"4th of july Dr"
New music this week from Smino, Billie Eilish, ROSALÍA, Yo Trane, Hand Habits and more
Annnd we’re back. Aside from the obviously premeditated (allegedly!) Disney record-breaking nonsense, not much to report on the music news front. A couple of releases have been announced but no immediate ones in sight, slowthai has pushed his album one week back and Billie and ROSALIA delivered their collaboration (finally). Let’s just get into the good stuff.
--- Absolute Faves ---
MLK Dr - Smino
Clocking at little over one and a half minute, MLK Dr came out on the icon’s birthday. It’s funky, immaculately put together, and full of adroit lyricism. Smino has been putting his best foot forward ever since the release of Diaspora in 2019 and there’s no stopping him, apparently.
4th of july - Hand Habits
The arrangements in 4th of july are just brilliant: they capture a sense of nostalgia that has grown only more poignant in recent times (one that Weyes Blood has also successfully tapped into not too long ago) and launch into an ascent that culminates in a burst of release that feels as good as it must have felt performing it. There’s something almost communal in the way different instruments join in along the way, bringing to mind the journey of a young Dorothy and friends in a post-industrial landscape. Their dirt EP is coming Feb. 19.
--- other great tracks ---
Surrender - Birdy
A sweet (heart-wrenching) one from Birdy, off her upcoming 2021 album. It’s as folksy as they come, and plays into her strengths beautifully. From the singer that has had to live with the early success of her Skinny Love rendition and come to terms with the fact that nothing she ever makes will reach as wide an audience, Birdy shows she’s not letting any of it get in her way. Don’t underestimate Jasmine.
Lil BiTcH - chillpill (feat. Rico Nasty, Soleima)
Bare with me for this one. The inherent contrast in this song was a perfect recipe for disaster. How come it bops so well? Constantly pulled by a domineering hyperpop undertone and a TikTok singer-songwriter anthem, Rico Nasty is the decisive force that brings it all together in one coherent glossy pop banger.
Lo Vas A Olvidar - Billie Eilish (with ROSALÍA)
We could have expected a more energetic collab between two of today’s best artists on their path to becoming legends but that would have been grossly underestimating their respective tendency to upend expectations. Once you rid yourself of this misguided idea of what both should sound like together and you immerse yourself into the brooding universe they decided to melt their crafts in, there’s little left to complain about. My only note: I wish ROSALIA’s vocals were more clearly set apart from Billie’s at times. Production has erased a bit of her idiosyncrasies in favor of a more cohesive sound.
Stay Down - Yo Trane
Sultry R&B has been building a steady army of artists ready to sing your panties down. Yo Trane has just been promoted to lieutenant.
Madre - Arca (feat. Oliver Coates)
The name on everybody’s lips when it comes to subversive pop: Arca (write it down if you don’t know her, there’ll be a quizz at a later date). The Bjork co-sign is back with an Oliver Coates collaboration that makes sense in the universe she’s constructing (where really anything goes). Madre is so thick with sound and dense it’s hard to look away. It’s Arca’s Iliad and she’s Helen of Troy.
Need even more? Also check out (YouTube links):
Thanks for reading, happy listening!
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Best Releases January 2021 Spotify playlist: here
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it
Twitter: @REDTAKES1
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