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“I’m not typical New Orleans,” says Tarriona “Tank” Ball, singer for the group Tank and the Bangas, when chatting on Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast.
Just as New Orleans has a long history of absorbing aspects of different cultures, Tank and the Bangas is a music genre-blender. The group’s stunning mix of R&B, funk, jazz, rap and poetry helped Tank and the Bangas win NPR’s Tiny Desk Content in 2017 and most recently a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for their fourth studio album, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul (Verve Forecast).
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“You need to know how to do something in this culture,” says Ball of her hometown. “This is a big culture.” But Ball isn’t always sure she fits in. She says she can’t cook traditional New Orleans dishes. She can’t “second line,” otherwise known as dancing in a New Orleans parade. Nor does she perform classic New Orleans songs like The Meters’ “Hey Pocky A-way” in her concerts. Her relationship with her hometown is captured in a stand out track from The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, “Am I Still New Orleans?”
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“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, am I still New Orleans if … the only thing I lost in the storm was my way?’ I really love that place,” says Ball. “And apparently, when I’m in the streets, a lot of other people love it too. They say, ‘Am I still New Orleans,’ which lets me know I’m not the only one that feels that way — especially in a city that is driven by its culture. If you are not a part of the bigness of that culture, then you could sometimes feel like an outsider.”
Tank and the Bangas have won over audiences around the world with their genre-blending style that reflects the diversity of her upbringing. “I think it’s the perfect combination of like listening to your parents old records from like Stevie Wonder and Peabo Bryson, and listening to 98.5 with Anita Baker [and] Luther Vandross, and then also meeting new friends around the corner from your new neighborhood and listening and watching Selena for the first time, and watching the Spice Girls, and then not wanting to go to church sometimes, and sitting at home watching the Disney Channel over and over, really close to the television,” she explains. “And then growing up in New Orleans, where you’re just hearing bounce music, and you learn to dance and pop very early on.”
Next month, Ball and her band gets to perform for her hometown crowd at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival — otherwise known as Jazz Fest — with such artists as Lil Wayne & The Roots, Dave Matthews Band, Burna Boy, Santana and Trombone Shorty, a New Orleans local who is taking Tank and the Bangas on tour this month. “I want to tear it up,” says Ball of the upcoming Jazz Fest performance. “I want to give them something to see. I want to have a good time, and I want to execute well. I think this is going to be one of our best performances.”
Don’t miss the entire interview with Ball — listen using the embedded Spotify player below, or go to Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart, Amazon Music, Podbean or Everand.
This week in dance music: SiriusXM launched a new in-app channel curated by Tomorrowland, LP Giobbi’s Femme House launched the inaugural Femmy Awards happening later this month in Miami, HARD Summer announced its 2025 lineup, the deadmau5 catalog was acquired by Create Music Group for $55 million, Boys Noize was announced as the opener for Nine Inch Nails’ Peel It Back tour, Calvin Harris teased a new country-oriented song, Diplo’s run club expanded to six new cities for 2025 and 2026, Chicago ghetto house legend DJ Funk passed away at age 54, Diplo and Poolside will play a newly announced L.A. wildfires benefit show, we caught up with John Summit in Miami for Billboard‘s latest cover story, and we had a long talk with Tokimonsta about her excellent new album, Eternal Reverie.
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Is there more? You bet there’s more. These are best new dance tracks of the week.
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Laidback Luke, “It Clicked”
After a quiet period, Dutch titan Laidback Luke busts down the door with 1:50 of undeniable heat. Dually ominous and fun, “It Clicked” takes inspiration from the hallowed bloghouse era and, aptly, also marks the producer’s signing to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label. “I looked back at the last decade of my career, and I’ve just been trying to conform to the streaming market,” LBL says. “I want to return to being me — unapologetically me, which I haven’t felt since 2012. I’m bringing back that big, crazy energy, that early Dutch house meets bloghouse sound. I want to sound loud, harsh and funky again.” Much more is promised from the producer this year, and with the new single as an indication of where things are headed, count us in for the ride.
