Welcome back to Pop Loser! This week, Big Freedia dropped the first track from her SOPHIE-produced EP, Linda Perry shaded two Billy/ies in one interview, and Robert Fripp has a testicle-related question. Plus, AI advancements that nobody asked for, and oh my god, I can’t stop listening to ABBA Gold!
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This Week in Music
Let’s start with some local news. KEXP announced the lineup for its annual BBQ with Ty Segall, Arlo Parks, Angine de Poitrine, and more. As I predicted, the viral phenoms Angine de Poitrine seemed to be the biggest draw, and the fest sold out in 10 minutes!
Coming soon: SOPHIE Summer. Earlier this month, New Orleans rapperBig Freedia announced that her upcoming EP (out June 19) was recorded with and produced by hyperpop pioneer SOPHIE (who passed away suddenly in 2021) back in 2016. “She was an artist who showed the world that living boldly is your greatest power,” says Freedia, adding, “With this EP, I want to show the world how loved she was and still is!” The EP’s first song, “Blaze That Ass,” is out now.
Unsolved Mysteries: Somebody shaved Robert Fripp’s testicles, and he wants to know why. The prog-rock legend, who suffered a heart attack last year, gave a health update to Uncut magazine this week, explaining that a trifurcated artery led him to two rounds of emergency surgery. According to Fripp, he made a speedy recovery, but is still left with some questions. “I was in A&E, they hooked me up to a monitor, and the next step was this dear man turned up and shaved my balls,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘Well, if this is something to do with my heart, why is he shaving my balls?’”
Master of (Virtual) Reality: During the Las Vegas Licensing Expo last week, Sharon and Jack Osbourne announced that they’ve partnered with tech companies Hyperreal and Proto Hologram to reanimate the dearly departed Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, through an interactive AI avatar. “We’re going to take it all around the world,” Sharon explained. “People can talk to him, and he will talk back.” In response to the backlash the family received after the announcement, Jack promised that the production would be “tasteful,” a word that feels like the antonym of “celebrity hologram.”
Speaking of technology that nobody asked for, Spotify and Universal signed a deal this week enabling “fan-made AI covers and remixes.” The agreement allows paying Spotify users to generate AI covers and remixes of licensed UMG tracks from participating artists, which sounds just as tacky and distasteful as the Ozzy hologram. Personally, I’ve never met a single person who wants to listen to or create AI music. If you think this is cool, please email me. I genuinely want to know.
I want this, but not for the reason you think. Hole drummer Patty Schemel is auctioning off a T-shirt given to her by Kurt Cobain, which is cool and all, but I want it because it’s a promo shirt from the forgotten 1980s coming-of-age drama Foxes,starring Cherie Currie (of the Runaways) and Jodie Foster—one of the greatest, most underrated movies of all time (the film is free to watch on YouTube). The bidding has already reached $8,000, so it looks like I’ll have to find one of these shirts that hasn’t been touched by a famous person.
Linda Perry vs. Billie and Billy. In an NME interview this week, the Four Non Blondes frontwoman called Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong a “little pussy” after she was axed from producing the American Idiot follow-up album. Later in the interview, Perry went after another Billy—Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan—saying, “[Courtney Love and I] were working on a record once when Billy Corgan came in, and he was a Debbie Downer and ruining the vibe.”
Speaking of Billys, a Billy Joel biopic is on the horizon, and the piano man is not happy about it. A representative forJoel told Variety: “Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided.” The film, titled Billy and Me, is directed by John Ottman (who worked on both Bohemian Rhapsody and Michael), and will be told from the perspective of Joel’s first manager, Irwin Mazur.
Music Events Worth Your Hard-Earned Money This Week:
Curren$y May 28, El Corazón, 8:30 pm, 21+
Pretty in Pink: 5th Annual Pink Prom May 29, Tractor Tavern, 9 pm, 21+
Brandi Carlile: Echoes Through the Canyon May 29–31, Gorge Amphitheatre, 8 pm, all ages
Rachel Crick’s 55th Birthday: DJ Riz & Supreme La Rock May 31, Clock-Out Lounge, 3–8 pm, 21+
Claire Rosinkranz: My Lover Tour June 1, Crocodile, 8 pm, all ages
Clara La San: Chosen Silences Tour June 2, Showbox, 8 pm, all ages
The Songs That Keep Me Up at Night:
“Ruin” by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
It hasn’t even been a year since Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith released GUSH, but she’s already back with more euphoric tunes for the dance floor. Earlier this week, while announcing her upcoming album, Ruin: It’s Not Just Music,Smith wrote, “I realized I needed to make something confrontational, almost like sonic combat.” She continued, “Not a ‘fuck you’ aimed at anyone in particular, but a record that creates space for catharsis.” The album’s first single, “Ruin,” does just that, finding a middle ground between experimental electronic music and digestible hyperpop that is almost impossible not to cry-dance to.
“Money, Money, Money” by ABBA
My first concert was the ABBA cover band A*Teens at the Alderwood Mall when I was 4 years old, so I guess you could say ABBA is in my DNA. But, since their songs are so ever-present in pop culture, I’ve rarely gone out of my way to listen to them, until now. I literally cannot stop listening to ABBA Gold.Songs on the compilation are sticking out to me that never did before, like “Money, Money, Money,” an unfortunately relatable song about being broke and yearning for a rich man.
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