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SZA — “Saturn”
SZA rings in a new era of sorts with “Saturn.” The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter delivers a planet-inspired single that she debuted on Music’s Biggest Night. She also provides live, sped-up, acapella, and instrumental versions as part of a larger bundle.
“Stuck in this paradigm / Don’t believe in paradise / This must be what hell is like / There’s got to be more, got to be more,” she sings with her signature style. “Sick of this head of mine / Intrusive thoughts, they paralyze / Nirvana’s not as advertised / There’s got to be more, been here before.”
She named the song “Saturn” due to the track’s lyrical theme too. “Life’s better on Saturn / Got to break this pattern / of floating away,” she sings with a whimsical flare. “Find something worth saving / It’s all for the taking / I always say.”
Some believe “Saturn” will appear on SZA’s highly-anticipated SOS follow-up, reportedly titled LANA. “It’s outtakes and new stuff, too. I added a couple of songs. It’s like a whole new project,” she told Variety. “It’s called Lana — my name but, it’s the first tattoo that I ever got, when I was 13. It was 10 bucks a letter and I only had 40, so that that became my nickname for no reason. Lana is really just the B-side of SOS.”
Kid Cudi — INSANO Nitro Mega Edition
Kid Cudi is back. Just weeks after dropping INSANO, the Cleveland superstar unveils the album’s Nitro Mega edition. This works as a new body of work and a deluxe edition for INSANO all in one.
Cudder announced this on social media last year. “There are 40+ songs on INSANO between the main album and deluxe(s). Ur welcome.” He also went on to say: “The deluxe is basically another album. There wont be 20 plus songs, but u get a nice amount.”
Fans will get new tracks, but they shouldn’t expect sad ones. “I don’t do sad songs anymore,” Cudi announced on social media this past week. “Sorry. ‘Tortured’ was the last sad song I wrote 2 years ago. We on some new sh-t now. We in the light. If ur not ready, I have about 9 older albums w that vibe u can still listen to.”
Wiz Khalifa, Chip The Ripper, Pusha T, Lil Yachty, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Steve Aoki all appear on the new 18-song offering. Up next, Cudi is planning a world tour co-starring Pusha T and Jaden Smith.
Saweetie — “Richtivities”
Saweetie is living her best life with the release of her newest single, “Richtivities.” Famed producer J White Did It handles the soulful yet banging production while the Icy Girl flexes a wealthy lifestyle full of expensive taste for the finer things.
“I know you never seen this before / Make the money, spend some money, and get some mo’,” she raps on the track. “I’m doing rich sh-t / Pretty b-tch sh-t / Richtivities.”
This month, Saweetie spoke with ELLE about who an Icy Girl is and the definition resembles the description from the song. “She’s making money, spending money, getting it right back. That’s the icy girl,” she said.
Now, during that same interview, the Sacramento rapper also revealed what fans should expect from upcoming music. “I’m really excited to see what the girls are gonna do with it because it really unlocks another level,” she explained. “Like if you thought I was an Icy Girl now, just wait. It’s Icy Girl 2.0 as far as aesthetics.”
Next, Saweetie is also set to join “BMF” on Starz. The song’s music video isn’t out at press time, but a visualizer can be viewed below.
French Montana — Mac & Cheese 5
French Montana chefs up a new iteration of his Mac & Cheese mixtape series. The seasoned MC serves up the fifth installment, peppered with famous faces over 21 songs.
Montana tackles criticism on “Dirty Bronx Intro,” which pulls some inspiration from O.C’s “Time’s Up.” He calls himself out for being “Hollywood” before responding: “I was trying to buy the block, that Nipsey sh-t scared me / I lost Chinx, lost Max, but you don’t hear me.”
Elsewhere on the song, he tackles more criticism, such as the knock that he always has big features on his songs. “You sold 100M [records] but they’re all features,” he says mockingly, before replying: “Never that, most of my plaques, I’m the feature / N——s barely go gold, I had to dominate / I’m the most streamed artist out my whole continent.”
Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Westside Gunn, 41, JID, Meek Mill, and Lil Durk are among the album’s guests. Montana launched the mixtape series with 2009’s Mac Wit Da Cheese and 2010’s Mac & Cheese 2. He then continued to release editions in 2012 and 2016. Listen to the latest installment below.
