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Phake and Haley Maze Release Hot Boys Cry
Phake and Haley Maze Release Hot Boys Cry as a dance track spotlighting men’s mental health through speed garage and electro pop
Phake and Haley Maze have teamed up again for Hot Boys Cry, a new Beat Dealer Records single that turns its playful title into something with more meaning behind it. The track puts men’s mental health at the centre, touching on the pressure men often face to hide what they feel or act unaffected. Instead of making the subject feel too heavy, the duo bring it into a catchy dance release with a lighter sense of humour in the writing. Following their previous collaboration Yesterdays, Hot Boys Cry continues the emotional songwriting thread between them while moving into a faster direction. With speed garage and electro pop influences running through the production, the single gives Phake and Haley Maze another release that feels personal without losing its club focused edge.
Phake And Haley Maze Continue Their Run Of Emotional Dance Collaborations
Before Hot Boys Cry, Phake had released Live Big, Love Fast, Bad Influence, and Yesterdays through Beat Dealer Records, giving his recent catalogue a clear link between fast dance production and more personal songwriting. His profile has also grown outside streaming, with appearances at PAROOKAVILLE, SonneMondSterne, and San Hejmo, along with a sold out show at Bootshaus Cologne. Those details help place Hot Boys Cry within the same run of releases, where his music is not only made for short, catchy formats, but also for ideas that carry some emotional weight.
Haley Maze brings her own dance music background into the collaboration as well. After working with Phake on Yesterdays, which passed over 2 million streams on Spotify within seven months, she returns with a vocal part that keeps the writing direct without making the song feel too serious. Her catalogue also includes releases with Blasterjaxx, Neptunica, W&W, and AXMO, so Hot Boys Cry sits alongside a wider list of electronic music credits, not just one previous collaboration. That matters here because the song needs the vocal to carry both the joke in the title and the message behind it, and Haley Maze gives it that balance through a delivery that feels playful but still clear.
Inside The Lyrics And Production Behind Hot Boys Cry
By the time Hot Boys Cry gets into Haley Maze’s vocal, the title starts to feel less like a joke and more like the entry point into the song’s whole idea. The writing takes aim at the expectation that men should stay guarded, using lines like “Hey why you gotta act so bulletproof” and “therapy would look so good on you” to make the point without dragging the track into a lecture. That is where the humour in the song becomes important, because it lets Phake and Haley Maze talk about opening up without making the record feel weighed down by the subject. Haley Maze keeps that balance in place through melodic phrasing and a cheekier edge, making the lyrics easy to catch without losing the meaning behind them.
The production gives the single just as much detail, with Phake taking Hot Boys Cry into a faster direction influenced by speed garage and electro pop. The gritty arpeggiating bassline gives the track its movement, while robust kickdrums and vocal chops keep the arrangement busy around the hook. Compared to Yesterdays, which leaned into a more sentimental feeling, this release feels brighter and more restless, especially in the way the instrumental rushes around the vocal. At just over two minutes, the track keeps its structure tight, but there is still enough going on between the bassline, vocal chops, and hook to make the song feel complete instead of rushed.
By the end of Hot Boys Cry, the strongest part of the single is how naturally Phake and Haley Maze bring two different sides of the record together. The song has a title that catches attention quickly, but the writing gives it a reason to stay in the listener’s head beyond that first reaction. Haley Maze keeps the message direct through lines that call out emotional guardedness without turning the track into something overly serious, while Phake keeps the production active with speed garage and electro pop influences, vocal chops, kickdrums, and a gritty bassline that give the song its faster pace. After Yesterdays, Hot Boys Cry feels like a stronger continuation of their collaborative direction, taking the emotional writing that already worked between them and placing it in a brighter, more cheeky dance record. For a track that runs just over two minutes, it gives Phake and Haley Maze enough space to make the idea clear, keep the hook memorable, and add another well timed release to their growing run on Beat Dealer Records.
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Armin van Buuren announces two-day ASOT LA festival for June 2027, marking the first two-day A State of Trance event in the U.S.
