Last week saw exciting releases by artists both new (Joel Adams, Becky Hill) and old (Lil Wayne, Troye Sivan, Alessia Cara) that you’ll want to check out. Take a look at the best songs of the week, and be sure to listen to them all on the Spotify playlist at the end of this post.
1.) The Surefire Hits
Joel Adams – “Please Don’t Go”
You may not have heard of Australian newcomer Joel Adams or his single “Please Don’t Go” until now, but the song has just garnered 40 million Spotify streams, and just hit the streaming site’s global viral charts. The tune is a straightforward piano ballad with modern production—snappy drums, synthetically transformed vocal excerpts, and the like. The hook, a hummed melisma, is one of the strongest earworms of 2016.
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons w/ Logic & Ty Dolla $ign ft X Ambassadors – “Sucker for Pain”
The Suicide Squad Album continues to deliver spectral, catchy singles with the huge “Sucker for Pain,” which follows Twenty One Pilot’s “Heathens.” The squad of artists unite for the chorus: “I wanna chain you up / I wanna tie you down / I’m just a sucker for pain,” a semi-shouted masochistic refrain that will have you singing along while questioning your moral faculties.
Troye Sivan – “WILD” (feat. Alessia Cara)
The second time might be the charm for Troye Sivan’s “WILD” which the Australian singer-songwriter released back in September off of his critically-acclaimed debut Blue Neighborhoods. At that time, Sivan released “WILD” with a full-blown music video trilogy. This second go-around features Alessia Cara, a fellow budding star, whose vocals lend a further youthful hue to this slow-burning, confessional tune. This song has a huge chance of propelling Sivan back into the Billboard Hot 100, where he had his first top 40 hit with previous single, “YOUTH.”
2.) The Newcomers’ Debuts
Matoma – “False Alarm” (feat. Becky Hill)
X Factor UK alum Becky Hill really shines on this tropical house track by Matoma. The first 44 seconds are the best of the tune; the way Hill’s strong voice decisively cracks and bends on the lyric “sirens” and her rich, colorful head voice on “false” lend a youthful naiveté to the track that many will relate to. The latter—that one note on “false”—sounds so entirely unique and beautiful that you can bet that producers will be scrambling for this young artist’s vocals in the future. Unfortunately, the breezy beats don’t exactly support Hill’s superstar voice—a move that may prevent this song from getting the commercial success it deserves.
Wrabel – “11 Blocks”
Kesha’s proclaimed BFF makes his entrance into 2016 with “11 Blocks,” a folky slow jam. Beginning with a conversational, Lukas Graham-like tone, “11 Blocks” tracks the distance between the singer and his love interest, with the drums hitting for the emotional, twangy chorus. The song marks a slight departure from Wrabel’s usual soulful, R&B tunes, but in a way that will surely captivate.
3.) The One-of-a-Kind Tracks
Palmistry – “Lifted”
Palmistry’s new single “Lifted” draws from the inner ear reverberations that you may experience after a loud night at a club. “Lifted” is dancehall pop music writ small—a combination of a synth, a drum, and a voice used to accentuate with uhs and oos. The British producer whispers above the track with a hypnotic hook that gently fades into the background as the synth line transmutes throughout, sketching a wide array of club noise.
Imad Royal – “Bad 4 U” (feat. blaise railey)
DC native and Atlantic signee Imad Royal features blaise railey in this retro song punctuated by a tottering chorus, syncopated guitar, some occasional trumpets, handclaps, and not much else. The song successfully mixes old school production with rapped verses and a big, playful hook: “Hey mamacita / I’m pleased to meet ya / I know I’m only five foot eight but please believe ya boy gonna put it down.”
Honorable Mentions: Era Istrefi – “Bonbon,” MAGIC! – “Red Dress,” Marian Hill – “Talk To Me.”
Take a listen below: