Filipino-Black pop star Taylor Heavenly has released her new single, "Clown," along with a stunning music video. The song starts off like the first scene of a movie, with big production and a sense of drama that draws people in. From the first note, the music has a cinematic aspect as the strings swell, the beats hit with purpose, and every sound detail combines to create...

Casey McQuillen’s single “Better” arrives not with a bang, but with the quiet, decisive click of a well-made lock securing a door. It’s pop music, certainly, groomed and gleaming, yet beneath the surface bubbles a fierce kind of self-possession that’s less about demanding attention and more about curating who gets past the velvet rope of your own contentment. Coming from someone known for empowerment...