originally published: 02/15/2026
Jesse Hartman & Anna Hadeed, photo by Emmanuel Abreau
NYC alternative pop outfit Laptop has released "Xanadu", the latest offering from their forthcoming album "On This Planet", which starts out sounding like a love song, but slowly reveals itself as something darker.
A duet between frontman Jesse Hartman and Nevis vocalist Anna Hadeed, the track explores the American idea of settling down — building a life, owning something permanent — and how that dream can quietly go wrong. It’s less about romance than what happens when good intentions collide with money, power, and the pressure to create something lasting.
Formed in the late ’90s, Laptop released three albums with Island Records, earning praise from NME, The Guardian, and others for their stylized blend of synth-pop, irony, and emotional precision. Now revived as a contemporary project with his son Charlie Hartman, Laptop has become a vehicle for Hartman grappling openly with adulthood in this chaotic world — not as a clean resolution, but as something messier and harder to define. “Xanadu” captures the moment when the art dream runs into the desire for stability, and neither comes out untouched.
The title nods directly to Citizen Kane, where “Xanadu” names Charles Foster Kane’s vast, illusory estate — a symbol of success that ultimately exposes loneliness and regret. Laptop updates the idea for a modern American setting. In this version, Xanadu isn’t a castle; it’s a mid-century dream house, full of hope and expectation, carrying the belief that ownership might finally bring peace. This is love song disguised as a hard look at the pitfalls of American materialism.
Filmed on Oualie Beach in Nevis, where overdubs for Laptop's coming album were recorded, the video juxtaposes Hartman and Hadeed's chilled beachside duet with glossy, candy-colored visual sequences involving a separate couple. Gently mocking the modern semi-colonialist belief that paradise can be packaged, purchased, and controlled, we see a slick couple sail toward their dream, only to see it sink beneath the waters of their own ambitions and end up in flames. Kitschy postcard titles like "The Good Life” and “Live the Romance" punctuate their journey, underscoring the bitter irony of it all.
Jesse Hartman got his start as a Voidoid with Richard Hell, before founding indie rock band Sammy with Luke Wood, and releasing albums via Fire Records and Geffen Records. Since reviving, Laptop is on a roll on the strength of the singles “Indie Hero”, "Confused", "Additional Animals", "I Don't Know" and “Weirder”, mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Julian Lennon), collectively drawing millions of views and reintroducing Laptop's humor and sounds to a new generation.
“Xanadu” was released via Hurricane Cove Records on February 13, 2026 available on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Laptop’s much-anticipated "On This Planet" album will be released on June 5. The band performs next at NYC's Mercury Lounge on April 9, along with UK rockers Art Brut.
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BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 2/16/26
Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Above The Moon, Teen Idle, Jason Didner and the GSP's, Brian Erickson, and Kay Roman. Plus a look back at "All Very Well In The End" by The Baby Seal Club.
