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Chance The Rapper Releases His ‘Are U Live’ Video With Jeremih And Valee

The Chicago rappers spread holiday cheer as they encourage one of their own to get well soon. …

Chance The Rapper and Jeremih’s 2016 holiday mixtape Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama is an odd bit of internet ephemera. It’s a fan favorite, yet fans can only stream it sporadically, as the two uploaded the project and its 2017 follow-up to SoundCloud originally but not to more mainstream services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal. While Jeremih is currently recovering from a bad case of COVID-19, Chance decided to spread a little holiday cheer by releasing the video for one of the project’s songs, “Are U Live,” after holding onto it since 2017.

The video was directed by Cole Bennett (no relation to Chance or his brother Taylor) of Lyrical Lemonade at the start of his rise as one of hip-hop’s most sought-after video shooters, while the track itself was produced by ChaseTheMoney, a SoundCloud rapper go-to who has since produced for Dreamville and J. Cole on Revenge Of The Dreamers III and JID’s DiCaprio 2. Like plenty of Cole Bennett’s previous works, the video blends a low-fi aesthetic with a simple concept, as well a cheeky sense of humor with on-screen captions pointing out a failed “successful dap” and more. He even appears in the video, although you’ll have to have a sharp eye to catch his cameo.

The song isn’t what you’d call a traditional Christmas song, with its call-and-response, sparse beat, and the artists’ rap athletics. But the video displays their festive mood, with Santa caps and fairy lights aplenty decorating their red cup turn up.

Watch “Are U Live” above and listen to Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama below.

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Artist Spotlight

“Days Like These” sees Matt Law turn college memories into a powerful rock anthem

Matt Law

Matt Law’s new single “Days Like These” is a breath of fresh air. The track is centered on the energy of summer memories, college friendships, and the thrill of making music with people who really believe in the moment, and it feels like a snapshot of youth at full volume.

Built on a rock foundation of melody and momentum, “Days Like These” is an uplifting rush from start to finish. The single, recorded with fellow students and collaborators at Riverside Music College, captures the excitement of a band finding its sound as it happens.

Matt Law displays himself as an artist with a good instinct for atmosphere and emotional connection. This song’s lively personality is boosted by drummer Taylor Whyte, bassist Alex Duncan, rhythm guitarist Kian Carrol, and lead guitarist Morgan Flanagan.

“Days Like These” is memorable for its ability to get at a universal feeling. It’s about those moments of freedom, uncertainty, and excitement that mark the early years of adulthood, and it still sounds fresh enough to resonate with people well beyond that. Matt Law’s effort is the first shot in the career of an artist who knows how to turn memories into anthems, giving us one perfect for open roads, late nights, and unforgettable summers.

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Album Review

Mary Knoblock’s “Peach” album is a tender journey through love, loss, and rebirth

Mary Knoblock

Mary Knoblock’s new album, “Peach,” is a deeply emotional and cinematic world of sound, blending Americana folk, neo-classical dream pop, and storytelling into something intimate. The album is nine songs and just under forty-six minutes, with the feeling of a performance where every scene holds tenderness, heartbreak, longing, and quiet transformation.

“Peach” is inspired by the idea of emotional rebirth and welcomes you with warmth and honesty. Each track is a tender clutch of textures, poetic emotion, and experimental beauty. Her voice and compositions are finely tuned for a strength that makes every moment intimate and alive.

“Mustang Clover” is a free, contemplative track, while “Metal Neon Sky” is a luminous, mysterious, and desirable emotional landscape. The title track, “Peach,” is warm, tender, and exposed, and in a deeply heartfelt way, captures the emotional heart of the album. “Mother’s Eyes” is a piece of emotional depth and memory, and one of the most intimate moments of the project. The album continues with the quiet emotional weight of lead single “I Knew You,” graceful and restrained, balancing love and loss.

“Of The Alpine” evokes a drifting, cinematic sense of lonely isolation that is beautiful and lonely. “Maybe Tomorrow” is a lively, ambiguous song, while “Peach – Blue Grass” is a reimagination of the emotional heart of the album from a more rootsy perspective. “Mustang Clover – Deluxe” continues the reflective spirit of the opening track and adds emotional texture. “Peach” reveals Mary Knoblock as an artist not afraid to expose truth through sound, emotion, and imagination.

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