GRUNGECAKE

Category: Music Reviews

  • Ciara and Diamond Platnumz ignite the dancefloor for ‘Low’: Watch the visual

    “When you be holding me, something comes over me”

    Two days ago, American Pop-R&B superstar Ciara released the official music video for her new single featuring Tanzanian music legend Diamond Platnumz. Entering the club wearing a fluffy black-and-white fur coat, she immediately heads to the dancefloor to sing about her partner taking control during their moments of intimacy. For his verse, the Bongo Flava icon croons about her body driving him crazy and craving her presence. Leading up to its release, the ‘Level Up’ singer, which is now platinum, teased the record for weeks alongside her latest album ‘CiCi’. Now, the colourful visual is available for consumption.

    Without further ado, check out the music video for ‘Low’ to see how the accomplished, award-winning megastars dance side by side to the infectious Afro sounds produced by Ebenezer and Blaq Tuxedo.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBdAQaV1oQo&h=315]

    In July, Ciara officially became a citizen of Benin, where her West African roots derive, through a new law offering citizenship to descendants of enslaved Africans. Based on what I’ve researched, the movement is called the Blaxit movement—”a social movement that promotes the repatriation of Black people from the United States and Europe to Africa. The term now includes all people of African heritage who desire to move to Africa for many reasons, including new economic growth opportunities and cultural reasons.”

  • GRAMMY winners Jon Batiste and Andra Day release visual for ‘Lean on My Love’: Watch

    Last week, multiple GRAMMY winner Jon Batiste released a black and white visual for ‘Lean on My Love’ featuring fellow GRAMMY winner and celebrated powerful vocalist Andra Day. From the first line, he sings about his special person taking the high road for too long and his desire for her to lean on him to be the bedrock/sweet spot for her. It’s a beautiful song about presence, reliable support, and wanting your partner(s) to heal. Watch the David Henry Gerson direction below. It’s from his brand new ninth studio album ‘Big Money’ out now.

    Batiste, who also won his first Academy Award or Oscar in 2020, begins his ‘Big Money: Jon Batiste Plays America’ tour in support of his album on August 27. He will also co-headline at The Muny with Diana Ross. How incredible is that?!

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0wm9cMXm8&h=315]

  • Watch Florence + The Machine move briskly through green pastures in ‘Everybody Scream’

    Fittingly so, their forthcoming album ‘Everybody Scream’ comes out on Halloween Day (October 31, 2025).

    Four days ago, English Indie Rock band Florence + The Machine shared the official music video for ‘Everybody Scream’. Against a green pasture, the lead singer, Florence, walks in a bright red dress, brassiere, and matching heels, as a man rides backwards on a galloping horse—perhaps a symbol of disorientation. Eventually, her crew falls in line and walks with her, before ending up in a pub with the horseman. Ironically, in the howff, the people appear to be possessed by spirits. Notably, my thoughts are proven in the outro:

    “The witchcraft, the medicine, the spells, and the injections
    The harvest, the needle protect me from evil
    The magic and the misery, madness and the mystery
    Oh, what has it done to me?
    Everybody scream”

    Watch the Autumn de Wilde direction for the single produced by Juliet Naylor. The band has been nominated for GRAMMYs seven times. Perhaps, they’ll take one home in 2026.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03iBgkXb1EE&h=315]

  • Doja Cat features rapping persona in 80s-inspired jam ‘Jealous Type’: Watch the video

    Three days ago, American superstar Doja Cat released the elaborate official music video for her eighties-inspired track ‘Jealous Type’. In the stunning visual, the genre-blending artist often referred to as the “Queen of Pop-Rap” explains what spawned the insecurity she’s experienced, linked to the ex-girlfriend of the person in question:

    “Said, “You wanna do what now with who?”
    I don’t need a pin drop or text tonight
    I ain’t even coming out with you
    You don’t wanna show me off to your ex or your friends tonight
    Nigga, you must be on Molly ’cause y’all ain’t kick it when we started up
    And if she really was a friend like you said she was
    I would’ve been locked in, but I called your bluff”.

    Watch the eye-popping video directed by Boni Mata below to see her strut her stuff in a leopard print swimsuit. The single is from her forthcoming album ‘Vie’, set to release on September 26, 2025.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv1MwS56aCo&h=315]

  • Listen to Capital Cities’ newest track ‘Late to School’

    Their music often marks personal shifts for me. Here’s to another adventurous decade ahead, maybe?

    [media-credit name=”Spotify” link=”https://open.spotify.com/track/3bhlZfIGlk3vV98ITMh8MT?si=34f40154498f4715″ width=640 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    In time for the school year, American Indie Pop duo Capital Cities has released their latest track, ‘Late to School’ today. On the self-produced composition, Ryan Merchant (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Sebu Simonian (vocals, keyboard) enchantingly sing about being tardy to school, making up the rules, and not wanting to be stuck in a system that keeps them from being spectacular. Knowing their background, or foundation, as catchy songwriters who wrote jingles, the song sounds like it was probably made for a young person’s cartoon series.

    It’s been nearly five years since we covered any of the band members, but we’re back in full swing with support.

    [media-credit name=”Spotify” link=”https://open.spotify.com/artist/4gwpcMTbLWtBUlOijbVpuu?si=Sl8yz88iQy6De6YebCBGyQ” width=640 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    If you didn’t know, Capital Cities is the first post on this version of our website, dating back to 2011 when we had the awesome opportunity to spend time with the band and interview them before the release of their classic debut album, ‘In a Tidal Wave of Mystery’.

