Latto celebrates all the boss bitches in the new video for “It’s Givin” from her album 777. “It’s Givin” was one of the album’s standouts, receiving attention on its release night for its thumping beat and motivational messaging. Latto keeps that energy (ha) with the video, creating an inclusive workspace where all women can be bosses. The video highlights several disabled women and features cameos from stars like Angie Martinez, Ella Mai, Flo Milli, and Chloe and Halle Bailey, as Latto herself leads business meetings and drapes herself over the copy machine in a heavily modified business suit with strategic cutouts that show off her assets.
The Atlanta rapper’s work ethic certain gives “boss bitch”; in the five months since the album was released, she has supported it with a remix to its standout hit “Big Energy” featuring Mariah Carey and assisted a slew of fellow entertainers with fiery guest verses. In April, she and Trina made it “Clap,” then she reminded foes to “Mind Yo Business” in June with Lakeyah. She joined Saucy Santana on his Beyonce-sampling “Booty” and appeared on albums from the likes of Nardo Wick, Calvin Harris, and Megan Thee Stallion, in addition to dropping her own provocative single supporting reproductive equality, “Pussy.”
Before the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards kicked off on Sunday (August 28), Variety‘s Marc Malkin was on the red carpet for interviews. As he chatted with some of the most beloved stars at this year’s VMAs, he made it a point to ask about Britney Spears and her new comeback song with Elton John, “Hold Me Closer,” getting a mixed bag of answers.
When Malkin mentioned Spears to recent Uproxx cover star Chlöe, she lit up and said, “I’m so proud of her. I love Britney and I’m so happy to see that she can be herself on her own terms.” He then asked what song he’d like to duet on with Spears and she went with “Toxic.” Malkin tried to coax Chlöe into singing a bit of the song but she playfully declined.
He also asked Latto the duet question and she answered, “We gotta do something from scratch, we gotta do something from scratch.” She added, “Brit: call me, girl. It’s nothing. I do think, some new Britney… the world needs some new Britney.”
Answering the same question, J Balvin chose “Slave 4 U” and even sang a brief snippet of it.
Latto and Planned Parenthood recently collaborated on a PSA video in which Latto used her platform to encourage her followers to support the cause of abortion access and rights. The video was created ahead of her nomination for the MTV Video Music award, nominating her song “P*SSY” as Video for Good. The award celebrates artists who use their art for social justice.
The Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which removed the fundamental right to an abortion, was overturned two months ago last Thursday. The court’s ruling has caused a national public health emergency. One in three American women and more trans and nonbinary persons who are capable of getting pregnant already lack access to the freedom to manage their own bodies since abortion is illegal in nearly a third of the states in the United States.
The song “P*SSY” by Latto is a bold statement on who has the right to control our bodies and our decisions in response to the Roe v. Wade decision being overturned. In addition to leveraging her position to raise awareness of this situation, Latto is also giving Planned Parenthood a share of the sales revenue from the song’s release. On this significant release, Latto selected strong women to work with her, including Katie McIntyre, who designed the cover art, and co-director Sara Lacombe.
Georgia’s Clayton County, where Latto is from, just passed a law outlawing abortions beyond six weeks (H.B. 481). Just two weeks after a person’s first missed period—before many people even know they are pregnant—the law gives the state the power to make receiving basic healthcare illegal.
“We already know who’s going to be hurt the most by these ridiculous abortion bans: Black women, Brown women, the LGBTQ+ community, and communities with low incomes. Because of this country’s history of racism and discrimination, these folks already have a hard time getting the health care they need. We all deserve to be safe and it’s every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies. As an artist, I want to use my platform to let these politicians know: My body is for no one to control, but me.”
“We’ve been privileged to have the support of many wonderful musical artists who are speaking out about the attacks on abortion. When a prominent artist like Latto uses their platform to amplify the need for reproductive rights for all, it’s a very powerful moment. Latto’s voice will do so much to inspire others to use their voices, too, and we are thrilled that she is speaking her truth. In this time of widespread loss of abortion access, the time for us all to speak up is now.”
Latto has been very vocal about women’s rights in her music, but she isn’t afraid to step away from the booth and approach the matter in a different way. In a recent public service announcement, the “Big Energy” artist joined Planned Parenthood in an effort to advocate for abortion rights and access after the controversial Roe vs. Wade decision.
In a Youtube video, the 23-year-old passionately spoke about the state of the country as it relates to pregnant women. “We already know who’s going to be hurt the most by these ridiculous abortion bans: Black women, Brown women, the LGBTQ+ community, and communities with low incomes,” and added “Because of this country’s history of racism and discrimination, these folks already have a hard time getting the health care they need. We all deserve to be safe and it’s every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies.”
