MNDR “Love In Reverse (with Empress Of)”Around the same time that MNDR’s debut album, Feed Me Diamonds, was released, an anonymous musician/producer introduced herself with a series of gorgeously abstract, minute-long music pieces uploaded to YouTube. We’d soon learn the identity behind these beguiling “colorminutes” vignettes: Empress Of (a/k/a Lorely Rodriguez). Fast forward to 2021, and Empress Of is deservedly a household name in the electronic-pop music world, and also a kindred spirit to MNDR, who invited her to contribute to the upcoming album, Hell to Be You Baby. With composer Hudson Mohawke sitting next to longtime MNDR producer/collaborators Peter Wade and Babydaddy, the “Love in Reverse” single sways between shimmering, beat-less verses and rolling, percussive refrains that complement the vocal interplay. When MNDR yearningly confesses “I know it hurts,” Empress Of softly echos the same words in empathy, as if it were two friends confiding.
MNDR “Save Yourself (with Big Data)”MNDR-Big-Data-Save-YourselfMNDR and Big Data (aka Alan Wilkis) are far from strangers and through the years have frequently worked together on tracks like “Live Forever” (off the Brooklyn producer’s 2019 album, 3.0) and more recently, MNDR’s “Save Me.” Keeping it in the family, they reconvened in New York with plans to produce a remix of the latter for release alongside MNDR’s Hell to Be You Baby album. Their M.O. quickly changed, however, as songwriter Evan Bogart and electro-soul singer Daniel Wilson dropped by the session, and MNDR and Big Data exited the studio with what might as well been a whole new song — a fervent electro-house stomper re-titled “Save Yourself.” If the original “Save Me” was a cry for help from the dance floor, it’s here that the clipped, bass-heavy rhythm and the interplay between MNDR’s ecstatic vocals and Daniel’s soaring interjections come together to reveal that salvation and the dance floor are, in fact, one and the same.
Louis The Child “Big Love with Earthgang & MNDR”Taken from Chicago dance-pop all-stars Louis the Child’s Here for Now, MNDR guests alongside EARTHGANG on album banger “Big Love.” Atop the blown-out bass and beat, the Atlanta rap duo’s feel-good verses are all answered by MNDR’s monstrous hook of a chorus, making for the summer anthem that we all needed in 2020… and beyond!
Listen for “Big Love” in the Logitech TV commercial “Defy Logic: Leah Thomas” featuring intersectional environmentalist Leah Thomas.
Stray Kids “Go Live”The latest album from K-pop legends Stray Kids is named after the title track “Go Live” which is produced by WonderSound’s own TRAPCHAT and MNDR. The raucous, trap inspired, goth circus track supports a juggling of raps from a continuous rotation of eight Stray Kids frontmen.
Learn more about Stray Kids on their website and add “Go Live” to your Apple Music and Spotify playlists.
Now GO! GO! GO! GO!
In the midst of the coronavirus shelter in place order, MNDR releases “Fragile” a song she wrote to get her through a tough time. “Fragile” initially intended as an album cut from forthcoming album Hell To Be You Baby felt more appropriate for the times as MNDR says “I was going to release a dancefloor song last week but I just didn’t feel like dancing with everything that’s going on.” “Fragile’s” lyric plumbs the depths of hopeless feelings but finds strength in knowing one’s boundaries. Be sad, but on your own terms.
Listen below, download Fragile for free on bandcamp, or stream anywhere.
If “Fragile” moves you and you sing or play, dance or do spoken word, paint or anything creative, check out the Fragile lyrics and chords. We would love to see your creative take on “Fragile!” Make sure you tag @mndr_official @wondersnd and use #imfeelingfragile
Visualizer by Molly Kaplan – IG: @phatwhippet