GRUNGECAKE

Author: grungecake

  • Andreea Bostanică brings the heat with bold new summer anthem LaBubu

    Andreea Bostanică is back and louder than ever. Her new single, LaBubu, explodes with energy, attitude, and the kind of chorus you end up singing all day without even noticing. It is not just a song. It is a full-on summer experience.

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    Produced by Cristian Tarcea alongside Andreea Mînicuță and Andrei Tostogan at the Cat Music Camp in Javea, LaBubu captures the thrill of being bold and free. The lyrics by Alex Mînicuță and Daria Rotaru bring a confident and cheeky spirit that mirrors Andreea’s unapologetic presence. The result is a track that dares you to stop dancing.

    [media-credit name=”Andreea Bostanică” align=”none” width=”300″][/media-credit]

    Andreea calls it a celebration of being yourself. Fun and fearless, the track reflects exactly the kind of energy she brings to everything she touches. The music video only turns up the heat. Bursting with bold fashion, vibrant colours, and playful luxury, it is already fueling trends and style inspo across social media feeds.

    To mark the release, Andreea launched the #LaBubuChallenge, a dance challenge spreading like wildfire across TikTok and Instagram Reels. Fans, influencers, and creators are jumping in and keeping the song alive

  • DJ Remo and Masha Tiss bring healing energy on Will Be OK

     

    The production is warmly layered.

     

    Afro-house rhythms glide gently beneath atmospheric, breezy and beachy melodies, creating sounds that invite both movement and reflection. It’s the kind of song made for late summer nights, for winding down, for holding someone close.

  • ‘Sit Down’ (Remix) breaks borders with Afro B, Rafa Pabön, Snik, and Lalo Ebratt

    Lahrel is not playing it safe this Summer. The British-Jamaican newcomer raises the stakes with the ‘Sit Down’ (Remix), a genre-bending anthem that fuses Afrobeats, Urbano Latino, Dancehall, and UK Rap into one explosive track.

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    Out now, the remix is a high-energy rework of her fan-favourite single, which already pulled in over 225,000 streams.

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    What makes this remix stand out is its global cast. Afro B brings his Afro-swing magic from the United Kingdom. Rafa Pabön slides in smooth from Puerto Rico with Latin urban flair. Greek star Snik adds grit and edge. And Colombia’s Lalo Ebratt keeps the energy wild with his unmistakable charisma. Each artist owns their verse, offering a unique twist on Lahrel’s addictive hook that ties the whole track together.

    The track comes with a visual-first campaign designed to catch fire across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.

    Lahrel might be new to the scene, but she is building with intention. The ‘Sit Down’ (Remix) is a confident step onto the global stage, and with heavyweight collaborators from four continents, she’s making it clear, she’s ready for movement.

  • Ghana’s beloved singer Gyakie’s captures Soweto in latest video for ‘Unconditional’: Watch

    Approximately six hours ago, Ghanaian singer Gyakie shared her official music video for her new song ‘Unconditional’. In the video directed by Wayward, she dances alongside four young women and rides through the streets of South Africa on the back of a motorcycle. Some familiar places shown include Rivonia, Vilakazi Street in Soweto (by former South African President Mandela’s house), the famous towers in Soweto (where Costa Titch filmed the viral video ‘Big Flexa’ featuring C’buda M, Alfa Kat, Banaba Des, Sdida & Man T), and local street dancers (or “intersection hustlers”) in traffic at the light (or the robot, as locally described).

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

    Currently sitting at eleven thousand views and counting, the “song bird” has given fans her growing international fan base what they’ve been waiting for—more music. A month ago, Gyakie shared the official music video for ‘Sankofa’.

    If you are unfamiliar with the meaning of Sankofa, according to my research, it translates to “go back and get it” or “return to your past”. It is a word from the Akan people of Ghana that signifies the importance of learning from the past to inform and improve the present and future. Like Gyakie, Sankofa, a bird, with its head turned backwards, carrying an egg in its mouth, symbolises the act of retrieving knowledge from the past. 

