NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— The long-awaited debut album from everyone’s favorite contemporary Bronx MC, Ice Spice, arrives Friday. On “Y2K!”, Ice Spice amplifies her idiosyncratic, lackadaisical flow with boisterous, often hilarious bars. (That’s immediately evident on the previously released singles, like “Phat Butt” and “Think U The S— (Fart).” She’s also brought out some heavy hitters for features: Travis Scott, Gunna, and the biggest British rapper of the current moment, Central Cee, make an appearance.
— The Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun will return on Friday with “Ask That God,” their fourth studio album and first in eight years, since 2016’s “Two Vines.” Fans will remember Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore for their 2008 psychedelic dance-pop smash “Walking on a Dream” — and now, there’s new, similarly colorful and maximalist music to enjoy: Start with the shimmery “Cherry Blossom.”
— Each year, around the world and in the U.S., KCON – a convention that celebrates K-pop, K-drama, K-food, K-beauty, everything under the umbrella of “Hallyu,” a term used to describe the growing global popularity of Korean popular culture — takes place. It began 12 years ago in Irvine, California, and has grown exponentially in the years since. The 2024 Los Angeles KCON returns to the LA Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, and will take place July 26 through the 28, with a lineup boasting of NCT 127, P1Harmony, BOYNEXTDOOR, Taemin and more. For those who can’t make it in person: Each night’s performances will be streamed live on KCON’s official YouTube channel. The concert will also air live on the CW Networks Sunday, July 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT for the first time ever.