Prince Bopp
“Bandit”
Digital Single
In short, the Cincinnati native’s heartfelt single is the most slept-on great song of 2016. In just three and half minutes, the independent newcomer comes full circle, detailing his struggle to bounce back from losing his first love and his journey to find hope. The track’s bleak opening finds the young man battling through heartbreak, drugs, and deep loneliness. But as “Bandit” moves, the darkness slowly fades into light, as he moves far enough away to enjoy the new perspective difficult experiences often yield. If there’s one song I hope you listen to on this list, it’s this one.
Rae Sremmurd
“Black Beatles” (f/ Gucci Mane)
SremmLife 2 (out now on Ear Drummers)
Youthful joy distilled into sound, the Brown brothers’ towering, brash anthem sets fire to prehistoric rockist notions about what substantive music is supposed to sound like. For five glorious minutes, Slim Jimmi, Swae Lee, and Gucci Mane gleefully piss all over your idols, declaring themselves the rightful kings of the youth once and for all.
Jenny Hval
“Conceptual Romance”
Blood Bitch (out now on Sacred Bones)
An early single from an album that will assuredly be on my Year End List, the Norwegian singer-songwriter is one of the most fascinating, original artists working in music today. Composed and analytical without sacrificing an ounce of emotion or humanity, Hval has spent her career exploring the depths of what keeps us connect… to the ones, to our society, and to ourselves. An absolute treasure.
Young M.A.
“Ooouuu”
Digital Single
I moved back to Brooklyn in August. And one of my favorite parts of being back is the way a hit song will just naturally permeate through the city — from car speakers to apartment windows to Bodegas to earbuds on the train. Since I’ve been back, the Brooklyn native’s loose, easy banger has been the soundtrack, perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the best city in the world.
Chromatics
“Dear Tommy”
Dear Tommy (out TBD on Italians Do It Better)
Just when you’re ready to give up on the long-awaited Portlander’s fifth LP, they drag you back in with a magical single like this. Molasses-slow and dripping with melodrama, “Dear Tommy” is another powerful example of the kind of cinematic, affecting balladry the quartet is capable of.
Dej Loaf
“Miami”
Digital Single
On the low, the Detroit native has been releasing a steady stream of tasty singles all year, but this gushy love song is the pick of the bunch. Though she rose to fame with the sharp, threatening bars of “Try Me,” she’s far from one-dimensional. And the romantic “Miami” adds to a clutch of brilliant records that explore her soft side.
Lloyd
“Tru”
Digital Single
Though still just 30 years of age, it feels like the Georgia crooner has been around for an eternity. On his confessional new single, Lloyd lets us in on the arduous toll that 17 years in the music business can have on a person. Framed by a sadsack blues lick, he wearily shares his struggles — financial uncertainty, personal tragedy, the glare of fame, and lost friendships — and asks for forgiveness and acceptance. And while his troubles are many, hope shines through in the form of his youthful tenor (a gift that never deserted him) and the restorative power of music.
J Hus
“Playing Sports”
Digital Single
Though I have zero love for the Gunners that J Hus references here (COYS), I have all sorts of affinity for his monstrous new single. The Londoner’s records live in the ether between dancehall, grime, afropop, and street rap and are equipped with nasty hooks that don’t just show up when the chorus hits. One of the most talented young artists out now.
Tinashe
“Superlove”
Joyride (out TBD on RCA)
If you (like me) love The-Dream, it’s impossible not to hear St. Terius and Tricky Stewart’s magic touch all over this bouncy, intoxicating single. The 23 year-old is in scintillating form, bossing the Love Trilogy-era arrangement with casual control and effortless cool. While some may have fought the ebullient beat and oversung in an effort to be heard, Tinashe rides with it, confident that she’s too powerful of a vocalist to get swept up in the wave.
Lady Gaga
“Perfect Illusion”
Joanne (out 10.21 on Interscope)
Though she’s explored a number of genres throughout her career, the New Yorker tends to sound most natural when she trades subtlety for 70s/80s arena rock bombast. Whether it’s “Monster,” “The Edge Of Glory,” or this gleefully over-the-top rawker, Gaga Benatar is the best Gaga. And Princess Stefani sounds incredible here, soaring on top of jinky guitars and pounding drums. And whoever wrote that towering, stepwise synth riff (it first kicks in at 2:07) deserves all of the awards. Pfffffff.
Patoranking
“No Kissing Baby” (f/ Sarkodie)
God Over Everything (out now on Notjustok)
For a song that’s about getting dissed, there’s a ton of warmth and joy on the Nigerian rising star’s breakthrough track. The 26 year-old is blessed with infectious energy and an easy tenor, which effortlessly slithers between the clave backbeat and warm marimbas. It’s already a massive hit worldwide and deserves to make him a household name in the states.
Dae Dae
“Wat U Mean (Family To Feed)”
4 Reasons (out now, self-released)
Admittedly, I was late to the party on the 24 year-old Atlanta native, but his breakout single is too inarguable to be left off this list. A buzzing, inspiring ode to taking care of one’s shit, “Wat U Mean” is the kind of melodic street rap that has made Atlanta the capital of modern hip-hop, and hopefully it’s just the first step of a long, fruitful career.
