The Official Chart for February 7
Obviously all normal music coverage has been suspended in light of Beyoncé releasing a new single. But here are a few other records worth mentioning that I listened to last week.
New Florrie! Florrie was part of the Xenomania team (she played drums on a number of Girls Aloud records, and wrote “Something New”), and now in her solo career is, perhaps, the last outpost of the once world-spanning Xenomania empire. Her new song “Real Love” is great, slowly building up layers of throbbing bass (but it’s not quite as good as the absolutely fabulous “Took a Little Something” she released a few years back).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50WtSi1uE1s
New Nicki Minaj! I mean it’s billed as a Yo Gotti track, but he basically just sings the hook.
Dreezy has previously been more of a rapper than a singer, but I’m pleased to hear that with this new track she’s joining other recent artists in the hot 2016 trend of reviving the sound of Keri Hilson’s first album. Jeremih’s guest spot isn’t good, obviously, but he’s not as bad on this track as he usually is.
A new EP from Adesuwa, who makes gorgeous, slightly folk-y R&B; actually, the first track sounds slightly like “Forever Autumn” from Jeff Wayne’s Musical War of the Worlds, which seems like another unexpected hot trend of 2016. Adesuwa is a project of singer Denitia Odigie, who is also part of Denitia and Sene, who make equally good but more upbeat R&B; she also released another great solo track last year.
I hadn’t heard of King, who recently released their debut album, but they’ve evidently been around for a while, as this album, We Are King, is a follow-up to an EP they released five years ago. Throughout the album they set up a beautiful atmosphere, although some of the songs are content to set up that atmosphere and then just stay there; I prefer tracks like “The Story” which have a bit more momentum.
Matilde Davoli’s I’m Calling You from My Dreams is the first album I have heard in the unexpected genre of psychedelic folk italo.
I like Jessy Lanza’s new single, “It Means I Love You” quite a lot; her previous album was accomplished but frequently dull, but this is properly banging. I also like the new song from 4minute, who I’ve also previously found a bit dull, as it becomes unexpectedly banging 1:15 in. I don’t really like the new Sky Ferreira song, sadly; it’s a guest spot on a Primal Scream record, and while it starts off great (reminding me of Skrillex’s “With You Friends (Long Drive)”), it pretty quickly turns into a middling Primal Scream record.
