Welcome to SPIN’s newest element, an intimate, self-filmed, 15 minute set by some of the greatest new musical artists surfacing, and some of the more interesting folks who’ve been around for a while.
It’s not a livestream, a mini concert or a “session”. It’s not an Insta Story or a Tik Tok moment. It’s something else. It’s stripped down, unfussed, definitely, deliberately unproduced. It’s just the artist(s) and us. In their bedroom, living room, a park or (next episode) literally on the back of a truck. It could be at a bus stop. I really hope someone does it at a bus stop!
I’ve asked several new musicians and some more established to do this, play a few songs they like, their own and other people’s, new and old. I asked them not to worry about lighting, or setting, or getting particularly made up for this. To do it accompanying themselves, or sing to their recorded tracks, or even just sing acapella. To say hello to us and tell us what’s on their mind. Or not. I said, imagine we just came over and you decided to pick up a guitar and sing, for us, for you, for the fun of it.
Oh, and by the way, they never do it in 15 minutes. Because no-one ever listens to me…
To inaugurate this is UPSAHL, a young musician I really believe in, someone so refreshingly frank and charismatic and unapologetically sexy (and when did that become so rare?) She’s a brilliant songwriter, who’s been making a name for herself with her own songs and by co-writing with Dua Lipa on the hit “Good In Bed”, or Madison Beer for “BOYSHIT”. And she co-wrote or featured on “Palm Reader” (by DREAMERS, Big Boi – ft. UPSAHL); “Let There be Drums” (Feder & UPSAHL); “Woman on the Moon” Yung Bae (feat. UPSAHL)”; and “Happy Endings” by Mike Shinoda (feat. iann dior & UPSAHL).
She had an early viral sensation with her song and video “Drugs”, and in 2019 was on Lollapalooza, which, let’s face it, is playing in the big leagues. Last year she released her second EP Young Life Crisis, which Billboard included in its list of top 25 albums of the year. Even though it’s not technically an album. And late this winter UPSAHL released the pulsating song “Stop!”
Her new single “Douchebag” is out today and the first single off her debut album due in October. Kismet!
This is her 15 minutes (give or take) performance. All in one go.