David Guetta & Sia, “Beautiful People”
With their previous collaborations racking up literally billions of streams, it makes sense that David Guetta and Sia would put another one out into the ether. The latest from the pair — whose prior hits together include “Titanium,” “Flames” and “Bang My Head” — is “Beautiful People,” a track that falls squarely into the dark, urgent and oversized “future rave” genre the French producer has been proselytizing about over the last few years. The song finds Sia belting out lyrics like “Beautiful people say, ‘Go go go’/ Beautiful people don’t stress stress stress/ They never rest/ Beautiful people say yes” with tens of thousands of people seeming to take to the sentiment, as the song racks up the streams across platforms in its first 24 hours of existence.
Franc Moody, Chewing the Fat
English duo Franc Moody (that’s Ned Franc and Jon Moody), release their fifth studio album, Chewing the Fat. The title, the guys say, “felt apt as a name, as it took us a lot of discourse and trial and error to find our groove with the songs and sound” — although they add that their creative verve was rejuvenated after seeing performances by LCD Soundsystem and Massive Attack, shows that reminded them that a fundamental piece of most any group’s puzzle is attitude. The 10-track album is full of gorgeous harmonies and fun, saucy funk (check the title track) that will absolutely inspire some ass-shaking, but which also feels mature and deeply considered.
Skream & Partiboi69, “Pound Town”
Sometimes you just want a fun, silly party record, a need English legend Skream and Australia’s Partiboi69 giddily meet with “Pound Town.” On Instagram, Skream writes that the pair “made this one last year over in L.A. around Coachella time and well… it’s gone down an absolute madness!!!” Indeed, ridiculous lyrics about the titular destination city paired with a throbbing, bouncy bass make this one into a total riot and a surefire weapon. The track is out on HARD Records.
Helang, “Flashback”
Chinese American producer Helang is gaining traction, with her work getting rinsed by artists including Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati and Maceo Plex as she herself rises in the live space. Her latest release, the three-track Flashback EP, flaunts why Helang is a name to watch, with the hypnotic title song structured like a sharp wave of sound that crashes with spare sophistication. “When playing around with the sound designs in this particular EP,” the producer says, “I’ve found a great balance between euphoria and melancholy which is demonstrated in the vocals and synths. To me this is the beauty of music – to feel the feels: the good and the bad.” Flashback is out on He.She.They Records
With their third full album, awake&build, released in 2024, yama completed their Moratorium Trilogy. Now yama has put the finishing touches on their fourth full album, ; semicolon, in which they set off to a new start as an artist.
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In addition to the previously-released “BURN,” created under the name of yama x WurtS, and “Drop,” which was produced by indigo la End, the album contains new songs which saw yama being joined in the songwriting process by creators and artists they hold great respect for, like maeshima soshi and Shota Horie. These new songs make up the majority of the album. As yama’s career has advanced, their thirst for expressivity has grown even stronger. What is the philosophy that underlies his artistic efforts? Billboard Japan talked with yama about what lay behind the creation of ; semicolon and delved into who they are as an artist today.
I’ve heard that the album’s title, ; semicolon, is meant to represent taking a new step forward as an artist.
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This new album is packed with things I love, music I love, and messages I want to share. I tried to be as much a part of the songwriting and lyric-writing process as possible. I wanted to be involved in any way I could in the album’s creation. I feel like, with my past trilogy of albums, I’ve finally set the foundation in place to move forward (as an artist).
Your 2021 release, the meaning of life, your 2022 release, Versus the night, and your 2024 release, awake & build, make up the “Moratorium Trilogy,” right?
I was feeling things out as I went through my Moratorium period. I was hesitant to perform in front of people, and going up on stage was a struggle. But I couldn’t back down. That’s because for as long as I can remember, music has been the only thing that truly interests me. I just want to keep moving forward. I can’t stop myself. I feel like I’ve grown as a person through this process of trial-and-error. At first, I couldn’t convey what I was feeling to others, but now, having finished the trilogy, I’ve defined what it means to be “yama.” That’s why I was able to make ; semicolon.
Of all of your albums, ; semicolon has the most songs on which you’ve been personally involved in the songwriting and lyrics.