For more than 25 years, A State of Trance has grown from Armin van Buuren’s weekly radio show into a global trance platform. Its events now span Europe, Asia and the Americas. Armin van Buuren has now announced its next major chapter in Los Angeles. The city will host the first two-day A State of Trance festival in the United States on June 11 and 12, 2027. The event will bring ASOT back to California on a larger scale, with further festival details still to come.
A State Of Trance Expands In Los Angeles
Armin van Buuren shared the news on October 8 during ASOT LA Unfiltered, an intimate pop-up in Downtown Los Angeles. Organisers invited a small group of attendees to the previously unannounced event. There, Armin van Buuren played a two-hour set before revealing plans for the 2027 festival at ACE*MISSION Studios.
While A State of Trance has held events in California before, including editions in Oakland and Los Angeles, 2027 will mark a first. It will become the first two-day ASOT festival in the United States. The format follows the larger editions already established elsewhere and gives the U.S. event two full festival dates.
A State Of Trance Hotel Joins The Weekend
Alongside the shows at ACE*MISSION Studios, the Los Angeles weekend will also include an A State of Trance Hotel. Previous editions have offered activities around the main festival. These have included pool parties, pre-parties, dedicated hotel events and early access for guests.
A State of Trance has not yet confirmed the exact package or activities planned for Los Angeles. Registration for A State of Trance 2027 tickets and hotel packages is already open. Lineup and further ticket information will follow.
A State Of Trance Celebrates 25 Years
The Los Angeles festival forms part of A State of Trance’s 25th anniversary, adding another major edition to the celebrations. Armin van Buuren launched the weekly radio show in 2001. Over the following two decades, it expanded into compilations, international events and large-scale festivals while remaining closely tied to trance music.
In May 2026, Armin van Buuren released A State of Trance 2026, the 23rd annual installment in the compilation series. The album features three mixes titled Pulse, Frequency and Energy. Artists across the project include Argy, Andrew Bayer, Joris Voorn, Amy Wiles, Farius, KI/KI and Lilly Palmer. ‘Always You’ by Armin van Buuren, Richard Durand and Dicosis also became the official anthem for the 25-year celebrations.
The anniversary celebrations have also extended to Ibiza. A State of Trance began a five-date residency at [UNVRS] in September 2026, running every Monday from September 7 to October 5. Armin van Buuren plays a five-hour extended set on each date alongside invited artists and collaborators. The accompanying A State of Trance, Ibiza 2026 compilation features Andrew Bayer, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Matt Fax, Solarstone, MaRLo, BLR and Richard Durand.
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ASOT Continues Into 2027
Before attention turns to Los Angeles, A State of Trance will return to Rotterdam on February 26 and 27, 2027. The event continues the two-day format already established in the Netherlands. Registration for the next Rotterdam edition is already underway as the anniversary celebrations continue into another year.
Four months later, Los Angeles will become the next major stop on the ASOT calendar. Several important details, including the lineup and individual day schedules, have yet to be announced. More information about the A State of Trance Hotel will also follow. Those reveals will complete the picture before the first two-day U.S. ASOT festival begins at ACE*MISSION Studios on June 11 and 12, 2027.
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GTA VI to feature dedicated dance and electronic radio stations as Rockstar reveals its biggest in-game radio selection yet
For more than two decades, Rockstar Games has used radio to give Grand Theft Auto its own musical identity, from Flash FM in Vice City to Soulwax FM, FlyLo FM and Radio Mirror Park in GTA V. Grand Theft Auto VI will expand that tradition with the biggest and widest-ranging in-game radio selection in the series so far. Dance and electronic music will each have dedicated stations, alongside classic rock, modern hip-hop, pop, metal, Latin, ’80s, blues and ballads. Talk radio and podcasts will form part of the wider selection too.
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Dance And Electronic Music Get Dedicated Stations
Electronic music already has a strong presence across the series. Soulwax FM, FlyLo FM, Worldwide FM and The Music Locker Radio have covered house, techno, experimental electronic music and underground club sounds. GTA VI will now give dance and electronic music their own stations, opening the door for a broader range of styles across the game.
