As midsummer approaches, the need to establish a summer 2020 anthem has arrived.
Fortunately, some of the biggest names in music have been releasing contenders and they’re not doing it alone. The abundant amount of musical collaborations are keeping fans entertained while still in quarantine.
Regard and RAYE’s collaboration on their new song, “Secrets,” is the much-needed alternative to SAINT JHN’s overplayed and outdated, “Roses (Imanbek Remix).”
Released just last month, “Secrets,” is a dance track that is sure to make it to any summer playlist. As the song starts, we hear the cautionary lyrics, “I don’t know ‘bout you, ‘bout you / There’s somethin’ in his eyes / He’s keepin’ secrets.”
If you’re one to have, “fallen outta love again,” this song is sure to give you the confidence needed to move forward. If not, at the very least, “Secrets,” will undoubtedly keep listeners grooving along.
Regard, a Kosovan DJ and producer, and RAYE, a British singer and songwriter, join forces for an excellent dance track, “Secrets.”
Photo courtesy of Epic Records, Veton Osmani
To keep the momentum going, let’s queue The Weeknd’s, “In Your Eyes (Remix),” featuring Doja Cat. The remix was released two months after it first appeared on The Weeknd’s sixth studio album, “After Hours.” There is no doubt that The Weeknd’s music is capable of standing on its own, but for “In Your Eyes,” audiences deserved to hear the perspective from the eyes he’s referring to.
Doja Cat starts off her verse with an ethereal voice that is sure to turn heads. Both her lyrics and voice are enticing and mesmerizing as she sings, “I never lied when I cried for you.”
As her verse progresses, she effortlessly transitions into a deeper voice as she matter-of-factly sings, “One day, I’m giving you space / And the next day, you’re giving me faces.”
Joyner Lucas’, “Will (Remix),” gets to feature his idol, Will Smith, in the collaboration of a lifetime as he expresses his aspirations inspired by Smith. In the remix, Smith humbly responds, “I love that you think that I’m perfect but I had plenty mistakes and burdens.”
Smith also gets to reflect on his accomplishments, while simultaneously being humbled by those who stand inspired by his successes. The remix is filled with inspiration that can motivate anyone to achieve greatness, as Smith encouragingly raps, “You a legend in the makin’ too.”
Looking for that summer heat? The Jonas Brothers and KAROL G provide fans with the perfect single in their bilingual track, “X.” There’s no wasted time in this song as both artists know what they want and don’t hesitate in hiding it as the Jonas Brothers sing the lyrics, “She said I wanna find somebody by nightfall.”
The music video for, “X,” could also easily be mistaken as a smartphone commercial as it features each artist isolated on separate screens. The pop stars worked with directors Josh Rimmey and Zach Williams to creatively assemble the video through Zoom, putting some pressure on artists to improvise as they learn to collaborate on visuals while following stay-at-home orders.
Leading up to the release of Lady Gaga’s sixth studio album, “Chromatica,” she released a second single titled, “Rain on Me,” featuring pop princess Ariana Grande.
As in traditional Gaga fashion, she sings about going through rough experiences and her start to embrace the struggle through joyous dancing and singing. Gaga and Grande released the music video for, “Rain on Me,” 13 hours after the song’s initial release.
After demonstrating her prowess as an actress in the 2018 film, “A Star is Born,” Gaga is delivering on some much-needed pop music many of us sorely missed. “Chromatica,” was released on May 29 after being postponed due to COVID-19.
While we are still unsure of what the rest of summer has in store, we are definitely not going into them without new music. These catchy tracks will do for now as the warm weather and future collaborations unfold.