I love singing, of course, but with Versus the night I also started writing songs. Through the process, I found that I was surprisingly strong-willed. I realized that there were things I wanted to say and to communicate, though I didn’t put them in words, and I had a stubborn streak, unwilling to compromise on my message. I started thinking that I’d be better able to convey my aesthetics and my human nature if I wrote my own music.
So turning your own feelings into song and sharing them with others gave you a sense of fulfillment?
Not so much “fulfillment” as more like “purging.” I first fell in love with music because when I listened to music it took a weight off my shoulders and set my heart at ease. When I share my own music, and when I put my own emotions into musical form, it makes my heart feel a bit lighter. That said, I’m still exploring the process of making music. I have this need to make everything perfect, so I overthink things. I just can’t bring myself to feel optimistic, and my output is slow because of that. But when making ; semicolon, I just put that all aside. I took this stance that “I’m just a beginner,” and I started out simply focusing on getting things in song form.
So that creation process itself may have been a way of accepting yourself as you are, flaws and all.
I feel like I’ve been able to forgive and accept myself, a bit at a time. Initially, I didn’t want to show people my shortcomings. But when I revealed my imperfections, I was surprised at how much they resonated with others. People became interested in yama, the person. So, because of that, I’ve also become able to accept my own imperfections.
The album’s name, ; semicolon, came from Project Semicolon, an American movement to support people struggling with mental health issues. Specifically, the semicolon represents the idea of moving from a difficult chapter of your life to starting a new chapter. What was your impression of the project?
I found out about Project Semicolon the first time I performed live in front of an audience. A person who’d been a fan of mine since my indie days gave me a letter and, along with it, a ring with a semicolon on it. In the letter, they wrote about the meaning of the project, and it made a deep impression on me. At the time, I was recklessly rushing forward, doing all I could to move forward. I thought, “I can’t do it yet, but I hope one day I’ll be able to put this concept into song.”
What about Project Semicolon made such a strong impression on you?
That interaction with a fan was a formative experience in my musical career, truly feeling that there are real people out there listening to my music. I’d seen comments on my videos on streaming sites before, but my musical activities had been limited to the internet, so I almost never received messages directly sent to me. But then, this one day, this fan sent me a message. It said “I’d been feeling like I just couldn’t keep struggling with life, and I was thinking about killing myself when I heard the song you released today. I want to hear more of your music, so I’ll keep on trying.”
So your song saved that fan.
I’d been working so hard making music to save myself. It was the first time that I felt that my efforts could save and provide comfort to someone else. Later on, I went on to perform live in front of an audience, and that’s when that fan taught me about the concept of Project Semicolon. Just living each day had been hard for them, but they kept pushing forward, looking for something they could enjoy in their life. Little by little, I grew more confident in my own skills, too, and I got better at communicating with people. It was a gradual process. I never got a semicolon tattoo, but putting these feelings in song form was the same thing for me. I named the album ; semicolon and wrote a song named “semicolon,” and for the rest of the album I let my own curiosity and sense of excitement lead me as I wrote the kinds of songs I wanted to write.
You discovered a new world through your interactions with others. I feel like that’s why you went from having a hard time performing in front of people to coming to enjoy performing live, and it’s where the song “semicolon” came from.
I’ve always made music for myself. That was true long ago and it’s still true today. The issue’s been how much I could grow, how much I could comfort myself, and how much I could forgive and accept myself. I’m sure everyone feels the same, and that everyone’s hard on themselves. But if I extended a helping hand to people simply out of some kind of sense of obligation, that wouldn’t be truly from the heart. I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not through my music. I make music to cleanse my own heart, and if that comforts other people, then that’s wonderful. I wish someone had told me about the semicolon movement earlier. But unless I can forgive and accept myself, I don’t think I’ll be able to overcome my trauma or the ties that bind me. That’s why I tell myself “Accepting yourself isn’t compromising yourself. It’s just one part of taking control of yourself.” Of course, listeners can take the music as they wish, but I’d love it if when people listened to the song, they didn’t take the lyrics as me or someone else talking to them, but instead felt like the lyrics were a message they were telling themselves.
—This interview by Sayako Oki first appeared on Billboard Japan
It’s almost Global Day of Unplugging, and in honor of it, Mustard, Lucky Daye, Lil Mosey and more shared how they take a break from their screens to reconnect.
