With Labor Day behind us and the scent of pumpkin spice breathing down our necks, there is only one thing to do: listen to some good music and savor the last bits of summer as best we can. We have a few new songs this week that really hit home. The anthemic new track from indie pop darling beabadoobee will reinvigorate your soul while luring you into a head bop.
Activist, singer, actor, and overall superstar Janelle Monáe released an inspiring new song that is featured in the new Amazon Studios documentary, All In: The Fight For Democracy. Fun fact: Monáe talked to DuJour back in 2019 and gave us a few of her goals for 2020. Her contribution to the documentary’s soundtrack brought one of those plans to fruition. See more on that scoop below.
New music from actor Joe Keery under his solo moniker, Djo, is giving us some trippy funk vibes, while a dream collaboration between mxmtoon and Carly Rae Jepsen is the pop energy we needed to carry us through the weekend. A new single from Of Monsters and Men completes this week’s Sound Bite.
See below for all five songs.
1. “Visitor” by Of Monsters and Men
Co-lead vocalist and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir says of the band’s new song, “‘Visitor’ is a song about disconnection and being on the fringe of change, seeing everything you once knew disappear, and finding yourself in the role of the visitor. It was written and recorded when the world was a completely different place, but the post-apocalyptic world of the video seems fitting. We shot the music video for it in Iceland in the freezing cold of February right before the pandemic hit. We are so very excited to finally share this song with you.”
2. “Worth It” by beabadoobee
Beabadoobee is one of our favorite songstresses who seemingly effortlessly shares her point of view coupled with a VHS tape type of energy. Bea’s new single is vibey and cool laced with heartfelt, emotional lyrics about messing up. The singer says “Worth It” is “simply about teenage infidelity.” Beabadoobee’s debut album, Fake It Flowers, is due out October 16.
3. “ok on your own” by mxmtoon and Carly Rae Jepsen
A bright new collaboration between Brooklyn-based artist mxmtoon and Carly Rae Jepsen is empowering and inspiring. “Sometimes relationships aren’t meant to work. it’s a bitter reality that many of us come to terms with at one point or another, but we all have to realize our own self worth before letting certain people into our lives! “ok on your own” is your reminder that stepping away from a relationship isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength,” mxmtoon says of the new song.
4. “Keep Your Head Up” by Djo
If you’re really missing Stranger Things right about now, do yourself a favor and listen to Joe Keery’s new song under his moniker Djo. Keery released his first solo album in late 2019 and showed the world his psychedelic rock talents. Not really at all similar to his character’s quirky energy on Stranger Things but, you should still listen. “Keep Your Head Up” encourages having a positive outlook and truly comes at the most ideal time. Turn up the volume if you feel like you’re slipping into a bit of a slump.
5. “Turntables” by Janelle Monáe
“Turntables” is the first new song from Monáe since 2018 and it is quite appropriate that it comes in tandem with a prolific new documentary on Amazon Prime. All In: The Fight for Democracy gives viewers a deep dive into voter suppression ahead of the 2020 Presidential election and “Turntables” was written specifically for the politically informative doc’s soundtrack. In 2019, Monáe told DuJour about a few of her plans for 2020 finishing her to-do list with, “And figuring out how I can get as many people to register to vote as possible.” Well done, Janelle.
