Charli XCX has shared her contribution to the soundtrack of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Listen to ‘Speed Drive’ below.
“i’d always played with barbie whilst i was growing up but my first proper life changing barbie experience was when i went on a cruise ship holiday with my parents at the age of 4 (lol),” Charli wrote on Instagram last week.”there was a talent competition on the boat and i begged my parents to let me enter. they were certain i’d get on stage and crumble especially as all i wanted to do was sing aqua’s ‘barbie girl’ a capella, on my own, no musical backing track or anything. i did my hair in pigtails and wore my favorite tartan skirt and sang the song on a huge empty stage whilst my parents freaked out, getting ready for me to have a total breakdown – but apparently i was fine, i just got up there and sang my little heart out and won the whole thing. i’d always loved the escapism my barbies provided me with and its kind of a full circle moment to be a part of this soundtrack and movie. so thank you so much mark and greta for having me.”
Barbie the Album, which is out July 21 – the same day the film hits theaters – features previously released songs by Dua Lipa (‘Dance the Night’), Karol G (‘Watati’), PinkPantheress (‘Angel’), and the Nicki Minaj/Ice Spice collab ‘Barbie World’.
I’ve Got Me is the second album by New York City singer-songwriter Joanna Sternberg, following 2019’s Then I Try Some More. It was recorded with producer Matt Sweeney and engineer Daniel Schlett at Strange Weather in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “I pretty much stayed out of Joanna’s way, let them know they sounded great and allowed the music to happen,” Sweeney said of the process, adding: “For me, this album is a dead-on example of how the more brave and clear an artist is in expressing their own world, the stronger it resonates with strangers.” The singles ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, ‘Mountains High’, ‘People Are Toys to You’, and the title track arrived ahead of the release.
Lil Uzi Vert is back with a new album, Pink Tape. It follows the rapper’s 2020 effort Eternal Atake as well as last year’s Red & White EP. Spanning 22 tracks, the record features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon, Don Toliver, and BABYMETAL. In a trailer posted earlier this week, Uzi is seen fighting a villain to retrieve their pink diamond, a $30 million jewel they had pierced into their forehead in real life in February 2021. The album’s first single, ‘Just Wanna Rock’, arrived in November.
Fontaines D.C. vocalist Grian Chatten has put out his debut solo LP, Chaos for the Fly, via Partisan Records. Co-produced with longtime Fontaines D.C. collaborator Dan Carey, the album was preceded by the singles ‘All of the People’, ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’, ‘The Score’, and ‘Fairlies’. “I just thought: I want to do this myself,” Chatten explained in a statement. “I know where we as a band are going next and that’s not where I want to go with this. I’ve got a couple of exaggerated aspects of my soul that I wanted to express. The rest of the band are all creative and songwriters in their own right, too. I didn’t want to go to them and be like, ‘No, every single thing has to be like this.’ I didn’t want to compromise with these songs in that way.” Read our review of Chaos for the Fly.
Angelo De Augustine has released his fourth album, Toil and Trouble, via Asthmatic Kitty. The California songwriter wrote, recorded, produced, and mixed the follow-up to 2019’s Tomb on his own, playing 27 different instruments. “I was really overwhelmed by everything going on just around me and in the world,” De Augustine said in our Artist Spotlight interview. “I sort of used a counter-world in the writing, a place to write from, but also to live inside, because it’s just too overwhelming. I think it was at times a reflection of real life with the album, but it’s also an escape. You have these two juxtaposed things that are clashing, but they’re also kind of making this new world that hopefully, I don’t know, ends in some kind of understanding or solace about things.”
Lucinda Williams, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart
Lucinda Williams has issued a new album, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, via Highway 20 Records/Thirty Tigers. The roots icon worked on the LP with her husband and manager Tom Overby and producer Ray Kennedy (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Good Souls Better Angels). Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa. Angel Olsen, Margo Price, Jeremy Ivey, Jesse Malin, Buddy Miller, and Tommy Stinson provided backing vocals on the album, which includes the previously released singles ‘New York Comeback’, ‘Stolen Moments’, ‘Where the Song Will Find Me’, and ‘Rock N Roll Heart’.
