10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of June 30, 2023
With the 4th of July weekend looming, we've never been more ready to jump right into the festivities.
And while Olivia Rodrigo's eagerly anticipated new single "Vampire" might not give off your typical Independence Day vibes, we don't plan to take it off repeat anytime soon. In fact, this week was full of stunning new music releases to usher us into the holiday. Not sure where to start your celebratory listening? Just keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of June 30, 2023.
1. Emma Ogier Makes a Striking Debut With 'First Base'
We were shocked to hear that "First Base" is Emma Ogier's first-ever single. The 19-year-old Houston native is an up-and-comer who's been making a name for herself on TikTok, and her debut track demonstrates confidence in her vulnerability and her musical prowess through her own appealing blend of country-pop. It's an all-too-relatable song about knowing a relationship is superficial and that it'll never become more, and all of the fear an insecurity that can come along with that. "I wrote 'First Base' to help me better understand and cope with feelings associated with being misunderstood by individuals," Emma explained in a press release. "This song is about sticking around for someone who wouldn't stick around for you."
2. Kid Prexy Captures Love at First Sight in 'Shooting Star'
There's a good reason that 15-year-old Kid Prexy's been turning heads lately. The pop-punk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist's talents stretch well beyond his years, and we don't know if we've ever heard anything sweeter than his new single, "Shooting Star." "I wrote this song about that feeling of falling in love with someone the first time you see them," he revealed in a press release, and the ukulele-driven track manages to be a simple and sugary love song while also feeling evocative and authentic.
3. Thomas Headon Lets Us Unto His World With six songs that thomas headon likes and thinks you would like too
We've always adored Thomas Headon's somewhat laidback and unstructured approach to songwriting, and his latest project, six songs that thomas headon likes and thinks you would like too, feels like the perfect distillation to that ethos. Across six tracks, the indie-pop sensation gravitates between lighthearted playfulness, soul-baring vulnerability and raw passion, highlighting his creative lyricism and versatility all the while. "I've always written songs without a purpose, they've always just been a documentation of how I'm feeling at the time and then I've managed to put them into EP's as a shared feeling or moment," Thomas explained in a press release. "These six songs are the first time that I've put together a collection of songs without a shared feeling, and more so just six songs that I f***ing love, made for my audience and hope they love too. I wrote these with some of my favorite people from all around the world and I'm so excited that everybody can finally have them, especially after I've been teasing them for months."
Also read about: Everything You Wanted To Know about Musician Thomas Headon
4. flowerovlove Shares the Ultimate Summer Bop, 'Coffee Shop'
We don't know where English indie artist flowerovlove has been our whole lives, but she's instantly become one of our favorite new musicians on the scene. The 18-year-old singer-songwriter's new release, "Coffee Shop," feels like the perfect lazy summer afternoon, with bubbly, bass-driven retro instrumentation that puts her dreamy vocals front and center. It dropped earlier this week, alongside an equally captivating music video. "It's not actually about the coffee, because I don't think coffee tastes or smells nice," she shared in an interview at BBC Radio 1. "It's actually about this grocery store … I used to go to Tesco a lot. It's a very specific Tesco, and I was like, coffee shop sounds way cooler than take me down to Tesco, because what even is that? So I used coffee shop instead, because I'm also very obsessed with anything that's remotely in a Pinterest aesthetic and coffee shops are very much so. "
5. Stephen Dawes Gets Nostalgic for the Good Old Days in '19'
New York-based alt-pop singer-songwriter Stephen Dawes is rapidly on the rise, and for good reason. He first made a splash with a spellbinding cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," making the track feel entirely his own, and today, he dropped the new single and music video for "19." It's a song about the kind of heartache that leaves you feeling sick, and feeling nostalgic for a better time, when things were easy and you were happy—and your love was still by your side. "19" has one of those choruses you can't wait to scream alongside a crowd at a concert, and we believe Stephen is just getting started.
6. Olivia Dean Embraces the Process in Messy
We've been infatuated with English soul-pop artist Olivia Dean and her music ever since "The Hardest Part" in 2020, and with her new debut album, Messy, she's not afraid to show us all of the complications and complexities that make her unique as an artist. The album features 12 tracks, with "The Hardest Time" making up just one part of her tale. Olivia truly is a storyteller, which her soaring voice driving the irresistible narrative. "Going into making the record, I'd just done this 'Growth' project," Olivia detailed in a press release. "And for ages, I was like, well, my debut album needs to be what I've grown into, I need to have the answer. And that really confused me for a while. Then I realized, I'm always going to be growing. So this doesn't have to be a destination, it's just where I'm at now… It's funny because I think it's the most fine-tuned I've got my sound to be, but also the most carefree I've been in actually making music… some of it's quite vulnerable but it was just made out of pure fun and joy and unbotheredness."
7. Blur Get Haunted on 'St. Charles Square'
As massive fans of Britpop, it's not often that our favorite groups reunite to shower us with new music—and even rarer that the music is just as good as the classics—but the new Blur revival is proving to be one-of-a-kind. Their new album, The Ballad of Darren, is set to drop on July 21 after an eight-year hiatus, and the newest single, "St. Charles Square," is instantly classic. The rocking energy contrasts starkly with its lyrics about loss and feeling haunted and hunted, and we love the way the track channels nostalgia without using it as a crutch.
Also read about: Blur's Dave Rowntree Discusses His Early Radio Influences and Debut Solo Album Radio Songs
8. Jon Batiste Teases New Album With 'Calling Your Name'
Genre-defying artist Jon Batiste has both Grammys and an Oscar to his name, with an ability to make music-making look effortless, and we simply can't wait to hear the entirety of his newly announced album, World Music Radio, when it drops Aug. 18. Until then, we can luxuriate in the feel-good sounds of his new single, "Calling Your Name." The pure love song is striking in its simplicity, with a transcendence that whisks us away to another place. "I created this album with a feeling of liberation in my life and a renewed sense of exploration of my personhood, my craft and of the world around me unlike anything I had ever felt before," he shared in a press release.
9. SHINee Celebrates 15 Years With HARD
SHINee are pioneers in the world of K-pop, and even after 15 years, they never fail to surprise us. This week, the group celebrated that impressive anniversary with the release of a new album, HARD—their first in more than two years—and aptly, every one of its 10 tracks hits hard. The men of SHINee really can do it all, infusing their signature pop sound with notes of hip-hop, funk, R&B, dance music and more, all while showing off their enchanting choreography. The album truly lifts us up, and we can't wait to see what the guys do for their next huge anniversary.
10. Olivia Rodrigo Gets Bled Dry in 'Vampire'
We can't think of a recent song surrounded by more hype than Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire," and it's somehow exceeded all of our expectations. The piano-driven ballad is spooky and ethereal, comparing the feelings of heartbreak and gaslighting to having the life sucked out of you by a vampire. Olivia's vocals give us chills, and the way the track hastens and picks up after the first chorus is perfection. But has there ever been a time when her writing wasn't next-level? "vampire song and video out now🧛🏼," Olivia wrote on Instagram. "I made it with my very talented wonderful friend @dan_nigro last winter and created the video with the incredible @petrafcollins . writing this song helped me sort through lots of feelings of regret, anger, and heartache. it's one of my favorite songs on the album and it felt very cathartic to finish. im so happy it's in your hands now and I hope it helps u deal with any bloodsuckers in your life. all my thanks 4ever ❤️" Her sophomore album, GUTS, is out Sep. 8, and it cannot come soon enough.
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of June 23, 2023.