“Lavender” hits like a velvet curtain being pulled back at the exact second everyone stops pretending. Jay Saint James does not chase a basic pop moment here. The Ayr, Scotland singer-songwriter, also known through official channels as J Saint James, walks into old Hollywood’s private corridors and comes out with a record that feels glossy, bruised, and strangely intimate. “Lavender” is an original single with a...

Some pop songs are built for escapism. They offer a three-minute vacation from the weight of things. Paul Jenner, the creative force behind the musical project 50mething, seems uninterested in this kind of holiday. His work is consistently grounded in the here and now, tackling the social and political agitations of our time with a composer’s ear and a critical eye. His 2026 single, “You Can’t...