While only Tuesday can be claimed as the official day of love and romance, love is in the air all week long and the feels are lingering over to new tracks. After all, what is love if it can’t be expressed through music? The most obvious expression this week is the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, which includes appearances by Sia on Helium, and Nick Jonas and Nicki Minaj with Bom Bidi Bom. Trap kings Fetty Wap and Desiigner both let their love shine this week with Flip Phone and Outlet respectively.
We wait all week for Friday and new music, then savor it to get us through the following. Head over to Spotify and get in the mix. Looking for a song to get stuck on? Head over to New Music Friday All Stars and you’re bound to find a new favorite.
10. It Takes Two by Mike WiLL Made-It, Lil Yachty, Carly Rae Jepsen
If you snuck a peak at any commercial break this past week, you probably caught a promo or two of Carly Rae & Yachty’s video for their cover of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s 1988 classic, It Takes Two. This ain’t your regular house party, as Yachty harmonizes over autotune in the beginning, and the video, debuted on Sunday’s Grammies, will make you thirst for a desire to shop at Target like it has never been quenched before.
9. Hold My Heart by Lindsey Stirling, feat. ZZ Ward
There’s a reason that Lindsey Stirling is often called the violin queen, as his prowess on the strings is impressive for pop artist who is also a dancer and a performance artist. And while her release Brave Enough has been around for most of the latter half of 2016, Hold My Heart is the perfect track for the week of Valentine’s Day: “Don’t need someone to hold my hand, i just want one to hold my heart.”
8. Call Me Pretty by Alexander F
Truth be told the opening to Call Me Pretty had us smirking: “Hello I’m running, obviously I’m running, hello I’m running, obviously I’m running..” and on and on from there, it seemed as if someone had snuck into the recording booth with an attempt to hijack the song into going rogue. But as we get into the nitty gritty, it’s an indie anthem that just wants to be loved. Lyrical cacophony is kinda Alexander F’s jam, and it’s all over the other tracks off of their just released self-titled album as well.
7. Vessels by Rationale
When it comes to Fresh New Music we try to keep the latest of the latest on tap for every weekly recap. But every once and awhile we just need a reboot of a song two months old (gasp!). Such is the case with Vessel, a spiritual opus that urges you not to be “another empty vessel, free your mind.” The London native by way of Zimbabwe has reason to celebrate this week, with his EP of the same name just hit streaming services.
6. Bambi by Jidenna
A melancholy harmony and disposition is on this Classic Man’s latest, a different condition than what we’re used to from the perfect gentleman. What’s got him so down? Well, it’s complicated, as he’s received a wedding invitation from a former flame and it has got him waxing poetic on what could of been. With lines like “If I weren’t in this spider web / If grandfather never had seven wives (????) / Then darling you would be love of my life” we’re intrigued to hear every thought as he processes this one out.
5. Piano Boy by Amtrac
When you’re ready for the bass to knock the picture frames off the wall, give Amtrac’s latest a whirl, whose pulsations at the one minute mark will do their best to every glass panel in the frames. It’s the perfect ambient track, starting off gentle and then taking it to the next level, but never getting too out of control as to distract you from any task you might be doing at the moment. Amtrac’s next EP, 1987, will be out February 24th.
4. Medicine Man by Charlotte OC
Smokey and sultry is how one could best describe Charlotte OC vibe on her latest, or as she refers to it “hot in the night and cool in the morning.” The English beauty sings here of a mystical man who is changing her by making her better and defying all reason. For best results play under the beam of a full moon.
3. Shape Of You – Galantis Remix by Ed Sheeran
It doesn’t take much to make us happy when it comes to Ed Sheeran, as he is known to bring his A game on every track. So when the Shape of You remix was styled by none other than Galantis we were given a special treat on top of a treat. It’s Sheeran at Coachella, technicolor in place of monochromatic. The perfect track to get the party warmed up and amped.
2. Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry, Skip Marley
“Artist. Activist. Conscious.” is how Katy Perry recently rebranded herself via her Twitter bio, starting her first act of protest chaining herself to the proverbial rhythm. For reinforcements she’s recruited Skip Marley, super fresh with his white hot release Lions last week. A warning for new listeners, the threat of this one getting stuck in your head couldn’t be any higher, faster than you say “dance dance dance to the distortion.”
1. Nobody Knows by Autograf, Wynne
If you’re looking for a self-reflective track to climb a mountain to, well look no further, as Chicago’s finest gets seriously introspective on their latest. Rapper and self described hip hop anomaly Wynne is credited with the assist on this one, though after a couple listens we stopped trying to figure where her part comes in. In a week revolving around demonstrative showers of affection, play this one when you need to turn inward.
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