This week sees the release of plenty exciting singles, from hyperpop to folk pop. Read my picks below!
Track of the Week – Shygirl – BDE (feat. slowthai)
Recently, it seems that female sexuality has been dominating the music scene (no pun intended) – with Megan Thee Stallion‘s ‘Thot Shit’ setting the scene, Shygirl now steps us to the plate with ‘BDE’. The track is exactly what you think it’s about – Shygirl asserts her power by telling you exactly what she wants, and slowthai chimes in with further boasts. However it’s not just the commanding lyrics that control the track; the heavy bassline and glitchy vocals place it within the realm of hyperpop, creating what Shygirl refers to as “a pleasure space” for filthy, fantastical club music. ‘BDE’ is erotic, powerful, and avant-garde – perhaps a track that you might want to listen to privately.
‘BDE’ is out now via Because Music. Listen here:
Poppy – ‘Her’
Poppy continues to move away from the slick, manufactured pop of her past with latest track ‘Her’, which dives into her experiences of being stuck in the robot-like mould of Poppy. The track opens with heavy guitars and the lines ‘give her a face, give her a name, that isn’t hers’, giving us the sense that Poppy is finally starting to come to terms with her anger over the her treatment as Poppy. The lyric then dives into this anger, stating ‘I’m getting to know her, and all of her anger’, perhaps as Poppy starts to get to know her true self, not her alter-ego. While the song itself is an average pop-punk track, similar to the breakup tunes of Avril Lavigne, the lyrics begin to give us an interesting insight into the mysterious world of Poppy.
‘Her’ is out now via Sumerian Records. Listen here:
Big Red Machine – ‘Renegade’ (feat. Taylor Swift)
If you’re missing your Taylor Swift fix in between m Evermore and the latest re-recordings of her albums, then ‘Renegade’ is for you; it sounds like it could have been taken straight from folklore. After collaborating with Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon of Big Red Machine on folklore and evermore, Swift has combined the soft and whimsical style of Big Red Machine with her nostalgic tone on ‘Renegade’. With it’s soft beats, acoustic guitar, and personal lyrics, Swift’s thoughtful writing skills are put in the spotlight, while the style of Big Red Machine turns it into something new that fans are sure to love.
‘Renegade’ is out now via Jagjaguwar. Listen here:
Swindle – LOST (feat. Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical & JNR Williams)
Swindle‘s latest release features a string of collaborators: Loyle Carner, Kojey Radical and JNR Williams all contribute, bringing excellent new flavours to the track. The highlight of the song is the back-and-forth between Loyle Carner and Kojey Radical, similar to the back-and-forth hype sesh featured on ‘RNP’ by Cordae and Anderson .Paak.
‘LOST’ is out now. Watch the video here:
Other Selected Releases
SINGLES
Jaykae – ‘1000 Nights’ (feat. Jorja Smith)
Janelle Monae – ‘Stronger’
GIRLI – ‘Dysmorphia’
CHVRCHES – ‘How Not To Drown’ (feat. Robert Smith) – Robert Smith Remix
Ashnikko – Slumber Party (feat. Princess Nokia) – Kero Kero Bonito Remix
ALBUMS
Laura Mvula – Pink Noise
The Go! Team – Get Up Sequences Part One
This Week In Records: Playlist
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 Saturday.
