With everyone getting ready to slip into party mode this weekend, below are a few tracks you might want to add to your playlist:
“Red Eye” – Justin Bieber, TroyBoi
After a lengthy hiatus, Justin Bieber’s output over the past two years has been sensational. He has released two albums (with various deluxe versions), numerous platinum-selling and Billboard-charting singles, and hopped on several features, most notably WizKid’s “song of the summer”, “Essence”.
Today he dropped a new edition of his latest album, Justice, with three new songs, the standout being “Red Eye” ft.TroyBoi. Oh, and it also marks the release of his concert film “Justin Bieber: Our World” on Amazon Prime. The Biebs is on a tear!
“Coming Back” - James Blake ft. SZA
James Blake is an immensely talented artist. The British star has made that abundantly clear since the release of his self-titled debut album a decade ago.
Now, after a two-year break, he’s back with a new, unique take of alt-pop with the album Friends That Break Your Heart.
“Coming Back”, the album’s lead single, is soft, playful, and its piano chords create the perfect playground for Blake and SZA to strut their stuff.
It’s a cool, easy and soothing record that you can easily put on repeat while you work or drive around town without even noticing.
“Mhlaba Wonke” - De Mthuda, Sino Msolo, Sipho Magudulela
Amapiano is enjoying its best year to date. Global cosigns have been aplenty, and local superstars Focalistic, Major League and Kamo Mphela have been regularly playing in places such as Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, the UAE and Europe for the best part of six months.
And while pioneers Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa have been garnering most of the plaudits for the genre’s success, producers like De Mthuda are fast gaining recognition for their consistent output.
De Mthuda’s latest single, “Mhlaba Wonke”, comes off the back of the trailblazing success of his platinum-selling collaboration with Focalistic, titled Gupta.
While “Mhlaba Wonke” is a much more slowed-down and musical record, don’t be surprised to hear it blasting at groove this weekend.
“Why Me” - Audiomarc ft. Nasty C, Blxckie
Nasty C looks like he’s coming alive just in time for summer. After being relatively quiet since his Def Jam Records released album, “Zulu Man With Some Power”, he has now released two singles over the past few months and featured on several other artists’ singles, including two just this week: “40 Days 40 Nights” by Dax and “Why Me” by his personal tour DJ, Audiomarc.
“Why Me” sees Nasty C and talented newcomer Blxckie trade verses on a raging, bass-heavy beat that seems tailored to get your adrenalin pumping during that morning workout.
“Big Nas” – Nas
After years on the sidelines, it seemed like Nas had resigned himself to the reality that his illustrious career had come to an end.
Then came the release of his surprisingly brilliant album King’s Disease last year. King’s Disease went on to win Nas his first Grammy and re-established him as the “God MC”.
With the wind in his sails, Nas recently dropped the follow-up album, “King’s Disease 2”, and Hit-Boy, the man now at the helm of his production, just won Producer of the Year at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards.
His new single, “Big Nas”, arrives right in the midst of a breathtaking late-career renaissance, and it doesn’t look like he’s about to stop any time soon.