Heart in the Wild: Side AA Moorea Masa & the Mood
Heart In The Wild: Side AA, Moorea Masa & the Mood
Moorea Masa dropped a new EP on April 30, Heart In the Wild: Side AA, with her band Moorea Masa & the Mood. The seven-track project sees its lead singer grieving her estranged mother, a queer Black woman suffering from debilitating mental illness. There’s dreamy, lush production (exemplified by album opener “Will It Be the Same”), and highly emotive vocal performances throughout, all with a rich, velvet quality that remind one of tender, sweet soul singers like Corrine Bailey Rae or Raveena. With vocals this gorgeous, and numerous highlights that include the catchy “Honey,” and intimate track “Until Then,” it’s comforting that this EP is just the first side of the band’s upcoming full-length LP.
“Your Power,” Billie Eilish
According to a recent Genius interview, 19-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish wrote her new single as an “open letter to people who take advantage—mostly men.” The single is from her forthcoming studio album Happier Than Ever, which drops July 30. Eilish kicks off the song with “Try not to abuse your power,” and in the pre-chorus, sings pointedly (and beautifully) to abusers as a whole: “How dare you?/And how could you?/Will you only feel bad when they find out?/If you could take it all back/Would you?” There’s also a beautiful desert-set music video that sees the singer enveloped by a gigantic snake! Check it out below:
“From Power,” TiRon and Ayomari, feat. Trey Graves
Los Angeles hip-hop duo TiRon & Ayomari just released a new song that's also focused on the titular subject of power. In a near-whisper, the song’s chorus begins “They think that lil pressure can hold me back/Control me/They must not know I come from power/They must not know I come from power/Now watch me work, work.” The song, which sounds like it could be on the soundtrack for the next Black Panther movie, goes on to reveal some solid self-assured lines nestled in a pair of rap verses by TiRon and Trey Graves. One of my favorite lyrics is this one by TiRon: “My ancestors got answers so I'm enhanced/Damn, I'm blessed/Why should I be stressed?” And a highlight from Graves verse goes “Perseverance in my spirit/Take it everywhere/You can't gentrify the feeling/It's pure energy and remedies/Keep it 100, like a centipede/BDB's different breed/Always change the world indeed.” The song’s soul is further held together by some excellent additional vocals from Skye Louise.
