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Tonight we welcome a new member of The Drop Fam in Aline Verduyn, who will contribute to our Popcast 2nd hour on Mondays going forward! Aside from that, it's Adele Monday with her first new tune out in 5+ years, and as usual all about the new shiny stuff in both hours.
"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
Oct 18, 2021
I & II
Adele – Cold Shoulder
Barrie – Frankie
Ralph Castelli – Pretend
Smile feat Robyn – Call My Name
Kamen Ross – Wildest Dreams
serpentwithfeet – Down Nuh River
Michael Kiwanuka – Beautiful Life
Michael Kiwanuka – All My Life
Ricky Montgomery – Sorry For Me
Christian Leave – Maybe
The Wombats – Ready For The High
Laetitia Sadier – New Moon
Jordana & TV Girl – Summer’s Over
It is 20 hours past midnight on first New Muses Monday since the premiere of Season 6, and there have been a few changes in the meantime, but not to the format, so it’s time to dance with the new muses tonight as we welcome our first full week of programming in a good while, with tonight frozen in spacetime as October 18, 2021. This is Danno chomping at the bit to play some new tunes from studio 2, GFN HQ in downtown Gwangju, how do you do? As mentioned we have had a bit of change here on the program for our Monday nights, as Yejin Lee cannot join us for further shows as her professor forbade her from joining us for which we wrote a sternly worded letter to no avail. Professors acting all big & such, which is lame! But alas, we found the perfect stand-in with Aline Verduyn who will be joining us every Monday moving forward, and the Chosun Dae student and Way Back With You former co-host out of Belgium will make her debut after 9pm tonight. Which is excite, I like. But alas tonight there is only one thing on everybody’s mind especially if you are a woman who walks planet earth, and that is Adele has released her first new music in almost six years. We’ll cover that to start the 2nd hour, but for now we have some Adele history that goes way back to her debut album, and we’ll talk all the things that need to be verbalized after the Cold Shoulder is given. THIS is The Drop.
Adele – Cold Shoulder
The Drop begins things on this New Muses Monday proper on what can only be called Adele Week in the music world if we’re being 100 about it. Danno here ready for change from studio 2, GFN HQ in downtown Gwangju. Tonight sees some personnel moves as our Popcast feature maintains the name but gets a new face with Yejin unable to convince her professor that he’s being a jerk about monopolizing her time, and we have Way Back With You cofounder Aline Verduyn joining us in our 2nd hour moving forward, which I’m sure you’re gonna love like I do.
But anyway, since it is Adele week and she does somewhat control the cosmos, we opened with Cold Shoulder from her debut album 19. And that is because on this date in 2008 the famed UK songstress was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "Cold Shoulder" and "Chasing Pavements." Alaska governor Sarah Palin who was John McCain’s running mate at the time for the election vs Barack Obama was the main guest, and this all lead to a huge audience and lots of exposure for Adele, giving her a big massive boost in America.
These songs of course appeared on Adele’s debut LP 19, which went on to be a 8x’s platinum record, and a Grammy the next year for Best New Artist.
Fast forward to last week and world quivered with Adele releasing the first single to her upcoming 30 LP which is out next month, and we’ll hear the new track Easy On Me to start our Popcast 2nd hour tonight. Of course, everyone’s excited about this, which is going to be a massive record and judging by the merits of the first track, a very good one indeed.
@gfnthedrop, #9870 (Korean, 50/100) but that route as opposed to social media is not free, that’s 50 won for a regular message, and 100 won for a longer one. You can also find our show via podcast form & subscribe, updated each & every weeknight, and that can be found on any of your favorite podcast services just search for the drop with danno or the drop on gfn, we’re all over the place.
So, let’s get to the first new tunes of the week that are not Adele Laurie Blue Adkins. Up next we have a new cut from Brooklyn indie outfit Barrie that much like the opener is a good bit more upbeat than the norm, then it’s Ralph Castelli & Smile with Northern Europe sensation Robyn to close things on the triangle. THIS is The Drop on your new Muses Monday.
