Lady Gaga Implores Us to Explore 'The Shallow' and Weezer Should Leave 'Africa' Alone

By Clover Hope | September 28, 2018 | 9:00pm

Entertainment Music

YES!!! I’M IN THE SHA-HAAAA SHA-HAAA-LOW!: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, “Shallow” — The full-length song and video for the record that will rule our lives until the end of time (or at least, till the end of 2018 and throughout awards season) has been released, and this is just the tip of the iceberg of a soundtrack that’s destined for greatness. “Tell me boy, aren’t you tired tryin’ to feel that void”? This hits right at the nexus of soaring soundtrack smash and Lady Gaga power ballad, and it’s time to inject it into your soul. —Clover Hope

God, no: Weezer, “Africa” (Toto cover) music video – I’ve waxed poetic on this severely lackluster and ultra successful cover before, but I couldn’t contribute to y/n this week without mentioning it again: please make this stop. Why is Weird Al here? Who asked for this? —Maria Sherman

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YES!: Japanese Breakfast, “2042″ and “Posing in Bondage” – I adore Japanese Breakfast, the musical project of Michelle Zauner—from her early unpolished demos to the ambitious, sci-fi opera of an album, Soft Sounds for Another Planet. These two new tracks sit firmly in the former camp proving that once you strip away the layers and motifs, she is simply a sharp instrumentalist with an ear for nostlagic-leaning, but never derivative, indie rock. —MS

Siiiii, porfa: DJ Snake feat. Cardi B, Ozuna, Selena Gomez, “Taki Taki” – I don’t know what “taki taki” means, but I like this song. (The Genius page for the track states, “Taki Taki has no official meaning, is neither a Spanish or an English word.” Okay, no, that’s cool, totally fine.) This fiery, exercise class-ready beat will move you if you let it, making this a good choice for the weekend, too. Ozuna sounds right at home singing here, talking about the hijinks that transpire at the club. On the second verse, Cardi comes in rapping like she has something to prove, which is a thrill to listen to, but then she slips into sing-song-y Spanish, and this I love. Have you heard her other song with Ozuna? It’s good.

Selena, too, with her breathy singing and dead-serious delivery sounds really good here. When it’s over, I find myself wishing it was longer; despite the fact that four artists are on the song, it feels like none of them gets sufficient time in the spotlight. One can only hope this will mean more collaborations like this one. —Frida Garza