10 TRACKS YOU NEED THIS WEEK
1. Bad Weather – Rotana
Saudi Arabian pop singer Rotana is giving off so much energy in her demo “bad weather.” Her voice is multi-dimensional, and her lyrics have us singing along after only hearing this track once.
2. Normal – Sasha Sloan
Sasha Sloan, aka sad girl Sloan, is making waves in the industry right now, having collaborated with Camila Cabello and Charli XCX. “Normal” showcases Sasha Sloan’s velvety, delicious vocals. While the production is upbeat and catchy, the lyrics tell the story of an introvert trying desperately to fit in with the world around her.
3. Right Now – Bayli
Bayli recently broke away from her Brooklyn-based band The Skins to explore her own individual project. “Right Now” is equal parts cheerful and powerful, and the track exposes a side to Bayli that excitedly departs from her well-established presence with The Skins.
4. twoAM – SZA
Alright. This song might have been released a full two years ago, but it is a SZA favorite of mine that most current-day SZA fans might have never heard before. Top Dawg Entertainment released “twoAM” solely on their SoundCloud page; the song is SZA’s rendition of PartyNextDoor and Drake’s acclaimed song “Come and See Me.” The song epitomizes SZA in her feels, and she just might do it better than PND and Drake did.
5. Half the Time – cehryl
Producer, singer, and song-writer cehryl knows how to produce a cohesive project, yet she takes the cake for this single “half the time.” The production is surprising and innovative, and her voice has the perfect marriage of softness and sharpness.
6.Pine and Ginger – Amindi K. Fro$t, Tessellated & Valleyz
“Pine and Ginger” featured Amindi K. Fro$t as the main vocalist; this song was the first single Amindi ever posted on SoundCloud, and it was the one that propelled her into the limelight. This song glimmers and shines, yet remains laid-back and cool all at the same time.
7. Warm Winds (cover) – isareyes
Isa Reyes is a subtle and mesmerizing vocalist who here covers SZA’s track “Warm Winds” from the star’s second EP Z. Isa Reyes takes the track, originally featuring Isaiah Rashad, and completely makes it her own with her muddled, lo-fi production.
8. Pose – Niyah
Niyah, music producer and graphic designer, tackles Rihanna’s “Pose” from her album Anti. The aggressive, hard-hitting Rihanna track has been transformed completely by Niyah. While the remix still carries the quintessential Rihanna vibe, Niyah’s slowed-down production and her drum additions make the track completely unique.
9. Alright/Otherside – mileena
Soft-spoken singer mileena released her first EP this year, titled Look at Me. Consisting of three tracks, “Alright/Other” did not make the cut. But what draws us to this song is mileena’s clever addition of some of SZA’s lyrics from “Love Galore,” occurring in the middle of the song.
10. badgirl riri – LoVibe
Beat-making producer LoVibe puts a spin on Rihanna’s “James Joint” for this track. Her latest EP, you are here but I’m not, recently dropped in March of this year. Her multi-disciplinary artistic craft shines when you parse through her Instagram page, where she pairs her carefully crafted beats and remixes alongside her powerful graphic designs.