  • GRAMMY-nominated singer Khalid releases new single ‘In Plain Sight’ from his forthcoming album ‘After the Sun Goes Down’

    “What’s the tea about him?/Said he was just a friend”

    [media-credit name=”Courtesy” width=686 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    Today, GRAMMY-nominated artist R&B star Khalid released a new single called ‘In Plain Sight’ about the lies that the person he’s seeing tells him, claiming the other person is just a friend, but they’re talking about dinner plans. In November 2024, the music star confirmed his sexuality (or confessed that he was romantically linked to another man) after being allegedly outed by a former lover, to which he responded, “I am not ashamed of my sexuality”. ‘In Plain Sight’ doesn’t explicitly mention the cheating partner’s pronouns, but it is the first time I’ve heard Khalid sing “flirting with you again” the way he did. Check out the uptempo record produced by Mattman & Robin, Savan Kotecha, and ILYA below, and continue to anticipate the coming out of his new album ‘After the Sun Goes Down’.

    For the 91 Rules-directed visual, he debuts a new hairstyle, wears matching painted fingernails, and boots with shorts that appear to cover his knees in the first scene. About the release, Khalid says, “This chapter is about taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely. I’m excited for my fans to experience this new era with me, not just musically, but personally.”

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBif-MlukZ0&h=315]

  • Compton-born musical genius Steve Lacy returns from 3-year hiatus with ‘Nice Shoes’: Listen

    “Life is but a stain, it’s not a tattoo/Temporary pain, it’s lame to chase youth”

    [media-credit name=”Courtesy; Richie Talboy” width=640 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    Over what sounds like a popular video game sample paired over hypnotic drums and bass, Steve Lacy, the GRAMMY-winning Alternative R&B artist, seems to let out some of his deepest thoughts and feelings as he describes during the bridge. Opening the new song with lyrics taken from his intrusive thoughts, perhaps, he sings, “If I had a dollar for the friends I would fuck, I could buy a pair of really nice shoes”.

    On the second verse, The Internet guitarist adds that his nether regions have hardened simply from the thought of holding hands with the person he admires and describes himself choking on a gust of wind, which is admittedly intense and makes me curious. Now, I want to see an official music video to see how he (or the director) may depict that part.

    Well, it has been three years since the edgy creator blessed his fans with new music. We’re looking forward to hearing his forthcoming album, ‘Oh Yeah?’. There’s no release date yet because it is still a work-in-progress according to his publicist, but with a new Rolling Stones cover (September 2025), we know it’s eventually going to be released. In the interim, listen to ‘Nice Shoes’. It is not safe for work.

  • Hear Reggae royalty Skip Marley’s new song ‘In Our Sight’ produced by Supa Dups

    “Action me watch and not intention”

    [media-credit name=”Reggaeville” link=”https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/skip-marley/about” width=700 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    Keeping the classic groovy Reggae rhythms his grandfather was known for, Jamaican royalty artist-producer Skip Marley delivers a new uplifting record called ‘In Our Sight’. The GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum artist croons lines like, “We need a likkle support, protect the land now”, calling for leaders to rise and Babylon to fall, and a hopeful hook, “Side by side, victoy’s in our sight/We gotta keep on believing/Don’t stop striving while our hearts still beating.” Hear the catching Supa Dups-produced song below. You may recall the highly-recognisable sample from legendary R&B/Soul star Al Green’s classic song ‘Love and Happiness’, released in 1972.

  • Hear Ghostface Killah’s new single ‘Rap Kingpin’ from his forthcoming Mass Appeal Records album: Supreme Clientele 2

    “88 shit.”

    [media-credit name=”Danny Hastings” link=”https://dannyhastings.com” width=1920 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    Yesterday, Ghostface Killah released a new record called ‘Rap Kingpin’. Boasting about having old money, lying up with snow bunnies in the Swiss Alps, and his global status linked to being a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, the Staten Island-bred gifted storyteller raps about his glory days and shows his classic flow stands the test of time. Check out the track produced by Ghostface Killah and Scram Jones, which samples both Eric B & Rakim’s ‘My Melody’ (co-produced by Marley Marl) and fan-favourite ‘Mighty Healthy’ from his 2000 album ‘Supreme Clientele’. It’s out now through Mass Appeal Records under exclusive license from Ghostface Killah.

    According to the press release, the rapping legend’s next project, ‘Supreme Clientele 2’, crafted over the last decade, is both a homecoming and a new chapter for Tony Starks, as he picks up the legacy with a new but familiar lens. The project features guest appearances from Nas, Raekwon, Method Man, GZA, Redman, Conway the Machine, Styles P, MOP (Mash Out Posse) and Dave Chappelle. It will be released on August 22.

    About the next serving, Ghostface Killah shared, “Supreme Clientele was a frame of mind and era in time. You could never duplicate that feeling, but you can tap back in. We dug in the files from years ago and pulled together a Clientele that is Supreme! Get ready, Supreme Clientele 2 is now.”

    ‘Supreme Clientele 2’ is a part of Mass Appeal Records’ ‘Legend Has It’ campaign, celebrating seven iconic artists all releasing new music, including: Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, De La Soul and Nas/DJ Premier.

  • Hip-Hop star K Camp teams up with Arkansas-born rising singer Qiuntellii for ‘Your Type’

    How often do we hear young, successful men this honest in their music?

    [media-credit name=”Courtesy” width=1080 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    On Friday, America’s Hip-Hop star K Camp, known for his monster hits in 2014 like ‘Cut Her Off’ and ‘Comfortable’, shared the lead track from his forthcoming album ‘Kiss 6’. On the catchy melodic tune, the creator and his collaborator Qiuntellii—an artist with an album executive produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins—showcase vulnerability by singing some of the realest lyrics I’ve ever heard. The truth of the matter is, some people, whom we end up with, are merely placeholders, around for fun, or we don’t know what we want. Whatever may be the case, if you can relate to the words of the music, check out the first single from his forthcoming album ‘Kiss 6’. His tour of the same name begins next month in August.