Lorde Returns With a Nostalgic Breakup Anthem, and 9 More New Songs
In her first solo song in four years, after her boffo duet with Charli XCX, Lorde skips back past the guitar-picking, Laurel Canyon sound of her 2021 album, 'Solar Power,' to the keyboards and pumping electronics of her 2017 'Melodrama.' She sings about coming to terms with a breakup and missing past pleasures with someone — kisses, MDMA, a perfect cigarette — but she might also be speaking to her pop audience: 'Since I was 17, I gave you everything.' She brings tremulous drama to the vocals, but despite the synthetic firepower available to Lorde and her fellow producers — Daniel Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo) and Jim-E Stack (Bon Iver) — the track is oddly muted and rounded-off, even where it could explode. Maybe that choice will make more sense within a full album.
Keys left behind, door locked, plane boarded — Danielle Haim sings about a decisive breakup in 'Down to Be Wrong' from Haim's next album, 'I Quit,' due June 20. As the song begins, with a chunky beat and a few guitar notes at a time, perhaps there's a hint of hesitancy in her voice. But as more instruments kick in and the miles of distance increase, her voice gets rougher and her certainty only grows. 'I didn't think it would be so easy till I left it behind,' she realizes, and her sisters' vocal harmonies fully agree.
Of course Ariana Grande can sing an old jazz standard. She glides through a song from 1931 (by Fred Ahlert and Russ Turk) that has been recorded by the Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and Kate Smith. Grande is one of the guest singers on Jeff Goldblum's album with the vintage-style Mildred Snitzer Orchestra; Goldblum, her 'Wicked' co-star, is on piano, playing a modest, leisurely solo. But the track is hers — a poised, guileless, gently escalating complaint about unrequited affection: 'You never seem to want more romancing / The only time you hold me is when we're dancing.'
Understatement, so rare in current country production, burnishes 'The Touch,' a song that promises lasting love. 'As long as we're together, it's more than enough,' Ashley Monroe sings over Marty Stuart's lone acoustic guitar, which is virtually the only accompaniment for the first half of the track. Harmonies blossom and more guitars (and Shelby Lynne on bass) eventually join, but the mood stays pristine.
'Luna' hits a very sweet spot between Afrobeats and reggaeton as Wisin, from Puerto Rico, and Kapo, from Colombia, harmonize on a friendly flirtation: 'Just you and me in this room on a trip to the moon.' The production (by Daramola, a Nigerian musician based in Miami, and Los Legendarios, from Puerto Rico) is an ever-changing matrix of percussion sounds, electronics and vocal harmonies arriving from all directions. It's pure ear candy.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
‘KPop Demon Hunters' and ‘Expedition 33' Are Having a Moment
Have you watched KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix or played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Chances are the answer is 'yes,' and if not, you've certainly heard of them: both were released earlier this year to fairly glowing reviews (if not outright critical acclaim) and performed very well commercially. The latter, a turn-based RPG from newcomer Sandfall Interactive, will likely pick up some awards at year's end, while Netflix is planning to go all in on KPop. Along with talks of sequels and an ever-growing wave of merchandise, the streamer submitted the mid-movie song 'Golden' for Academy Award consideration. Both may also wind up jumping to live-action; Expedition had a movie announced months before the game's release, while Netflix is reportedly mulling over a remake with human actors. There's at least one movie, game, or show that becomes the talk of the town each year, but the way KPop and Expedition have been moving feels more significant than most. Both of them certainly build on the foundation set by their predecessors; musically, K-pop has been a popular genre for years, but it's possible general audiences didn't fully know just how much until now. Even if folks didn't watch KPop Demon Hunters, they've sure heard the music, which has risen in the charts in the weeks after release and beat real groups like BTS and Blackpink. (In a fun nod to the film, the two bands, Huntrix and the Saja Boys, became the highest-charting female and male K-pop groups for U.S. Spotify while competing against each other.) Several prominent artists in the genre have reacted to or covered the film's music, which has also become a viral sensation in Korea. Even before that point, viewers had KPop fever the moment the credits rolled and immediately demanded Netflix greenlight a sequel and shared their ideas for a TV spinoff. View this post on InstagramMeanwhile, Expedition 33 was built on the back of decades' worth of turn-based RPGs made in Japan, from heavy hitters like Final Fantasy and Persona to modern cult classics Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. Whether you knew the influences or not, that didn't stop the game from feeling like a breath of fresh air (well, paint) at a time when the industry could've used some good news in between the next rounds of layoffs and cancellation-focused news. It's also a game that did its job too well: between bad faith actors and a general need to deify Sandfall for making a strong debut title, the RPG has become overwhelmed by discussions about what