"Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Queen's second number-one hit in their home country and Bowie's third, and also charted in the top 10 in more than 10 countries around the world.
Merrill Nisker, better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electroclash musician and producer.
"Today" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan. The song, though seemingly upbeat, contains dark lyrics; Corgan wrote the song about a day in which he was having suicidal thoughts. The contrast between the grim subject matter of the song and the soft instrumental part during the verses, coupled with use of irony in the lyrics, left many listeners unaware of the song's tale of depression and desperation. The song alternates between quiet, dreamy verses and loud choruses with layered, distorted guitars.
Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.
Duck Sauce is an electronic music superduo, formed in 2009 in New York City. The duo consists of American DJ Armand van Helden and Canadian DJ A-Trak. They are best known for their 2010 single "Barbra Streisand".
"1901" is a song by French indie pop band Phoenix. It was released on 23 February 2009 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009). It peaked at number 73 in Canada and number 84 in the United States, making "1901" the band's first song to chart there. It also reached number one on the US Alternative Songs chart. The song has been covered by English singer Birdy and also featured in the UK comedy series Friday Night Dinner.
"Power" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features additional vocals by soul singer Dwele and is co-produced by West and Symbolyc One. It is built around samples of "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, "Afromerica" by Continent Number 6, and "It's Your Thing" by Cold Grits. After having recorded it in Hawaii, West reported that 5,000 man-hours were spent developing "Power". In its lyrics, West comments about the United States, his mental health and his critics. Its chorus features an abrasive vocal-riff.
"Monster" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the third single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features rappers Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj, along with indie folk group Bon Iver. All five credited acts have writing credits on the posse cut, with the production handled by West and Mike Dean. The instrumental is atmospheric and drum-heavy, and the lyrics reflect influences from horror films, creating an eerie composition which drew critical comparisons to the Michael Jackson track "Thriller".
James Thomas Smith, known professionally as Jamie xx, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, and remixer. He is known for both his solo work and as a member of the English indie pop band the xx.
Gloss Drop is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Battles, released on Warp Records in June 2011.
"Swim Good" is a song by American singer Frank Ocean, released as the second single from his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra (2011). The song was written by Ocean alongside producers Midi Mafia and Charles Gambetta. It features additional vocals by fellow Odd Future member Tyler, The Creator. The song explores the topic of romantic baggage, guilt and utilizes several metaphors. Lyrically, the song expresses a narrative about a man who, burdened with many failed relationships, ends his life by driving into the ocean. The track explores tropes of the tragic love story and suicide. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Ocean's vocals and the song's dark subject matter.
"Bangarang" is a song by American electronic music producer Skrillex. It was released as a single from his EP of the same name. It features guest rap vocals from American hip hop recording artist Sirah. "Bangarang" intersperses Sirah's rap vocals throughout the song. The song's title and lyrics reflect the battle cry of the Lost Boys in the 1991 movie Hook.
"Thinkin Bout You" is a song by American singer Frank Ocean, released as the lead single from his debut studio album Channel Orange (2012). The song was written by Ocean and Shea Taylor. Originally to be featured on Bridget Kelly's debut album, Ocean released his demo version of the track for free on his Tumblr account in 2011. In May 2012, the song was officially sent to radio and released on iTunes as a single by Ocean. Kelly released her version of the track entitled "Thinking About Forever" on her debut EP Every Girl released October 19, 2011.
Waxahatchee is an American indie music project, formed in 2010 by American singer-songwriter Kathryn Crutchfield, known professionally as Katie Crutchfield, following the breakup of her previous band P.S. Eliot. The band is named after Waxahatchee Creek, in Alabama, where Crutchfield grew up. Originally an acoustic solo project, her recordings now tend to involve a full backing band. As Waxahatchee, she has released six solo studio albums to date: American Weekend (2012), Cerulean Salt (2013), Ivy Tripp (2015), Out in the Storm (2017), Saint Cloud (2020) and Tigers Blood (2024). Away from Waxahatchee, Crutchfield was also a member of alternative country duo Plains alongside Jess Williamson.
Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr., known professionally as 6lack, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained recognition following the release of his 2016 single "Prblms", which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Free 6lack (2016), which was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written and produced by Gambino and Ludwig Göransson, with additional writing credits going to American rapper Young Thug, it was released on May 6, 2018 at the same time that Gambino was hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. The song features background vocals from Young Thug alongside fellow American rappers Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo of Migos, and Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage. The lyrics and accompanying music video, reflecting the core of the Black Lives Matter movement, confront issues of ongoing systemic racism, including prejudice, racial violence, the ghetto, and law enforcement in the United States, as well as the wider issues of mass shootings and gun violence in the United States. Originally, Gambino intended it to be a diss record towards fellow rapper Drake.
Black Pumas is an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas, led by singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada. The group received its first Grammy Award nomination in 2020 for Best New Artist.
Shirt, formerly known as T.Shirt, is an American rapper and conceptual artist based in Queens, New York City. He is known for the music that is a blend of rap music, appropriation and performance art. Shirt has produced works of writing, video, painting, public installations and performances around the world, as well as made internet art and produced clothing. He released his debut album, Wild Thing, in 2009. In 2018, Shirt released an album titled Pure Beauty, produced in partnership with the independent label Third Man Records run by Jack White of The White Stripes. Pure Beauty was met with positive reviews from Pitchfork, The Guardian and Loud and Quiet.
"Ice Cream" is a song by South Korean girl group Blackpink and American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on August 28, 2020, through YG Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the second pre-release single from the group's debut studio album, The Album (2020). The song was written by Selena Gomez, Teddy, Tommy Brown, Ariana Grande, Victoria Monét, Bekuh Boom, 24, Steven Franks, while Brown, Teddy, 24 and Franks produced the song. "Ice Cream" is an electropop and bubblegum pop song with elements of trap. Lyrically, the song mainly consists of ice cream-related double entendres.
"Karma" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, and Keanu Beats, while Jahaan Sweet co-produced it. Republic Records released the song to US radio on May 1, 2023, as the third single from Midnights. A remix featuring the American rapper Ice Spice was released on May 26, 2023, as part of an extended Midnights edition.
