10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of December 9, 2022
As 2022 draws nearer to its end, it seems the music is only getting better and better.
All of our favorite artists are really heating things up with their new tunes as the temperatures outside drop, from up-and-comers including Bestfriend and Morgan Reese to our all-time faves including Rebecca Black and SZA—and we have to mention the instant classic that Dove Cameron just dropped on the world. Curious about what we loved best? Just keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Dec. 9, 2022.
1. Bestfriend Tackles the Struggles of Everyday Life in 'LEMON LIME'
Listening to Canadian alt-pop duo Bestfriend, you'd never guess that artists Stacy Kim and Kaelan Geoffrey made their music together while being separated by thousands of miles, as it's clear with every note that they're perfectly in sync. Their new single, "LEMON LIME," is melodic and dreamy, yet raw, with a sing-song feel and lyrics about not feeling aligned with the world around you, and just wishing you could disappear for a while. "'LEMON LIME' is about struggling in a world that feels like it wasn't built for you and not being able to do anything about it, while constantly being told that everything is fine," the band explained in a press release. "It's a song for people who are tired of how things are while being too tired to change it—but everyone says it's fine, so just go do your silly little tasks every day!"
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2. Morgan Reese Outsmarts Players in New Track 'Playmaker'
Morgan Reese is one of our favorite new singer-songwriters on the scene, self-recording her deceptively straightforward tracks from her dorm room, and her new single "Playmaker" might be her best track yet. It's a vibrant and unabashedly petty teardown of boys who try to pretend to be the nice guy, with Morgan turning the tables to become the player herself—complete with sly sports puns and metaphors. "I wrote 'Playmaker' after I started noticing a pattern from all the people that have played me," Morgan shared in a press release. "I thought it would be funny to write a song about outsmarting the players and eventually becoming one. The person I wrote this song about was really into sports which is why I obviously had to fill the song with sports references, give it a sports-related title, and am decked out in sports attire on the cover." It'll be on her debut album, releasing in February, and we cannot wait.
3. The Greeting Committee Get Lovey-Dovey With 'Anything But You'
There are few things we love more than heartfelt love songs, and indie rock band The Greeting Committee's "Anything But You" is one that will resonate with anyone who's head over heels in love. The gentle guitar-driven track is about the single-mindedness that comes with being in love, with hazy instrumentation that makes you really feel it, and a chorus you'll want to scream along to. "'Anything But You' is a song for the girl I love," lead singer Addie Sartino shared in a press release. "It's as simple and as complicated as that. Capturing the moment when everything in you becomes a megaphone telling the world how you feel with the windows down."
4. corook Drops a Double Whammy With 'Stacy's Mom' and 'realistic'
Alt-pop singer-songwriter and producer corook hasn't let us down yet with her earnestly dorky yet heartfelt approach to songwriting, and this week, she blessed us with not one, but two unforgettable tracks. The first is a cover of the classic Fountains of Wayne song "Stacy's Mom," an echoey, acoustic reimagining of the track retold from a queer perspective, adding new layers that transform the lyrics from humorous to confessional. Secondly, she shared the official music video for her new single, "realistic," with trippy "Strawberry Fields Forever"-like instrumentation as she reflects on what true love really means. "'realistic' is a love song about questioning my place in 'true love,' as I haven't seen it myself," corook explained in a press release. "My parents are divorced and every love story I've ever heard feels sappy and exaggerated. I wanted this video to represent the questioning in the song by questioning reality itself. It flows in and out of drawings to real people. It is my commitment to finding true love in the truest way possible, somewhere in the grey area. Maybe I'm a skeptic or maybe I'm realistic."
