Happy Friday everyone! It’s May 14, 2021 and I’m highlighting the following five artists this week for New Music Friday: Pop star Katy Perry, alternative rockers Weezer feat. AJR, pop band Lukas Graham, indie pop singer Tones & I & American Idol season 17 winner Laine Hardy! Scroll on down to read all about them! 🙂
“Electric” by Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s long anticipated PokĂ©mon collaboration is finally here! “Electric” is the positive reinforcement anthem everyone needs to hear! We see current Perry and Pikachu travel back in time to witness and later influence young Perry and Pichu as they busk at a farmer’s market and perform in a talent show respectively.
The main gist of the song is to follow your dreams, passions and goals in life. Haters and naysayers will try to bring you down, but you really have to shrug it off. You have the power to write your own chapters, stories, and future!
I thought the music video was cute. Props to the Obsidian Company and associates for the VFXs in this vid. It makes me think of the 2019 hit film, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, which was a very enjoyable and entertaining movie. I hope the Pokémon Company makes another live-action movie soon.
Anyways, later this year expect a PokĂ©mon 25th Anniversary album to drop with Perry’s “Electric” plus other artists joining in on the celebrations including J Balvin’s untitled track, the previously released cover song, “Only Wanna Be With You” by Post Malone and much much more! So stay tuned for that!
Purchase your official Katy Perry merch, here. Her clothing collection, here. And her fragrance line, here.
Tickets to her Vegas residency shows at The Theatre at Resorts World starting in December are opening up soon! Click here and bookmark the link.
“All My Favorite Songs” by Weezer feat. AJR
Even though alternative rock band, Weezer just released their latest album, Van Weezer last week, they have returned with a cool collaboration with fellow indie rockers, AJR for a track off their previous album, OK Human. In “All My Favorite Songs,” lead singers Rivers Cuomo and Jack Met harmonize and add each of their stylings from their respective bands into this version! I dig the clashing of both worlds and think this combination works well! Of course, for those who know (or didn’t know) already, the two have worked together on AJR’s Platinum hit song, “Sober Up“ back in 2017. It’s great to see AJR hop onto a Weezer track this time around.
In this version, AJR’s Jack Met offers a brand new second verse. You can compare it with the original version, here. Thoughts?
I hope someday they will get to perform this song together in concert!
Meanwhile, AJR is nominated for 3 Billboard Music Awards (airing on NBC 8pm E.T. 5/23): Top Rock Song (“Bang!”), Top Duo/Group & Top Rock Artist.
Visit Weezer’s official merch store today!
“Happy For You” by Lukas Graham
Danish pop band, Lukas Graham returns to the music scene with a brand new single called “Happy For You.” Front man, Lukas Forchammer displayed an impressive and vulnerable vocal performance on this track/music video. He sings about heartbreak after being dumped. Your world becomes a dark and scary place without the person you once called your lover. They moved on in life and while you’re happy for them, you yourself have yet to see clarity and happiness. In my eyes, the fog in the music video represents the sadness and confusion one experiences after a breakup.
The band posted on Twitter a little about their new song:
I thought in the video seen above was pretty cool with Forchammer writing the lyrics on a glass wall mirror mode style. Now that’s talent!
Looking forward for more new music from the band that brought out hits like “7 Years,” “Love Someone,” & “Mama Said.”
Buy Lukas Graham merch, right here.
“Won’t Sleep” by Tones & I
This next track by Australian singer-songwriter Tones and I is going to be her next hit I feel! It follows the upbeat single, “Fly Away” released last fall. Halloween has come early this year courtesy of this quirky and spooky music video.
Props to the makeup artists and wardrobe artists for taking on this challenge in transforming Toni and the backup dancers on set! Their work definitely paid off as this video will surely delight fans. So many costume changes, looks, and moves! A true visual spectacle to watch!
The song itself is very bouncy, addictive and fun to play on loop! I appreciate Tones’ willingness to experiment with sounds because no two tracks of hers are alike so far! @3:16 can potentially give you chills aurally speaking or even nightmares if you don’t like closeups of creepy costumed figures screaming at the screen. Also just a heads up, the video does warn people with photosensitive epilepsy. Don’t watch this if you are prone to seizures.
Can’t wait to hear more as we get closer to her debut album being released, hopefully sometime later this year.
Visit Tones & I’s official merch page, here.
“Memorize You” by Laine Hardy
American Idol winner, Laine Hardy dropped his latest single, “Memorize You.” This song is catered to those who just met somebody and now that’s the only person on their mind. Their infatuation for this other person is putting them on cloud 9. You want to get to know them more by asking them out.
The end goals is to ingrain as many memorable moments spent together as possible into your heart, brain and soul.
The music video exclusively on Facebook, seen here is quite the jam. It has a summertime, feel-good vibe in my opinion. I like the locations Hardy and his management chose for the song. How about you?
Here’s a fun behind the scenes moment during the shooting of the video:
It would be cool to see the 20-year-old country singer return to the Idol stage for the season 19 finale to perform his new song. If not, here’s hoping he will make an appearance on the upcoming milestone 20th season of Idol next year.
Click here to shop the official Laine Hardy merch collection!
That wraps up this week’s post!! Thank you all for reading this edition of New Music Friday here at Philip’s Music Corner. If you liked what you read, kindly click on the follow button down below. Also if you like, please support my work by donating to my Paypal. I truly appreciate your time reading my posts!
As always, stay safe, happy listening and I’ll see you again next week!Â
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