The gears of the 2024 festival season are starting to turn as major events have been announcing their lineups in recent weeks. Now, it’s time to learn more about the Parklife Festival, which unveiled its lineup today, January 23.
Headlining this year’s two-day event are Doja Cat and Disclosure. As NME notes, this will be Doja’s first time headlining a UK festival. The festival is set to go down on June 8 and 9 at Heaton Park in Manchester, UK.
Elsewhere on the lineup are Kaytranada, Four Tet, Mahalia, J Hus, Sugababes, Becky Hill, Anne-Marie, Rudimental, CamelPhat, Nia Archives, Peggy Gou, Ella Henderson, Skream, Sub Focus, Digga D, and plenty more.
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Early Bird Tickets previously sold out in December, but there are some other pre-sale options that will soon be available following the lineup announcement (as Manchester Evening News notes). Three customers (customers of the UK telecommunications company Three, not three people) can get tickets starting on January 24 at 10 a.m. GMT, via this link. Then there’s the official pre-sale, which will open to registered fans on January 25 at 10 a.m. GMT, with registrations closing at 6 p.m. GMT on January 24. That link is here.
Finally, there’s the general on-sale, which starts on January 26 at 10 a.m. GMT. Find more information via the festival website.
Kaytranada has revealed that Drake’s team initially reached out to him about working on Honestly, Nevermind. “I met Drake in L.A. one time, and that was it, really. At one point, one of his boys was like, ‘Your boy wants some beats. He’s gonna do a house album.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, hit me up.’ That’s my thing: anybody that wanna work with me, just hit me up. Maybe my reaction rubbed them the wrong way, but I was just saying, ‘Hey, if you’re serious, hit me up, let’s work, for real,’” he told Montreality.
Despite a mixed critical reception, Honestly, Nevermind was still a No. 1 album, continuing Drake’s trend of top-charting albums. Honestly, Nevermind was Drake’s seventh, with For All The Dogs becoming his eighth this year. However, despite it not being made explicit in Kaytranada’s interview, he was ultimately not involved in Honestly, Nevermind.
Furthermore, speaking of Drake albums, For All The Dogs, his release from 2023, got a lot of praise after it (finally) dropped. Jim Jones declared For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition his best album of the year. Jones gave his answer at ComplexCon. “That extendo clip that Drake just dropped got real spooky on n-ggas,” Jones explained. However, he also gave props to Too Good To Be True and Utopia. The six-song deluxe EP recently helped push the Drake product back to the top of the Billboard album charts. Despite the success of the album, last week only marked its second week at No. 1. It displaced Stray Kids’ ROCK-STAR, which tumbled to No. 7.
Furthermore, For All The Dogs has also reached platinum certification last month. For All The Dogs then returned to No. 1, holding off another resurgence from 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which spent another week at No. 2. Ironically, the first track of Drake’s EP shouts out Taylor Swift. “Taylor Swift the only n-gga that I ever rated. Only one could make me drop the album just a little later. Rest of y’all, I treat you like you never made it,” Drake raps on “Red Button”.
We’re starting to feel the year dying down a bit when it comes to new music releases, but definitely in terms of quantity and not quality. Moreover, we only have a couple of tracks to talk about for our R&B Season playlist update, but that’s because we wanted to bring only the very best. Leading the way in that regard is one of 2023’s breakout stars, Tyla, with her newself-titled EP. With her blends of soul, Afrobeat, and electronic production, she’s definitely someone who will continue to build a wavy, serene, and engaging catalog in the future. If you want a taste of what the Johannesburg artist brings to the table, look no further than the impossibly catchy “Truth Or Dare.”
However, it’s almost like artists knew that our R&B Season playlist was going to be a bit smaller this week. With that in mind, KAYTRANADA dropped not one, but two new collaborations to bring even more chill vibes to the winter. One is “Lover/Friend”with Rochelle Jordan, whose gorgeous vocals glide over a slower-tempo but still classic deep Kaytra bounce. The other, “Stuntin” with Channel Tres, is a funkier shuffle with enveloping synths and less prominent bass that gives the track a more dreamy feel.
