Images & Words: Stormzy, "Vossi Bop"
The Round-Up: The Best Songs of 2019 (1st Quarter)
The Round-Up: The Best Albums of 2019 (First Quarter)
Chief Keef, "Ain't Gonna Happen"
Future
“PIE” (f/ Chris Brown)
Digital Single
The fuel all your summer midsummer misadventures, Future and Chris Brown’s new surprise single is an infectious bop that celebrates their hedonistic personas. The duo is armed with a pair of earworm verses, a nasty hook, and enough drug references to make Hunter Thompson blush. It’s hard to tell what kind of staying power it will have, but it definitely has the potential to stick.
Turnover
“Super Natural”
Good Nature (out 08.25 on Run for Cover)
The Virginia trio has been a longtime favorite around these parts, since their excellent 2015 LP, Peripheral Vision. Much of their previous work reminds me of the alt-rock of my pre-teen years (weirdly, especially the Gin Blossoms). But the lead single from their forthcoming album feels (a little too much) like a Real Estate song to me. It’s a solid, if unspectacular first step that will hopefully lead to much more.
Toro Y Moi
“Girl Like You”
Boo Boo (07.07 on Carpark)
Throughout his nearly 10-year career, Chaz Bundick has blown hot and cold for me. He’s a solid songwriter, but often his singing voice felt slight and polite to me, too timid to make a real dent. However, on his breezy new single, “Girl Like You,” the 30 year-old treats his vocals with some light autotune, which adds that little bit of oomph that much of his old work was missing. It’s a subtle but impactful adjustment, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
MoStack
“Screw & Brew” (f/ Mist)
High Street Kid (MizerMillion)
If you’ve been reading my site, you’ll know that the North Londoner is one of my favorite new artists of the year, and his excellent debut mixtape will do nothing but make that flame even bigger. His third single, “Screw & Brew,” perfectly exemplifies his intoxicating sound: a little bit Afropop, a little bit grime, a little bit of dancehall, and a whole fuckload of melody. Sleep on MoStack at your own peril; this boy’s got the tools to go all the way to the top.
Bad Gyal
“Jacaranda”
Digital Single
Fresh off dropping one of the most thrilling debuts of last year, the rising reggaeton alchemist returns with her first release of 2017. Hailing from Spain’s sleepy Catalan coast, about 20 miles from Barcelona, Bad Gyal (né Alba Farelo) has cooked up a sound that feels anything but local. Reggaeton is the most obvious ingredient, but there’s also strong hints of dancehall, bachata, R&B, and merengue (to name a few) in her wildly versatile sound. But no matter where the arrangements go, Farelo’s laid-back, seductive vocals are ever-present, keeping things ticking over and running smoothly. One to watch in 2017.
Vince Staples
“Big Fish”
Big Fish Theory (out 06.23 on Def Jam)
A couple of years ago, the 23 year-old Long Beach rapper caught a bunch of (mostly unfair) shit for calling 90’s music overrated. If you’d never heard a Vince Staples track before that, you’d be surprised when you first heard his music, as much of shares the spirit and aesthetic of 90’s West Coast rap without sacrificing any modernity. “Big Fish” is a perfect example of that fine line Staples walks, as he flows over a beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on a classic Too $hort album. That said, his flexible flow and impressive storytelling guarantees his music remains contemporary and vital.
MoStack
“Ussy Ussy”
Digital Single
After dropping one of the songs of the year, the Londoner returns with another winning, Afrobeats-influenced cut. Like “Let it Ring,” the buoyant, undeniable “Ussy Ussy” features both memorable bars and hooky vocals that help cement MoStack in the class of rising stars like J Hus, Abra Cadabra, and Kojo Funds. If the summer sounds anything like this, we’re in for a great one.
Burna Boy
“Hallelujah”
Digital Single
Friday is always a great day to give thanks, and the 25 year-old’s new single is here to inspire you to do just that. Hailing from Nigeria’s poverty-stricken south coast, Burna Boy has spent the better part of seven years crafting electric afrobeat with touches of R&B and dancehall. Like many stateside, he first popped on my radar with his gorgeous, low-key 2016 EP, Redemption. Now, Burna has his sights set on world domination, and if he keeps dropping songs like this airy, lithe charmer, he’ll get there soon enough.
Rostam
“Gwan”
Digital Single
Anybody who has ever lived in New York knows the restorative power of an aimless stroll through the city. On the clip for his new string-driven, chamber pop single, the former Vampire Weekend man enjoys one of those long meanders, heading toward a destination that is unclear both for the viewer and the walker. Though we still don’t have details, it’s starting to feel like his long-awaited album is just around the corner, and if it sounds anything like the rest of the pre-release singles, it should be a classic.
DJ Khaled
“I’m The One” (f/ Quavo, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne)
Digital Single
At this point, DJ Khaled’s tracks are basically musical text chains between the biggest artists on the planet. It’s kinda like he just puts out late-night mass “U Up?” text to his entire contact list, and the first four that respond get a verse. It’s a high variance strategy. But it works for him, because as easy as it is to discard the songs that don’t pop, it’s impossible to avoid the ones that do.
This airy, trop-housey summer tune is one of the latter, evidenced by its 42 fucking million views in four days. And those numbers are no surprise, because it’s got all the hallmarks of a Khaled classic. Intoxicating, catchy chorus? Check. Tuneful, sticky verses? Check. Khaled ad libs? Obvi. Most importantly, it got the green light from the greatest young A&R man in the business, Asahd Khaled. Bless up.