Amber Bain has dropped her sophomore album as the Japanese House, In the End It Always Does, out now via Dirty Hit. The 12-track LP, which follows 2019’s Good at Falling and the 2020 EP Chewing Cotton Wool, was made in collaboration with the 1975’s George Daniel and London-based producer Chloe Kraemer. It features appearances from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, MUNA’s Katie Gavin, Matty Healy, and Charli XCX, as well as the promotional singles ‘One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones’, ‘Sunshine Baby’, ‘Sad to Breathe’, and ‘Boyhood’.
Brigid Mae Power has followed up 2020’s Head Above the Water with a new album, Dream From the Deep Well, via Fire. Ahead of its release, the singer-songwriter shared the singles ‘Waterford Song’, ‘Counting Down’, ‘I Must Have Been Blind’, and the title track. “It’s a deep dig, as the title track suggests,” she said of the album. “I was sick of the superficial nature of politics and music; it was written out of frustration at people who talk a lot but do nothing, especially in the sad and difficult times we’ve all just encountered.”
Sweeping Promises’ sophomore album, Good Living Is Coming for You, has arrived via Sub Pop. The Kansas duo – Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug – previewed the Hunger for a WayOut follow-up with the singles ‘Eraser’, ‘You Shatter’, and the title track. According to press materials, “Gone is the Boston brutalist ambience of their subterranean concrete laboratory and the revelatory single mic recording technique. In its place, a retired and resplendent nude painting studio in Lawrence, Kansas, bathed in light with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Guided once again by their surrounding architecture, a reverb-rich space remains the defining element at the heart of their highly stylized sound.”
Other albums out today:
Suzie True, Sentimental Scum; Hayden Pedigo, The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored; bdrmm, I Don’t Know; Do Nothing, Snake Sideways; death’s dynamic shroud, After Angel; The Body, I Shall Die Here / Earth Triumphant; Loma Prieta, Last; Body of Light, Bitter Reflection; Chester Watson, fish don’t climb trees; John Carroll Kirby, Blowout; Divide and Dissolve, Systemic; Nothing But Thieves, Dead Club City; Mong Tong 夢東, Tao Fire 道火; Big Girl, Big Girl vs. God; Olivia Dean, Messy; Ash Walker, Astronaut; Rylo Rodriguez, Been One; Hataałii, Singing Into Darkness; Kinzua, None of the Above.
Last month, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) and William Tyler teamed up for the single ‘Darkness, Darkness’. The 7″ is out today via Sylvan Esso’s Psychic Hotline label, and it includes ‘No Services’ as the B-side. Listen to the 7-minute track below.
‘Darkness, Darkness’ and ‘No Services’ are being released as part of the Psychic Hotline singles series, which has previously featured tracks including Joe Rainey’s ‘Once the Reaper’, Hand Habits’ ‘Greatest Weapon’, Ethan Gruska and Bon Iver’s ‘So Unimportant’, Flock of Dimes’ ‘Pure Love’, Bartees Strange, Ohmme, and Eric Slick’s ‘Province’, Anjimile’s ‘Ever New’, and more.
The Weeknd’s controversial series The Idol season will wrap up after just five episodes, and before the premiere of the final episode on Sunday, July 2, Abel Tesfaye has shared two more songs from the soundtrack. Check out ‘Like a God’ and ‘False Idols’ below.
The Weeknd has been sharing music from the show on a weekly basis. Previously, he unveiled ‘World Class Sinner / I’m a Freak’ (with Lily-Rose Depp), ‘The Lure’, ‘Double Fantasy’ (with Future), and ‘Popular’ (featuring Madonna and Playboi Carti), ‘A Lesser Man’, ‘Take Me Back’, the Moses Sumney collab ‘Get It B4’, ‘One of the Girls’ (featuring Blackpink’s Jennie), and a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’.
HBO had ordered The Idol as a six-episode series. According to TVLive, a source said “the season ended up being five episodes when it was all said and done after Sam [Levinson] took over and made significant changes. The story only ended up requiring five.”
Olivia Rodrigo has returned with ‘Vampire’, her first single since 2021’s Sour. It’s taken from her sophomore album GUTS, which was announced earlier this week. The track arrives with an accompanying video directed by Petra Collins, who also helmed the videos for ‘good 4 u’ and ‘brutal’. Watch and listen below.
Rodrigo made ‘Vampire’ with producer Daniel Nigro, who worked with her on her debut. Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the new song and the album title GUTS, Rodrigo said:
I wrote the song on the piano, super chill, in December of last year. And my producer Dan and I finished it in January and finished writing it. And I’ve just always been really obsessed with songs that are very dynamic. My favorite songs are high and low, and reel you in and spit you back out. And so we wanted to do a song where it just crescendoed the entire time and it reflects the pent-up anger that you have for a situation.
