CHVRCHES - Get Out
Just recently I was wondering when CHVRCHES would make a comeback. And here they are with a surprise new single that sounds...just like CHVRCHES. Nothing's changed since the release of their last album 'Every Open Eye', but the fizzing synths, bubbling melodies and vocals of Lauren Mayberry sound as good here as they ever have under the polished production of Greg Kurstin.
Tove Styrke - Changed My Mind
How Tove Styrke isn't a huge global popstar is beyond me. She's had a whole string of brilliant pop singles that deserve to be riding high in the charts. Perhaps Changed My Mind will, you know, change the minds of the public. Or maybe that was just a terrible joke.
The Weeknd with Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me
Two giants of music from the last few years join forces for the ultimate addition to the Black Panther soundtrack. It's not the first time they've collaborated - that was Sidewalks on The Weeknd's 'Starboy' album - and let's hope it won't be the last. It's clear both artists have tempered their sound for a family friendly audience, but it acts as a neat summation of recent popular trends.
Kojo Funds with RAYE - Check
Sampling Craig David's 7 Days, this is bound to be a massive hit. It also adds a garage twist to Kojo Funds' multi-faceted sound that already incorporates afro-swing, R&B and grime. It's also the rapper's most radio-friendly track to date - vocals from BBC Sound Of nominee RAYE will only help his cause.
Icarus - Love Has Come Around
What begins with a straight up sample of Donald Byrd's 80s disco hit Love Has Come Around soon morphs into its own beast. The high energy original becomes a more gentle, swirling euphoria of chopped vocal samples, guitars and pulsing synths. The Griffiths brothers have undoubtedly put their own spin on a classic.