Mavado
“Progress”
Digital Single
Already a massive hit before it was strangely tacked onto DJ Khaled’s Major Key, the veteran dancehall badman’s massive single is the exact kind of song that people like Khaled have been trying to produce facsimiles of all year. Rooted in the Islands but with a slick radio-friendly coating, “Progress” is a perfectly balanced anthem that is indicative of the sound that has kept the Kingston singer in the spotlight for the better part of a decade.
Weyes Blood
“Seven Words”
From Row Seat To Earth (out 10.21 on Secretly Canadian)
Moving on always hurts, but it is often also a beautiful thing. The Brooklyn singer-songwriter gorgeously distills that dichotomy here, crafting a lush goodbye to an ex-lover. Her dramatic, elastic vocals are matched by lazy slide guitars and pastoral keys. We’ll have to wait a couple more weeks to hear this majestic weeper in its proper context, but you get the feeling that it won’t do anything but make it even better.
American Football
“I’ve Been So Lost For So Long”
American Football (out 10.21 on Polyvinyl)
It’s been 17 years since the Illinois quartet released their seminal, debut LP, American Football. And it’s remarkable how affecting and sonically unique their sound remains, even all these years later. Mike Kinsella’s voice is more present and mature, but the ache of their songwriting and trademark jangling, complex guitarwork is still in tact. The only thing harder than writing a classic album is writing a worthy follow-up, but it sounds like Kinsella and co. are up for the challenge.
Flock of Dimes
“Semaphore”
If You See Me, Say Yes (out now on Partisan)
To my ears, Wye Oak frontwoman Jenn Wasner’s fabulous debut LP as Flock of Dimes recalls Turbulent Indigo-era Joni or KD Lang with the light dance touches of groups like Everything But the Girl. If that’s the kind of thing that’s in your wheelhouse (believe me, it’s in mine), If You See Me, Say Yes should be the album for you. Lead single “Semaphore” demonstrates Wasner’s poised, stylish songwriting, which is on show throughout the album.
The Radio Dept.
“Swedish Guns”
Running Out of Love (out 10.21 on Labrador)
Liberal Americans (like myself) tend to lionize the Scandinavian countries for their common sense socialism, laissez faire military, and comfy sweaters. While the latter isn’t up for debate, the Swedish vets dispel some myths on the lead single to their long awaited follow-up to 2010’s Clinging To A Scheme. Evidently, Sweden is the globe’s third largest weapons exporter (behind only Israel and Russia), and The Radio Dept. wants the world to know with one of the most placid protest songs you’ll ever hear.
Wiley
“Can’t Go Wrong”
Godfather (out 11.04 on CTA)
One of the best things about the young grime artists who are taking over the world is their constant support for the genre forefathers who helped pave the way for them. Best of all, many of those legends are reveling in the international spotlight, and we’ve heard relevant, fresh work from people like D Double E, Kano, and the Godfather himself, Wiley. More than 10 year since the release of his classic debut, Treddin’ On Thin Ice, Wiley proves that he is still in his prime with the storming stomp of “Can’t Go Wrong” — a track that bangs just as hard as work from artists more than 10 years his junior.
Lower Dens
“Real Thing”
Digital Single
The Baltimore outfit’s slow-burning new single chronicles one woman’s struggle to balance her devotion to her husband and her need to feel young and free. It’s fairly well-trodden territory, but you rarely hear it told from a woman’s perspective. Vocalist Jana Hunter’s aching vocal and glistening guitar beautifully captures the song’s central conflict, which is one that many will be able relate to.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
“My Shit”
Artist (out now, self-released)
While the Bronx native’s hyper-melodic sound may not scream NYC at first listen, his cocky, adhesive bars are pure Empire State. “My Shit,” the pick of his solid debut mixtape, highlights his winning personality and the sticky, quotable bars that have turned him from a promising regional talent to a legitimate national problem.
Mykki Blanco
“Loner” (f/ Jean Deaux)
Mykki (out now on Dogfood Music Group)
The 30 year-old has already cemented herself as one of the bravest, most unique voices in independent music, but her proper debut LP should really move her closer to the mainstream and into more earbuds around the world. While much of the record deals with dark and challenging themes, there’s palpable joy on it too, and Blanco has significantly developed melodically. Standout “Loner,” is sticky enough to be a radio hit, and the mainstream’s reluctance to touch it says a lot about the stigmas faced by artists who don’t fit into little boxes.
Bon Iver
“29 #Stratfford APTS”
22, A Million (out now on Jagjaguwar)
As pretty as it is in places, I’m still pretty unsure whether the new LP from the nation’s jovial, Midwestern uncle is actually saying anything of value. For that reason, I’ll focus on one of its prettiest moments — the gentle whirr of the disc’s fifth track. Do I know why Justin Vernon’s repeating the word “pyramind” in the chorus? Nope. Do I know that guitar and those harmonies are so beautiful they belong in a museum. You bet.
