If you’ve ever stared at a text thread like it’s a sacred scripture or mistook chaos for chemistry, Late Stage Crush is here to tell you, you’re not alone. The Raleigh-based indie-Americana duo, known for their raw emotional honesty and stripped-down style, returns with “The Church Ain’t Open This Late,” a slow-burning, soul-scorching anthem that calls time on toxic devotion masquerading as love.

Late Stage Crush is what happens when poetic storytelling meets unfiltered emotion. Formed in 2023, the project is the brainchild of vocalist Rebecca Sunnybrook and poet-lyricist Susan Mahlburg. Their debut EP, High Noon Divorce, introduced listeners to a world where heartbreak isn’t just a wound it’s a lens for clarity. Now, with their newest single, they continue to carve out a space in modern Americana for the bruised, the brave, and the beautifully bitter.

“The Church Ain’t Open This Late” is a reckoning. Inspired partly by Taylor Swift’s “False God,” the track trades in its own liturgical metaphors to question how often we let love become a false idol. From the very first verse “Met her on a Wednesday / With her halo in her purse” we’re plunged into a twisted, whiskey-soaked chapel of a relationship. There’s no altar here, just a warped kind of worship where obsession is dressed in holiness and staying power is confused for salvation.

Sunnybrook’s delivery is restrained but simmering—like someone trying not to cry during a sermon they don’t believe in anymore. The vocals land soft but cut deep, especially when paired with lyrics like “You baptized me in bourbon / Called it holy rain / But I never asked for worship—I just asked you to stay.” That line alone is a mic drop in the middle of the track, exposing the bitter truth behind the romantic rituals we perform in the name of love.

Beauty of the song lies in its refusal to over-explain. With a minimalist arrangement that keeps the spotlight on the vocals and lyrics, “The Church Ain’t Open This Late” builds its emotional weight slowly. It’s all dusty pews, burnt coats and half-spoken gospel truths each line packing a punch without ever raising its voice. Mahlburg’s poetic touch is unmistakable, painting vivid images with just a few words: “Now the hymns are getting quiet / And the saints are unemployed.” There’s a world in that sentence a world where love has let its guard down and the only thing left is the ashtray full of broken promises.

What’s perhaps most impressive is how the song balances sadness with self-awareness. It’s not a cry for help, it’s a quiet revolution. A decision to walk away from something that felt sacred but wasn’t. By the time the outro rolls in, you’re not just mourning a relationship, you’re setting it down gently and walking out of the church with your head held high.

So if you’ve ever called something “love” when it was really just habit… or holiness when it was only heat… this song’s for you. Ready to feel something real? Stream “The Church Ain’t Open This Late” by Late Stage Crush now on Spotify.

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Paul “Pooh” Lunt’s artistry lies in vision and execution—he’s not a traditional musician but a cultural architect who shapes global music narratives from behind the curtain. His genius is in recognizing potential before it peaks, aligning market forces with untapped talent, and building sustainable platforms that challenge geographic and industry limitations. Whether licensing a viral phenomenon like “Gangnam Style” or launching a label designed to elevate Filipino pop to the world stage, Lunt is a master strategist with an instinct for what resonates globally. The CEO and founder of a swiftly rising label, Popolo Music Group, he comes off as a visionary curator of global soundscapes, fusing business acumen with cultural insight to turn regional talent into international icons.

Welcome to Popolo Music Group—a genre-fluid powerhouse designed to disrupt, uplift, and amplify Filipino talent on a global scale. More than just a label, Popolo is a movement. A platform. A safe haven. A global soundboard where culture meets commerce and creativity reigns.

At the heart of Popolo Music Group is freedom. It is not about fitting artists into boxes; it is all about giving them the freedom to break out of them while giving the world a front-row seat to experience such inestimable greatness as it unfolds.

Launched under Lunt’s fearless leadership, Popolo Music Group gives artists, songwriters, producers, and DJs 360° creative control—a rarity in today’s music machine. It’s a radical shift from traditional gatekeeping, and artists are responding. With over 50 acts already signed or affiliated, the label is fast becoming a magnet for fearless visionaries who believe in pushing sound, not just streaming numbers.

The result? A kaleidoscope of sound that spans hip-hop, R&B, indie, soul, pop, K-pop, Afrobeat, experimental, and more. No genre restrictions. No algorithms dictating direction. Like they say, “If it resonates—it belongs.”

With a decade of groundwork behind it, Popolo Music Group isn’t just launching—it’s arriving fully formed. From high-powered writer-producer rooms in Seoul, L.A., and London to the rising studios of Manila and Cebu, the label is cultivating a sonic ecosystem that fuses global polish with Filipino heart.

But Lunt’s ambition doesn’t end in the studio. Coming in 2025 is Popolo Live, the label’s international concert promotions arm. The goal? To secure stages across Dubai, Toronto, Berlin, New York, and Seoul—ensuring that Filipino talent isn’t confined to local circuits but celebrated worldwide.

Popolo is here to create something uniquely Filipino, something built on storytelling, soul, and authenticity. Under Lunt’s stewardship, Popolo Music Group anticipates turning the volume up in the future.

So, when the Filipino Wave crashes onto the global stage, it won’t be an accident—it’ll be a masterpiece.

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Some artists make music. Others open a window into their world. Dmighty, straight out of Tempe, Arizona, does the latter. Known for his emotionally honest delivery and stripped-down style, he isn’t chasing trends or trying to play a role — he’s speaking directly from the heart. His latest track, “Embrace,” part of a two-song drop titled Revive (alongside “Flyy”), delivers an unfiltered freestyle that feels more like a late-night heart-to-heart than a polished single.

From the opening moments, “Embrace” unfolds like a stream of thought — reflective, unhurried, and deeply personal. The lo-fi beat gives space for the words to land, letting Dmighty’s voice carry the full emotional weight. There’s no flashy hook or radio-ready format. Just one man, a mic, and the truth he’s trying to work through.

The lyrics weave between faith, pressure, dreams, and doubt. “I embrace all the faith, dollars what we chase / Guessing they misplaced all that,” he raps, laying out the tension between spiritual grounding and the hustle of daily life. His voice is calm, but there’s fire behind it — not from ego, but from conviction.

There’s a quiet vulnerability tucked in lines like “it was a privilege just to grab this mic,” a reminder that music, for Dmighty, is more than expression. It’s a necessity. A form of healing. A way to stay upright in a world that doesn’t always hand out second chances.

Throughout the track, he moves fluidly between themes — loyalty to family, internal doubts, ambition, and spiritual grounding — all while keeping the tone conversational. “It’s only for my G’s / only for my family,” he says plainly, drawing a line between clout-chasing and staying true to his circle. Even when he slips into light-hearted bars, like offering someone clothes mid-verse, it feels natural. He’s not trying to impress — he’s letting you in.

Then comes a standout moment: “Just believe in yourself, ’cause sometimes that’s all you got.” Simple, but potent. It lands not as a motivational line, but as a lived truth — one born from experience. In a world full of noise and comparison, belief can feel like the last thing we’re holding onto. Dmighty reminds us that it’s enough.

As part of the Revive release, “Embrace” plays like a mission statement. It’s reflective, grounded, and refreshingly unfiltered. No big drops. No big flexes. Just clarity, character, and growth in every bar.

If you’re looking for hip-hop that slows things down and gets real, this is a track worth sitting with. “Embrace” isn’t chasing the moment — it’s building something deeper.

Stream it now and let it speak to whatever part of you still believes.

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