The week saw richly productive and rewarding collaborations from a talented pool of artists. Nurko joined Cruel Youth for “Too Long”, while Dimitry Vegas & Like Mike got Ne-Yo and Danna Paola on board. On the other hand, Dim Wizard enlisted Sarah Tudzin and Jeff Rosenstock, while BIBI teamed up with Baby Tate and Princesa Alba for some good old-fashioned revenge on an ex.
This week also saw exciting album releases like Gorillaz’s ‘Cracker Island’ and Karol G’s ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ (one of the songs features Shakira dissing her ex Gerard Pique). This week in music was anything but stale.
- Nurko x Cruel Youth – Too Long
Melodic dubstep producer Nurko mixes his signature melodic bass sound “with Avicii-esque folk” to make a poignant and atmospheric track. With lyrics hinting at a dying relationship (but one could interpret it as anticipating any kind of disaster), the song makes perfect use of Teddy Sinclair/Cruel Youth’s haunting and cinematic voice.
“A lot of this song was inspired by the feeling I got for one of my favorite @Avicii songs ‘Wake Me Up’.” Nurko tweeted about “Too Long”.
“I wanted “Too Long” to feel like a journey,” he also said. “It’s a bit longer (no pun intended) than my typical song… The vibe of this song is a bit different.”
- Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Mexico (feat. Ne-Yo, Danna Paola)
Multi-platinum producer duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike collaborates with 3-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo and Latin Grammy nominee and Mexican pop star Danna Paola, on their new single, “Mexico”.
The Latin-flavoured dance tune assigns a real Mexican mariachi band to “infuse… an authentic Latin atmosphere”. The hook is catchy and it is a perfect tune to dance to in beach parties and more. This is Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike’s second collaboration with Ne-Yo, having made the superhit “Higher Place” together in 2015.
If there is one issue with this song, it is the largely unnecessary and repetitive line “She stole my heart, Mexico” where the placement of the Latin country does not make sense and seems to be done purely to pull in the demography from the said place.
- Ashnikko – Worms
“Worms” portrays singer Ashnikko as an ethereal creature who laughs and makes merry while the world burns around her. The lyrics are brutal but colourful: “The world is burning and I laugh at the blaze / Play my life like a video game / I don’t mind, I’m driving through flames.” With its tempo and trap beats, it feels like a sister song to Ashnikko’s “Toxic”.
The Dylan Brady and Slinger-produced track is taken from tAshnikko’s forthcoming debut album, ‘Weedkiller’, which is out on June 2nd. The American artist explained to Fader how “the thought of the world coming to an end served as the primary inspiration”. She explained, “[It] is a commentary on environmental disaster and the rapid evolution of technology that tells the story of a fae civilization occupied and destroyed by machines that feed on organic matter.” The album release will be followed by a subsequent US, UK and Asian world tour.
- Gus Dapperton – Horizons
Gus Dapperton, a New Yorker who is a poster boy of bedroom pop and alternative pop, is back with a new single. “Horizons” has an insanely catchy opening hook composed by the piano which instantly grabs you. But the rest of the ride is too busy as too much goes on with the instruments. It’s like a sister song to Dapperton’s “My Say So”.
‘The “Horizons” music video highlights a brand new world for my next project,” shares Dapperton. “This world will expand and take on different shapes throughout the rollout. ‘Horizons’ in particular is about a stranger who is lost and trying to find a way out. Forces around him try to stop his quest, but he finally prevails.”
- Decisive Pink – Destiny
Decisive Pink, a duo composed of Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV, are set to release their debut LP, ‘Ticket To Fame’, on June 9th The second single off this record is “Destiny”, an art-pop track with a retro sound that will take you back to the 70s. It is furnished with rich textures and haunting vocals by the two singers which often overlap, creating a hypnotising effect.
The lyrics signify the mysteries of life while the bridge sees the two name-drop significant Tarot cards which tarot enthusiasts will be gleeful to notice: the Tower, the Devil, Death and the Empress all make an appearance.
The duo further hammer in the theme of mysticism with their straightforwardly delivered lines: “Have no fear, the prophecy is clear/ Truth to tell, I’m whispering a spell / Hopes are blind, illusion of the mind / Stars don’t lie, it matters til you die”. By stating their belief in mysticism with an impenetrable seriousness, it feels almost ironic and campy, like a satire about superstition. “Destiny” is great fun.
- Nix Northwest – You Ain’t Got a Chance Boy (feat. ENNY)
Nix Northwest is a London-based rapper and producer known for combining hip-hop with jazzy instrumentals and groovy dance beats. We see this style remodelled with his latest single, “You ain’t Got a Chance Boy”. The song, which eloquently describes growing pains and a cruel world, has hard-hitting bars, retro and bouncy beats and a soulful mood. Rapper ENNY features on the track and holds her own with her smart verses. The two rappers have been friends since they collaborated in 2019.
- Fontaines DC – ’ Cello Song
The Irish band has released a cover song that was originally sung by English musician Nick Drake. Drake suffered from depression his whole life and it often found its way in his music. He died of an overdose in 1974 at the age of 26.
“’ Cello Song” perfectly reflects Drake’s imaginative songwriting, while Fontaines D.C. renders it with a cinematic vividness that compliments the lyricism. “So forget this cruel world where I belong”, sings Grian Chatten. “I’ll just sit and wait and sing my song. But while the Earth sinks to its grave, you sail to the sky on the crest of a wave”.
Fontaines D.C.’s cover is from the upcoming compilation LP ‘The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake’ which is out on July 7th. The tribute album will also feature Emeli Sandé, Aurora, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Philip Selway of Radiohead.
- Dim Wizard – Ride the Vibe (feat. Steve Ciolek, Jeff Rosenstock, illuminati hotties)
Dim Wizard is a solo project by David Combs of the band Bad Moves. In this rock song, Combs assembles many talented music friends to contribute more than vocals. Jeff Rosenstock co-writes, sings and does the percussion for the song. Meanwhile, Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties provides synth, vocals and production chops.
On a wholesome account, Combs commented on how he created “Ride The Vibe”: “In 2020, I started writing “Ride the Vibe” … about the funny feeling of noticing your relationship to someone shifting from friendship to fandom, and about being so impressed when someone has what it takes to really “go for it” with music.”
- Shygirl – Heaven (feat. Tinashe)
The new remix for “Heaven” features R&B icon Tinashe and is from the POV of a woman asking her ex to try patching things up. Shygirl (real name Blaine Muise) and Tinashe “lovingly ask their exes if they’re willing to look over their mistakes and attempt reconciliation.”
The lyrics go: Let’s run it back, let’s run it back / Can I ask you just one time? / Would your answer be the same?”
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London DJ, singer and model Shygirl released her debut album ‘Nymph’ in 2022. And soon, we will be getting a deluxe version of that record. ‘Nymph_o’ will be out on April 14th. The deluxe will feature a prolific roster of talents such as Björk, Arca, Eartheater and Erika de Casier.
- BIBI – BIBI Vengeance (feat. Baby Tate & with Princesa Alba) [Remix]
South Korean singer BIBI continues to rise in fame. She remixes her hit song “BIBI Vengeance” by featuring rap heavyweight Baby Tate and Chilean singer Princesa Alba. The song, which recounts a toxic relationship, has an irresistibly catchy hook that sounds like a whistling flute. The addictive dance track has a reggaeton beat and the songwriting presents BIBI, Tate and Alba as bitter femme fatales out for the blood of their exes. The revenge song is from BIBI’s highly anticipated debut full-length, ‘Lowlife Princess: Noir’.
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