When Radiohead dropped The Bends on March 13, 1995, everything changed. They left the shadow of “Creep” behind, stretched their creative muscles, and created one of the defining alt-rock albums of the ’90s. Radiohead were here to stay, and they weren’t about to be boxed in. Let’s dive into five lesser-known facts that make The Bends a landmark worth celebrating.
1. The Bends Was Born in a Barn (Literally)
Before heading into fancy London studios, Radiohead spent weeks rehearsing in an old barn on a fruit farm in Oxfordshire. They needed to fall in love with the songs again after endless touring for Pablo Honey. The rustic surroundings helped strip things back to basics, setting the raw emotional tone that defines The Bends. Sometimes, it turns out, you need mud on your boots to make magic.
2. “Fake Plastic Trees” Made Thom Yorke Cry In The Studio
“Fake Plastic Trees” nearly broke the band — early versions were grand and bombastic, sounding closer to Guns N’ Roses than Radiohead. Then one night, after seeing Jeff Buckley live, Thom Yorke found the heart of the song. Inspired, he recorded three stripped-down acoustic takes — and burst into tears after the final one. The rest of the band built their parts carefully around that raw moment, creating one of the most heartbreaking alt-rock ballads ever made.
3. “Planet Telex” Was Recorded in a Drunken Blur
“Planet Telex,” the opener that feels like it floats in from another galaxy, was recorded after the band returned from a night out drinking. Thom Yorke sang the vocals slumped in a corner, drunk, while the band built a trippy wall of sound around him. The song was written, recorded, and basically finished in a single evening — because sometimes brilliance doesn’t wait for a hangover.
4. The Bends Was Almost Too Ambitious for Its Own Good
Midway through recording, pressure from EMI and internal band stress made things messy. Radiohead were trying so hard to craft perfect singles that it nearly broke them apart. By the time they paused for an international tour, tensions boiled over in Mexico in one epic, tearful band fight. But that release turned out to be cathartic — they came back stronger and finished the album with a renewed sense of purpose.
5. The Album Cover Was a Happy Accident
The unforgettable, ghostly face on the cover of The Bends? It’s not a statue or a model — it’s a CPR training dummy. Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood stumbled across it while filming random footage for the artwork. They found something haunting in the mannequin’s expression, and by snapping a photo off a TV screen, they turned it into one of the most iconic alt-rock album covers of all time.
The Bends was more than just Radiohead’s second album — it was their rebirth. It bridged the gap between Pablo Honey and the even greater risks they’d take on OK Computer and beyond. It’s a record where guitars roar, hearts break, and the groundwork for a new era of alternative rock is laid brick by brick. 30 years later, it still sounds like the future knocking on the door.
When The Byrds released Sweetheart of the Rodeo in 1968, they changed their sound and helped invent an entirely new genre. It was a full-on crossroads where rock met country in a way few had dared to try. With the addition of Gram Parsons, a healthy dose of Nashville soul, and a rebellious spirit that stunned even country’s biggest traditionalists, Sweetheart stands today as a cornerstone of alt-country and Americana music. Let’s dive into 5 little-known facts that make this album a landmark worth celebrating.
1. It Was Supposed to Be a Double Album About All American Music
Roger McGuinn originally dreamed of Sweetheart of the Rodeo being a sweeping, double-album journey through American music history, from Appalachian folk to jazz to R&B to futuristic synth experiments. Enter Gram Parsons, who passionately pulled the band straight into country territory. Parsons had his sights set on nothing less than creating “Cosmic American Music,” and he made sure country became the sound of the project — shelving McGuinn’s original plans for good.
2. Gram Parsons Wasn’t Even Supposed To Sing On Most Of It
Despite Gram Parsons’ major influence on the album’s direction, legal issues with his former label meant Roger McGuinn re-recorded several of Parsons’ lead vocals himself. McGuinn said it was about contracts, but even the most casual Byrds fan knows: part of it was about keeping Parsons from stealing the show. You can still faintly hear Parsons’ ghostly vocals underneath the re-recorded tracks, a reminder of just how much of Sweetheart was truly his spirit.
3. They Were Booed Off The Grand Ole Opry Stage
When The Byrds showed up to perform at Nashville’s sacred Grand Ole Opry, they were greeted by heckling, booing, and shouts of “tweet, tweet!” from a deeply suspicious crowd. Despite cutting their hair and trying to look the part, country fans saw them as long-haired hippies intruding on sacred ground. Gram Parsons made it even worse — going off-script and performing “Hickory Wind” instead of the approved setlist. Nashville wasn’t ready for Sweetheart, but decades later, country rock sure was.
