I’ve spent approximately 7 hours of my week chin-handsing it on my desk watching Charli XCX’s “Boys” music video. When I first heard about this entire concept of a seemingly endless list of male celebs and models doing soft, swoon-worthy things, nothing could have prepared me for it. It’s a 2 minutes and 47 second choose-your-own-internet-boyfriend ad, flipping the Male Gaze in on its head. It’s got Diplo doing bicep curls with puppies, Joe Jonas seductively licking at a milk mustache, Vance Joy savoring a donut, Chromeo having a pillow fight, Riz Ahmed cuddling a gigantic plush teddy bear…. And about thirty other pure, divine clips of “guys doing all the sexy things that girls usually do in videos.”
The video’s gone viral, you’ve most likely watched it 70+ times by now, but since then, people have been pitching their own personal “Boys” dream-casting. My top 5 personal favorites I’ve seen mentioned are:
1. Tom Holland testing lipstick swatches on his arm
2. Oscar Isaac watering ferns
3. Tom Hardy blowing bubbles
4. Chris Pratt doing long division in his head
5. Sufjan Stevens trimming a lawn with a pair of scissors
Who are and what would your top 3 ideal “Boys” dream-cast scenarios? Hit me up on Twitter!
Please reach out to me via the handy dandy contact page on the cmd+f website, or on Twitter with your thoughts about any of the tracks I’ve selected this week. I love chatting about music. Let me in on your new favorite band; they’re looking for new fans, too.
As always, you know the drill: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about the songs you liked in this letter, but most importantly, let the artists know. There’s a good chance they’ll see your comments. Let them know how good their tunes are, and they’ll crank out even more magic.
P.S. If you would like to have this letter sent to your email every Friday, please head over to this link right here to subscribe to never miss a weekly roundup!
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“Mattress” - Leland | If you’ve never heard OF Leland, you’ve definitely heard Leland in some capacity – he’s a hit-making songwriter who’s responsible for Daya’s runaway hit “Hideaway,” half of the tracks on Troye Sivan’s debut album Blue Neighbourhood, a bulk of Allie X’s catalogue, and most recently the mastermind behind Selena Gomez’s newest single “Fetish.” What’s special about Leland’s lyrical content is how vivid the descriptions are – even if they can be a tad corny. Successful pop has a bit of nonsense tucked into it. In “Mattress,” Leland takes the mic this time to lament about letting a lover go and wanting nothing more in the freakin’ world than to have his body on their mattress. Listen here
“Sunny Days” - Bel Heir | This song sounds like it belongs on an advert between breaks during an episode of The OC or even the background of a house party in a late 90s teen movie. Not sure if it’s the record scratches and bouncy guitars that give it a tinge of nostalgia for summer evenings on the beach, but I’ve been digging this tune all week. It’s been nagging at the back of my mind with a sense of familiarity and delight. Listen here
“Fire Dancing” - Holy Oysters | Holy Oysters! Don’t think I can recall any Parisian psychedelic pop artists off the top of my head, and these dudes are killing the game. They sound like Kevin Parker produced a track for Arcade Fire - which we know would sound like swishing pop rocks and Coke in your mouth after snacking on some mushrooms. “Fire Dancing” is vibrant, electrifying, and so much fun to listen to. Listen here
“Celebration of the Disease” - Cabbage | Cabbage are one of the most exciting new punk acts coming out of Manchester at the moment. Serving up classic, anarchist punk titles like “Uber Capitalist Death Trade” and “A Network Betrayal,” and lending their sound to stirring guitars and relentless chants. “Celebration of the Disease” sounds similar to early The Horrors tunes – a bit sinister, yet liberating. Listen here
“Midnight” - Jessie Ware | G I R L ! My mind is clear, my soul is cleansed, my world is aligned. For all the years I’ve been following Jessie’s career, I’ve immersed myself in the overall essence of her music from her debut album Devotion – a touch cool, mostly soothing – but home girl came to COLLECT on this comeback single. As soon Jessie starts to belt out the chorus as it bursts through an Elton John-esque piano step, I. Am. Bald. Listen here
BONUS
Arcade Fire’s FIFTH studio album Everything Now is out and does not disappoint Listen here
Hallelujah! BØRNS is back! New single is titled “Faded Heart” Listen here
Cardi B has jumped on a remix of DRAM’s “Cute” and it’s delightful Listen here
From one cooky ass producer to another, PC Music founder AG Cook covered Aphex Twin’s IDM classic tune “Windowlicker” note-for-note and it’s a sugary, demented hyperfantasy Listen here
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If you’re interested in hearing what else I’ve been rinsing this month (aside from the tracks listed above), peep my personal July 2017 playlist. There I will be dumping in new (and occasionally throw back) tracks as the month carries on. You can dive into the cmd+f archive to hear what I’ve been listening to in previous months this year.
A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I’ve shared this week and past cmd+f newsletters are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here. You’re welcome.
See you next week!