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Back on The Drop after our very first triad of tunes in several weeks on a Monday night. Danno here as I am always on GFN between 8 & 10, and this evening also sees us with a new face & voice on the mic in the studio in Aline Verduyn. Those of you that listen to GFN avidly will know her from Way Back With You which airs nightly from 6-8, and she’s our new Pop Maven moving forward, so we’ll see her with all the big new tunes in tow for hour 2 tonight. To the recap, that was...
Barrie – Frankie (…for those unfamiliar, this is the acclaimed musical project helmed by Barrie Lindsay, and this new single confronts the American archetype of the relentless worker as posited by Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman.” While the song’s lyrics examine our relationship with labor and could easily be a song questioning the dynamic here as well, the sonics are really lovely stuff as well.)
Ralph Castelli – Pretend (…this is the newest single from the Alaska-based artist who posits that in a world blindly following trends, those who go at their own pace are the ones that truly innovate and get noticed. You can’t argue with the numbers, as his soundcloud profile is absolutely booming with each release.)
Smile feat Robyn – Call My Name (…for those unfamiliar this is a Swedish trio and the side project from Joakim Åhlund and Peter Bjorn and John’s Björn Yttling. Here they team up with fellow Swede & dance pop sensation Robyn on the vox. This is the latest single from their upcoming LP Phantom Island, due out November 19.)
Now, we got a couple more cuts to air out before we let the PSA’s do their thing between parts 1 & 2, and up first is Jeju-based Kamen Ross who is out with their latest single, just dropped fresh overnight, and this one is a fantastical cinematic vocal bit called Wildest Dreams. After that we will close off with another lovely new single out from serpentwithfeet called Down Nuh River, which hailed the announcement of a new EP called Deacon’s Groove, out November 5, the companion piece to the previously released Deacon LP from March. THIS is The Drop on your New Muses Monday.
Kamen Ross – Wildest Dreams
serpentwithfeet – Down Nuh River
II
The Drop has throttled the gas valve a touch to begin the 2nd quarter of this first New Muses Monday night in three weeks, and oh how time changes things. What’s the haps Drop Slops, Danno here assuring the format but can’t do so on the personnel, and tonight we are joined by Aline Verduyn for her first contribution to our Popcast Monday nights, that all starts in our 2nd hour. Just opened with another pair of gems from Michael Kiwanuka, so let’s run down those...
Michael Kiwanuka – Beautiful Life (….)
Michael Kiwanuka – All My Life (…the first new tunes in a while since the Mercury-prize winner of 2020 released Kiwanuka. The ethereal song serves as the title music for filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel’s new documentary, Convergence: Courage in a Crisis, out on Netflix Tuesday, released as a 7” single along with All My Life.
“In this song I wanted to focus on the feeling that there’s a real strength in the human spirit when you try to look for beauty even in difficult situations,” Kiwanuka said in a statement. “Of course, in some situations that becomes more and more difficult.” And yeah, very difficult and in incredibly short supply last year & this. Let’s hope things change.)
Okay so before moving on just a real quick reminder to follow us on social media we are @gfnthedrop, which is also a great way to keep in contact with me & the staff here at Drop Central free & easy & world-wide. Via SMS just contact us if you’re local meaning here in the Republic of Korea, which can be done via #9870 (it’s 50 won for a regular message, 100 won for a longer one). Weeknight broadcasts are available for free download & subscription via our podcast as well once we go off the air, just search The Drop with Danno or The Drop on GFN and you should be able to find us on any service you use or via simple internet search.
So, let’s keep it chill & vibey but with a good bit of jagged edge to finish the block, and on deck we have new cuts from Ricky Montgomery, Christian Leave & The Wombats. We shall of course enunciate all concisely after they are done expressing themselves in the air. THIS is The Drop on your New Muses Monday evening.