The Columbus artist concluded her PSA with “As an artist, I want to use my platform to let these politicians know: My body is for no one to control, but me.”
Though what comes of this partnership is unclear at the moment, Latto will be recognized for her advocacy within music too at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards when she receives the Video For Good award for her latest single “P*ssy.”
Check out Latto’s public service announcement via Planned Parenthood above.
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.
In the lead-up to her second album Traumazine, Megan Thee Stallion repeatedly noted that it had more emotionally-charged themes and greater vulnerability than her debut, Good News. In a June interview with Rolling Stone, she said, “I want to take you through so many different emotions. At first you was twerking, now you might be crying.”
She reiterated the sentiment in an August Q&A session on Twitter. “I wrote this album for myself,” she admitted. “I wanted to start writing in a journal but I said f*ck it I’ll put it in a song.” She also confessed that “saying certain things you’ve never said out loud before is hard.” Fans understandably presumed that this meant the Houston rapper would address the various public misfortunes that had befallen her since her Tina Snow EP rocketed her to stardom.
Traumazine delivers on Megan’s promises, but it doesn’t stray too far from her established formula. Production-wise, it runs the gamut from Thee Stallion’s preferred speaker knocking Texas trap to a very on-trend detour into Miami Bass and house, while lyrically, Megan returns to the rapid-fire freestyle form that first impressed her fans, peers, and early mentor Q-Tip. The newer, more confessional attitude peppers her hard-hitting, boastful verses with lines that hide the hurt behind defiant bluster.
On songs like “Not Nice,” Megan’s gift for storytelling comes to the fore. “I kept your bills paid. You were sick, I paid for surgery,” she reminds a disloyal acquaintance. “But I pray you boo-hoo, do me wrong, where they deserve to be.” The specificity of her examples lends weight to her jabs – for every verbal right cross, someone has crossed her. Meg’s also unafraid to drop the facade of the tough-girl rapper and bluntly state a long-standing issue. On “Anxiety,” she wishes she could “write a letter to Heaven” so she can “tell my mama that I shoulda been listenin’.” I just wan’ talk to somebody that get me,” she accepts.
But even with the more vulnerable material here, Meg shines brightest when she sticks to the brash, explicit material that defines breakout hits like “Big Ole Freak” and “WAP.” “Ms. Nasty,” which pairs a thumping bass kick with an ‘80s R&B melody, offers another worthwhile inclusion to this tradition, opening with the straightforward come-on “I want you to dog this cat out, whip it like a trap house / Stand up in that pussy, stomp the yard like a frat house.” “Pressurelicious” with Future and “Budgets” with Latto match this energy, the latter pairing working best. We need more songs with these two together.
Other guests include Rico Nasty, with whom Meg displays incredible chemistry on “Scary,” Key Glock, who gifts her a suitably spiteful verse on “Ungrateful,” and Pooh Shiesty, who makes fans feel his absence from the spotlight (he’s currently locked up on a gun charge, facing a eight-year sentence) on “Who Me.” There are also contributions from R&B singers Jhene Aiko and Lucky Daye, which have the unfortunate side effect of highlighting the weaknesses of Meg’s own singing voice. She’s at her best spitting bruising bars with her gruff Texas twang as she does alongside her Lone Star compatriots on “Southside Royalty Freestyle”; when she tries to croon her own choruses, the effect feels raw and unpolished — and not in a good way.
The pop swings are also hit-and-miss. While “Her” fits in among the Beyonce-inspired post-Renaissance wave of future ball favorites, “Sweetest Pie” with Dua Lipa sounds like Meg chasing the success of peers like Doja Cat. This misunderstands what listeners want from the two artists. Meg wins because of tracks like “Gift & Curse,” “Who Me,” and “Scary.” Give her a lush, groovy soul sample and an 808 to vent her frustrations over, you get the verses on “Flip Flop.” These are the kinds of songs at which Meg excels. The added emotional depth is a bonus, adding relatability to her aspirational boldness. This will be the formula for Meg’s future success.
Traumazine is out now on 1501 Certified/300 Entertainment. Get it here.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Megan Thee Stallion is moving fast with the Traumazine release. The “Plan B” rapper just shared the name of her new album earlier this week in a wicked morbid teaser clip. It’s due out on August 12 and the tracklist announcement for Traumazine shows that Megan Thee Stallion has made a lot of phone calls to gather a group of guests that includes Future, Latto, Rico Nasty, Dua Lipa, and more.