Rockstar Games has not yet announced the station names, hosts or tracklists, leaving plenty unknown about how the two will differ musically. One could focus more heavily on house, club and dancefloor records. The other could cover a wider range of electronic sounds, although Rockstar Games has not confirmed those details.
Electronic Music Has Long Been Part Of GTA
Electronic music has also played a larger role across GTA beyond its radio stations, particularly through GTA Online. Keinemusik, Palms Trax and Moodymann have all performed at The Music Locker, while Joy Orbison hosted Still Slipping Los Santos. Updates to FlyLo FM and Worldwide FM also expanded the electronic music available inside the game.
In 2021, Rockstar Games expanded that connection by partnering with CircoLoco to launch CircoLoco Records. The label has since released music from Rampa, Moodymann, Carl Craig, Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones and Tale Of Us. Its catalogue also includes Sama’ Abdulhadi, DJ Tennis and Kerri Chandler. More recently, 2026 releases have involved Michael Bibi, KETTAMA, ANOTR, Prospa, Cloonee and Jimi Jules.
GTA VI Is Expanding Its Music Offering
Alongside the in-game radio, Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album will add another major music component to the game. The official 34-track soundtrack includes artists across several genres and extends the musical scope of GTA VI beyond the stations heard while exploring Vice City and Leonida.
Electronic music is represented there too, with Fred again.. and Etienne de Crécy among the artists involved. Other names include PinkPantheress, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Yung Lean, Future, Metro Boomin and Travis Scott. Morgan Wallen, Rauw Alejandro and Keith Richards also feature.
More GTA VI Radio Stations Are Still To Be Revealed
Rockstar Games has already previewed Cocoteo FM, Back Country Radio, AfroBank FM, The Chamber 106.6, Flash FM and Dirty South Classics. However, the company has yet to announce the names of the dedicated dance and electronic stations. Their hosts and full tracklists also remain under wraps.
With Grand Theft Auto VI set to be released on November 19, 2026, more details about its electronic music selection are still expected. DJs, club culture, specialist stations and CircoLoco Records have already become part of Rockstar Games’ wider music world. Now, GTA VI’s dedicated dance and electronic stations could add another chapter to that history.
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Lollapalooza South America 2027 lineups are here, with Travis Scott, Charli xcx, The Killers and David Guetta leading Chile, Argentina and Brasil.
Lollapalooza has revealed the lineups for its three South American editions in 2027, with Travis Scott, Charli xcx, The Killers, David Guetta, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Neighbourhood leading the bills across Chile, Argentina, and Brasil. It is one of the stronger headline combinations the festival has put together for the region in recent years, mixing some of the biggest names in pop, rock, and electronic music into a single run of dates.
The wider lineup fills out with a lot to get excited about beyond the headliners. Four Tet, The Prodigy, Fontaines D.C., Cage The Elephant, Raye, Dominic Fike, Leon Bridges, Lola Young, Rawayana, Slayyyter, Geese, Malcolm Todd, Sombr, Angine de Poitrine, Adéla, and many more are all confirmed across the three editions. The variety across genres is notable, with the lineup spanning indie rock, electronic, R&B, pop, and alternative sounds in a way that gives each day of the festival a different feel.
The 2027 editions also bring a strong wave of first-time South American performances, with Sombr, Fontaines D.C., Dominic Fike, Geese, Malcolm Todd, Angine de Poitrine, Adéla, Julia Wolf, Ninajirachi, The Avalanches, Die Spitz, and Violet Grohl all making their debuts on the continent. For a lot of fans in the region, this will be the first and possibly only chance to see some of these artists perform live.
The Dates
Lollapalooza Chile takes place March 12-14 at Parque O’Higgins in Santiago. Tickets and the full lineup are available at lollapaloozacl.com.
Lollapalooza Argentina runs March 12-14 at Hipódromo de San Isidro in Buenos Aires. Tickets and the full lineup are available at lollapaloozaar.com.
Lollapalooza Brasil closes out the run from March 19-21 at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo, marking the festival’s 15th anniversary in the country. Tickets and the full lineup are available at lollapaloozabr.com.
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