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Back on The Drop tonight and into the final airbreak of the first 57 this evening, how’s it going, Drop Gangsters (KOR)? Danno here ready to get a new era started on the Popcast in our 2nd hour as Aline Verduyn takes over Yejin Lee’s signature slot. Nothing dramatic from our side & Yejin didn’t get fired or anything, her professor just controls her life to an inexcusable degree, so no blame on her you gotta keep on keepin on. Should be a fun start to a new era here on the show though, and we’re grateful that Aline is taking the time to join us. To the playlist we are presently working on right now though, that was…
Ricky Montgomery – Sorry For Me (…interesting bio here with this artist out of St. Louis, MO in the US and A. Montgomery found fame on social media last year with his tunes that went completely viral, and later was signed to Warner Brothers, with this being his debut single on the label so good to see a young man making it for himself there.)
Christian Leave – Maybe (…another artist now on Warner that is out of the Midwest this time Oklahoma. This is the self-described “artist of the people” ‘s latest standalone, which just dropped last week. Still only 21, so watch out for more from this young man.)
The Wombats – Ready For The Night (…this is the lead single to the Liverpool-based band’s upcoming fifth studio album titled Fix Yourself, Not The World. The song about being in a bad place is one inspired by the 90’s with loads of brass thrown into it. Fix Yourself, Not The World is due out January 7 via AWAL.)
Now, we’re getting pretty close to halftime but we still got time to rock a couple more important new singles. First up is Stereolab lead singer Laetitia Sadier on the lead single to her upcoming solo album called New Moon, which does take its time get moving but is worth the wait. And we’ll have to also wait for more info on the album, with no title or release date set just yet. To finish we have a tune called Summer’s Over from Jodana & TV Girl who are out with a great new EP as of Friday of which this is the title track, which coincides with the kickoff of their sold out North American tour. And it must be noted like Adele’s history feature, the timing could not be better on that title, as Seoul experienced the coldest temperatures over the weekend in 67 years. BRRRRR. THIS is The Drop on your New Muses Monday and as for the first half, that’s a wrap.
Laetitia Sadier – New Moon
Jordana & TV Girl – Summer’s Over
III & IV Popcast
Adele – Easy On Me
Elton John ft Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU remix)
Pink Pantheress – I Must Apologise
Tainy ft Bad Bunny & Julieta Venegas – Lo Siento BB:/
Kelis – Midnight Snacks
Justin Bieber – Red Eye
Arca ft Sia – born yesterday
Fletcher – girls, girls, girls
Jesse McCartney - Lemonade
BTS & Coldplay – My Universe
Paul Kim – After Summer
Jenny Lewis – Little White Dove
Orville Peck – Roses Are Falling
Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
Gossip/Drama/Beef
1. Adele – Easy On Me
- Adele has shared ‘Easy On Me’, her first new song in five years and the first single to be lifted from forthcoming album ’30’ ahead of its arrival in full next month.
- ‘Easy On Me’ was co-produced and co-written with Greg Kurstin, and arrives alongside a video directed by Xavier Dolan, who previously helmed the singer’s ‘Hello’ clip. “For me, there’s nothing stronger than artists reconnecting after years apart,” Dolan commented in a statement.
2. Elton John feat Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU remix)
- Ed Sheeran has asked for people in the UK to help Elton John knock him off the top of the singles chart this week.
- Sheeran has occupied the top spot in the UK for the past 15 weeks, firstly with his comeback single ‘Bad Habits’ and more recently with his latest track ‘Shivers’.
Fresh Bread/New Releases:
1. Pink Pantheress – I must apologise
Released: oct 6
PinkPantheress, who twists old school samples of nu-jungle, pop and funk into her own eclectic sound is a dominatrix of the Tik Tok DIY scene. She calls what she makes “new nostalgic”.
Pink Pantheress is a TikTok phenom who makes low-key dance music in the same vein of Erika de Casier or TLC, with a little bit of Hannah Diamond’s pop uncanny valley in there as well. She’s putting out her debut mixtape, To Hell With It, next week, which comes on the heels of a string of singles from the young UK musician that have all bubbled up over the past year. Most of those are included on the forthcoming To Hell With It, as is the just-released “I Must Apologise,” which samples the house music classic “Gypsy Woman” by Crystal Waters. PinkPantheress describes the track as “a fast paced, upbeat track about someone telling lies all the time.”
