As you can see from the title above, my top picks for this weeks This Week in Records are a bit, shall we say, jumbled! From great new albums like Creeper‘s Sex Death & The Infinite Void (yes, I know I’m a few days late to this listening to this but hush, I’m still going to rave about it), to killer singles like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion‘s ‘WAP’ (I’ll keep it PC and not tell you what that stands for), this week has been a good one for both mainstream and indie music fans alike. After spending years circling the web as a B-side unreleased track, Doja Cat has finally released ‘Freak’, a remix of Paul Anka’s ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder’ with a classic Doja twist. Declan McKenna has released yet another track from his upcoming LP which is giving me major Bowie and Oasis vibes.
Alongside these, we’ve also got new tracks from Troye Sivan, Bon Iver and Blink-182, as well as a new album from Amine (FINALLY). Check out what I’m thinking about the newest music of the week down below.
TUNE OF THE WEEK: Doja Cat – ‘Freak’
After floating around on the internet as an undiscovered b-side track from the early days of Amala Dlamini’s (Doja Cat) career, ‘Freak’ was finally released an official single this past week. Sharing that characteristic, sickly sweet theme that permeates throughout Doja’s discography, ‘Freak’ is a track that shouldn’t work but does wonderfully. Who would have thought that a ramped up, sexy remix of a love song from the 1950s would be such a success?
‘Freak’ is delightfully cheesy, with Doja playing up her rap character as a raunchy, syrupy succubus who’s just trying to please her partner. Following the theme of those SoundCloud remixes of popular contemporary songs with classics (we’ve all been down that rabbit hole at some point or another), the track drips with tantalising flirtation. When paired against the classic romantic themes of the original Paul Anka song, Doja’s explicit lyrics work perfectly, permeating a sense of modern seduction with the intention of a 50s romance. Keeping in the classic Anka crooning at the end of the song was a genius move in my eyes, pairing two vastly different paths of seduction and romance against one another and yet joining them together last minute, inferring that deep down they’re both the same. It’s silly in the best way, cheesy and cliche without being too in your face, and just a catchy good song.
‘Freak’ is available to listen to now via RCA Records.
Creeper – Sex Death & the Infinite Void
Southampton-based rock band Creeper is back with their latest album, Sex Death & the Infinite Void, and it has for sure made a fan out of me. I was unfamiliar with the punk outfit’s work prior to this release, but this has definitely inspired me to take a proper deep dive into their discography. A concept album, Sex Death & the Infinite Void follows the stories of 7 different families in a small rural town, each of whom representing the seven deadly sins. Showing clear influences of Britpop bands like Pulp, Suede and The Jesus and Mary Chain, but also that of goth-rock from The Cure, and space-rock from David Bowie, Sex Death & the Infinite Void is a damn good album, taking you on a journey through punk, rock n roll, goth rock and even a bit of country, and is for sure going to be on repeat for me for a long while.
Sex Death & the Infinite Void is available now via Roadrunner Records. Check out ‘Poisoned Heart’ down below.
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – ‘WAP’
I may not be the biggest fan of Cardi B, but I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I might be a little bit in love with Megan Thee Stallion. Her feature on this latest track is nothing short of perfection, especially when set against the killer beat in the background. The song is obviously explicit (I mean… just look at the title) and ridiculously over the top, but that’s never a bad thing. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion know what they want, and they’re not afraid to say it.
I can’t talk about this single without speaking about the INCREDIBLE music video. With features from Normani, Rosalia, and Mulatto, the video is an over the top masterpiece, with amazing outfits, dancing and Cardi B classic sensuality. Is this my favourite song ever? No. Is it still fun? God yes.
‘WAP’ is available to listen to now via Atlantic.
Declan McKenna – ‘Be An Astronaut’
Following on from the releases of ‘Daniel You’re Still a Child’ and ‘The Key to Life on Earth’, Declan McKenna is back with his latest track, ‘Be An Astronaut’. Giving me major ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ and The 1975‘s ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ vibes, ‘Be An Astronaut’ feels, in a word, astronomical. Starting out with a simple piano tune that evolves into an epic giant near explosion of instrumentation, the track just builds and builds until it near takes your breath away. Following the story of ‘Daniel’, the protagonist upcoming LP Zeros, the lyrics feel oddly sad and nostalgic, as if reflecting on childhood dreams that never fully came to fruition. It’s a big song in its feelings and the emotions it evokes and makes me even more excited for the next album.
‘Be An Astronaut’ is available now via Sony Music.
Bon Iver – ‘AUATC’
Bon Iver is no stranger to beautiful, ambient music that feels raw and overwhelmingly present, and ‘AUATC’ is no different. Showcasing lead singer Justin Vernon‘s beautiful twangy vocals, ‘AUATC’ is yet another great track from a great band. It even features Bruce Springsteen. The track was released with an accompanying letter critiquing capitalism and is undeniably political, but in a simple, understated way. At only 2 minutes and 22 seconds, ‘AUATC’ is one of the shortest tracks of this week’s releases, but still stands as a beautiful, understated song. I also just have a massive weakness to any song with a chorus of backing vocals behind it, and ‘AUATC’ is no exception with its use of a stunning choir throughout.
‘AUATC’ is available to listen to now via Jagjaguwar.
Other Selected Releases
Singles
Omar Apollo – ‘stayback’
Troye Sivan – ‘Rager teenager!’
Machine Gun Kelly – ‘concert for aliens’
blink-182 – ‘Quarantine’
beabadoobee – ‘Sorry’
Albums
Amine – Limbo
Deep Purple – Whoosh!
Glass Animals – Dreamland
BTS – Map of the Soul 7: The Journey
Dababy – BLAME IT ON BABY (DELUXE)
Stand Atlantic – Pink Elephant
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
Need a weekly music fix of all the songs you should care about? We’ve made a super handy playlist of all of this week’s biggest releases, so just sit back and listen to the good stuff. Updated every Friday.