its success could and should mean for the industry—and, more pointedly, the ever-evolving Final Fantasy franchise, whose mainline installments have taken more of a real-time combat focus—that subsequently smothered any real talks about its mechanics or late-game narrative swerves. Sandfall's kept its head down and focused on updating the game (and probably its next project next), so it's hard to know how much of this has gone to their heads, for better and worse. For folks hoping for some originality, KPop Demon Hunters and Expedition 33 couldn't have come at a better time. The 2020s have seen franchises start to buckle under continuous sequels and expanded universe games, prompting many to go back to their old ways, if not reboot entirely. So many headlines have focused on what's being rebooted or remade, what's coming back for another go years or decades after the fact. Original works feel more rare than they have in some time, even despite the odds becoming increasingly stacked against them. It's always been a crap shoot as to what originals will land with audiences and to what degree, as seen with the split between how they took to 2023's Elemental versus Elio this past summer. But when one seems like it's got the juice, there's hope that it can build up the proper momentum and find an audience so it becomes a true great. Or failing that, it can always be a stepping stone towards later projects from its creators and gain more attention down the line. Netflix will get to fulfill several of its KPop-related ambitions, and if Sandfall ever makes an Expedition sequel, players will be all over it. But the most interesting thing about them is seeing the shadow they'll have both cast years after the fact and what new creations come to follow in its footsteps. And if what comes next looks, sounds, and plays as great as what inspired them or finds their own voice, it'll all have been worth it. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
NYT ‘Connections' Hints And Answers For Sunday, August 3rd
Looking for Saturday's NYT Connections hints, clues and answers instead? You can find them here: Stuck on today's NYT Connections puzzle? Don't worry — we've got you covered. Whether you need just a gentle nudge or the full set of answers, this guide will walk you through the hints, clues, and solutions for the Sunday, July 27th edition of The New York Times's Connections. Read on for help grouping those tricky words and completing today's challenge without spoilers — unless you want them! New York Times Connections Guide Sunday July 27th It's August at last, though if we're being honest it feels like 2025 is moving by a little quickly. We just keep hurtling through time. This decade feels quite a lot faster so far than my 30s were. I barely remember my 20s at this point! Be sure to check out my streaming guide if you're looking for some new shows or movies to check out this weekend. There's a lot of good stuff out at the beginning of the month. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder In any case, we have a Connections to solve, so let's group some words! Connections is the second-most popular NYT Games puzzle game outside of the main crossword itself, and an extremely fun, free offering that will get your brain moving every day. Play it right here. The goal is to take a group of 16 words and find links between four pairs of four of them. They could be specific categories of terms, or they could be little world puzzles where words may come before or after them you need to figure out. And they get more complicated from there. There is only one set of right answers for this, and you only get a certain number of tries so you can't just spam around until you find something. There are difficulty tiers coded by color, which will usually go from yellow, blue/green to purple as difficulty increases, so know that going in and when you start linking them together. You pick the four words you think are linked and either you will get a solve and a lit up row that shows you how you were connected. If you're close, it will tell you that you're one away. Again, four mistakes you lose, but if you want to know the answers without failing, either come here, or delete your web cookies and try again. If you want to play more puzzles, you can get an NYT Games subscription to access the full archives of all past puzzles. These are the hints that are laid out on the puzzle board itself, but after that, we will get into spoiler territory with some hints and eventually the answers. First, here are today's Connections words: Alright, the full spoilers follow here as we get into what the groups are today: The full-on answers are below for each group, finally inserting the four words in each category. Spoilers follow if you do not want to get this far. The Connections answers are: They tried to fool us with the animals today. BUG and CRICKET could easily go with BEETLE if there were one more insect in the list. And PARROT goes nicely with BIRD. But CRICKET is a sport, like GOLF and POLO and SQUASH. Had they included more vegetables it would have been trickier. And PARROT is a verb that means COPY or ECHO. Besides, The Beatles aren't spelled BEETLE so this is a little misleading in a not so great way. Still, this was pretty simple as far as Connections go. Find more guides to Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword on my blog where you can also follow me for TV and movie and video game coverage. Read my weekend streaming guide right here.