    Check out that music video, too.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ0j41abRdw&h=315]

  • Rodney Hazard travels with ‘Islands (You & I)’ — A getaway you’ll want on repeat

     

    Rodney Hazard is back, and he’s brought the breeze of the islands with him. His latest single Islands (You & I) is a genre-blurring masterpiece that fuses the infectious pulse of Amapiano with his signature electronic textures. It’s the kind of track that instantly pulls you into a daydream—sun-warmed, rhythm-driven, and emotionally rich.

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    Teaming up with rising vocalist Rayfell, the song layers soulful vocals over hypnotic beats, capturing that sweet tension between romance and escape. It’s music built for movement, perfect for both late-night drives and dance floor sway. From the sparkling percussion to the deep bassline, every detail in Islands (You & I) is designed to make you feel something.

     

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    Rodney isn’t just dropping singles—he’s crafting soundtracks for emotional release. This track is a statement: he’s not bound by genre or geography. His sound is borderless, his vision clear. And if Islands (You & I) is any indication, what’s coming next will keep redefining what it means to mix feeling with sound.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlSYJohSX34&w=560&h=315]

  • 5@5: A morning playlist featuring ThaFirst and KWESI

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    A mix of smooth and non-interruptive music shines on this morning playlist featuring Bat Zoom, OKARO, ThaFirst, KWESI, and Fletcher Tucker. Therefore, we believe these records are the best of the week. Check them out below.

    Bat Zoom – Lemon (Submission)

    Bat Zoo showcases enchanting power through a new track called ‘Lemon’. We get to see men cry on-screen, weep in real life or sing proudly about the lows of their relationships. One could argue that the chaotic sound, which enters at the ten-second mark, is an interruptive (based on ear sensitivity or personal music taste) composition, mellowing out soon after, making it the sort of jam to ease into your mornings.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLos-xD7vY&h=315]

    OKARO – Like That (Submission)

    Swedish-Assyrian musician—OKARO—real name Delia Okaro has shared what her team seems to think of as a “sleeper hit” or a “slow burner”. Her latest song ‘Like That’ is doused with heavy Hip-Hop drums and distorted bass, telling the unfortunate story about lusting after an individual who “has it like that” and seemingly embodies what she wanted in an intimate partner.

    It’s said that the producer-songwriter plans to take the stage at Sweden’s PLX Tjärö 2025 Festival in mid-August! We would be on the other side of the planet, but we hope to see clips of a stunning live performance on one of her pages.

    ThaFirst – Ran Outta Luck (Submission)

    Last month, the son of Boy Better Know Grimes artist Frisco, North London rapper ThaFirst returned with the official music video to his new track ‘Ran Outta Luck’. Celebrating the city of London in the backdrop, the official shows off “the ends”, the spread-out skyline, and its iconic double-decker buses. When he’s not making music, he graced the runway in shows like fellow Londoner Skepta’s MAINS show and what it takes to earn hefty co-signs from fellow artists like Wretch32, Knucks and Pozer, according to the information received. We cannot wait until his streams match his outstanding profile. To help him achieve that, check out the music video below.

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

    And if you’re into the “going to Mars” thing, you and the rising artist fancy the same things.

    KWESI – NEWPHONEWHOTHIS? (Submission)

    Have you enjoyed the inevitable multiple evolutions of Hip-Hop music over the years? I have, and one of my favourites is the dark, rage-infused sounds that have encouraged more new-age artists to sing-rap for over a decade.

    If you ask me, it’s a favourable nod to the distinctive styles with F1LTHY and KP Beatzs at the intersection.

    If you like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboy Carti and anything coming out through his Opium (00pium) label, there’s a high probability you may be into Cincy artist KWESI’s ‘NEWPHONEWHOTHIS?’ It’s the fifth track on his new extended play ‘SHEESH!’. After you listen to this one, it will be difficult to close your eyes again.