Starting at sundown and lasting for the next 24 hours, take a moment — whether it’s a minute, an hour, or the full day — to unplug and be present.
How do you unplug? Let us know in the comments!
Rania Aniftos:You’re always plugged in, always locked in. What do you do to unplug?
Lucky Daye:I’ll travel or it’s really tough for me to unplug first of all, but I’ll break something just to put it back together.
Julia Michaels:Things I do to unplug? Oh, I love the sun. Love to be in the grass. I love a drive.
Tetris Kelly:There we go.
Julia Michaels:Love a long drive.
Lil Mosey:It’s hard to unplug. I was just saying last night. Right when you see a video on any Instagram, TikTok, you’re stuck in there for a whole hour just going.
Rania Aniftos:Going down the rabbit hole with the weirdest stuff, too.
Lil Mosey:You just gotta throw your phone out the window or something. Just call it a day.
Tetris Kelly:For the people that might be at home right now feeling like I don’t know what to do. I’m tired of scrolling through Twitter or X. What advice do you have to them?
Green Day:Take a break, stay off of social media for a while. I think one of the worst things in the world is the anxiety that we all feel collectively, and I think it has a lot to do with social media freaking us out even more, and then all of a sudden, you just realize you go and you hang out with a friend and you just make those connections that you’re supposed to make.
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Source: Sony / PlayStation 5
If you’re still looking to join the PlayStation 5 hype train but are on a budget, don’t worry—Sony has you covered.
For gamers across the pond, PlayStation Direct is now allowing you to lease a PlayStation 5 console and other accessories for a monthly fee.
You can now lease a PS5 Pro for £26.99 a month if you select a 12-month term. Other leasing options for the relatively recently released upgraded PS5 console are a 24-month lease at £20.99 a month or a 36-month lease at £18.95 a month.
The contracts are fixed-term, but you can take advantage of a monthly rolling option, which costs £35.59 and can be cancelled anytime.
If you want a PS5 Slim, you must pay £11.99 monthly for a 36-month lease. The total cost is £431.64, slightly below the asking price of £479.99 for the console.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to keep the console at the end of your contract’s term and will have to return the unit, continue paying the rental fee, or, if you really want the console, speak with them directly about purchasing it.
You Can Also Rent These PlayStation Accessories
Consoles are not the only things you can lease. You can also rent a PS Portal for just £6.49, allowing you to test the device before you pay for it. Did you want to try the expensive DualSense Edge controller? You can lease one of those too for. £7.49 a month.
Of course there are some stipulations. All rentals will be made through a third-party tech rental service, Raylo, and will require a soft credit check, so your credit must be up to par to take advantage of the leasing deals.
No word if this program will ever reach the United States, but for those in the UK, this sounds like a sweet deal.
This latest news comes on the heels of Sony dropping the price of the PSVR 2.
Awich dropped a collaborative single called “ASIAN STATE OF MIND” featuring South Korea’s Jay Park; India’s KR$NA; Masiwei, the leader of the Chinese group Higher Brothers; and Cambodia’s VannDa on Feb. 28.
The Okinawan MC and top rappers from each country came together to usher in a new Asian era on this cypher track, mixing their native languages with English to simultaneously compete with each other to flex their uniqueness while giving off a sense of Asian unity.
The accompanying music video, released along with the track, racked up a million views in just 24 hours after its release. Excited fans have left over 20,000 comments in various languages. As the title “ASIAN STATE OF MIND” suggests, the video was shot in each of the home countries of the rappers, who share the same pride as Asian artists.
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Awich, the queen of Japanese Hip-Hop, was recently appointed as global ambassador for JORDAN (Nike), and is set to further expand her reach outside of Japan in the future.
Jay Park, founder of AOMG, H1GHR MUSIC, and MORE VISION, has released a diverse range of music including collaborations with other artists. He’s the first Asian to sign with JAY-Z’s Roc Nation, and is enjoying international success as a highly acclaimed artist.
KR$NA, hailing from Delhi, India, garnered recognition with his Hindi song “Vyanjan.” The 37-year-old MC’s catalog has been highly acclaimed both in India and internationally, and he’s known as lyrical innovator in the Indian hip-hop scene.