4. “Hickory Wind” Was Written On A Train Ride
One of the album’s most iconic tracks, “Hickory Wind,” was written by Gram Parsons and Bob Buchanan while riding a train from Florida to Los Angeles. That lonely, longing feeling you hear? It’s authentic. Parsons crafted a love letter to a childhood innocence lost along the way, fueled by the rhythmic clatter of the tracks and his own complicated family story. No wonder it became Parsons’ defining song — and the emotional heart of Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
5. They Almost Called It Gram Parsons and The Byrds
At one point, Gram Parsons pushed for the album to be credited as Gram Parsons and The Byrds. That didn’t sit well with Roger McGuinn or Chris Hillman. Parsons was still technically the “new guy” — and not even under official contract with Columbia Records. While that request was shot down fast, there’s no denying that Sweetheart became as much Parsons’ album as it was The Byrds’. His influence would echo through everything from The Eagles to Uncle Tupelo to Wilco.
The Byrds were chasing a sound they barely understood yet instinctively believed in. And thanks to their leap of faith (and a little chaos along the way), they created a record that opened the floodgates for country rock, alt-country, and Americana as we know it today. Every twang, every fiddle run, every lonesome harmony we hear now can be traced back to these songs. Sweetheart, indeed.
Playlists have always been at the heart of the Spotify experience. Since AI Playlist in beta launched last year, Premium users have used it to create millions of playlists, with the goal of finding music that fits any mood or moment.
Now they’re bringing this feature in English to Premium users in more than 40 new markets, including countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean, helping even more users effortlessly turn their most creative ideas into playlists.
Playlists on Spotify are great sources for discovery, fostering deeper relationships between artists and fans. AI Playlist does just that by bringing users another way to express themselves through the music they love. Just start with a simple idea like “high-energy electropop that takes me to another world” or “workout music to make my ex jealous.”
Here’s how it works:
Go to Your Library and tap the “+” button at the top-right corner, then select “AI Playlist.” Or, head to the Search tab on Spotify and search “AI Playlist.”
Then, select one of the suggested ideas or simply type your own.
Spotify will suggest songs for a personalized playlist made just for you based on the tracks, artists, genres, and more we think you’ll like. Have notes? It’s easy to revise and refine—just ask for what you want, like “more upbeat” or “happier songs.”
Pro tip: The most successful playlists are generated through “genre,” “mood,” or “artist” requests. But animals, activities, movie characters, colors, and even emojis are all fair game too.
To get started, we suggest trying out:
“Afrobeat tracks to heat up the dance floor”
“Trending K-Pop hits I need to know”
“2000s reggaeton for soaking up the sun”
“Songs to hype me up for the football match”
“Upbeat Latin songs from my top genre”
With AI Playlists in beta, they’re still actively learning and iterating with each exchange. They will continue to refine AI Playlist to best serve their listeners and bring the feature to even more users.
Though it’s been a relatively short time since the van-dwelling Olive Klug (they/them) has fully pursued the life of a touring musician, their DIY career has resulted in huge followings with over 20 million Spotify streams, nearly 200,000 TikTok followers, and 100,000+ Instagram followers. Self-described as “someone who floats on the breeze, letting the wind take me wherever I’m meant to be,” Klug’s sophomore album and label debut Lost Dog finds them contemplating this propensity for adventure no matter which avenue of love and loss it leads down.
Gentle at the start, album opener “Taking Punches From the Breeze” gets its title from Klug’s self-described nature of “letting the wind take them wherever they’re meant to be.” As more instrumentation fills in alongside fingerpicked guitar and Klug’s soft croon, a shuffling drum beat arrives under lyrical imagery of life’s new direction and the ups and downs of being beholden to the breeze.
Deemed by Klug as “the happiest song you’ll ever hear about unrequited love,” “What to Make of Me” is a “zydeco-inspired romp” so full of life and self-assuredness that there’s hardly room to dwell on anything remotely devastating. Pure unshakeable confidence clocking in at just under three minutes, this tune is much like the short-term romance that inspired it with the added benefit of being able to listen on repeat.