Finally, we’d be remiss to not mention some newer faces to music fans on our R&B Season playlist update. LAVI$H just released an acoustic version of his song “Seventeen,” and it’s the perfect song to cleanse the earlier dance-centric pallet. Not only is the vocal performance passionate and versatile, but the production really lets the light guitar leads take center stage. If this would be your first time listening to this song, it’s hard not to fall in love with this rendition on impact.
Meanwhile, let us know in the comments what your favorite tracks of these is– and also what else we missed in R&B releases this week. Still, don’t forget about the bangers that came through, for which our Fire Emoji playlist has you covered. You can click on the link below to hear Beyoncé’s new song “My House,” as well as many other amazing hard-hitters in hip-hop and beyond. Check out our R&B Season playlist above and log back into HNHH for more great music releases around the clock.
Haitian-born producer KAYTRANADA has firmly established himself at this point in his career. Ever since bursting onto the scene back in 2016 with his debut album, 99.9%, his trajectory has only gone up from there. What helped immediately stand out to listeners was how willing he was to produce for different genres. Over time, KAYTRANADA has gotten better with each release. He has become an expert in basically every sound he has dabbled in. From house, hip-hop, dance, funk, R&B, and electronic, he can do it all.
This year was the first time he came out with a collaboration project. For many, it went over pretty well. KAYTRANADA and the always-colorful Aminé routinely brought out the best in each other. KAYTRAMINÉ featured the infectious “4EVA” with Pharrell Williams. It was an immediate summer hit. Additionally, tracks like “Master P” with Big Sean, and “EYE” with Snoop Dogg were solid as well.
To build on an already successful 2023, KAY is now back with a four-track EP. Lover/Friend technically features two songs, but the instrumentals are included too. The first cut, “Lover/Friend” has shimmering vocals from Rochelle Jordan. Track two, “Stuntin” features some lowkey rapping from Channel Tres. Both have a mellow feel that KAY has essentially trademarked at this point. Give them a spin above.
What are your initial thoughts on this brand-new EP from KAYTRANADA, Lover/Friend? Out of the two tracks, “Lover/Friend” with Rochelle Jordan, and “Stuntin” featuring Channel Tres, which one is better? Is KAYTRANADA still one of the most slept-on producers in the hip-hop and R&B scene? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around KAYTRANADA. Furthermore, stay with us for all of the best project drops throughout the week.
Kaytranada had no other choice but to punctuate 2023 with a collaborative single. The good news is that he decided to offer up a double single. Even better news? A full-length Kaytranada album is expected to drop in 2024, as per press release.
On Thursday morning, November 30, Kaytranada shared “Lover/Friend” featuring Rochelle Jordan, and the B-side is “Stuntin” featuring Channel Tres. Each song also has an instrumental version available to enjoy.
“Lover/Friend” is as scintillating as its title suggests — a classic will-they-won’t-they elevated by unique production and gorgeous vocals. The press release correctly describes it as “quintessential Kaytranada, providing the producer’s trademark bounce with enough space to let Jordan’s vocals shine.”
“Stuntin” is also bouncy but exists on a totally different wave, as Tres’ sultry voice delivers a confident message in an assured but hushed tone.
Actor and writer Donald Glover is not completely against the use of artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent interview with Complex, Glover shared his perspective on the subject. His viewpoint on AI is one of cautious optimism. When asked about how he feels about the rise of artificial intelligence, especially in entertainment and art, Glover responded with a thoughtful answer. “I think there’s a good reason to be cautious,” he said. “But at the same time, the scary stuff sells and people aren’t focusing on how AI can actually help us solve these problems that we have. I get it. It is scary on some level.”
