Friday 11 January 2019

New Music Friday 11/01/2019

Gesaffelstein feat. The Weeknd - Lost in the Fire

Gesaffelstein feat. The Weeknd - Lost in the Fire

The bassline in this new track from French techno artist Gesaffelstein and The Weeknd is absolutely delicious. It's typically moody stuff from the Canadian hip-hop artist, the production icy cold. But then you listen to the lyrics, revealing the artist to have the sexual maturity of a horny twelve year old. "I used to have a girl a day," he brags, offering the "type of sex you could never put a price on." Worse is his teenage fascination with female same-sex couples: "you said you might be into girls...well, baby, you can bring a friend / she can ride on top your face / while I fuck you straight." It's this type of stuff that ruins the music, that leaves a sour taste in the mouth and proves how far hip-hop still has to go.

Worth a listen.



Sam Smith with Normani - Dancing With A Stranger

Sam Smith with Normani - Dancing With A Stranger

This partnership came about after a chance meeting in an LA recording studio. They're certainly an unlikely pairing but the end results work. It might be typical Drake-esque sultry R&B, but this is probably Smith's coolest song since Latch, while for Normani this should give her the increased exposure she deserves.

Worth a listen.



Calvin Harris with Rag'n'Bone Man - Giant

Calvin Harris with Rag'n'Bone Man - Giant

There's very little to say about this. It is exactly what you expect. House production, with a few horns thrown in for good measure, and that reedy, gravelly voice too many people bought into in 2017. It's banal and generic and most likely will be soundtracking your Saturday nights for the foreseeable.

Don't bother.



Lana Del Rey - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it

Lana Del Rey - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it

This might just be Lana's most feminist track yet. Partly for the title, partly for the Sylvia Plath reference, partly for its sheer honesty. Produced by Jack Antonoff, who had the sense to leave this as sparse as possible, the track is pensive, intimate, deeply personal and amongst her most arresting.

Worth a listen.



Billie Eilish - WHEN I WAS OLDER

Billie Eilish - WHEN I WAS OLDER

This new track from Billie Eilish, an artist on the cusp of superstardom, was directly inspired by Alfonso CuarĂ³n's award-nominated film Roma. Even if you're yet to see the film, the song remains a haunting listen, all auto-tuned vocals, meandering melodies and menacing beats. Forget all the 2019 lists, Billie Eilish is the one to watch.

Worth a listen.



Lauren Jauregui - More Than That

Lauren Jauregui - More Than That

Normani's not the only ex-Fifth Harmony member to release a single this week. Yet while Jauregui might have the better cover art, her song isn't destined to top the charts. "You gon' have to come stronger than this liquor," she flirts at her admirers over seductive R&B production that's sexy but unoriginal. It'll take more to stand out in future.

Worth a listen.



Broods - Hospitalized

Broods - Hospitalized

The New Zealand duo have never sounded so upbeat. Vibrant synths, funk rhythms and lyrics that reveal a desire to live life to the full and push the limits - before a trip to the hospital at least. The track is taken from their forthcoming album 'Don't Feed The Pop Monster' due in February - keep an eye out for that.

Worth a listen.



Betty Who - I Remember

Betty Who - I Remember

Betty Who is such a reliable popstar, barely putting a foot wrong yet never quite hitting the heights of super stardom. I Remember is an ode to imperfect relationships, revelling in the good and the bad over buoyant synths and catchy, sing-along hooks. It's everything you could want in a pop song - can we finally give her a break?

Worth a listen.