    Fletcher Tucker – To Light a Fire featuring Phil Elverum (Submission)

    If you want to head back to sleep (because you woke up too early), we think this track by the self-described “Freak Folk” artist Fletcher Tucker’s ‘To Light a Fire’ may do the trick! It is a ten-minute [plus] work, featuring Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) on percussion, inspired by surviving “a white-out blizzard in the Sierras and the hypnotics of Hildegard von Bingen”. Stream the song and see if it doesn’t put you in a tranquil state.

  • Hear Syd’s latest track ‘Die For This’

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    As she gears up to hit the road with Billie Eilish this Summer, Syd lets us peek behind the curtain of her creative process—and unsurprisingly, it’s both effortless and boundary-pushing. On her new single ‘Die For This’, she doesn’t just play with tempo—she bends it to her will. With lush production and vulnerability laced through every lyric, Syd reminds us why her fingerprint on modern R&B is so singular, so studied, yet so nonchalant. You hear her influence in what others try to do—but Syd lives in a lane that’s been hers from the jump. And whilst others may imitate, they can’t recreate the intent or finesse. She’s flattered, not phased.

    Since blessing us with her 2017 solo debut ‘Fin’, Syd has operated as a cultural engine. From helming Hive Mind with her GRAMMY-nominated crew The Internet to co-writing ‘Plastic Off the Sofa’ on Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ (yes, that track) and building her own studio in Los Angeles—she’s built a blueprint in real-time. Collaborations with Zayn, Lil Uzi Vert, Kehlani, Disclosure, and Kelly Rowland? Check. Fronting campaigns for Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Adidas? Also csydheck.

    Ten years after Ego Death cracked the atmosphere and reset expectations, Syd’s presence is just as powerful—if not more nuanced. ‘Die For This’ isn’t just a Summer song—it’s a statement. She crushes, she flexes, she floats. And this tour with Billie? It’s just another page in a book we’re all lucky to read in real-time.

  • ‘What We Hide’ exposes the dark truths children carry: Watch the trailer

    After their mother’s overdose, two sisters conceal her death to avoid the foster care system—unravelling a tense, emotional thriller about survival, sisterhood, and the weight of buried secrets.

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    ‘What We Hide’ is a haunting, slow-burning thriller that grips you from the very first frame. In a raw, emotionally devastating performance, Mckenna Grace stars as Spider, the fiercely protective older sister to Jessie, played with heartbreaking innocence by Jojo Regina. After their mother’s fatal overdose, the girls make an unthinkable decision: hide her body to avoid being separated by the broken foster care system they fear more than death.

    Set in a forgotten rural town where silence can be a survival tool, the story unravels with chilling tension. Jesse Williams brings measured intensity as the local sheriff, whose suspicions grow whilst navigating his own moral compass. And Dacre Montgomery is chilling as the unpredictable dealer whose presence reminds us that sometimes, the real threat is what’s left behind.

    ‘What We Hide’ is not just a movie—it’s a gritty, emotional gut-punch about sisterhood, survival, and the secret lives of children forced to grow up too fast. You won’t be able to look away. Watch the trailer for the Dan Kay-directed film. It is to show in select theatres on August 8, 2025; video-on-demand and digital release to follow on August 29.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Blus-SQ9NE&h=315]

  • Denver’s Underground Music Showcase bows out “in its current form” after 25 years

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    Denver’s indie lifeblood is pulsing to its final beat this July. After a legendary twenty-five‑year run, the Underground Music Showcase—fondly known as UMS—is bowing out “in its current form”, with July 25–27 marking what organisers are calling a grand and necessary “blowout”. Since its scrappy DIY debut in 2001, born from the passion of Denver Post journalists Ricardo Baca and John Moore, UMS has grown from a handful of $5 shows into a sprawling celebration of local and touring talent—four outdoor stages, twelve venues, and over two-hundred bands this year alone. It’s the stage that propelled acts like DeVotchKa, Flobots, and Nathaniel Rateliff—but evolving realities have reshaped the landscape dramatically.

