the form of a transparent shape.

“TAKE” is the first of an incredible string of singles, which Arlissa will be sharing with the world throughout 2022 – culminating in the release of her long anticipated album “The OPEN-HEARTED” at the end of 2022. About the extraordinary journey she has found herself on, Arlissa says: “The project was created by using art to alchemize my heartbreak. It was the best way to keep moving through life with my heart wide open.” The album has taken shape from a profound period of personal and creative growth - a turning point she describes, as “the first time I’ve ever felt completely free to make whatever I wanted.”

As well as the long awaited album, with the announcement of The OPEN-HEARTED Sessions, we will finally be able to experience Arlissa - LIVE IN CONCERT. Throughout 2022, the announcement will see her take most of the new album (and a few of the recognizable hits) and perform them live with full band at a venue near you. First dates already posted, please stay tuned for many more - NOT TO BE MISSED.

Born in Germany but raised in London, Arlissa first discovered her passion for songwriting as a small child. By age 14, she had taken up piano and guitar and begun to craft songs inspired by a diverse range of artists - Jeff Buckley, Elton John, Nina Simone - From there, Arlissa put out a series of stripped-back D.I.Y. singles, which led to such successes as selling out shows in London, New York City, and L.A. and scoring a viral hit with “Hearts Ain’t Gonna Lie”: a self-released smash later reimagined by multi-platinum producer Jonas Blue. Among may other noteworthy achievements, Arlissa has also written and performed on BTS’s diamond breakthrough hit “Spring Day”, written Zayn Malik’s platinum hit “Flames” and her own “We Won’t Move" from the critically acclaimed movie The Hate You Give was shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Oscars.

With all of the above and what is clearly only the beginning for Arlissa, there are no limits to what the future can bring, to truly establish her as the powerhouse singer/songwriter and artist she was always placed here to be.

http://www.arlissa.com/

Gavin Fox has been quietly building up a following as one of the songwriters to watch in Ireland in 2022. ‘If I Could Survive This’ will be his third single from the upcoming album, ‘Awakened’ – named after his experience of ‘waking up to himself’, as he describes it.

Incredibly, the artist only began writing music two years ago.

“I never allowed time for myself to explore things. And when I eventually gave myself permission to, I was drawn to exploring something I always had a love for, music.”

“In April 2020, I decided to try my hand at songwriting. In 20 minutes or so, I wrote my first finished song. The words and music just flowed. I looked at the page and thought ‘What the hell!’.”

“I asked my wife Caroline to take a listen. She’s an honest, west-of-Ireland girl. After playing it for her, she just looked at me, and said, ‘Where did that come from?’ She couldn’t believe it either.”

http://www.instagram.com/gavinfoxmusic

To meet Fox is to experience his excitement for life, and his conviction that the freedom he has experienced in his life is possible for others. That it’s necessary to share it. It’s nothing short of inspiring to meet an artist so genuinely concerned about this.

“This musical journey I’m on is not just about me – even though I think my story is incredible. I’m not saying I’m incredible. I’m just saying - what if I never discovered this freedom, this acceptance, this awakening? I could never have found contentment. And I may have never discovered this form of creativity that I had hidden inside me. How many others are out there struggling through life, living up to an image they have created, not really knowing or being their true self? What might they discover if they too looked inside and experienced an awakening? I want to help that person. That’s it. That’s all.”

Thankfully, however, he is the one to share his message – and he is awfully good at it. His attention to detail, and his dedication and joy in each thing he does, are overwhelmingly evident in every note and beat of his work. His latest offering, the explosive single ‘If I Could Survive This’, sees him deliver a gorgeous vocal performance alongside up-tempo drums and sweetly summery electric guitar riffs.

His message is inspiring and timely. It appears the journey towards literacy around mental health, particularly amongst men in Ireland, is just beginning. But knowing there are people like Gavin Fox, who know that asking for help is a sign of courage, not weakness, is a powerful thing. Time will tell the difference he may yet make on his musical journey. Speaking with Fox, one is reminded that beautiful things are possible. Sometimes, life truly can be changed in an instant.

‘If I Could Survive This’ is the latest piece of evidence leaving one with the distinct impression that you are watching a humble star in the making.

Blending left-field productions choices with lyrical storytelling, Better Luck Next Time is written from the perspective of a young man who has prioritised his career above everything else, so much so, he’s still trying to get a report out while his plane is going down. It's a disturbing analogy for for humankind’s self-destructive behaviour and its consequences for the world's future set to the backdrop of buoyant, playful pop.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mayayenn/better-luck-next-time

For more information, visit: https://mayayenn.com/epk

https://www.instagram.com/danielorhys

Sarah Shafey has been described as having striking vocals & creating infectious electro-pop, and she continues to deliver on all fronts in her second single Pick Up The Phone. This song is about calling someone and they pretend they don't see it and it's also about being careful with these little devices that we have in our hands everyday of our lives. Co-produced with JUNO award-winner Hill Kourkoutis.

https://sarahshafey.com/

https://instagram.com/biggee313

http://www.graysonty.com/

Rising Panamanian-Israeli pop songwriter Yael Danon has shared her new single & music video “Teddy Bears,” available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide. The track is oozing with high-end alt-pop production and puts Yael’s full vocal arsenal on display as she weaves in and out of falsettos and haunting melodies.

"'Teddy Bears' is basically that good and smart friend who’s warning you about this new guy you’re just starting to get to know (which she dated not-so-long ago), and which you’re already crushing on,” says Yael on the track. “The song highlights all the cute stupid sh*t you’re falling for, instead of looking at the big picture...he’s just another mistake. Just like your friend got hurt from him in the past, you will too. I probably need to listen to my own advice."