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5. SHAUN Takes a Step Into the Future With Omnibus pt. 2: Inside Out
K-pop singer-songwriter SHAUN's Omnibus pt.1: Kaleidoscope made big waves when it dropped in July, and its stunning new followup, Omnibus pt. 2: Inside Out, is just as impressive. While the first part was about SHAUN looking at the world through a kaleidoscope, this time around, he is the one being viewed with colorful distortion. It includes three tracks, the English-language bop "Monsters," the alt-rock title track "Shooting Star" and the rocking "Swan Song," complete with one of the best guitar riffs of the year. Our favorite has to be "Shooting Star," with anthemic vibes that make it feel like the soundtrack to our lives.
6. Rebecca Black Reveals Her Uplifting New Single 'Look at You'
We love to see pop singer-songwriter and viral star Rebecca Black becoming the master of her own narrative, and off the back of her last release, "Crumbs," her new single, "Look at You," shows off both her versatility and her incredible musical ability as an artist. The track begins slow, with atmospheric instrumentation, before evolving into a vibey, synth-tinged jam. It's vulnerable and personal, with lyrics reaching out directly to those who've been hurt, and reminding them just how beautiful and incredible they are. "I wrote this song about a best friend of mine," Rebecca revealed in a press release. "As my closest friends and I have now begun to really grow into ourselves, it can feel heart-wrenching to witness people you love fall for a moment, or lose sight of the goodness they have within themselves when they're struggling. As a friend we just want to pick them up and show them who we really know them to be—to try to cheer so hard on the sidelines over how incredible they are, and how much they mean to us, but at the end of the day of course it's only them who can discover their own light on their own." It's just the second tease we've gotten for her upcoming debut album Let Her Burn, and it's already one of our most anticipated releases of the new year.
7. SixTONES Teases Third Album With 'Boom-Pow-Wow!'
Few J-pop groups have the energy and enthusiasm of SixTONES, and their newest single, "Boom-Pow-Wow!" is guaranteed to make new fans out of listeners from around the globe. With its huge, lively sound, the track is utterly infectious and impossible to resist, and when the song tells us to "Move your body now," we just have to listen. It's the lead track from the group's highly anticipated third album KOE (meaning "voice" in English), dropping in the new year, and we couldn't be more excited to hear the rest. "This is an anthem to the fun that can only be had at a live show," the band shared in a press release. "After so much silence and sadness over the past few years under COVID, we are thrilled to kick off 2023 with our new national concert tour and bring the 'Boom-Pow-Wow!' back for our fans. This song is, at its heart, a wild and crazy dance tune that can be said to be the true essence of SixTONES, and we hope to unite audiences all over the world through our passion and music once again."
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8. SZA Unveils Her Epic Sophomore Album, SOS
Leave it to R&B sensation SZA to save one of the biggest albums of the year for December in the form of her new release, SOS. The incredible new album includes a whopping 23 gorgeous tracks putting SZA's unmatched vocals on full display, and including collabs we never knew we needed in our lives. SOS includes tracks with Don Tolliver, Travis Scott and Ol' Dirty Bastard, but the most unexpected (and one of our personal favorites) is "Ghost in the Machine" featuring Phoebe Bridgers.
9. Jackson Wang Becomes the Magic Man Once Again in 'Come Alive' Video
This summer, Chinese singer-songwriter and producer Jackson Wang wowed us with his sophomore solo album, Magic Man, and this week, he inhabited the persona of the Magic Man yet again with a new music video for the album's hit song, "Come Alive." Jackson did much of the creative direction for the video himself, showing his own darkly magical rebirth, flaunting his newly acquired powers in a gothic carnival setting. The visuals are unlike anything we've seen, and we hope there's even more of Magic Man to come.
10. Dove Cameron Is As Bold and Confident as Ever With 'Girl Like Me'
We can always rely on Dove Cameron to blow all of our expectations out of the water, and with the release of her newest single "Girl Like Me," she's done it yet again. With its mysterious instrumentation and choruses led by roaring guitars, the track is as sexy, bold and fearless as Dove has ever been as she confidently sings about putting a childish man in his place. We just know its music video will be even more of a showstopper when it drops. We've truly never met a girl like Dove.
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Dec. 2, 2022.