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Wilco – "Evicted”
Sometimes, pain feels good. That’s the case with this reflective track — the latest single from Grammy-winning alt-rock stalwarts Wilco — a strum-along song with a heartbreaking message. Knowing you hurt someone you love is bad enough, but this indie-folk-rock track perfectly captures the steadfast misery of knowing you deserve every ounce of loss, pain, and sadness you feel. All that, and the song itself is an easy listen free from the doldrums. Bad guys, fear not: This track’s your first step on the road to redemption.
Jamila Woods – “Tiny Garden”
Hold onto your heartstrings, this one’s got layers. Chicago singer-songwriter Jamila Woods’ latest single is the sort of song that simply can’t be background, unfolding with your full attention like theater, from prelude to finale. Featuring a heart-filling chorus that will strike you as a relic from the high-shine synth halls of the 1980s, it’s a track with a celebratory message as strong in metaphor as it is in literal lyricism. Add onto it a feature by collaborator duendita that serves genuine smiles, relatability, and inspiration, and this track produces its own summer sunshine.
Tkay Maidza – “Silent Assassin (Feat. Flume)”
Ready for a pivot? Set aside your summertime fun for this malevolent churner from two Aussie innovators: Electronic hip-hop artist Tkay Maidza and chart-topping electronic producer Flume, who we haven’t heard much from lately, but the sight of whose name gets us tingly all over. This track is a challenge, ok? It’s not meant to make you feel good, it’s not meant to blend into your Summer ‘23 Hits playlist, and it’s not one to throw on for your backyard charcuterie chats. But it is meant to make you feel kickass. Don’t think twice, just jump in. Stay vigilant — there’s an assassin on the loose.
Adekunle Gold – “Falling Up (Feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)”
Fall on up with this shining single, a veritable sonic beam of light to uplift your weekend. Adekunle Gold is the Nigerian singer-songwriter who first rose to prominence with his Afrobeat cover of a One Direction pop hit. Fast forward to 2023: Gold’s freshly signed with Def Jam, and has brought his bathed-in-warmth vocal style and musical spirit to what appears from the fly-on-the-wall-style video to be Pharrell’s living room. Sprinkle in Nile Rodgers on guitar and we have ourselves the feel-good hit of the summer.
Skream – “Thinking Of You”
Strange days, right? In a way, they’ve always been strange. And since its early days, electronic music has featured “real talk” lyricism addressing your most fraught feelings about life, society, culture… reality. In this vintage-hued electronic track, producer Oliver Jones — known to friends as Ollie, and to fans as Skream — shares a message of love, relatability, and reassurance for us all. Originally conceived as a voice memo message to his son about going back to school after the COVID-19 closures, Jones found his expression unexpectedly universal and adapted it into this absolute gem using some orchestral samples, classic synths, and a drum loop. Love you!