Listen “Out”

by Taylor Brunwald
Music Critic

Aston – Circles

Newcomer Aston, with her trademark bubblegum pink hair, is making her mark on the industry with her dance-pop single Circles. Her introductory single is party-ready and the rhythm is designed to make people move, preferably in her direction.

The lyrics, as with most songs made for clubs, are the weakest point, filled with clichés and a reliance on a reference to Dead or Alive’s ‘80s hit You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). However, the freewheeling beat is incredibly fun and her vocals sound remarkably similar to LGBT icon Cyndi Lauper.

Aston, who identifies as pansexual, is committed to speaking out against sexual injustice and is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ causes.

“My goal is to show, no matter what you’ve been subjected to in the past, when you work your butt off, and stick with what you’re doing, anything is possible,” she said in a statement.

Circles is now available for purchase and streaming.

Yaysh – Wild One (Madame Gandhi Percussion Edit)

Yaysh made a name for herself within the community when her single Light Up This Room premiered on lesbian entertainment site AfterEllen. The upcoming singer/rapper returns with Wild One, complete with a remix by Madame Gandhi, M.I.A.’s former percussionist.

The main version is a sensual manifestation of a “come hither” look, about stealing a man’s girlfriend from a club with her prowess. Yaysh’s singing is as sweet as maple syrup, while her rapping is almost painfully cheesy. While the main version is heavily influenced by reggae, Madame Gandhi’s remix turns it into a dance hall jam for every ladies night.

She said in a statement about the song: “’Wild One" is about passion, justice and just straight-up courage. People still, today, fear their sexual side, their authenticity, their truest yearnings. Why? Because the scariest thing to do in life is to be yourself.”

Wild One (Madame Gandhi Percussion Edit) is now available for purchase and streaming.

Bon Iver – 22, A Million

Justin Vernon has entered the experimental portion of his career. After winning the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album in 2012 with Bon Iver, Bon Iver, and collaborating with the likes of James Blake and Kanye West, Vernon was bound to incorporate electronics into his work eventually.

On his third album under the Bon Iver moniker, 22, A Million takes the band’s signature folk sound with obtuse lyrics and throws it into a malfunctioning computer. The song titles are less of titles and more of glyphs: 22 (OVER S∞∞N), the opening track, could be read as “over soon;” 21 M♢♢N WATER is a peaceful meditation with a short-circuiting saxophone towards the end.

The album as a whole is gorgeous and masterfully mixed, even with deliberate kinks thrown into the system. It’s the cracks where the light shines through.

22, A Million is now available for purchase and streaming.

Lady Gaga – Million Reasons

Iconic singer/songwriter, bisexual LGBT advocate, and polarizing pop culture figure Lady Gaga could arguably be credited for single handedly changing the face of pop music upon her debut with The Fame in 2008. When instant flop PerfectIllusion released in September 2016, its alternative rock sound indicated Gaga moved away from her dance-pop throne.

Promoting her fifth studio album Joanne in a “dive bar tour,” Gaga premiered country ballad Million Reasons to a Nashville crowd of Little Monsters, as her fans are lovingly called. The dour, dragging ballad, along with betrayal sing-along Perfect Illusion, indicate Joanne may largely be her most heartbreaking album yet, likely inspired by the ending of her engagement from Taylor Kinney.

If Million Reasons is the best follow-up Joanne has to offer after the monumental disappointment of Perfect Illusion, we may see another flavor of ARTPOP sooner than anticipated.

Joanne, while not available to review at press time, is now available for purchase and streaming.

A&E

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