2. Tainy ft Bad Bunny & Julietaa Venegas – Lo Siento BB
Released: oct 5
Tainy releases "Lo Siento BB:/ (I'm Sorry Baby)," with Venegas and Bad Bunny on vocals -- the first single off Data, his forthcoming debut full-length studio album. The ultra-melancholic song -- a modern-day "no strings attached" love story -- kicks off as a ballad with Venegas on piano, and ultimately transitions into a soft reggaetón groove with a sparse drum beat, and Bunny in tow.
When Julieta Venegas found out Tainy wanted to collaborate with her on a his new song, she recalls her initial reaction as, "Really, me?" But unbeknownst to Venegas – whose pop-leaning classics such as "Lento," "Andar Conmigo" and "Me Voy" soundtracked the early 2000s – the chart-topping producer is a fan of the Mexican singer-songwriter that helped inspire his career.
"People see me as a reggaetón producer, but growing up, I listened to all types of music," says Tainy, producer of the year winner at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards. "Julieta was a huge part of what I was listening to -- and her music influenced how I saw melodies, chords and ambiences in my music. When it was time for me to be a producer, I put a little bit of that into my music, hoping and dreaming that some day I could work with her."
12M views on YT, raving Spanish comments
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9640709/tainy-bad-bunny-julieta-venegas-lo-siento-bb-interview/ -- more info
3. Kelis – Midnight Snacks
Released: oct 8
It’s been seven years since Kelis (singer, songwriter and chef) released her glorious Food album—and she’s continuing her culinary theme with the new single “Midnight Snacks.” The beat, created by London-based, three-person production, writing, DJ and remixing team The FaNaTix, conjured up images of late-night noshing for Kelis. “I heard the beat, thought it was dope, and the first thing that came to mind was ‘Midnight Snacks,'” she says. “The FaNaTix were like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And I was like, ‘It makes you feel like a midnight snack!’ And that was it. It’s funny to me, but I like the fact that you can take sex and food, and you can put these two things together, and they’re totally interchangeable.” The Adrienne Raquel-directed video continues the theme, with plenty of gooey, frothy, creamy and jiggly treats. “Food is a very carnal thing,” Kelis says. “Everyone can relate to it. It’s very human, it’s sensual, it’s something that you crave. And it’s sexy.”
According to Radio Facts,"Midnight Snacks" was recorded in a studio on a boat in London and produce by The FaNaTix (Nicki Minaj, Popcaan, Vybz Kartel). Kelis said she was inspired to write "Midnight Snacks" after hearing the beat. "I heard the beat, thought it was dope, and the first thing that came to mind was 'Midnight Snacks,'" said Kelis.
4. Justin Bieber – Red Eye
released: oct 8
the Grammy-winning entertainer released the “complete edition” of his sixth studio album Justice. The updated version includes the tracks “Red Eye,” “Angels Speak,” and “Hailey,”; the latter, of course, serves as a tribute to the artist’s wife of three years, Hailey Baldwin Bieber.
As pointed out by Billboard, “Angels Speak” and “Hailey” were included on the Japanese version of Justice, while the TroyBoi-produced “Red Eye” served as a bonus track on Justice’s webstore alternate cover CD, available exclusively in Europe.
Bieber’s Our World documentary also premiered Friday on Amazon Prime Video. The film was directed by Michael D. Ratner and provides a glimpse into the singer’s personal life and his preparation for his 2020 New Years’ Eve performance at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
5. Arca feat Sia – Born Yesterday
Released: oct 4
Arca’s latest joint venture, “Born Yesterday” with Sia, represents her latest foray into more mainstream pop. The first single from the producer’s upcoming KICK ii takes a different approach from its predecessors, building off an unreleased yet all too familiar sounding Sia demo. Though breadth and versatility are Arca’s greatest artistic strengths, the decision to build a song around Sia’s stale, soaring EDM power balladry does her distinctive production a disservice.
PART IV
6. Fletcher – girls, girls, girls
rel: oct 8
Rising singer-songwriter Fletcher has reimagined Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” on her new single “girls girls girls,” using some lyrics from the original to tell her own coming-of-age story.