“No one is their best self in the first few weeks following a big breakup,” explains Klug. “And the song ‘Cold War’ demonstrates how this manifests in our modern world.” Poignant and precise, the stark recording of guitar, bass, haunting strings and vocals accentuate a very twenty-something realization on ended relationships and the proclivity to stalk the internet thereafter:
“The cold war has begun
Of who can prove that they’re having the most fun,
Through tiny screens and Spotify streams
Trying to prove to the other that we won”
“The song shows us parts of ourselves we might not always be proud of,” says Klug. “But can undeniably relate to.”
A “take on Paul Simon’s wordy magical chaos,” “Train of Thought” is an experimentation into the world of abstract metaphors compared to Klug’s usual literal storytelling style. On the surface the fun and frolic of wordplay and rhythm are countered by the personal meaning to Klug, and letting the listener in to what it’s like to be neurodivergent and how they have “recently embraced the internal chaos instead of trying so hard to control and repress it.” Additionally, lines like “and they try to button up my suit and tie in an attempt to hold me back but I’m this strange old conductor wearing pearls and a backwards baseball cap” highlight how their “nontraditional gender presentation is intrinsically linked to this neurodivergence and desire to resist societal pressures.”
The “fast-paced folk punk anthem” “Opposite Action” creatively puts Klug’s “under-utilized psychology B.A” to use – taking a therapeutic concept for a song name and putting its practice of encouraging “patients to do the opposite of what their emotions are telling them to do” in the chorus. Frustrated after applying these methods and not attaining immediate results during a depressive episode in the summer of 2023, Klug’s stream of consciousness style verses offer emotional release and the recognition that getting older and more responsible can feel like an inner-battle when the old patterns want to “give into the worst of me sometimes.”
Slowing down the tempo, “Lost Dog” is a melancholic examination of lifestyle choices. “It’s about watching your peers settle down into serious relationships and buy houses and wonder if you made the right decision to choose freedom and independence,” says Klug. “It’s about learning that the other side of the freedom/independence coin is often instability and loneliness.” Klug carefully acknowledges that their career can be captivating to many as “a wanderer’s lifestyle,”but others’ admiration can quickly turn to contempt as they age – a feeling expressed through the track’s titular metaphor in the chorus.
Revisiting the same break up depicted in “Cold War,” the minimalist ballad of “One Dimension” harnesses the healing power of hindsight. “With more time to process,” explains Klug. “It’s much easier to come to terms with the nuance in a relationship and recognize that the anger and vengeance that first arise after a breakup are often a coping skill for processing the real sadness and loss of cutting ties with someone you were once vulnerable enough to share your life with.”
Already serving as a special moment in Klug’s live set, Lost Dog ends with the enchanting and existential “Fleeting.” Reflecting on the complexities of connection, this swaying track is enhanced by crowd participation on the lullaby-like chorus “it’s fleeting, I’m better when I’m leaving” – a sung mantra between artist and audience of appreciating the present when departure is imminent.
Olive Klug refuses to be put in a box. Working out who you are in front of an ever-growing audience is no small task, but one that the Portland-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter is up for and thriving.
Olive graduated with a liberal arts degree shortly before the 2020 pandemic derailed their plans of pursuing a career in social work. Though they’d recorded and self-released the 2019 EP “Fire Alarm” from a childhood friend’s bedroom, up until early 2021, Olive categorized their music as either a hobby or a pipe dream, depending on who was asking. However, after being laid off from a teaching job in late 2020, Olive started working as a barista and decided to commit all of their extra energy to an ever-growing community of fans online.
Combining their knack for storytelling with a lilting soprano voice, Klug offers observations with an unflinching honesty. 2025 finds Olive in Nashville, attempting to stabilize after a 3-year whirlwind of viral niche internet-fame, non stop touring, and music industry naïveté. Olive’s social work background grounds them in community, a word they keep coming back to when ego proves unfulfilling. Olive is excited to solidify themselves as a fixture of the greater folk community and return to what inspires them the most about music; the catharsis and social change that is possible when people come together and share themselves through song.