I had [the title GUTS for a long time. I had it actually when I was making SOUR. I’m like, “I want the next one to be GUTS.” I had it in my head. I’m like, “Four letters, all caps, just like SOUR.” I love it. I just think it’s an interesting word. People use it in so many interesting contexts, like spill your guts. Hate your guts, I think is a really interesting term. Means bravery, but it also means intuition, like listen to your gut. I just think it’s all of these things that coincidentally were things that I’ve really been thinking about in this chapter.
GUTS is set for release on September 8 via Geffen. “For me, this album is about growing pains and trying to figure out who I am at this point in my life,” Rodrigo said in a press release. “I feel like I grew 10 years between the ages of 18 and 20—it was such an intense period of awkwardness and change. I think that’s all just a natural part of growth, and hopefully the album reflects that.”
Ahead of the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift has previewed the new re-recorded version of ‘Back to December’ in the trailer for the new season of Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. Swift posted the trailer along with the caption: “Crying (Taylor’s Version).” It also features a snippet of her folklore song ‘August’. Check it out below.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) arrives on July 7. Last year, Swift previewed the re-recorded version of the 1989 track ‘This Love’ in the trailer for the first season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The second season of the show premieres July 14.
Holly Humberstone has announced her debut album: Paint My Bedroom Black is set for release on October 13 via Polydor/Darkroom/Geffen. Along with the announcement, the UK singer-songwriter has shared two new songs, ‘Antichrist’ and ‘Room Service’. Check them out below, and scroll down for the album’s cover art and tracklist.
“‘Antichrist’ is about a break up I went through a couple of years ago,” Humberstone explained in a statement. “I genuinely cared about this person and wanted so badly to make it work, but I knew something wasn’t right and my heart wasn’t in it. I knew that I was inevitably going to have to hurt the person who I wanted so much to love. At the time I wrote the song, I remember feeling like I was constantly letting those around me down. Like I was falling short of being there for anyone I cared about. I basically felt like the worst person in the world; like the Antichrist. I really felt that I was toxic to be around, and the guilt and self-loathing that came with that manifested itself in this song.”
“I wrote ‘Room Service’ a little while ago when I’d just started touring full time,” Humberstone added. “I was finding myself constantly stressed out and although I was having fun, I was really missing home and my friends. I felt like I was watching them live out their lives from a phone screen, like I was being left behind. There was this swelling feeling that I was growing apart from that world that I was missing so badly, and I just didn’t want to be forgotten. AlI I wanted to do was to get a hotel room with my best friend, lock the world out and do stupid stuff like order room service. To me, this song is a simple love song to the people I care about the most, and the seemingly basic experiences you share together that can so often be taken for granted. The busier I get, the more I treasure the precious time I get with my friends and family; the more I value them in my life.”
1. Paint My Bedroom Black
2. Into Your Room
3. Cocoon
4. Kissing In Swimming Pools
5. Ghost Me
6. Track 6
7. Antichrist
8. Lauren
9. Baby Blues
10. Flatlining
11. Elvis Impersonators
12. Girl
13. Room Service
Dramatic tension, complex characters, and eye-catching visuals make casino scenes perfect for payoffs and action sequences. Some casino shots have left a lasting impression on film history, capturing the glitter and glamor, the dangerous pull of wealth, and the constant threat of loss in more ways than one.
Put on your poker face and settle down as we explore some of cinema’s most exciting casino sequences. If your favorite is missing from this list, take a look at this other list of top casino moments in movies.
The Color of Money (1986)
A classic that continues to entice the audience is “The Color of Money” (1986), where “Fast” Eddie Felson, brilliantly played by Paul Newman, returns to the gambling world and mentors a young, brash Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise). The card-counting lesson Eddie imparts to Vincent is arguably one of the most iconic casino scenes ever, etched deep into the memory of movie lovers. It’s a masterclass in strategy, laying bare the audacious world of professional gambling.
