There has been a lot of great new music released over the last few weeks. You can find out what was released this weekend in our New Music Report, but take a look at what we've been listening to lately. Our editors Nicole, James, and Isha have shared some of their Expert Picks for the week. Check it out below.
Nicole's Picks:
Hazers - "Changes"
Discovering a new artist is the best, especially when there is some mystery involved. It seems like Hazers has magically appeared to bring us all a new bop for this last bit of summer called "Changes," but I'm definitely not mad about it. This track has everything I love in a song -- a great melody, a great rhythm, and great lyrics -- it's all about summer romance. "The night we made a fire on the beach/Last summer, getting into each other." I will definitely be keeping my eye on Hazers this year for sure.
PnB Rock - Time
As we are in the back half of summer and cuffing season is approaching, we have "Time" by PnB Rock. Over a breezy tropical beat, he sings all about wanting to settle down with his special lady. "But this time, this timeI don't wanna play, girl I wanna stayNeed you every night, need you every day." As someone who is definitely not ready for summer to end, I will take this song with me straight into the cold months, thank you very much PnB Rock!
Follow Nicole on Twitter: @NicoleMastr0
James' Picks:
Kelela - "LMK"
Kelela takes the concept of one night stands into her own hands with her sparkling new single, “LMK,” which premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show. Serving as the lead single from her debut album, Take Me Apart, which is due October 6, the track is a luxurious ode to hook-up culture and investing in physical connection rather than, say, emotional investment. Still, the always ethereal siren finds a way to make even the dirtiest of things sound pretty.
Le Youth featuring Ava Max - "Clap Your Hands"
Le Youth unleashes a ray of sunshine with his funky-charged "Clap Your Hands," which features guest vocals from Ava Max. In a statement for the cut, the DJ unloads major synth in efforts to want to do something fresh and new. “Even more important for me is doing something cool. This record ticked all those boxes. I can't wait for people to hear Ava and see what we've made,” he said in a statement to Billboard.
Follow James on Twitter: @newyorkinstinct
Isha's Picks:
Fat Joe featuring Dre - "So Excited"
Fat Joe is delivering some heat for us this summer 2017. The Terror Squad artist dropped a new banger called "So Excited" featuring Dre from production duo Cool & Dre.
iHeartRadio world premiered the new single on all of Hip Hop and R&B radio stations across the country on Tuesday (August 1). "So Excited" sounds like the perfect, fun summer session whether you're partying at the club or driving down the highway with the music blasting. It's a vibe, for sure. Fat Joe told iHeartRadio about the new smash, "I’m 'So Excited' to have my 1st single 'So Excited' from my upcoming album as this week's iHeartMedia World Premiere aka the real Beyoncé rollout."
Jazmine Sullivan x Bryson Tiller - "Insecure"
Jazmine Sullivan and Bryson Tiller joined forces for “Insecure,” which is the title track for Issa Rae’s hit HBO series. The second season of the show kicked off recently, so it was the perfect time for this new track to be premiered, and will be featured on the show’s upcoming soundtrack. “Why you gotta be so insecure, when I did all I could do to keep you wanting more?” Jazmine asks her significant other on it. “Why can’t you get up off my back? / I can take a lot of s**t, but I won’t take that.”
“It’s really important to Issa and [director Melina Matsoukas] that the show sounds really fresh and feels very current,” the show’s music supervisor, Kier Lehman, told Entertainment Weekly. “This is the music that’s playing right now, this the music that you hear on the radio, this is the music that’s coming out that you’re streaming online right now or you will be in the next month or two.”
Follow Isha on Twitter: @IshaThorpe