Lost Dog tracklisting:
1. Taking Punches From The Breeze
2. What To Make Of Me
3. Cold War
4. Train of Thought
5. Opposite Action
6. Lost Dog
7. One Dimension
8. Fleeting
Olive Klug on Tour:
FRI 25 APR – Buffalo, NY @ The 9th Ward at Babeville
SAT 26 APR – Toronto, ON, Canada @ The Drake Underground
MON 28 APR – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis
WED 30 APR – Millvale, PA @ The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls
THU 01 MAY – Philadelphia, PA @ The Lounge at World Cafe Live
FRI 02 MAY – Cambridge, MA @ Club Passim
SAT 03 MAY – Providence, RI @ AS220
SUN 04 MAY – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
WED 07 MAY – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace
FRI 09 MAY – Portland, ME @ One Longfellow Square
SAT 10 MAY – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
THU 19 JUN – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Bluegrass Festival
SAT 21 JUN – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
SAT 5- SUN 6 JUL – Orillia, ON, Canada @ Mariposa Folk Festival
THU 24 – SUN 27 JUL – Calgary, AB, Canada @ Calgary Folk Music Festival
FRI 1 – SUN 3 AUG – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon
TUE 5 AUG – Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
WED 6 AUG – Eugene, OR @ Tsunami Books
THU 7 AUG – Olympia, WA @ Olympia Lamplighters
FRI 8 AUG – Carnation, WA @ Miller’s
SAT 9 AUG – Bellingham, WA @ New Prospect Theatre
TUE 12 AUG – Spokane, WA @ The Chameleon
THU 14 AUG – Polebridge, MT @ Home Ranch Bottoms
FRI 15 AUG – Missoula, MT @ The Show Room at the Zacc
SAT 16 AUG – Bozeman, MT @ Live from the Divide
SAT 23 AUG – Walla Walla, WA @ Billsville West
Slaying audiences across North America on his “There’s No Such Thing As Monsters” tour celebrating 20 years of Transylvania 90210, Wednesday 13 has just unleashed the biggest surprise in his bag of tricks – brand-new single “No Apologies” featuring Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe! The track appears on the band’s upcoming full-length album, Mid Death Crisis, out this Friday, April 25 via Napalm Records.
“No Apologies” wastes no time ripping into a heavy rock rager, laced with fiery guitar leads and even more searing lyrics. The fast-romping anthem is an unapologetic exorcism of toxic demons and even more toxic people, and arrives alongside a new music video, also featuring Taime Downe.
WEDNESDAY 13 comments about “No Apologies”: “This is the most rock n’ roll song I’ve written in years. I wanted to go back to my roots, and my roots are 80s glam. The name at the top of that list was Faster Pussycat, so it made total sense to have Taime Downe guest on this track. Having one of my rock n’ roll idols alongside me in the studio was an honor. We whipped up a nasty little middle finger salute to ourselves on this one, and the result is ‘No Apologies’.”
After returning in 2022 with his widely-acclaimed full-length album Horrifier (#8 US Top New Artist Albums), as well as several major tours supporting his solo work and celebrated Murderdolls reunion shows, the Duke of Spook is back with Mid Death Crisis! WEDNESDAY 13 dubs the album as a fun, campy, “leave-your-brain-at-the-door” rager and a true return to his hard-rocking roots! Produced by guitarist Alex Kane (Life, Sex & Death, Enuff Z’Nuff, Antiproduct) and mixed by Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Prong, DevilDriver) the album oozes infectious 80s sleaze metal energy.
Eerie introductory track “There’s No Such Thing As Monsters” vibrates with electricity before industrial-tinged “Decease and Desist” kicks in full blast. WEDNESDAY 13’s trademark crooning wastes no time entering the fold as he careens through the high-octane horror anthem. First single “When the Devil Commands” instantly proves itself as a stunner with an unforgettable hook, charging arena rock-laden drum production and chugging guitars, before tracks like “Rotting Away” and “Blood Storm” ensnare with metallic goth-punk energy that will have crowds moving wall to wall. Featuring Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe on guest vocals, standout heavy rocker “No Apologies” is a fast-romping exorcism of toxic demons, while the triumphant mini-murder ballad “Decapitation” riles up listeners with a catchy lead riff before making a hard left into a theatrical bridge straight out of a sinister 60s sock hop! Ragers like “In Misery”, “Xanaxtasy” and “Sick and Violent” explore various genres of metal, injecting the album with elements of gripping heaviness for any listener, while downtempo stunners “I Hurt You” and “My Funeral” approach a more pensive territory.
Although its title, Mid Death Crisis, may suggest otherwise, WEDNESDAY 13 shows zero signs of stopping on this refreshingly powerful and multi-faceted entry into the band’s hall of horrific history!
Today, Baby Volcano releases her second EP SUPERVIVENXIA.
The title SUPERVIVENXIA is a blend of the Spanish words “sobrevivencia” (survival) and “supervivencia” (super-alive), encapsulating the EP’s essence: living life fully, embracing its sorrows as much as its joyous madness.
