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Best new tracks of the week: Janelle Monáe, SOB X RBE, Speedy Ortiz, & more
Every Friday, we gather the best new tracks of the week together for your listening pleasure.
With exciting artists like Janelle Monáe, Speedy Ortiz, and Parquet Courts dropping off singles and announcing new albums, along with complete projects from rising stars like Ronny J and SOB X RBE, it was a dope week of new music.
Let’s jump into it.
Janelle Monáe – “Make Me Feel”
Soul, funk, R&B star Janelle Monáe dropped two singles and announced her upcoming Dirty Computer album yesterday. “Make Me Feel” is some very Prince-inspired fire. Janelle is amazing.
Also, you gotta watch the video.
Young Scooter – “Real Talk” (ft. Future)
Atlanta trap god Young Scooter dropped his album Trippple Cross, a compilation of dark, trappy beats and fire features.
Young Thug and Future are all over this album. Great brick-moving theme music.
Speedy Ortiz – “Lucky 88”
Speedy Ortiz, the four-piece rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts, dropped their first single off their upcoming album Twerp Verse, due April 27.
Speedy Ortiz make some truly fun rock music, check ’em out.
SOB X RBE – “Anti Social”
Vallejo, California rap group SOB X RBE, buoyed by a placement on Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther soundtrack, dropped their follow up to last year’s self-titled debut.
The contrast in styles between their members creates a very intriguing dynamic, these kids are nice.
HoodRich Pablo Juan & Brodinksi – “I’m the One”
This partnership is SO WILD. Brodinski, the French house DJ and collaborator on Kanye’s Yeezus (“Black Skinhead”, “Send It Up”), teamed up with rising ATL trap-rapper HoodRich Pablo Juan on The Matrix mixtape.
Brodisnki’s post-apocalyptic production and Pablo Juan’s slurred-out bars are a perfect match.
Ronny J – “Costa Rica” (ft. Ski Mask The Slump God)
Ronny J, the New Jersey native behind a large portion of South Florida aggro rap, released a solo album today, with features from frequent collaborators Ski Mask The Slump God, Smokepurpp, XXXTentacion, and Denzel Curry.
OMGRONNY is like a crystallization of SoundCloud rap, it’s worth listening to just for studying purposes alone.
WizKid – Soco (ft. Ceeza Milli, Spotless, & Terri)
Nigerian Afrobeats star WizKid dropped his latest jam, “Soco”, today through his Starboy collective. I wrote about the Nigerian Afrobeats wave earlier this week.
His moniker isn’t gas, WizKid is a damn international star. “Soco” is fun as hell.
Wavves & Culture Abuse – “Big Cloud”
Nathan Williams’ Wavves teams up with Culture Abuse for this roaring pop-punk track. This is a great combination, would love to see more from Wavves and Culture Abuse.
Lil Uzi Vert & Playboi Carti – “Bankroll”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd2oVVPOV5o
The duo from fuckboy heaven, Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti, dropped off their latest “Bankroll”. It’s hot, there’s a lot of “ays” and “yuhs.” You know what it is.
Ski Mask – “DoIHaveTheSause?”
Ski Mask The Slump God was all over the Ronny J tape and he released his own single today.
Despite misspelling the word sauce, this song is hot. Ski Mask gets lumped in with other “mumble” or “SoundCloud” rap (whatever you wanna call it), but his flow is as distinct, unique, and weird as anyone out right now.
Parquet Courts – “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience”
Brooklyn post-punk darlings Parquet Courts dropped the lead single off their upcoming album Wide Awake!, due in May. The new project is produced by the legendary Danger Mouse, so that’s fire.
Other tings…
I’ve really been digging Japanese Breakfast‘s album from last summer Soft Sounds from Another Planet. Little Big League’s Michelle Zauner’s dream-poppy solo project is super fun.
Went back to this Ali Farka Touré album this week. It’s so good. Anyone interested in guitar music or world music in general should spend some time with this project.
Happy weekending.