Alright y’all, it is time for another list of tracks that I have really been digging on. This was such a great week for music, man; I swear I could have made this list 15-20 songs if I had wanted to. Next week’s list is definitely going to have to have some songs that were backlogged from this week because there are just too many. And none of these songs are even a part of the excellent EPs and albums that came out last week! I would not say there is necessarily a theme to the songs on this list. There are a lot more electronic songs than I have been talking about recently, so all of my wooks out there should dig like this one at least. A bunch of these songs has me very excited about some upcoming albums; Post Malone, Charli XCX, and Pusha T have not missed yet, and I can only imagine how great these records will be. With all of that being said, here are some of the songs I have been loving this week!
CIRCLES – POST MALONE
Posty has really hit on both of his recently released singles for his new record coming out this fall. The first track he released, ‘Goodbyes,’ was not so different from the stuff that was on his last album, but the instrumental is way less hype and way more melancholy than what we are used to hearing from him. ‘Circles,’ on the other hand, is a total 180-degree turn from anything he has released so far as a solo artist. ‘Circles’ reminds me of a lot of new wave 80s pop, specifically making me think of bands like The Cars or The Romantics. This punk-pop approach he takes on the track may push away some of his fans that really love the hip hop thing he tends to do, but I really love that he is pushing his boundaries and showing that he is a true musician that can make any kind of music.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4VginDwYTP2eaHJzO0QMjG?si=tc7KiWi5SKu41iuo942idA
MIDNIGHT HOUR – BOYZ NOIZE & SKRILLEX (DOGBLOOD) FEATURING TY DOLLA SIGN
This song might be my favorite song of the whole list; I have been bumping it non stop since a saw it on twitter last week. Skrillex and Boyz Noize, who call themselves DogBlood when making music as a duo, have been more active in 2019 than they have been in years. Their latest track features Ty Dolla Sign, who provides the perfect vocals for these kinds of EDM crossover songs. Ty has become this generations king of these pop/hip hop crossovers into electronic music. This song is one of my favorite EDM crossovers of the year easily. I have always loved the deep underground house sound, and have wondered when it will start to cross over into the mainstream because it is so fun and danceable. I hope DogBlood is not done making music this year because I would love to hear another deep house pop track like this.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5AFrctm65wWIqJsjHPPx85?si=u3RtLCyfT2yTQK16IFnbsQ
SOCIOPATH – PUSHA T FEATURING KASH DOLL
In the past, it has been years and years in between Pusha T projects, so when I saw he had new music coming out I was very pleasantly surprised. Daytona, which Pusha released in June of last year, was one of my favorites records of 2018, so I am obviously very pumped for his new one coming out this fall. ‘Sociopath’ has that intensity, lyrical prowess, and confidence that Pusha T usually raps with that I love, but instrumentally it is way more modern and different than anything I have heard him on before. This track is so in your face and grimey in the best way. Kash Doll, provides an excellent feature, and her chemistry with Push on this track makes me hope there will be more music from this duo in the future. Do not miss this one if you love lyrical hip hop.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4xR7m33ECxSjY1nXyWmAx0?si=X1OabAcbT2GQLbIkBNx2nA
BABUSHKA BOI – A$AP ROCKY
One of the things that I have always loved about the A$AP MOB, and specifically Rocky, is how they have always tried to push every boundary imaginable with their music, fashion, and art. They strive to be different and weird, and I love that. ‘Babushka Boi’ is probably stylistically closer to Rocky’s music from a few years ago that people loved. The beat is super hard and trippy, and Rocky raps with a familiar flow that fans of his early mixtapes should love. The music video for this track is what pushes the boundary. It is basically a scene that Rocky put together where he and his cohorts rob a bank and get chased by the cops, with every character looking like they came out of the 90s movie Dick Tracy. It is super weird and I am actually going to link the music video instead of the Spotify link because y’all need to check it out.
I DON’T THINK I CAN DO THIS AGAIN – MURA MASA FEATURING CLAIRO
Mura Masa has been a king of EDM singles the last few years, having his songs ‘One Night’ featuring Charli XCX and ‘Love$ick’ featuring A$AP Rocky(weird that they are both on this list as well) reach major international success. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to put a full great project together yet to this point; maybe he can do it with his upcoming record. This song he just put out with Clairo is such a smash. The instrumental reminds me of a combination of JUSTICE and Dada Life. It is as punk rock as EDM can probably sound. I love Clairo’s vocals on this song; if she made harder or more intense music and sang like this, I would probably be into her more.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3udJxehBCZ27wRO9gSum4B?si=kHOoyictSmmO2RKlUgR62g
WARM – CHARLI XCX FEATURING HAIM
Man, I am really excited about this new Charli XCX album that is coming out in two weeks. It has been such a long time since she has released a full-length project like this, and her music is so different and futuristic sounding now. When I saw that ‘Warm’ was produced by A.G. Cook, I knew it would be weird and great. I love the collaboration with Haim for this one; the way that they harmonize is really awesome, and it sounds really cool on a modern-sounding song like this. Although the instrumental for this song is pretty spacey and weird, I feel like it is still mainstream and accessible enough to be a pop hit. Definitely check it out!
https://open.spotify.com/track/6iW5pbOAevzr1h2JfdJYpn?si=v9kXPRADRhuaOEPARjMOug
BTR 2GTHR – LIZ
It shouldn’t be tough to guess what type of song this is after viewing this image. LIZ is the newest artist that I have become obsessed with. I saw her as a recommendation for Rina Sawayama on Spotify, and I am very glad I checked her out. ‘BTR 2GTHR’ sounds like it came right out of the Y2K era. It reminds me so much of music by artists like DJ Sammy, Alice DJ, and DJ Encore, and I fricken love it. This modern version of the weird Y2K euro-pop sound is one of my favorite trends in new pop music. This song is so glitzy and glamorous, and LIZ’s voice is perfect for this kind of music. If you only listen to one song on this list, please make it this one.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5bvBtVSLmM0bdtSTQRCTA0?si=jUD6OLPMQg2Taged3Unuww
EAST SIDE VIBES 