GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter/producer Jon Bellion has announced his highly-anticipated upcoming album Father Figure, arriving on June 6. Pre-order HERE. The album, which is Jon’s first solo album in seven years, was originally announced via an email blast shared to his fans via The Beautiful Mind Club Forum on Monday, April 14 and received over 12,330 presaves. In addition to the album announcement, Jon has also shared a sample of the new music with “Horoscope” featuring legendary artist/producer Pharrell Williams. Listen HERE.
Father Figure peels back the layers into modern-day fatherhood, as Jon shares his most vulnerable music to date. From the over pouring of love, pride, and care to the challenges, questions, and mistakes, the project showcases the many facets of what it means to be a loving father and supportive partner.
“Horoscope,” recorded between Miami and Paris, highlights Bellion’s dynamic songwriting and production style in collaboration with 13-time GRAMMY winner Pharrell Williams. The track begins as a tender piano ballad before transforming into a swirling blend of synths and saxophones. A heartfelt tribute to Bellion’s wife, “Horoscope” serves as a thank you for her unwavering support as he pursues his dreams. The song is a promise that no matter how far he goes, he’ll read her like a horoscope and come running if she ever needs him.
Jon on collaborating with Pharrell: “Pharrell is one of the greatest musical inspirations in my life. He’s the reason I got into music. We had long, deep conversations about him being a father and what being a father means in his world, and how to balance it, and what it means for your children, for the life that you choose to live, as far as being a successful musical creative. He’s one of my favorite people in the world.”
Big Loud’s powerhouse country songstress and breakout star Ashley Cooke has released her latest track, “the f word”, available everywhere today. The song finds a lovestruck Cooke aching and regretting saying the F word in front of a paramour’s mother, only to reveal that the F word isn’t the notorious expletive but rather…forever. Ashley, deeply enamored, tells her partner, “I’m going to spend forever with you” even though the early declaration causes her to cringe. Listen here and watch the visualizer here.
“This song immediately caught my attention from the title,” shares Ashley Cooke. “It’s brilliantly written and resonates with an experience I had in a past relationship…The song starts with ‘I try not to swear,’ which cracks me up because I have the mouth of a sailor, often using many f-words.”
Ashley, who is currently opening for Kane Brown on his arena tour, first teased the track during her performance at Nashville’s legendary Bridgestone Arena, treating the crowd of 20,000 fans to a first listen. See the videos and hear the crowds’ enthusiastic reaction here. She also performed the song to strong response at the Country Radio Seminar (CRS).
Fans are in luck, as many will get to hear “the f word” live, as Ashley, who is known for her energetic live performances, continues to open for Kane Brown on his arena tour this spring. Additionally, Ashley also has several of her own headlining shows, plus festival appearances. Please find tour dates here.
Born in Lower Manhattan (in the Battery Park City neighborhood), Asha Maclean was surrounded by the arts. She lives in one of the most creative cities in the world, but also had a home and school life that fostered her creativity. “My mom is a visual artist,” she explains, “and my dad worked with people who were in the music industry and was an artist himself.” Her parents introduced her to artists like Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as the R&B artists of the ‘90s. “I just loved the sound of the greats,” she says. “They were a huge inspiration for me to start singing.”
At school, Asha was exposed to the arts even more, as her middle school’s curriculum cycled between dance, singing, digital art, and the visual arts. Gravitating the most towards singing and dance, Asha spent her days in her room practicing and ultimately honing her craft. “I was always singing karaoke-style and making up my own dance routines,” she adds. By the time she reached high school, Asha was recording covers and uploading the videos to Instagram. One cover in particular was a game changer. “I was 14, and I posted a video of me singing a Billie Eilish song,” she says, “and that’s when I was discovered.” The cover caught the attention of Grammy-winning producer Charles Farrar, known for his work with Tyrese, Boyz II Men, B2K, and SWV. Now, under his mentorship at VYRUS MEDIA, Asha is stepping into her own as a rising artist with a sound as vibrant and soulful as her roots.
Sarina is a rising punk-pop sensation from Tokyo, Japan, blending the raw energy of early 2010s pop-punk with her own unique style. A bilingual artist born in Hawaii to a Lebanese mother and Japanese father, Sarina’s international upbringing in Tokyo has deeply influenced her music, resonating with fans of Avril Lavigne, Olivia Rodrigo, and Paramore.
From a young age, Sarina was absorbed in a world of music and creativity, beginning with classical piano lessons at just two years old. Her journey soon expanded to include guitar and ukulele, instruments she continues to cherish for their versatility. With a profound respect for both the dark and light aspects of life, influenced by her artistically gifted parents, Sarina’s music explores themes of mental health and personal struggle, creating a sound that is both deeply relatable and emotionally powerful.
Sarina’s debut single, “Identity,” released under the Sony RED label, showcased her multi-instrumental talents, as she played drums, guitar, bass, and piano on the track. With Sony Red, she released five more singles, an EP titled Foreword, and six music videos, which she story-boarded and headed with her original concepts and detail-oriented symbolism, before she co-founded and launched the SyrenSong label in May of 2024. Filled with thought-provoking lyrics and catchy melodies, her songs have earned her coveted playlist spots on Ones to Watch’s “Now Watching” and Apple Music’s “New in Rock.”
In addition to her solo work, Sarina lent her voice to the main vocal trio for the video game company Square Enix’s JRPG Triangle Strategy, collaborating with renowned composer Senju Akira. Now, with new singles on the horizon, produced in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Erik Ron (I Prevail, Staind, Bush) and platinum record producer and Escape the Fate guitarist Kevin Thrasher (Panic! At The Disco, Blink-182, Avril Lavigne), Sarina is ready to take the Western music scene by storm.
