This week has been an interesting one for music, with the long-anticipated (yet massively disappointing) release of Kanye West‘s Donda, as well as more impressive releases from Little Simz and Lady Gaga. However, my top picks this week come from Charli XCX, Baby Queen and MOONGA K. for a varied mix of sounds for your week.
Track of the Week: Charli XCX – ‘Good Ones’
If you were disappointed by the slow, happy hippie culture permeating Lorde’s Solar Power, then perhaps this new single from Charli XCX will be more promising for you. Opening with a bassline strangely familiar to ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’, ‘Good Ones’ is dripping in dark, sinister sounds and themes that see XCX depart from the hyperpop sound that she has adopted over the past few years. The video is equally as sinister, depicting XCX dramatically mourning the death of her former lover by dancing in a bikini across coffins and gravestones – nothing too extraordinary.
‘Good Ones’ is out now via Asylum Records. Watch the video below:
Baby Queen – The Yearbook
Still riding off of the high from her impressive set at Reading Festival, fresh face in pop Baby Queen has released her debut mixtape The Yearbook. Full of catchy pop tunes that wouldn’t sound out of place in a teenage coming-of-age film, The Yearbook is an excellent debut that perfectly encapsulates what Baby Queen is all about.
The Yearbook is out now via Universal Music / Polydor. Listen below on Spotify:
MOONGA K., Sampa the Great – ‘REBEL TIME’
Genre-bending, South Africa-based artist MOONGA K. has teamed up with wordsmith Sampa the Great for this empowering track. The powerful military-sounding drums pair with an organ to create an impressive and slightly intimidating sound, while the lyrics speak of self-acceptance and giving power to the people (“How I speak may not be the way you like, but that don’t mean you know about my life”). The chorus works to give the track a cinematic feel, with its chanting of “rebel time” building consistently, with brass and samples blending in to give it extra force.
‘REBEL TIME’ is out now via Wila Everest Records. Listen on Spotify below:
Other Selected Releases
SINGLES
Fred again.. – ‘Billie (Loving Arms)’
FINNEAS – ‘The 90s’
Tokischa, Rosalía – ‘Linda’
ALBUMS
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Lady Gaga – Dawn Of Chromatica
LANY – gg bb xx
Kanye West – Donda
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.