Rounders (1998)
Few movies match the pulsating energy of “Rounders” (1998). Matt Damon’s law student-turned-poker player, Mike McDermott, will get your pulse racing in a gripping high-stakes poker tournament. This scene is a masterclass in suspense, with each fold and call increasing the tension, making it one of the most impactful casino scenes in contemporary cinema.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
“Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) took the casino heist narrative to another level. Danny Ocean, suavely portrayed by George Clooney, and his eleven-member crew plot to simultaneously rob three Las Vegas casinos. The precision-filled infiltration of the Bellagio casino is an edge-of-your-seat sequence, chock-full of clever planning and daring execution. It’s a high-stakes spectacle that masterfully blends suspense and thrill.
The Cooler (2003)
“The Cooler” (2003) takes a comedic twist on casino narratives. Bernie Lootz, impeccably enacted by William H. Macy, is hired to jinx gamblers from winning. His attempt to stifle a hot streak at a blackjack table descends into pure chaos, resulting in one of the most hilariously memorable casino scenes in recent times.
The Grand (2008)
The unique charm of “The Grand” (2008) revolves around a group of friends, with Richard Kind in the mix, entering a World Series of Poker tournament. The resulting action unfolds to reveal one of the most suspense-ridden casino scenes in recent cinema, heightening the thrill with every raised bet and revealing card.
Hard Eight (1996)
“Hard Eight” (1996) introduces us to the small-time gambler, John (Philip Seymour Hoffman), mentoring Sydney (Gwyneth Paltrow). The tense high-stakes poker game they engage in becomes a nail-biting battle of wits, making it one of the most intense casino scenes ever captured on film.
The Departed (2006)
In “The Departed” (2006), the memorable casino encounter between the mob mole Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the police mole Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) takes suspense to another level. The tension is palpable as the two moles cross paths, encapsulating the essence of this intricate cat-and-mouse narrative.
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
“The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) veers into the outrageous, with Jordan Belfort, powerfully played by Leonardo DiCaprio, throwing a wild casino party. The decadence and excess showcased make this one of the most extraordinary casino scenes, offering a disturbing glimpse into the unchecked indulgence of Wall Street excesses.
Croupier (1998)
In “Croupier,” Clive Owen’s portrayal of Jack Manfred, a London casino croupier, takes a dark turn when Jack is compelled to cheat at blackjack. It’s a scene dripping with moral ambiguity and palpable tension. Here, the allure of the casino world morphs into a moral maze, and Jack’s internal struggle becomes almost as intense as the game itself. As Jack manipulates the game with deft precision, we’re privy to one of the most intriguing and suspenseful casino scenes ever shot, leaving us questioning our own notions of right and wrong.
Lucky You (2007)
Shifting from the blackjack table to the poker face-offs, “Lucky You” (2007) offers an enthralling tale of talent and aspiration. Eric Bana’s character, Huck Cheever, is a poker player with his sights set on the grand prize of the World Series of Poker. The scene where Huck finally gets his shot at the big leagues is loaded with high stakes, escalating tension, and electric excitement. Every fold, bluff, and call Huck makes in the tournament is edge-of-your-seat stuff, epitomizing the drama of professional poker. It’s an electrifying spectacle of suspense and strategy, marking it as one of the most exhilarating casino scenes in recent cinematic history.
21 (2008)
Lastly, “21” (2008) delivers a high-octane casino scene with MIT student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) and his card-counting team taking on the Bellagio casino’s blackjack tables. The tension of this complex game of deception and intelligence makes it an unforgettable moment in recent cinema history.
Films about glamorous, high-stakes casino gambling almost always succeed in thrilling and entertaining their viewers. They create some of cinema’s most memorable scenes by showing the finest and worst of mankind, sometimes even in the same scene! Films like these keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they anticipate the next big hand and try to read the poker faces of the actors.
Now that we are well and truly into the summer, it may be time to refresh that wardrobe with some more suitable clothes for the warm weather. Doing so can be easier said than done with so many options and styles of clothing out there. Capsule wardrobes have become popular in recent years. This refers to a collection of clothing items you can wear on many different occasions.
These capsule wardrobes also stop you from filling up your wardrobe with clothes you may never wear and keep them minimal but still very stylish and appropriate for summer. This is especially important if you happen to live in a small apartment or room and don’t have the storage for lots of clothes and accessories. Below we will go through some of the most popular clothing items and accessories men should consider adding to their summer wardrobe.
Versatile bottoms
First on this list are versatile bottoms, meaning they can be worn in different settings and environments. One of the best bottoms that never go out of fashion is a pair of designer shorts in neutral colours such as navy, beige or khaki. They match perfectly with both t-shirts for a more casual look and shirts if you need to look more formal for parties and dinners. It is essential to remember comfort while choosing the right bottoms. For summer, you will want a pair of breathable shorts made from a stretchy fabric to be more comfortable in the heat.
