2 March 2025 - Les Cowboys Fringants - La fin du show

This is probably the most exposure Les Cowboys Fringants have gotten outside of Quebec, but they deserve a wider reach from their néo-trad musical style that draws on folk and rock influences. 

The reigning champions of the Juno Awards Francophone category, the group released new music in 2024 to accompany a musical, Pub Royal, that featured their music.  That album is absolutely a 2025 nominee, by the way. 

This was the last album to feature Karl Tremblay, the band's lead vocalist.  He passed away from prostate cancer in 2023.  The song does feature vocals by Tremblay, and was written by blacground vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jean-François Pauzé.

I hope it's clear by the title that this was probably the last thing Tremblay recorded. It is a POWERFUL performance. 

1 March 2025 - Sophie Powers - Better On Mute

Welcome to March.

Did I choose March because it starts with the same letter as "Maple Leaf"?  Maybe.  More likely I started it because the Junos take place in March - for now.  It seems to be slowly moving to April.   

Which makes it even weirder that I started the month with never-nominated Sophie Powers, a Toronto native who has made great music tailor-made for the TikTok generation.  Co-written by the artist (no, Powers is not her real last name and the credits tell me that), the song is very much a declaration of independence by an musician who is making bold, different music from a nation who refuses to be annexed by the United States.

THAT'S as political as I will ever get here. 

She has performed a stripped-down version of the song live, which shows me that she's both not manufactured (a little cringe, in fact) and is a uniquely talented performer. 

25 February 2025 - Benson Boone - Beautiful Things

I at first discounted this song.  It's a little more country than my tastes skew - no knock on country.  Modern country just doesn't bring me much pleasure.  So, after about thirty seconds, I turned the song off.   

In the leadup to the Grammys a couple of weeks ago, where Boone was nominated for a couple of awards, snippets of the song led with the chorus - and that's what hooked me.   It's a country-rock hybrid that ended up being a huge worldwide hit, and it took a couple of nominations to get my attention.  

It's not surprising that it changes tone so dramatically.  It began life as two separate songs, with co-author Jack LaFrantz recommended combining.  

For some reason, I find that Grammys performance even more dramatic.  I don't know if it's the tearaway suit or the flip off the piano.... 

24 February 2025 - David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue)

Where does a song cross the line into being a cover?

Well, this song started off life in 2017, as a fun studio exercise built off an Eiffel 65 sample but never intended for release.

Fast forward to 2022, when TikTok was a thing and the snippet leaked.  Guetta and Rexha very quickly finished their song and, well, instant hit.  It ended up being her biggest hit everywhere in the world EXCEPT for the United States, where it was a huge hit but she's had bigger that we'll probably never mention here again. 

Anyway, the song clearly takes the beat from "Blue (Da Ba Bee)" but these are, for the most part, brand new lyrics.  And yeah, the song is a LOT of fun.   

The video above was largely compiled from a live appearance Rexha and Guetta made together, where they seemed to be having a LOT of fun.  Here is that live performance. 

Not that she needs David Guetta to have a good time. 

Even with a slowed-down version and a full orchestra, she seems to still be having fun.  Also, the pipes! You can hear the helper tracks on the other performances, but not here.   She's singing the hell out of this. 

21 February 2025 - Kim Petras - Future Starts Now

I don't know why, but I have been in a Kim Petras mood lately.   As a child, she wanted to be a fashion designer.  It's kind of interesting where she ended up. 

This was her first single on a major label, in 2021, and was a hit in US clubs and, weirdly, in Japan.   

Of course she performs it live.  Here's the first time she did that, from Lollapalooza 2021.

20 February 2025 - Adele - Hello

I can't say when I went from absolutely despising this song to liking it, but it happened in the last few months.   And it's the chorus that gets me - absolutely gives me chills.  Adele has always had a huge voice, and when she hits the chorus, it just hits for me.

Critics love the song, too.  It was the 2017 Song and Record of the Year winner at the Grammys.  

But what I think got it for me was the version she did with Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and classroom instruments.

19 February 2025 - Megan Thee Stallion - HISS

Spotify now has an AI DJ, who they call X.  Usually, X nails my musical tastes pretty closely. but sometimes, he goes off the reservation.

This song started off like that.  I like Megan Thee Stallion, but I wouldn't say she's a go to.

But X kept serving this song up a lot.  

Over and over. 

And it grew on me.

A clear diss track that does not name its target, who is, in my opinion, clearly Nicki Minaj, this song very quickly hit #1 on the US pop charts - the first time she's been there as a solo artist and her third trip overall - and was a worldwide hit.   

And before anyone starts with me. Yes, I see the video is billed to Megan Thee Stallion and Tina Snow.   I hope it's clear they are the same person. 

By the way, those rhymes that she's spittin' so fast?

She does it live.