SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Very few can ace an assignment like Devon Cole. While righting the lyrical wrongs of ‘Blurred Lines’, Cole’s remix went viral. To comfort a Love is Blind reality star post-onscreen heartbreak- Deepti Vempati, Cole offered an “in awe” empowerment anthem.

The secret to Cole’s CBC-acclaimed “earworm pop with a feminist edge”, lies in her clinical approach to songwriting. The psychology graduate’s Arista Records debut, ‘W.I.T.C.H’ (“Woman in Total Control of Herself”) was the product of weeks of research: deep dives into the history of witchcraft, along with unending reruns of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. After Cole shared snippets of the funk-flavored, Trojan horse-esque track, ‘W.I.T.C.H’ secured 300,000 pre-saves — quadrupling her following in the process. Catchily packaging social truths in repeat-worthy pop bops, Devon Cole is a woman in total control — and always understands the assignment. MORE