Breathable shirts
Next up on this list are breathable shirts that are stylish and fantastic for warm weather. They look great on several occasions — including trips to the beach or dinner with friends — and are also perfect for keeping you cool when the weather gets hot. Made from materials such as cotton and linen, breathable shirts remain light on your body, providing good ventilation and stopping you from overheating. You can go with plain or graphic tees, whatever you prefer, there are lots of inspos online, patriotic outfit ideas, comfy-stylish ideas, casual outifts, you just need to mix and match.
The great thing about these breathable shirts is that they are suitable for formal and casual events. If you need something to wear for a more formal occasion, you can opt for a button-down shirt made from linen and match it with some classy chinos for a stylish summer outfit. You’ll always go right with a polo shirt and some shorts for a more casual look. Look for these types of shirts in different styles and patterns, and browse to see what’s out there before you make any purchases.
Shoes for every occasion
Shoes are an essential part of every outfit, especially in summer. When the sun is out, you want something on your feet that allows them to breathe but is also comfortable for walking around. White sneakers are a great choice as they go with almost every outfit, from shorts and T-shirts to chinos and a shirt. If you are looking for a pair of shoes that are great for summer holidays and more formal occasions, some boat shoes or loafers might be perfect.
For a more casual look, comfortable sandals might be the right choice to keep your feet cool as you walk around in the heat. The best part about a good pair of sandals is they go with just about any outfit and can be worn both during the day and at night. If you are planning on going on vacation this summer, then a good pair of sandals is a fantastic idea, especially if you will walking a lot during the day when the sun is the hottest. Whether you are going for a more casual look or need to be more formal, sandals complement a summer outfit.
Accessories
There are some essential summer accessories that you must add to your wardrobe to complete all of your outfits. These include a stylish hat that helps keep your head out of the sun and some sunglasses to protect your eyes. In addition, modern unisex sunglasses not only provide eye protection but also add a touch of contemporary style to any summer ensemble. Other useful accessories that can add style and ease to your wardrobe include a leather belt that stops your bottoms from coming loose while adding some class to your outfit. Finally, let’s remember the importance of good socks that allow for some much-needed ventilation during the summer months. While they are not essential items, wearing a watch or bracelet never goes out of style, no matter the season or weather.
Conclusion
So there we have it. You now have all the knowledge you could need to create your summer wardrobe. It is easier than you think to create a fair number of outfits perfect for the sunny weather without sacrificing style and comfort. No longer will you be stuck in the heat of the summer struggling in unsuitable clothing!
Blur have shared a video for ‘St. Charles Square’, the second single from their upcoming album The Ballad of Darren. It follows lead cut ‘The Narcissist’. Check out the Toby L-directed clip below.
Speaking about the new single in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Damon Albarn said:
Well, I was just really relieved it went this way in the studio. I mean, I kind of in my demo, it sort of alluded to it, because of the chords that hold in the chorus. It’s got that chug to it. But Graham really went with that. And yeah, it’s got an amazing atmosphere. Everybody’s playing really well on that thing. Do you know what the whole thing has really felt like, we’re sort of somewhere in 1992, something like that, ’92, ’93. We’re just sort of back. I don’t know. And when we go on stage, that’s we’re where we start off really… I’ve always kind of felt like it’s not just about singing about yourself. You’ve got to kind of bring where you’re singing it and writing it with you.
I’ve Got Me
Lil Uzi Vert is back with a new album, Pink Tape. It follows the rapper’s 2020 effort Eternal Atake as well as last year’s Red & White EP. Spanning 22 tracks, the record features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon, Don Toliver, and BABYMETAL. In a trailer posted earlier this week, Uzi is seen fighting a villain to retrieve their pink diamond, a $30 million jewel they had pierced into their forehead in real life in February 2021. The album’s first single, ‘Just Wanna Rock’, arrived in November.
Fontaines D.C. vocalist Grian Chatten has put out his debut solo LP, 
Angelo De Augustine has released his fourth album,
Amber Bain has dropped her sophomore album as the Japanese House, 
Brigid Mae Power has followed up 2020’s Head Above the Water with a new album, 
Sweeping Promises’ sophomore album, 