“I kissed a girl and I liked it/Sipped her like an old fashioned,” the New Jersey pop star sings on the chorus to the same melody as Perry’s 2008 hit. “I kissed a girl and she liked it/It’s better than I imagined.”
“I remember my mom was dropping me off at school one day in 2008 and “I Kissed a Girl” came on the radio, and my mom kind of gasped at the lyrics,” Fletcher says. “I had this moment in my head where I was like, ‘I think I might like girls.’ In a lot of ways that song really marked the beginning of a lifelong journey of self-exploration and coming into my queerness and learning how to express my truth in a bold and unapologetic way.
“‘Girls girls girls’ is the freedom and the celebration I’ve been craving my whole life, and a way for me to share my own perspective and journey while honoring a song that empowered me to embark on it in the first place.”
The track was produced by Kito, whom Fletcher previously worked with on her gold-certified single “Bitter.” It follows the critically-lauded EP The S(ex) Tapes, which was released last year and saw the rising star share – as she told Clash – an “honest representation of what it is like to love somebody, have such a connection, but also have all these questions.”
7. Jesse McCartney – Lemonade
rel: oct 8
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9598047/jesse-mccartney-interview-new-stage-album/
Jesse McCartney has been a lot of different things to different people.
He’s been the youngest vocalist in ‘00s boy band Dream Street, before floating into pop radio in 2004 as the floppy-haired teenage “Beautiful Soul” singer. He’s also been a grown pop star toying with R&B, with a Billboard Hot 100 top 10 smash in 2008’s “Leavin’,” as well as the songwriter behind mega-hits like Leona Lewis’ chart-topper “Bleeding Love,. ”
But today, as he talks to Billboard on the phone from his Laurel Canyon home -- while monitoring his small dog, making sure it doesn’t dart across the street again -- McCartney is at a different kind of new stage in his life. He’s mere months from taking on his most important role to date, as a married man.
8. BTS, Coldplay – My universe
rel: sept 24
The Coldplay/BTS collaboration “My Universe” was met with about as close to universal acclimation as the two groups could hope for, landing at No. 1 on the Rolling Stone songs chart, the first time topping that ranking for either ensemble.
“My Universe” was not a streaming monster, compared to the tunes that usually top the chart; it amassed 8.5 million streams in its debut week. But that was more than made up for by the track’s sales strength — something that’s to be expected with any BTS track — with 136,000 downloads for the premiere frame.
The news was just as good on the Billboard charts, where “My Universe” bowed at No. 1 on three key charts: the Hot 100, the Global 200 and the Global Excl. U.S. rankings.
Worldwide, according to Billboard, the collaboration claimed 95.4 million streams and 142,400 downloads in its first week.
Probably needless to say, being at No. 1 is a rarer position these days for Coldplay than BTS. The British group had only reached the top of the Hot 100 once before, with “Viva la Vida” back in 2008. BTS has reached that Billboard peak six times now, all within the last 14 months, with “Dynamite,” “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” and now “My Universe,”.
WHO’s ON TOUR:
1. Jenny Lewis – Little White Dove
2. Orville Peck – Roses Are Falling
3. Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar
Harry Styles
Amid the COVID pandemic his world tour was postponed and has since been rescheduled for September 2021. “Love on Tour” is the second upcoming tour of the singer to support his second studio album, “Fine Line” (2019). The tour is set to begin on September 4th, 2021 and consists of 85 announced dates.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, his first album “Harry Styles” was the ninth global best-selling album of 2017 with sales of one million copies.
From sept 4 – Denver, CO to 20 nov in LA, CA. seats from 10k in some arenas to 20k pax!
After experiencing an unreal amount of group success, Styles decided to give it a go as a solo artist. The results have been magnificent thus far, as Styles’ “Sign of the Times” is a hit all around the world. The song is serving as the lead single for Styles’ self-titled album, Harry Styles, which was released in May 2017. His tour promises to be an exciting one, as he’ll bring the same flair he brought to the stage with One Direction. And if you can’t get enough of Styles, then go see Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster Dunkirk, where the singer will be making his acting debut.