He continued by acknowledging that although it can be scary to embrace, the use of AI can actually be beneficial. “But I’m like, you could band together and do something really cool with it,” he continued. “Like, something really new. And you can do all that stuff faster. You know, AI’s not gonna take your job, the person who’s really good at AI is gonna take your job. All these things come with cautionary stuff and I think there should be legislation, although I doubt that will happen. Usually it’s in reaction and I think what’s scary to people is that we’re heading toward the precipice of an existential crisis, where we only get one chance to do it the right way. I think that’s what people are afraid of.”
Donald Glover Believes Technology Can Address Societal Problems
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 20: Donald Glover attends the Esquire’s Annual Maverick’s of Hollywood at Sunset Tower on February 20, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Glover encourages a more positive perspective, urging people to unite and leverage AI’s capabilities for creative and transformative endeavors. He firmly asserts that AI is not a force set to replace human jobs, but rather, individuals proficient in AI will be the ones shaping the future employment landscape. “But before that happens, there’s a lot of stuff where it’s like, ‘Well, how about we just aim it toward things that we actually want,’ as opposed to things that we don’t need and things that just seem like a fun idea,” he said.
Moreover, Glover offers a refreshing perspective by proposing a different approach to embracing AI. He thinks people should focus AI efforts on meaningful and constructive endeavors that align with societal needs. Throughout the interview, he emphasizes the importance of steering AI toward positive and beneficial applications. His underlying belief is that, as AI evolves and becomes more integrated into our lives, humanity will collectively navigate the challenges and ultimately find ways to harness its potential for the greater good. “But I actually am a big proponent of, like… People are gonna be using this stuff, and people should be using this stuff, and it’s gonna figure itself out,” he said. “I honestly have faith in humanity more than I think most people do.”
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Humility is often painted as a superpower that has its strength in being a cornerstone for one’s success. For it to work best, it’s sad that other dominant qualities must be submissive in its presence. Confidence works hand-in-hand with it while pride takes a back seat. The alleged beauty behind humility has been professed in numerous ways by many for centuries upon centuries. Confucius called humility the “solid foundation of all virtues” while Rick Pitino said it’s the “true key to success.” Though these examples are not wrong per se, a more accurate one, arguably, can be credited to William Law who said humility is “nothing else but a right judgment of ourselves.”
The “right judgment” portion of that quote is as subjective as ever and on her new album Jaguar II, Victoria Monét declares her own judgment of self and the world around her. The irony here is that through the project’s 11 songs, Monét’s right judgment of self actually sheds the humility that has lived beside her in a career that’s lasted over a decade. For years, Monét was known for her songwriting as she penned records for Diddy, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony, Chloe X Halle, Blackpink, and more – all while working on her own music. It wasn’t until recently that the scales of both seemed to even out, something she wished for back in 2020. “[My] songwriting took off before my [own music] so it wasn’t like I made a decision, I was trying to do both,” she explained in Wonderland Magazine interview. “Now I’m just trying to even the playing field.”
Successful songwriters are often left to live in the shadows of the background making for a disconnect between that and their own releases. That hasn’t been the case as of late for Monét. If her 2020 EP Jaguar was the connection and spark, her debut album Jaguar II is the electric field and bright lights that rightfully resulted. Monét shines with blinding radiance on songs that find her as confident as ever from start to finish on her latest release. Whether it be through the shimmering dance number that is the Kaytranada-produced “Alright,” or the sexy and uplifting “Party Girls,” Monét finds a way to be simultaneously jaguar-like in her fearless approach and as sleek and classy as the luxury vehicle that shares her album’s namesake
At the very center of this album, comes multiple swipes at humility. Monét specifically calls out the extinction of humility in her world moments into “On My Mama.” She pierces through each line with unfiltered cockiness while allowing not an inch of doubt to creep into her statements so as to not invalidate them. More indirectly, we see Monét pop the collar of her fur coat on “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem) while mocking the idea that women can’t be pimps. The tone of disgust is prominent on “Stop (Asking Me 4Shyt)” as she’s in disbelief at the requests a man makes to her for money and other items. Lastly, in what is one of the best moments on the album, Victoria Monét paints herself as a flawless gem on “I’m The One,” perfect in all ways and specifically crafted for a lover who fails to see her as this fairytale love story. Humility often calls for a level of timidness and reservation in how one presents themselves, but for Monét this moment had been over a decade in the making. There isn’t room for dimming the light that she wired tirelessly to make shine.