“For me, being ‘super-alive’ is about feeling deeply, facing life head-on, and channeling both vulnerability and energy” confides Baby Volcano. SUPERVIVENXIA is a fictional space, a mindset, a vibe. It’s a talisman to help navigate personal and global challenges. These tracks are as fiery as they are soothing, bursting with positive energy and raw emotion.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0Fc9vpNPfUac
Baby Volcano erupted on the Swiss underground music scene with her debut EP “Síndrome Premenstrual” (2021). Trained in contemporary dance and performance in Buenos Aires, she captivates audiences with her powerful, sensitive, and avant-garde live shows. In just two years, she has performed at major festivals across Europe, including Roskilde, Eurockéennes de Belfort, Paléo Festival, Dour Festival, Les Vieilles Charrues, Transmusicales. 2024 saw her push artistic boundaries further with a festival tour in Quebec (International Jazz Festival in Montréal, Les Fêtes de Québec, La Noce) and a landmark performance at the SAKIFO Festival on Réunion Island. Baby Volcano’s hybrid, visceral, and boundary-pushing music, combined with her bold creative vision, continues to redefine the standards of contemporary artistic expression.
Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame nominee Darrell Scott is excited to announce the Sunday, June 15 (Father’s Day) release of Wayne’s Pain, his father Wayne Scott’s posthumous sophomore album. Helmed by Darrell Scott and being issued 14 years after his father’s death, Wayne’s Pain contains 12 songs that demonstrate the mastery of Wayne’s chosen genre. As the title implies, Wayne now reveals how deep he could dig into the mines of loneliness and alcohol and return with frighteningly honest musical gems.
Lifted from the sessions that yielded This Weary Way, Wayne Scott’s 2005 debut album, and featuring the same musicians – Darrell Scott, guitarist Dan Dugmore, fiddler Casey Driessen, bassist Dennis Crouch, keyboardist Dirk Powell, bassist Danny Thompson and singer Suzi Ragsdale – the new collection spotlights some of the darkest, most unsettling songs from those recordings, songs every bit as desolate as their titles (“I Know What It’s Like To Be Alone,” “I’m Here Alone,” “If The Bottle Don’t Kill Me”). Here is a whole other side of Wayne Scott.
“Dad’s honest, deep, unflinching, real-life songs kept shining through the years, inspiring me to keep moving forward; his writing and his singing lit the way,” Darrell Scott said. “All five of his sons: Denny, Dale, Darrell, Don, David and my son, Abraham, also worked on this recording – three generations of Scotts. Homemade songs truly made for home.”
Music has always had the power to say what words alone sometimes can’t. During the Vietnam War era, songs became a lifeline — for the soldiers fighting, the families waiting, and the millions protesting. These 20 songs didn’t just capture a moment in time; they captured the heartbeat of a generation.
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Fortunate Son” Nothing screams 1969 quite like “Fortunate Son.” It’s not just a protest song — it’s an anthem for every kid who didn’t have a rich father to keep them out of the draft.
2. Buffalo Springfield – “For What It’s Worth” Written about protests on Sunset Strip, it quickly became a soundtrack for every movement against injustice — especially the growing unrest over Vietnam.
3. Edwin Starr – “War” “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” Edwin Starr didn’t leave much room for interpretation, and the world sang along — fists in the air.
4. Country Joe & The Fish – “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” With a sarcastic grin, Country Joe McDonald offered the bluntest, most biting take on the draft and the futility of war. “Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box.”
5. Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On” Marvin Gaye didn’t just ask a question — he begged for answers. His soul-stirring voice gave the anti-war movement its most beautiful, heartbreaking anthem.
6. Bob Dylan – “Blowin’ in the Wind” Written before Vietnam escalated, Dylan’s timeless questions floated across every protest march. By the mid-60s, it was a prayer for peace.
7. Jimi Hendrix – “Machine Gun” Hendrix’s guitar didn’t just sing — it wept and wailed like the battle cries of the soldiers he honored. Few songs ever captured the sound of chaos so vividly.
8. Peter, Paul and Mary – “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Soft, sweet, and devastating, this folk standard made listeners stop and wonder — where had the hope gone? And when would it return?
9. Barry McGuire – “Eve of Destruction” In two minutes and thirty-eight seconds, Barry McGuire unleashed every fear, frustration, and fury of the 1960s. His voice cracked with urgency, and it still chills today.