Android Authority
5 hours ago
- Android Authority
I want Gemini to be my DJ in YouTube Music
Stephen Headrick / Android Authority Imagine having your very own DJ in your pocket, ready to mix your favorite songs at a moment's notice. No, not your dad's 3-5 second crossfade, but instead a completely customized mix that makes the two songs you're transitioning between meld together like they were designed that way by the artists themselves. That's the idea behind Apple Music's upcoming AI-powered AutoMix feature, which is coming with this fall's iOS 26 release. As a former Spotify user and now years-long YouTube Music user, this is the first time I've even batted an eye at one of Apple's few Android apps. I'm not really a big fan of the old-school cross-fade functionality, but this is different. Google is consistently adding Gemini-powered features across all of its verticals — including in the main YouTube app — but so far, we haven't seen much of this AI prowess in YouTube Music. AutoMix is a seemingly small Apple Music feature with big implications, and I have some ideas on how Google can bring its super-powered Gemini experience into its music app. What music streaming service do you use? 1 votes Spotify 0 % Apple Music 0 % YouTube Music 100 % Other (let me know in the comments) 0 % I don't use a music streaming service 0 % DJ Apple, spin that track! Apple first announced AutoMix back in June at this year's WWDC, its annual developer's conference. In its own words, this feature uses 'time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience.' Marketing jargon aside, there is a clear difference that you can hear with AutoMix enabled when compared to the standard cross-fade. Details on how the feature works are sparse, but shortly after the iOS 26 developer beta was released, videos of AutoMix in action quickly began circulating on all the major social media platforms. For me at least, I was intrigued the moment I heard it in action. Because AutoMix is not a database of pre-mixed songs and is instead powered by AI, the mixing experience can vary from user to user. Occasionally, the mixes are pretty underwhelming — remember, this is still just a beta software — but more often than not, it doesn't just work, it sounds magical. It adds an entirely new dimension to your music listening experience. I would note here that right now, AutoMix seems to work best when the two songs are from a similar genre or have a similar number of beats per minute. That said, I'd imagine this will only improve in the future. AutoMix isn't an entirely new concept. In fact, Spotify released their own take on this feature years ago under the exact same name. It, too, appears to use beat matching to determine the best way to transition between songs, but from examples I've seen and user commentary I've read, Apple's take appears to be a more advanced version. Perhaps advancements in AI also allow for an overall better mixing experience. YouTube Music needs to join the party I've been a YouTube Music convert for years now, and all in all, I've been very happy with the service. First and foremost, it's included with YouTube Premium, which is one reason I believe Google's subscription is one of the most high-value subscriptions out there. And to Google's credit, YouTube Music has frequently improved its service, adding new features and making the user interface more appealing and user-friendly. Google has added Gemini-powered capabilities to just about every corner of its software universe. From YouTube to Google Workspace to Android devices and most everything between, you will likely find some sort of Gemini-enabled feature. And it's not like we haven't seen Google dabble in the world of music, either. Stephen Headrick / Android Authority Google is adding Gemini everywhere. Is YouTube Music next? Google needs to join the personal DJ party, and this is just the beginning of what they could do with the power of Gemini. AutoMix honestly seems like a small addition as I write about it, but I can't emphasize enough how different it feels to listen to music with this mixing enabled. It makes for such a satisfying listening experience, and I am more than confident in some form of Gemini powering Google's version of this. Let's take this a little further than this relatively small AutoMix feature. How else could Gemini enhance my music streaming experience? Look no further than Spotify DJ, a feature that's already been around for a few years in Spotify land. Essentially, Spotify is using AI to generate playlists according to what you already listen to, and it has helped my colleague discover a lot more new music than he used to. Imagine Google's take on this: a Gemini Live-like DJ that you can talk back and forth with and really fine-tune your taste to find the most relevant music possible. Stephen Headrick / Android Authority YouTube Music already has playlists created by AI, based on your text input. Time to take it to the next level with a Gemini Live-like experience. Here's the thing: Google is already doing most of the heavy lifting that this type of feature would require. It already has a feature in the Google Discover feed called Daily Listen, where two AI-powered 'podcast hosts' serve up a daily short-form podcast with news and information relevant to your interests. And it works incredibly well. Creepy well, if you ask me. And Google already generates playlists based on text input. Gemini could just connect these dots together more efficiently. Since this is a Gemini Live-like experience, why not just hum something into your mic and have DJ Gemini generate a playlist of songs solely based on the vibes of whatever you're humming. That sounds both incredible and incredibly doable with the power of Gemini. I feel like we're only scratching the surface here, and yet, as I already stated, much of this is already being done by Google elsewhere in its services. Now, the YouTube Music team just needs to package this all up for its platform. Is Apple's DJ good enough to make me ditch YouTube Music? Switching music services isn't exactly fun. The app's algorithms take time to learn your preferences, and YouTube Music has years of my listening data now, so it has gotten pretty good at suggesting the right music (and podcasts…yes, I use this app for podcasts, too) at the right time. Is Apple's AutoMix feature enough to convince me to switch? Only time will tell, especially because we don't yet have clarity on whether or not this will be an iPhone-only feature, or if it will eventually make its way over to our green bubble world. Since it's an AI-powered feature, Apple may decide AutoMix can only work on Apple devices and Apple's chips; I'm not saying it's not possible for them to bring it to Android, I just wonder whether Apple will use on-device AI as a reason to keep AutoMix exclusive to its devices. That said, I tested the feature out on an iPhone 14 Pro, which doesn't have access to Apple Intelligence, so I would guess that they'll bring it to their Android app at some point, and maybe even as soon as this fall when AutoMix officially launches. Apple Music on iOS 26 beta, with AutoMix enabled Apple Music on Android 16 beta, with no AutoMix option in sight For now, I'm sticking with YouTube Music. I'm really confident in Gemini at this point, and it's only getting better. Bringing more AI into YouTube Music is the logical next step for the evolution of the platform. I remember when Google first launched Gemini — remember Bard? — I was really unsure what to make of Google's AI. The transition from Google Assistant was really rocky at first, too. But Gemini has gotten really good, and more importantly, the way it has been integrated into Google's services has become extremely powerful. I use it a lot throughout my day. I think it's only a matter of time before we see an AutoMix-like feature introduced in YouTube Music, most likely alongside other more advanced Gemini-based features. Follow