The Victoria Monét that lives throughout Jaguar II isn’t new by any means. Her bold approach was at the center of Jaguar where records like “Ass Like That” and “Moment” marvelously presented her worth as a diamond in the rough. Much of the same is present on Jaguar II, just refined and crafted to a level that makes the multitalented singer’s artistry more pristine than ever. With heavy production from D’Mile, who has laced irresistible and pleasing records for the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, Snoh Aalegra, Lucky Daye, HER, Mary J. Blige, Silk Sonice, and more Victoria Monét had the necessary tools, both internal and external, to achieve that excellence that is Jaguae II. As she boldly proclaimed on her latest project, Victoria Monét is the one. So yes, humility to the wind and everything else like it. Her blinding radiance looks better and makes for the ideal ingredient in her recipe for success.
Jaguar II is out now via RCA Records/Lovett Music, Inc. Find out more information here.
For decades, hip-hop has often taken inspiration from queer sounds and aesthetics. In the ‘90s, Lil Kim was open about the fact the extravagant outfits and makeup she wore were inspired by drag performers and figures of the underground ballroom scene. She was a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, displaying a sense of allyship that was vital at the time. Despite the fact that Lil Kim had love for the queer and trans communities — a love that was reciprocated — homophobic ideology within hip-hop was rampant. Artists like NWA, DMX, and Ice-T were often praised for their conscious lyrics about racial disparities and economic inequality, however, many listeners reeled over their homophobic lyrics.
Early works by Eminem and the Beastie Boys often depicted violent acts against queer and trans people, which would later be the subject of GLAAD protests. Though the aforementioned artists have since recantedtheselyrics and actions, or have otherwise have shown support for the LGBTQ+ community, many listeners and artists believe bigotry towards queer and trans people is still an issue within the genre. However, in recent years, with LGBTQ+ artists rising through the charts, and at the helm of production of inescapable hits, signs seem to point at a queer revolution within hip-hop.
For the past few years, queerness has had an undeniable presence in hip-hop. Though some women rappers have utilized ballroom lingo and queer aesthetics in their music and visuals, despite not openly identifying as LGBTQ+, many others have made it known from the jump that they are not inhibiting themselves for anybody.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and how the recent LGBTQ+ revolution in hip-hop began. Perhaps it was when Lil Nas X earned the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in 2019 with “Old Town Road,” or maybe it was during the pandemic, when fans helped elevate artists like Doechii, Ice Spice, and Lacy through dances and storytelling on TikTok. Ice Spice alluded to her bisexuality in one of her earliest hits, “Bikini Bottom.” She doubled down on this during an interview with Genius, where she explained that fans “need to know – we’re here and we’re queer!”
The eccentric Doechii has also captivated listeners, not only with her witty one-liners and vibrant displays of the characters she invents with her music, but also simply by unapologetically being herself. Before signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, which has housed the likes of Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Doechii went viral with her autobiographical song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” on which, she proclaims, “I think I like girls, but I think I like men.” One of her first major label hits, “Persuasive,” likens the idea of smoking marijuana to giving into the affections of a woman.
In an interview with British GQ last year, Doechii cited the LGBTQ+ community in helping her find confidence in her sound, saying, “I always knew that I was queer, and I was bisexual. But I didn’t really feel comfortable talking about it, because nobody around me was gay. So it’s not like I was hiding it — but I also wasn’t fully embracing it. I just started indulging myself with more friends who were like me. And that’s when I could become more comfortable talking about it, because that’s my normal everyday conversation now with my gay friends.”