Masiwei, from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is the leader of the Chinese hip-hop group Higher Brothers and also active as a solo artist. In September 2023, he released a collaborative single with Japan’s Satomi Shigemori called “LION (feat. MASIWEI).” The 32-year-old is also the founder of the fashion brand AFGK.
VannDa, born in Sihanoukville in 1997, achieved the feat of being the first Cambodian artist to have a music video (“Time to Rise”) score over 100 million views on YouTube in October 2022. He was included on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia-Pacific music list the following year, and went on to perform along with Phoenix and other acts at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024, introducing Cambodian music on the global stage.
Source: Logan Riely / GettyWhile he’s always repped his city hard, his connection to H-Town goes beyond just business—it’s real love. One of the most unforgettable moments was when he pulled up to the Houston Rodeo in full cowboy gear—boots, hat, everything. That was 50 showing mad respect for the city and its culture.At last year’s Rodeo, 50 hit the stage and performed “In Da Club,” and the crowd went crazy. The response was like no other, proving 50’s star power is still on top, even in a city with a deep hip-hop history. His love for Houston ain’t just about performing. The unofficial mayor of Houston has also been making moves with his brand, launching Branson Cognac, and holding meet-and-greets for his Texas fans. 50’s not just passing through—he’s tapped in.It doesn’t get more Houston than when 50 showed up at an Astros game, decked out in full Astros gear and rocking a 50K Houston Texans necklace. That’s respect right therePlus, two years ago, 50 announced during an interview with 97.9 The Box that he had officially moved to Houston, saying, “Every time I experienced Houston, I ran into random acts of kindness. The people have been good to me.” When the pandemic hit, it was Houston or Miami on his mind, especially after seeing how locked down New York was. Bottom line: 50’s bond with Houston is real, and you can tell the city’s got a special place in his heart.
1. Playboy Party With TAO At Spire Nightclub
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HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 04: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson onstage at the Playboy party with TAO at Spire Nightclub on February 4, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Playboy) photography,arts culture and entertainment,horizontal,party – social event,usa,texas,houston – texas,nightclub,gulf coast states,playboy magazine
2. Toronto Raptors v Houston Rockets
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 03: Rapper 50 Cent attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors at Toyota Center on February 03, 2023 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) photography,people,attending,horizontal,usa,rapper,sport,medium group of people,texas,basketball – sport,nba,gulf coast states,match – sport,nba pro basketball,50 cent – rapper,houston rockets – basketball team,toronto raptors – basketball team
3. Houston Chronicle
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50 Cent performs at the Street Ballers Tour concert at H’Town’s Arena Theater Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, in Houston. (Photo by Brett Coomer/Special to the Chronicle) (Photo by Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) vertical,photography,usa,concert,performance,texas,houston – texas,gulf coast states,human interest,town,2003
4. Houston Chronicle
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Students give business presentations during the G-Unity Business Lab for HISD students pitching their business ideas at the University of Houston Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 in Houston. The students of G-Unity are a part of a 28 week business lab program following a curriculum that will prepare them all for the ultimate pitch in May entitled “The Hustle Tank” which will be held in front of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and a host of stakeholders to be possibly have their business idea funded. (Photo by Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) photography,horizontal,usa,business,ideas,texas,houston – texas,student,gulf coast states,human interest,giving,business finance and industry,presentation – speech,2022
5. Houston Chronicle
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Boxer Canelo Alvarez left, boxing promoter Curtis “50 Cent ” Jackson center, and boxer James Kirkland right, pose for photograph during a press conference announcing the May 9th boxing match between Alvarez and Kirkland at Minute Maid Field Tuesday, March 3, 2015, in Houston. ( James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle ) (Photo by James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) photography,horizontal,usa,coin,texas,houston – texas,human interest,press conference,promoter,us coin,physical position,saul alvarez,kirkland,boxing – sport,james kirkland
6. Astros Opening Day