Austin rockers Farmer’s Wife are excited to announce their new EP, Faint Illusions, arriving May 15, 2025. An exploration of what’s real and what’s a figment of our imaginations, the forthcoming EP inspects reality in the context of love along churning guitars and bone-chattering whimsy. “Seethe” premiered last month, with “Mildew” preceding it, sonically previewing what’s to come from the rising group.
Nashville-based Western pop artist Kat Velasco, originally from South Carolina, discovered her passion for music and performing at an early age. With a rich background in musical theater and the music industry, Kat has long been writing songs and performing on stage. In 2021, she began releasing her own music, and her third single, “Leave Me Wild,” gained traction, landing on popular Spotify playlists like New Music Friday and Fresh Finds Country. Her sound is an edgy blend of Western influences, paired with strong, soulful, and captivating vocals.
In 2022, Kat’s single “Call Me” made waves, earning her invitations to radio stations and interviews across the U.S. The track hit multiple popular playlists, and its music video was featured on CMT. Other singles, including “Let it Ride” and “Lifetime Lover,” both garnered 15K streams within a week of their release. Earlier this summer, she headlined her first Nashville show at the iconic Exit/In. She has also opened for notable artists like Love and Theft, Frank Ray, BRELAND, David Nail, John Morgan, and Tierra Kennedy. Kat is set to perform at several festivals later this year, sharing the stage with headliners Megan Moroney, Jon Pardi, and Chase Rice.
Her spring release, “Shania,” is currently charting on Country Radio and making waves on Music Row. Her latest release, “Got Away,” has already surpassed 10K streams and is featured on playlists like Fresh Finds Country, CMT, and ACMAs.
Charlotte, NC-based indie-pop band Oceanic returns with their latest single, Hold Me, released in the midst of their biggest headline tour to date, The Everything I Want Tour, with stops across their hometown of North Carolina, as well as Georgia and Tennessee. Hold Me is a dreamy, groove-driven indie-pop track with a nostalgic feel, built around soft electronic textures and alternative influences. Subtle chiming and ringing tones add a bright, uplifting layer to the song’s already captivating sound.
Strange Plants return with “Horseshoe Smile,” a bouncy psychedelic pop throwback that lives somewhere between Tears For Fears and The Beatles’ Revolver-era. Happy, trippy, and just the right amount of weird, the track playfully critiques curated digital personas and the exaggerated performances people put on to appear perfect. The song’s title refers to the exaggerated “horseshoe” shape of over-laughed upper teeth – a not-so-subtle jab at the fakeness we often witness in public and online personas.
Driven by a rad horn arrangement in the bridge, “Horseshoe Smile” leans fully into its retro-pop influences while distorting them through a funhouse mirror. The song came together quickly – unusually so for guitarist Matt Brannon who also serves as the track’s lead vocalist, unlike the previously released singles. He was experimenting with a slower finger picked acoustic riff before the whole vibe snapped into focus. The result? A feel-good jam with a sharp lyrical wink.
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deer Tick), “Horseshoe Smile” is featured on Strange Plants’ eponymous debut album, recorded at the iconic Creative Workshop Studio in Nashville and officially out on June 6th, 2025.
Rising Canadian bass acts Torcha and Jiqui have linked for a new collaborative single ‘Mucus’ out now via HypnoVizion.
‘Mucus’ is as gnarly as its name suggests, diving deep into the grimy bass and filthy dubstep sounds that will demolish festival pits and whip crowds into a frenzy. The track oozes intensity, filtering through textured low-ends and high-impact percussion as Torcha and Jiqui experiment with guttural sound design and warped basslines. ‘Mucus’ marks another bold release for HypnoVizion, reinforcing the label’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of Canadian bass music through standout talent like Torcha and Jiqui.
“I’m super stoked to be releasing this collab with a fellow Canadian artist. Torcha has been absolutely killing it and I’m really happy we got to link up and work on some music.” – Jiqui
NYC-based indie pop artist, producer & multi-instrumentalist Leah Nawy learns to trust herself on the slow-burning track “Mixing Patterns,” out today. On the uplifting new tune, Nawy begins to shed layers of self-doubt and fear, intentionally moving towards a more realized version of herself. Tomorrow night, the musician will perform live at The Cutting Room in NYC.
Co-produced by Nawy and James Sleeman, the swirling, radiant “Mixing Patterns,” is about personal awakening—and discovering one’s own strength. Led by the artist’s emotive, captivating vocals and magnetic melodies, it explores themes of rebirth, taking control, and seeing things clearly for the first time. There’s a sense of stillness in the song, but also movement—like shifting perspectives, peeling back layers, and stepping into something new. Sonically, this shift is reflected as it builds momentum throughout, with a climactic, high energy bridge and a sharp turn into a lo-fi feel good groove on the outro–growth, release and a fresh start.
It was through the making of the track helped her find her artistic voice. Nawy explains, “It was a lesson in collaboration, in arrangement bending, in keeping something familiar yet new, in following my instincts. It’s about starting over on your own terms—letting go of old habits, trusting yourself, and embracing change. It’s the first song that truly felt like me, and it’s followed me through every stage of becoming the artist I am now.”
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
#JON #BELLION #ASHLEY #COOKE #AshaMaclean #Sarina #Farmers #Wife #OutLoud #Culture