Around the same time Doechii began blowing up, her Top Dawg labelmate Isaiah Rashad was the subject of rumors surrounding his sexuality. In February 2022, sex tapes of Rashad engaging in activities with other men surfaced online. Rashad would not address these tapes until his performance at Coachella two months later. During the performance, he thanked fans, who sent messages of support following the leaks, saying, “I see all the messages and all that sh*t, all the positivity,” and noted that his fans kept him “alive these last couple months.” A month later, he came out as sexually fluid during an interview with Joe Budden.
Also that year, Lil Uzi Vert, who had previously identified as a man, started using they/them pronouns. Though they made this announcement simply by updating the pronouns in their Instagram bio, and have not officially labeled themselves as non-binary, Uzi revealed in an interview with 032c that this change came without any sort of hesitation.
“I did take my time to learn as much as I could about this before I was able to proceed,” said Uzi. “Taking the time to figure out who you are is a big part of what it means to be alive.”
They continued, explaining that the LGBTQ+ community has always been an essential component of the hip-hop game.
“I just think a good product [is] a good product,” Uzi said. “Think about fashion. Gay and trans designers are some of the biggest talents out there, and gangster-ass guys wear their stuff without a thought. What you make is what matters, not how you identify.”
And the quality of Uzi’s work has certainly been reflected in their sales and streams. Last month, their long-awaited Pink Tape album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first hip-hop album of 2023 to do so.
But also, in regards to “a good product,” several queer producers are working behind the scenes to give these hip-hop records a magical touch. Over the course of the past year, openly gay producer Kaytranada has cut tracks for rappers IDK and JID, and even collaborated with rapper Aminé on a full-length collaborative album. Bisexual singer and instrumentalist Steve Lacy has been a go-to collaborator for artists like Kendrick Lamar and J Cole for years.
Last year, Lacy earned the biggest hit of his career with “Bad Habit,” a chart-topping song which tells the painful story of a missed connection. Throughout the song, Lacy doesn’t mention anyone by name, or allude to specific pronouns, which makes the song all the more relatable. “[I]f only you’d known, things would be different,” said Shani Fuller-Tillman, RCA Records VP of Marketing in a 2022 interview with Variety. “There’s no one of any age, race or gender identity that hasn’t experienced this in life.”
While relatability is a key factor in the success of songs like “Bad Habit,” the tune also got a viral push through TikTok. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok has been crucial to a song’s success — whether it be from the song’s genesis to its official release, or as the platform documents the song’s second — or even third — life.
LGBTQ+ artists, especially, have felt the effects of TikTok on their music, especially Lil Nas X, who began teasing his single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” through TikTok months before its official March 2021 release. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and though Lil Nas X hasn’t released an album since September of 2021, he continues to tease new music through the platform — the snippets often met with fans in the comments, demanding he release the full song immediately.
In 2022, fellow gay rapper Saucy Santana went viral on TikTok with his opulent single, “Material Gworllllllll!,” though the song had been released three years prior. Its viral resurgence prompted Madonna — who has long been deemed a gay icon — to perform the song alongside Santana at New York City Pride that year, and later, release a remix of the song in the form of a mashup with her 1984 hit, “Material Girl.”
But what is the catalyst for hip-hop’s recent embrace of queer and trans artists and producers? Is it online virality? The post-COVID desire to dance and feel liberated? The genre-fluidity in which streaming is pushing hip-hop numbers into similar territory as pop?
Is it even fair that hip-hop gets all the flack for homophobia? At the time of writing, Miley Cyrus is the only openly queer artist in the top 10 of Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. Meanwhile, Jason Aldean, whose recent small town-romanticizing music video for his song “Try That In A Small Town” has been accused of racist imagery, is within arms length of his first Billboard Hot 100 topper.
Rap and hip-hop are certainly not monolithic, but even as the pop-adjacent rappers and hip-hop artists, like those mentioned above, have been met with support from hip-hop fans — both queer and straight — even conscious rappers, like Rashad, have received an outpour of love from their day-one fans.
Across any artistic platform, there’s always room for improvement in terms of LGBTQ+ acceptance and representation; but it feels safe to say that hip-hop is on the right track.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
(@Parklifefest) January 23, 2024
