Hello there! Whilst your regular host Meg Holland is off in Japan, the land of all good bonus tracks, I’m back to probably complain a little bit too much about all things new on Fridays. There’s a lot to look forward to: the LCD Soundsystem album that LCD Soundsystem said would never happen, brilliant new singles from Tove Styrke and MK, probable further previews of what The Killers, Wolf Alice, and High Contrast have been working on, and such like. For now, let’s kick off with a drop of ‘Bad Blood.’
Taylor Swift – ‘Look What You Made Me Do’
There’s a moment in this new Taylor Swift song where she tries to menacingly whisper its title with a cadence and rhythm so similar to Right Said Fred‘s ‘I’m Too Sexy’ that the three writers of that song get credits here alongside Swift and Jack Antonoff, the man of Bleachers, fun., the ‘Boys‘ video, Lorde‘s Melodrama, and generally being better than this. With November’s reputation, it’s clear that she’s not going to carry on with 1989‘s so-good-I-bought-it-on-CD-because-it-was-cheaper-than-iTunes-and-wasn’t-on-Spotify pop, instead lowering herself to joining (or probably trying to reclaim) the petty narrative she once seemed so desperate to avoid. What’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do‘ all about? Gloomy independence, the supposed death of Wetherspoon-alike “The Old Taylor,” and a suite of likely prods at Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian West, and Kanye West. Whilst it’s nowhere near as musically and lyrically (and, probably, cinematically) dire as Perry’s take on the matter, surrendering what remained of her perky girl-next-door image in favour of hasty bitterness and snake emoji-fuelled whines doesn’t quite seem like the most purposeful way to be doing things.
Fifth Harmony – Fifth Harmony
I remember clearly the day I found Fifth Harmony most interesting as a pop outfit: the day they became four.
— Fifth Harmony (@FifthHarmony) December 19, 2016
Since that day, Camila Cabello has done a very good track with Cashmere Cat (‘Love Incredible’), a very good track with Major Lazer (‘Know No Better’), a very good track with Young Thug (‘Havana’), a very good track on her own (‘Crying In The Club’), and that thing with Machine Gun Kelly (‘Bad Things’).
Since that day, the others have done… this.
I think we can all spot the real winner here.
Jadu Heart – ‘I’m A Kid’
Since touring the country to close last summer, things have been rather quiet from Anchor Point, the label helmed by electronic mastermind Mura Masa, although I suppose he’s been a bit busy producing and remixing the new single for one of the signees, managing his own album rollout and touring schedule, and DJing Adidas parties headlined by Charli XCX that people like me would queue for two hours for only to be told that the venue held 500 and there were 650 or so ahead of you, thereby concluding the evening with a premature trudge back to Waterloo and Lorde-themed podcasts for company. Anyway, the mesmerising Jadu Heart‘s first release of 2017 sounds a bit like Foals acknowledging youth, finding a drum machine, and listening to Metronomy‘s debut album whilst in ‘Birch Tree’ mode and it’s all rather brilliant.
Pnau – Into The Sky EP
Late last year, Elton John-favoured Aussie ensemble Pnau capitalised on their homeland’s summer bubble with ‘Chameleon,’ a track which This Year In Records noted was so vivid that everything else in the world felt compelled to balance it out with misery. Now, on the announcement of Changa, their first LP since 2011’s Soft Universe and the chart-topping refix compendium Good Morning To The Night that followed a year later, they’ve dropped three at once to split the ‘Chameleon’ recipe three ways for suave disco (‘Young Melody’), Albarn-oozing ’90s rave (‘Into The Sky’), and cosmopolitan singalong clubthumping (‘Control Your Body’).
Rod Stewart feat. DNCE – ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’
Why?
Selected Other Releases
Albums
Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000
BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION II
Daniel Caesar – Freudian
D’Banj – King Don Come
Flyte – The Loved Ones
Gordi – Reservoir
Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2
Luke Million – Come Together EP
Maya Jane Coles – Take Flight
Oliver – Full Circle
PVRIS – All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell
Queens Of The Stone Age – Villains
Shane Filan – Love Always
Tchami – Revelations EP
The Heavytrackerz – Odyssey: “A Musical Journey”
The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
XXXTENTACION – 17
Singles
Alex The Astronaut – ‘Not Worth Hiding’
Anna Of The North – ‘Fire’
Astrid S – ‘Think Before I Talk’
Basenji feat. Mereki – ‘Don’t Let Go’
Beck – ‘Dear Life’
Betsy – ‘You Won’t Love Me’
Bicep – ‘Vale’
Burns feat. Johnny Yukon & GoldLink – ‘Far Gone’
Crazy Cousinz, Yxng Bane & Mr Eazi feat. Lily McKenzie – ‘No Way’
deadmau5 & SHOTTY HORROH – ‘Legendary’
Demi Lovato – ‘Tell Me You Love Me’
Fergie feat. Nicki Minaj – ‘You Already Know’
Fergie feat. Rick Ross – ‘Hungry’
Foo Fighters – ‘The Sky Is A Neighbourhood’
Jack Savoretti – ‘Whiskey Tango’
James Vickery – ‘Alone’
Jamie Lawson – ‘Miracle Of Love’
Jorja Smith & Preditah – ‘On My Mind’
JP Cooper – ‘Wait’
Kali Uchis feat. Reykon – ‘Nuestro Planeta’
King Krule – ‘Czech One’
LÉON – ‘Body’
Marmozets – ‘Play’
Martin Garrix – ‘Pizza’
Miguel feat. Travis Scott – ‘Sky Walker’
Mikey Mike – ‘Going Charlie’
Newton Faulkner – ‘Finger Tips’
Noah Cyrus – ‘Almost Famous’
Off Bloom – ‘rockefe11a (Fuck That To Be Honest)’
Quality Control feat. Quavo, Takeoff & Offset – ‘Too Hotty’
Ray Dalton – ‘If You Fall’
R3hab & Khrebto – ‘You Could Be’
Tennis – ‘No Exit’
The Killers – ‘Wonderful Wonderful’
The Script – ‘Written In The Scars’
Thirty Seconds To Mars – ‘Walk On Water’
Towkio – ‘Hot Shit’
Wu-Tang Clan feat. Redman – ‘People Say’
Yahtzel feat. Savoi – ‘Someone Else’
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
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