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 28: Musician 50 Cent smiles after making the ‘play ball’ call before an MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Houston. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) color image,photography,horizontal,musician,usa,smiling,sport,baseball – sport,major league baseball,texas,gulf coast states,making,match – sport,new york yankees,day 1,sports activity,houston astros,american league baseball,thursday,sports ball,2024
7. Canelo Alvarez v James Kirkland – Weigh-in
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HOUSTON, TX – MAY 8: Rapper 50 Cent on stage at Minute Maid Park on May 8, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images) horizontal,usa,sport,texas,houston – texas,gulf coast states,stadium,minute maid park,2015,stage – performance space,50 cent – rapper,boxing – sport
8. Phoenix Suns v Houston Rockets
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 16: American rapper, actor and entrepreneur 50 Cent sits court-side as the Phoenix Suns play the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2022 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) color image,photography,celebrities,people,arts culture and entertainment,horizontal,usa,actor,music,rapper,sport,sitting,coin,medium group of people,texas,houston – texas,basketball – sport,nba,gulf coast states,match – sport,front row,us coin,courtside,phoenix suns,toyota center – houston,nba pro basketball,50 cent – rapper,houston rockets – basketball team
9. 50 Cent In Concert – Houston, TX
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 24: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image has been convert to black and white) 50 Cent performs on stage during The Final Lap Tour 2023 at Toyota Center on August 24, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images) vertical,color image,photography,celebrities,people,full length,one person,arts culture and entertainment,usa,music,concert,performance,texas,houston – texas,gulf coast states,incidental people,popular music tour,toyota center – houston,stage – performance space,50 cent – rapper
10. Pittsburgh Pirates v Houston Astros
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 30: Rapper 50 Cent looks off prior to the game between the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park on July 30, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) color image,photography,people,horizontal,usa,rapper,headshot,sport,baseball – sport,four people,texas,gulf coast states,stadium,match – sport,pittsburgh pirates,houston astros,minute maid park,american league baseball,national league baseball,50 cent – rapper
11. Pittsburgh Pirates v Houston Astros
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HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 30: Rapper 50 Cent looks off prior to the game between the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park on July 30, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) color image,photography,people,one person,horizontal,usa,rapper,headshot,sport,baseball – sport,texas,gulf coast states,stadium,incidental people,match – sport,pittsburgh pirates,houston astros,minute maid park,american league baseball,national league baseball,50 cent – rapper
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. JISOO, one-fourth of BLACKPINK, is bringing in spring with Tommy Hilfiger. As brand ambassador, the K-Pop star is the face of […]
Lady Gaga’s Mayhem is out today, and the pop singer discusses how the chaos of her earlier work influenced this album, her relationship with the media, how she’s grown as an artist, her fan interactions and more!
What do you think of Mayhem? Let us know in the comments below!
Lady Gaga:To me, if you can repeat your fingerprints, they’re your fingerprints. I don’t want to drive anyone insane, but also, thank you so much. So, like I tried to have a lot of fun making this record. I always embark on a very like organic musical process, and the album always begins with the music. There have been times in my career where I had, like, an idea in terms of, like, how to conceptually approach a record. I would say that this album from start to finish, it was like pieces coming together, and I did not want to turn it into anything artificial. I really wanted to allow myself to, like, just follow the music. It started to slowly remind me of, like, my earlier work, the mayhem of my approach to pop music, which is, like, something that, like, is mine, that I feel proud of. I did want the chaos to end, and that’s why the record is the way that it is. It’s sort of like there being an end of insight to the chaos — I think gives it some hope.
Stephen Daw:What was it that was kind of fearful for you about doing that?
I think I felt a lot of pressure. Yeah. Felt pressure to, yeah, like, ever since my first album. You know, I did listen to what people would say, “Will she outdo herself? Can she top herself? She live up to it? You know, she needs to evolve,” or she, you know, “she hasn’t changed enough.” There was a lot of noise. I was young, too, of course, you know. And I’m 38 now, I’m a lot more confident in myself, but I think I found my confidence in this record.
Keep watching for more!
March has finally arrived, bringing with it a suite of stunning new tracks from some of the biggest stars in music — but which ones are your favorites this week? After five years of waiting, Little Monsters everywhere rejoiced Friday (March 7) as Lady Gaga finally unveiled her long-awaited seventh studio album Mayhem. Featuring her […]