10. Bruce Springsteen – “Born in the U.S.A.” Often misunderstood as patriotic, Springsteen’s anthem tells the tough story of a Vietnam vet struggling to find his place in a changed America.
11. The Doors – “The Unknown Soldier” Jim Morrison’s chilling theatricality and the band’s experimental sound turned the fallen soldier into a haunting symbol of a nation losing its way.
12. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – “Ohio” Written about the Kent State shootings, “Ohio” captured the horror and helplessness of watching young Americans die on American soil because of a war far away.
13. Phil Ochs – “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” Phil Ochs had no patience for sugarcoating. His clear-eyed anthem to resistance is as blunt and brave as anything ever written about war.
14. The Rolling Stones – “Gimme Shelter” War, violence, and fear drip from every note of “Gimme Shelter.” It’s not explicitly about Vietnam, but it feels like it was ripped straight from the front lines.
15. Arlo Guthrie – “Alice’s Restaurant” In a hilarious and brilliant 18-minute story-song, Guthrie painted a surreal picture of draft boards and absurdity. Sometimes the best protest comes with a wink.
16. John Lennon – “Give Peace a Chance” Recorded during his Bed-In for Peace, Lennon’s simple, sing-along chorus became a global rallying cry. Sometimes the simplest message is the most powerful.
17. Paul Hardcastle – “19” With a haunting electronic pulse, Paul Hardcastle brought the Vietnam War back into the headlines in 1985. “19” focused on the shocking fact that the average age of a U.S. combat soldier was just 19 years old. Sometimes, statistics hit harder when set to a beat.
18. Joan Baez – “Saigon Bride” Quiet, sorrowful, and deeply human, Baez’s ode to love and loss in Vietnam reminds us that every casualty of war had a face, a family, and a story.
19. The Temptations – “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)” A swirling, funky snapshot of a world in turmoil, “Ball of Confusion” captures everything — racial tension, political chaos, and yes, the despair of endless war.
20. Simon & Garfunkel – “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night” This haunting track pairs the gentle beauty of “Silent Night” with grim news broadcasts about Vietnam. It’s chilling, brilliant, and unforgettable.
The Vietnam War didn’t just change history — it changed music forever. These songs remind us that in the face of confusion, heartbreak, and war, there’s always someone with a guitar (or sampler) and a story, trying to make sense of it all.
Zara Larsson kicks open the door to her brazen new era with “Pretty Ugly.” The electro-blasted single and its gloriously messy music video lean all the way into the idea that – as Zara sings – “sometimes a girl don’t wanna be well-behaved.”
“Pretty Ugly” was written by Zara alongside MNEK, Helena Gao, and Margo Wildman, and produced by Margo XS and MNEK. It fittingly feels made to turn arena grounds into mosh pits. Low-slung electro and iconic ’90s house keys power Zara’s swaggering verses, but the chorus explodes with a confident shout-along hook over a blown-out beat: “Have you ever seen a pretty girl get ugly like this? / Messy like this? / Losing her sh*t?” It’s an open embrace of “bad” behavior summed up by the line, “F*** the ladylike, more like crazy-like.”
The “Pretty Ugly” music video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford (PinkPanthress, Charli XCX, Ashnniko), and choreographed by Zoi Tatopoulos (FKA Twigz), brings that rowdy energy to life as Zara pulls up barefoot in a retro VW to an open field full of women stretching. When she flips a switch on a huge wall of speakers, the bass blows her back and she arises in formation with the girls – but their cheer-tight choreography soon devolves into something far more fierce, feral, and mud-caked as rain pours down and chaos reigns.
The new song arrives ahead of Zara’s fourth international album – coming later this year- and follows the news that she’ll be hitting arenas across North America in August and September on Tate McCrae’s Miss Possessive Tour.
Last year, she released her lauded album VENUS – a powerful showcase of her elevated sound, eclectic style, and unifying vision. Not to mention, her single “Symphony” with Clean Bandit repenetrated the culture with a boisterous meme moment that has helped the video achieve over 1.3 billion views, as the song topped the TikTok Billboard chart for several weeks. It’s kismet then that Zara’s forthcoming, much anticipated body of work channels the popstar at her most unfiltered and authentic. The album is her true essence, capturing lightening in a bottle in a way that only she can. “Pretty Ugly” then is completely undeniable, as Zara looks to the future, boldly and loudly setting off her most exciting chapter yet with a firecracker.
