Outspoken (thankfully so) political activist, writer, and musician Otep Shamaya is back, and after my passionate response to her 2016 release titled Generation Doom (which I reviewed here), I couldn't be happier. "To the Gallows" is the first song to be released from her upcoming album KULT 45, set to be released on July 27, 2018. (In case anyone is confused about the number in the title, Donald Trump is, regrettably, the forty-fifth president of the United States.) The song and its lyrics serve as a big middle finger to our current commander in chief, with lyrics such as "while you're checking your timelines, I'm on the front lines..." (which is a reference to Trump's hyperactivity on Twitter) and "he's a morally corrupt demagogue who's in lust with his daughter so he pays porn stars to dress like her..." (referring to Trump's disgusting comment about how his daughter Ivanka has an amazing figure and how he would be dating her if she weren't his daughter and also to his sex scandals with porn stars). The song begins with a low and eerie chanting underneath Shamaya growling, but it quickly breaks out into her typically heavy mix of rap and metal with a catchy and anthemic chorus, reminding me a bit of songs like "Rise, Rebel, Resist" and "Confrontation" (both songs that are also heavily influenced by political unrest, although Otep has never made it as personal or as direct as she has here). Otep has a long history of releasing music inspired by politics, and seeing as how she is fiercely liberal and vehemently opposed to the likes of racism, homophobia, sexism, and fascism, it should not come as any surprise to anyone that new music from her following the disastrous results of the 2016 presidential election would take on Trump. Even though Trump's America is dark, it is certainly far from hopeless, as we have seen people stand up, speak out, and strike back, possibly more so than we have seen in decades, and I cannot wait to hear what the rest of KULT 45 has in store for us.
Since having released "My My My!" and "The Good Side" (review of those songs here), Australian actor, activist, YouTube personality, and musician Troye Sivan has released two more new songs - "Strawberries and Cigarettes" (on the Love, Simon soundtrack) and "Bloom" (as a digital single). Since, to the best of my knowledge, the tracklisting of his upcoming sophomore album has yet to be revealed, there is no guarantee that any of these new songs will actually be on the new album, but it is probably safe to assume that, at the very least, "Bloom" will be on the new album since it is the title track. Sivan has managed to keep nearly everything regarding this album's release a secret, a rarity in a digital age in which information and even songs are prone to being leaked, but rumor has it that we can possibly expect Bloom on June 8th, 2018 (which would be great if true because that's very soon - less than a month away). Also rumored is a collaboration with Ariana Grande, which I will admit is something that I am hoping is not true because a collaboration with someone like Ariana Grande is a strong indicator that the album is possibly going to have a much more mainstream sound than Blue Neighbourhood does, and Blue Neighbourhood's indie sound (which has always reminded me a bit of the downbeat crooning found on Lana Del Rey's albums) is one of the reasons why I love it as much as I do. (Grande would not likely fit in with the likes of Broods, Tkay Maidza, Betty Who, Allday, and Alex Hope.)
Like "My My My!," "Strawberries & Cigarettes" takes a considerable departure from the indie sound found on Sivan's debut album Blue Neighbourhood, going for a more mainstream and radio-friendly sound, which is interesting because according to Billboard, the song was originally intended for Blue Neighbourhood but didn't make the cut. (My thought, although it's just a thought and an unconfirmed one at that, is that the lyrics and melody were unchanged but that the sound and style were updated. I say this especially because the lyrical content, which is about the nostalgia felt after a relationship ends, is very much in keeping with Blue Neighbourhood.) The song is accented by electronic blips, giving it somewhat of a synthy sound, but it is overall a R&B-esque/pop song that reminds me a great deal more of "My My My!" than it does anything on Blue Neighbourhood. As previously stated, the song's lyrics are about a failed relationship and the wistfulness and nostalgia that follow the bitter end, and the title of the song (which is heard in the song's chorus when Sivan croons that "strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you") is perhaps intended to represent the bittersweet feeling that is nostalgia - pleasure brought from good memories but pain brought from knowing that they can never be relived. (Most people find the taste and the scent of strawberries to be sweet and pleasant, whereas cigarettes are usually thought of as smelling bitter and foul. I know that I feel that way; just the scent of cigarettes makes me feel sick, which is one reason why I have never smoked one.) The word nostalgia, in fact, comes from the Greek words nostos, which means home, and algos, which means pain. Although Sivan's vocal ability is not showcased at its greatest in this song, especially not when he seems to struggle hitting low notes in the song's second verse, "Strawberries & Cigarettes" is memorable both for its catchy chorus and for the fact that it's on the soundtrack to a fantastic film.
"Bloom" is an upbeat and poppy song that features an '80s-esque beat that reminds me of "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals. The song's pace and style remind me considerably of Sivan's song "EASE" from Blue Neighbourhood. The verses of "Bloom" feature Sivan spitting out sexual innuendo after sexual innuendo after sexual innuendo in a faster pace than is usual for his style: "Take a trip into my garden; I've got so much to show ya. The fountains and the waters are begging just to know ya..." Some of the song's lyrics remind me a great deal of the song "Froot" by Marina and the Diamonds, as both songs are about a renewed feeling of sexual energy for a special someone. "Don't you give me a reason that it's not the right season," Marina sings, whereas Sivan here sings that "it's the perfect season." Marina also sings that "I've been saving all my summers for you," and Sivan sings that "I've been saving this for you." Both songs also use imagery of fruits and flowers to represent sex, but this is hardly anything new in poetry and music. (The lyrical parallels between the two songs are, in fact, rather extensive, but I make that observation not to accuse Sivan of having ripped Marina off or anything like that but because I am a big fan of both artists and find it cool that both artists seem to think alike, and even if the parallels are intentional, that is likely Sivan tipping his hat to the song, not ripping it off.) "Bloom" is probably my second favorite new song released, with my first favorite being "The Good Side" by far. No matter how many times that I have listened to "My My My!" in an effort to hear it a new way, I still don't much like it, as I consider it one of the weakest songs of his musical career thus far, but here's to hoping that Bloom will overall be an album just as remarkable and as special as Blue Neighbourhood. I am cautiously optimistic.
