Music

Music: Beats & Gigs

Long-time industry players and rising newcomers alike are vying for the spotlight on the record player with their clever, individual takes on the era’s most popular genres.

Victoria Monét
Frequency Of Love
Release date: 2 October 2026

Between Grammy wins for Jaguar II and penning hit songs for the likes of Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar, it feels like Victoria Monét is finally reaching the stride of her decades-long career. But she isn’t finished yet; the follow-up record to her debut LP takes on a different flavour of R&B, seemingly replacing the former’s funk with a glossier disco and house influence.

Troye Sivan
She’s the Best
Release date: 9 October 2026

If there ever was a male popstar that reinvents himself the way the girls do, it’s Troye Sivan. His aesthetics transform with his music, lending to each record’s distinctive eras. His latest is a gritty, Bowie-esque, surrealist glamour to pair with an acid trip of an alt-pop sound, defined by the rhythmic spoken word title track that leads into his fourth record She’s The Best.

Rachel Chinouriri
I think I spoke too soon
Release date: 16 October 2026

Dance music isn’t always made for rave mosh pits. That’s the case with Rachel Chinouriri, who interprets the genre into a hazy dream that fits her floaty vocals through “One song away from crying,” the lead single of her upcoming album, I think I spoke too soon. If it’s any indication of what the record would sound like (all she had said about it was “It’s sounding gorgeous!”), one can expect nothing short of a delicate, synth-driven, indie iteration of Britpop that she has been honing across past projects.

Anderson .Paak & Cordae
Heavy Is The Crown
Release date: 23 October 2026

Anderson .Paak isn’t a stranger to collaborative acts; first it was NxWorries with producer Knxwledge, then he formed Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars. Though he isn’t operating as a duo with frequent collaborator Cordae for their joint album Heavy Is The Crown, their creative prowesses will collide once again in this tight, 11-track record.