Watch this space for more information coming soon. Things are about to get pretty ugly in the best way.
Zara Larsson 2025 live dates:
Monday, August 4 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena *
Tuesday, August 5 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena *
Thursday, August 7 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place *
Saturday, August 9 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre *
Wednesday, August 13 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center *
Friday, August 15 – Chicago, IL – United Center *
Saturday, August 16 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena *
Tuesday, August 19 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena *
Friday, August 22 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre *
Sunday, August 24 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre *
Tuesday, August 26 – Boston, MA – TD Garden *
Wednesday, August 27 – Boston, MA – TD Garden *
Friday, August 29 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena *
Sunday, August 31 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena *
Wednesday, September 3 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
Thursday, September 4 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
Saturday, September 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center *
Tuesday, September 9 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena *
Thursday, September 11 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
Saturday, September 13 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center *
Sunday, September 14 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center *
Tuesday, September 16 – Austin, TX – Moody Center *
Thursday, September 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center *
Saturday, September 20 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena *
Wednesday, September 24 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center *
Friday, September 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum *
Saturday, September 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum *
*Supporting Tate McRae
Skillet have released “Ash in the Wind [LIVE]” to DSPs, along with a live video of the track to Vevo/YouTube. Filmed live during the 2025 Winter Jam tour, the track and video capture the raw, live and infectious energy fans expect from Skillet.
Last week, the band also released a special collab of “Nothing But the Blood” with Colton Dixon that has seen over 1 million views to date. Having sold out arenas in 32 countries across five continents, including their first-ever, sold out Middle East tour last fall, Skillet have also announced their summer international tour.
Hitting 17 cities, the tour will encompass Skillet shows mixed with annual rock festivals throughout Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and more. The band also recently announced VIP upgrades with Meet & Greets on select dates (see asterisk).
SKILLET SUMMER 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:
5/1 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
5/2 – Orlando, FL – Bayside Stadium – SeaWorld Orlando
7/14 – Cumberland, MD – Allegany County Fair
7/18 – Central Point, OR – Jackson County Fair
7/22 – Goshen, IN – Elkhart County 4H Fair
7/23 – Marion, IL – Marion Cultural and Civic Center
7/24 – Mason City, IA – Mason City Arena
7/26 – Hot Springs, AR – Magic Springs Theme Park
7/30 – Darien Center, NY – Kingdom Bound
8/1 – Danville, VA – The Carrington Pavilion
8/2 – Valdosta, GA – Wild Adventures Theme Park
8/3 – Gautier, MS – The Sound Amphitheater
8/9 – Victoriaville, QC – Rock La Cauze
8/16 – Sunbury, PA – Spyglass Ridge Winery
8/17 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion
8/23 – Pigeon Forge, TN – Rock the Smokies – Dollywood
8/29 – Grand Island, NE – Fonner Park SKILLET SUMMER 2025 INTERNATIONAL TOUR:
*Meet & Greet available as an add-on purchase
*5/29 – Latvia Tour – Palladium Riga
*5/30 – Estonia Tour – Helitehas Tallinn
*5/31 – Lithuania Tour – Compensa Vilnius,
*6/2 – Poland Tour – Skwer Enea Stadion Poznan
6/4 – Sweden Festival – Sweden Rock Festival Solvesborg
6/6 – Germany Festival – Rock Im Park Nuremberg
6/7 – Germany Festival – Rock Am Ring Nurburgring
*6/8 – Germany Tour – Haus Aunsee Leipzig
*6/10 – Hungary Tour – Budapest Park Budapest
*6/11 – Croatia Tour – Tvornica Kulture Zagreb
6/13 – Czech Republic Festival – Rock For People Hradec Králové
6/14 – Austria Festival – Nova Rock Nickelsdorf
6/15 – Italy Tour – Bonsai Garden Bologna
*6/17 – Switzerland Tour – Docks Lausanne
*6/19 – Netherlands Tour – O13 Tilburg
6/20 – Belgium Festival – Graspop Dessel
6/21 – Denmark Festival – Copenhell Copenhagen
![Skillet Release “Ash In The Wind [LIVE]” And Announce Summer 2025 Tours](https://www.thatericalper.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/94c309a5-de2f-4d37-a962-470e1af8ccfd.jpg "Skillet Release “Ash In The Wind [LIVE]” And Announce Summer 2025 Tours")