Little Simz a respite from Drake’s man-a-thon
Plus new tracks from Halsey, Anderson .Paak, Muna and McCraven
Keeping up with new music releases can be a difficult task. Your Weekend Playlist offers a brief introduction to a broad range of the most interesting new tracks and emerging artists.
This week’s playlist features new music from Little Simz, Halsey, Muna and Phoebe Bridgers, Kanye West, Makaya McCraven and Radiohead. Plus, the Star’s Madi Wong shares her take on the new Anderson .Paak track from the soundtrack for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Little Simz: Standing Ovation
Last Friday, Drake blasted the internet with “Certified Lover Boy,” an 86-minute album of self-proclaimed “toxic masculinity,” featuring a grand total of zero features from female rap artists (Nicki Minaj makes an appearance, but only in the background).
Predictably, Drake’s man-athon smashed streaming records and sparked plenty of discussion. But it also overshadowed the same-day release of “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert,” an ambitious (and superior) hip-hop album from London artist Little Simz.
Surrounded by lush and sophisticated production, Little Simz’ dense and lyrical flows arrive sounding glorious and inspired. “Everybody claim to be boss but I’m a different kind/ Hate it or love it, we rise above it,” she raps over jazzy drums and a Talib Kweli sample on the cinematic “Standing Ovation.”
Halsey: You asked for this
If you were to travel to the early 1990s to tell a Nine Inch Nails fan that in 30 years time, Trent Reznor would be producing scores for Disney movies and collaborating with radiofriendly pop stars, they would likely accuse you of telling a
“Terrible Lie,” before entering into a “Downward Spiral.” Or perhaps they wouldn’t be so “Fragile.”
Anyways. I, for one, am open to change, and cannot get enough of the new Halsey album, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” which was produced by Reznor and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, and inspired by the “joy and horrors” of pregnancy.
From the jump, Halsey and Reznor discover a natural chemistry, combining the former’s laid-back vocal style with the haunting piano melodies and distorted production techniques that are the latter’s signature. On the anthemic, mosh-appropriate track “You asked for this,” Halsey delivers an earnest pop-punk chorus over a vicious swell of industrial guitar and driving drums.
Halsey isn’t the first Gen Z-era artist to indulge in the esthetics of ’90s-era rock — Olivia Rodrigo is doing something similar on the smash hit “good 4 u” — but few pop albums from this year sound quite as fresh or daring.
Anderson .Paak: Fire in the Sky
If you sat through the entire credits of “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings“in the theatre like a real Marvel
fan, you may have recognized a familiar voice closing the film.
Anderson .Paak is one of many kick-ass artists who graced the official soundtrack of ShangChi with their vibrant presence. Along with .Paak, the movie’s soundtrack features several other artists of Asian descent, including Jhené Aiko, Saweetie and Audrey Nuna.
The 35-year-old singer, rapper and drummer is known for his prolific music talents and contagious, lively energy as a performer. .Paak sings a sweet R&B melody about himself and a lover who met on the Fourth of July through boastful vocals and rhythms, as well as hints of piano melodies and subtle but upbeat drumming. The song also features a writing credit from fellow Silk Sonic collaborator Bruno Mars.
“Fire in the Sky” fits right into .Paak’s brand as being a go-to source for feel-good, playful vibes. Be ready to add this track to your daydreaming, “my life is a movie and I’m the main character” playlist. — Madi Wong
MUNA (featuring Phoebe Bridgers): Silk Chiffon
This week’s earworm comes courtesy of Muna, an indie-pop trio from California known for their clever songwriting and big hooks. Featuring the suddenlyubiquitous Phoebe Bridgers,
“Silk Chiffon” is a buoyant ode to young love — a breezy fantasy that feels almost too good and pure to be true (the video hammers this home).
The guest verse from Bridgers is just icing on the cake. “I’m high and I’m feeling anxious/ Inside of the CVS,” she sings — a quintessential Bridgers couplet.
Approach with an open heart, and this song will make your day. “Muna is my spiritual practice,” reads the top YouTube comment.
Kanye West: Lord I Need You
Enough ink has been spilled about “Donda,” Kanye West’s ambitious, clunky, uneven, problematic and frustrating tenth album. After burning through spectacular amounts of good will with his various political and cultural antics, longtime Kanye fans have gotten used to disappointment since the release of his last great album, 2016’s “The Life Of Pablo.” And yet, “Donda” does contain several moments of brilliance and shards of the “old Kanye.”
The track I can’t stop listening to is the gospel breakup track “Lord I Need You,” which features an extraordinary and ar- resting vocal sample from Bri Babineaux (who Kanye failed to credit). “Your gun off safety/ Speak first/ don’t break me,”
Kanye laments, reliving the moment when his former wife Kim Kardashian West broke the news of their imminent separation.
It’s a rare moment of genuine vulnerability; a glimpse of the genius hidden beneath the chaos.
Makaya McCraven: Frank’s Tune
In 2020, Chicago-based drummer Makaya McCraven released a “reimagining” of Gil Scott-Heron’s final studio album, the enduring “I’m New Here.” McCraven’s version was brilliant, his soulful arrangements bringing into focus new details from the raw and stripped down original.
McCraven’s upcoming project, titled “Deciphering The Message,” will feature modern interpretations of jazz standards from the legendary Blue Note Records label. The first single, “Frank’s Tune,” is a new take on the 1967 original by American jazz pianist Jack Wilson. McCraven’s hip hop-inflected update, accented by duelling electric guitar and flute, will have you bobbing your head and asking yourself why you don’t listen to more jazz.
Radiohead:
If You Say the Word
Huge news, Radiohead fans. To mark the 20th and 21st anniversary of the classic albums “Kid A” and “Amnesia,” the band will release “Kid A Mnesia” in early November. The three-disc set will include a reissue of both albums plus a bunch of unreleased tracks and outtakes from the “Kid A” era.
On Tuesday, Radiohead teased the project with the previously unheard “If You Say the Word,” a moody and downtempo stunner that will immediately transport you back to Y2K glory days of experimental art rock.