Music
Smino Shares The Full New York Performance Of His Hoopti Tour
The St. Louis star pulled out all the stops at Brooklyn Steel. …
In 2019, Smino embarked on his national Hoopti Tour, bringing songs from his albums Blkswn and Noir to audiences from his adopted hometown Chicago to Albuquerque, New Mexico alongside guest artists Dreezy, Ravyn Lenae, and Valee, as well as Earthgang, who joined him when Uproxx caught his Los Angeles tour stop. In 2020, however, Smino’s touring was curtailed just like everyone else as a global pandemic shut down the live entertainment industry just when Smino had finished his third album.
In the absence of a viable venue to capitalize on the buzz from his recent appearances on Ari Lennox’s Shea Butter Baby Remix EP, Thundercat’s “Dragonball Durag” remix (also featuring Guapdad 4000), and MadeInTYO’s “BET Uncut” with Chance The Rapper, Smino instead shared a throwback with fans, inviting those who missed out on the Hoopti Tour to catch his performance in full via a tour video shot during his New York stop.
Shot at Brooklyn Steel, the hour-long performance features Smino’s full Zero Fatigue crew, behind-the-scenes footage, and of course, performances of all his fan-favorite songs, including “Anita,” “Wild Irish Roses,” “Netflix & Dusse,” and “Klink.” It’s a fire way for the supremely creative St. Louisan talent to keep his fans sated as they await the release of his third album. They can also check out his surprise, quarantine-recorded mixtape, She Already Decided.
Watch the hour-long performance above.
Artist Spotlight
Fanny Alexandra explores emotional recovery and self-discovery on “Ceasefire”
Not every fight ends a relationship, and there could be long-term emotional damage, with questions about identity, attachment, and the difficult path to moving on. “Ceasefire” is a ghostly alternative rock ballad in which Fanny Alexandra navigates difficult terrain, exploring emotional dependency and the search for selfhood after a toxic relationship.
“Ceasefire” is full of sad melodies and hints of atmospheric rock, making it a dark, cinematic listen. The song’s alt-rock pivot provides an emotionally charged foundation, and it’s about the internal battle, especially when your identity has been so tied to another person.
Fanny Alexandra’s ethereal vocal approach suits the song, lending real emotional weight to the exploration of self-loss and internal tension. “Ceasefire” is a reflective track, with atmospheric instrumentation and deeply personal songwriting that capture feelings that can linger long after a tough chapter closes.
It’s about finding yourself again, and its emotional arc moves from openness and dependence to the hard-earned discovery that personal freedom is more than just walking away. Fanny Alexandra’s love for dark, emotional alternative music inspired “Ceasefire.” Her art is about intimate storytelling, cinematic atmosphere, and making music that explores the quieter struggles people tend to keep inside. In this record, she turns the fallout from a toxic relationship into a meditative reflection on the long road to selfhood.
Artist Spotlight
Stephani Ezatoff honors Elvis Presley’s legacy on powerful new single “Run On”
Gospel-rooted music carries emotional weight, especially when it explores the tension between faith, love, and accountability. With “Run On,“ Stephani Ezatoff combines these into a rock version of Elvis Presley’s famous 1967 version of the traditional African American gospel hymn.
Ezatoff doesn’t simply retrace history but surrounds it with a unique atmosphere of powerful vocals and an ever-intensifying arrangement. The single was recorded at the legendary Sound Shop Studio on Music Row in Nashville and has an interesting connection to Elvis Presley’s own recording history. The studio session was located a stone’s throw from RCA’s Studio B, where Elvis recorded his own version of the hymn.
This adds another layer of meaning to an already meaningful release, placing Ezatoff’s take within Nashville’s musical heritage. Aaron Minick’s arrangement plays on the contrast between divine love and judgment, which is central to the track’s identity. The production builds slowly, and the song becomes a dramatic, cinematic experience. Ezatoff also makes a unique contribution by singing all the vocals herself.
The story of how the recording was made adds to the poignancy of “Run On.” This is one of the last releases made at Sound Shop Studio, which hosted artists like Dolly Parton and Brenda Lee, but closed for good just days after the session. For Stephani Ezatoff, “Run On“ is a vital link between generations of musicians preserved in a recording that’s a piece of Nashville history.
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