Yes, “Plan B” is among the 18 tracks on Traumazine, as is the recently released “Pressurelicious” featuring Future. Latto is featured on “Budget,” while Dua Lipa appears on the album-closing single, “Sweetest Pie.” Also appearing alongside Megan Thee Stallion on Traumazine are Pooh Shiesty, Key Glock, Jhene Aiko, Lucky Daye, and Sauce Walka, Big Pokey & Lil Keke on the “Southside Royalty Freestyle.”
Check out the complete tracklist along with the album artwork for Megan Thee Stallion’s Traumazine below.
When Calvin Harris released the first Funk Wav Bounces in 2017, that album felt groundbreaking. By attaching ostensibly hardcore rappers such as Schoolboy Q and Young Thug to glittering, post-disco dance-pop, the producer threw both sides of the equation into stark relief, accentuating the best qualities of each. The rappers were able to display new sides of their personalities; the groovy beats felt more urgent and immediate. Songs like “Slide” and “Feels” made bodies want to move.
Now, Harris is on the second volume of the Funk Wav Bounces experiment, his first full-length release since 2017. He’s expanded the scope of his feature pool with rappers like 21 Savage, Busta Rhymes, and Pusha T lending their blunt-edged rhymes to his production. However, that production has seemingly contracted in equivalent measure, resulting in something more constrained and abrasive. Instead of the breezy listen the first offered, this one provides something that goes a step too far and ends up feeling just disposable.
I don’t think it’s a result of just the music choices Harris makes here. Sure, the monotonous drone with which Savage usually raps is ill-suited to the post-funk two-step of “New Money.” And yes, the Dua Lipa and Young Thug-featuring “Potion” is more of a retread of what has gone before. But when you zoom out a bit and take in the whole of the context into which Funk Wav Vol. 2 was released, the picture becomes much clearer. Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 seems less essential because honestly, it just might be.
I wrote earlier this year about what appears to be a concerted effort by ostensible hip-hop and R&B artists to reclaim dance music as a Black artform. This is a huge part of the reason that Calvin Harris’ efforts might feel less welcome. The landscape has shifted. More Black artists than ever are delving (back) into genres that their forebears pioneered in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and there’s more interest in doing so in a way that feels authentic to the roots of the dance scene. Back then, folks had not only a reason to dance, they had a desperate need to, as well.
Those early records, spun by Black DJs in warehouses packed with Black and queer people, were often raw, constructed under the weight of systems designed to oppress their audience, and created with the specific intent of pushing back against them, both subtly and loudly. By contrast, pairing punchline punishers like Busta and Pusha T with inoffensive, polished grooves and neatly packaged pop stars like Charlie Puth and Justin Timberlake seems to work counter to the transgressive vibes dance music used to give.
Now, look around. You see rights under attack, open racism, viral epidemics and pandemics seemingly targeted at the most vulnerable communities, police brutality, a mental health crisis, a tidal wave of evictions, and growing economic inequality across nearly every quarter of society. People aren’t just anxious; they’re angry, they’re depressed, they’re hurting, and they’re desperate for a release. There’s just too much pressure and it needs to be released. Dance music has always offered that, but it can’t be watered down.
When you look around, you see that artists like Doechii, Kaytranada, and Leikeli47 are making exactly the sort of raw, defiant dance music that people need to hear. When Doechii performs her songs “Persuasive” and “Crazy,” she doesn’t do so with a coquettish smile – she snarls. Leikeli’s collection of ski masks and face-covering bandanas aren’t just meant to hide her identity and focus attention on her music – they also evoke the menace of an armed robbery, the rebellion of an uprising. Beyonce’s new album Renaissance is a dance history lesson, yes. But it’s also a sermon, with Bey calling on ancestors, highlighting their struggles, and likening them to the struggles we face today.
Calvin Harris isn’t wrong to try to capitalize on the growing interest in Black dance; it’s his job, and for the most part, he’s good at it. But this is day party music, when what the world and the audience need is warehouse, Stonewall uprising, Paris Is Burning music. There’s a lot of talk about how the modern dance wave offers audiences escapism. I’ll argue with that; Calvin Harris’ dance-pop is escapist, fantastic stuff. In another time, it’d be perfect to put on and drift away on its hazy, frictionless groove. But what people want, what people need now is defiance. When the world is doing its damndest to crush you, there is nothing more powerful than to stand up and dance.
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 is out now via Columbia. Get it here.