    UMS co‑manager Jami Duffy, who now steps in alongside Casey Berry under the Youth on Record umbrella, described the festival’s gamble with rising costs. From security, climate‑resilient infrastructure, and fentanyl safety measures to higher artist wages, accessibility standards, and mental‑health services, the bar has soared. Even sold‑out crowds don’t close the financial gap anymore.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKBdpJYpH1Q&h=315]

    But this finale isn’t an ending—it’s an inflection point. Duffy emphasises that skipping this year would have robbed the community of a proper farewell. Instead, UMS is seizing this moment to spark dialogue during its Get Loud Music Summit—inviting artists, fans, venues, and funders to envision what comes next.

    Denver’s city budget woes—$250 million shortfall at one point—mirror the statewide and national strains on arts funding and public safety support. Still, Duffy remains hopeful. She challenges the community to build a coalition: venues, philanthropists, government, and fans alike. Maybe UMS morphs into something new—fragmented guerrilla gigs, tighter showcases, or a renewed DIY spark. She believes creativity thrives when the stakes are highest.

    This year, the festival will carry extra emotional weight. Legacy acts and rising voices will take the stage amid a vigilant audience aware they’re part of history in motion. As Duffy urges, “breathe in those moments…you can hug a little longer…play your asses off”.

    UMS may be ending, but its essence—the underground, the unexpected, the electric—lives on in Denver’s tenacious music scene.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9womMYx3yw&h=315]

    Three years ago, the Financial Times released a twenty-minute documentary detailing the risks festival organisers face. In the United Kingdom, there were approximately six hundred festivals in 2019. As of 2023, there are fewer than five hundred. If you ever thought about being a festival organiser, I would recommend watching the video above. It could help you decide if it is worth it.

  • Sophia Hutchins, friend and manager to Caitlyn Jenner, has passed away in ATV accident

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    Sophia Hutchins, 29, a prominent entrepreneur, transgender advocate, and longtime confidante and manager of Caitlyn Jenner, tragically died on July 2, 2025 at the age of twenty-nine in an ATV accident near Jenner’s Malibu home.

    What happened

    Hutchins was driving an ATV early Wednesday morning along a private road by Jenner’s residence when her vehicle collided with the rear bumper of a moving car. The impact caused the ATV to veer off, plunging Hutchins and the vehicle roughly 350 feet into a ravine. First responders reached the scene soon after but confirmed her death on site. The driver and passenger in the other vehicle were unharmed.

    It’s not yet known whether Caitlyn Jenner was present at the time, and no statement has been released by Jenner or law enforcement.

    Who Sophia Hutchins was

    Born in Bellevue, Washington (1995/96), she earned a degree in economics and finance from Pepperdine University in 2019, where she openly transitioned during her junior year. She gained public recognition through her appearances on Caitlyn’s E! docuseries ‘I Am Cait’. Their friendship began in 2015, shortly after Jenner came out as transgender.

    Following graduation, Hutchins launched health-tech startup LUMASOL, a sunscreen mist company, and later became CEO and director of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation, advocating for transgender rights. In 2017, she took on the role of Jenner’s manager, stepping in to help orchestrate Jenner’s personal brand and business affairs after the Kardashian-Jenner family restructures.

    Hutchins also became an outspoken political voice during the 2024 presidential cycle, serving as a surrogate for Donald Trump and attending events such as Mar‑a‑Lago campaign gatherings.

    A profound loss

    Hutchins had quietly held significant roles in both the LGBTQ+ community and the public sphere—bridging activism, business, and entertainment. Multiple outlets, including PEOPLE and E! News, highlighted the depth of her work and the strength of her partnership with Jenner.

    Caitlyn Jenner has yet to publicly respond, but hundreds have already shared condolences online, mourning the loss of a bright and inspiring figure.

    Legacy

    Sophia Hutchins leaves behind a legacy as a passionate advocate, groundbreaking entrepreneur, and devoted friend. Her work with LUMASOL and the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation, along with her courage in publicly living as her true self, will endure as a significant part of her impact. Our hearts go out to her family, friends, and Caitlyn Jenner at this devastating time.