P H E W.
Life is starting to heat up in sunny Southern California, and with that it calls for more bangers, bops, and jams.
Last week I left you with a grab bag of genres to wade through, but this week I’m here to serve up hearty slices of poptimism.
As always, I hope these songs inspire you to check out more music by these particular artists, or lead to introducing you to another artist you’ve never heard before!
Remember: if you like what you hear, spread the cheer. Tell your friends about these artists and share the love.
You can contact me by replying directly to the newsletter that is mailed to your inbox every Friday, via my Twitter account, or using the contact page on the cmd+f website.
P.S. If you would like to have this letter sent to your email every Friday, please head over to this link right here to subscribe to never miss a weekly roundup!
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“Ordinary Superstar” - Rina Sawayama | This is the third time I’ve dropped Rina into the weekly cmd+f picks, so she should REALLY be on your radar. While “Ordinary Superstar” came out last October in her exquisitely produced RINA mini album, the music video made it’s grandiose debut on i-D’s YouTube channel this week. The hair! The makeup! It’s ultra glam á la Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fifth Element. Like I said last November, keep your finger on the pulse for Rina! She is out here making massive waves in the pop circuit. Watch here
“Do It Again” - No Rome | If your first thought when hearing “Do It Again” is “this sounds like The 1975,” you’d be right on the nose. No Rome is not only one of Dirty Hit’s newest signees to release a new single, but also the protegee of The 1975’s Matty Healy and George Daniel, both of whom lent a hand in producing the dizzying debut. When digging around for more details on No Rome himself, I found a little note burrowed on his SoundCloud: “no rome is an art project by rome gomez - a personification of teen love, melancholy & everything in between.” There isn’t a better way to describe the effervescent mood of “Do It Again.” Listen here
“Do You Wanna Dance” - Cosha | Cosha is the artist formerly known as Bonzai. Yes, the Bonzai featured on Mura Masa’s 2016 hit “What If I Go.” The Irish singer has recently rebranded her music identity as Cosha last month with the release of her new album, RIP Bonzai. Far from the distorted glitch noises and brash synthesizers of her Bonzai days, Cosha has linked up with (former Vampire Weekend member and Charli XCX/Carly Rae Jepsen producer extraordinaire) Rostam for her lead single. “Do You Wanna Dance” rumbles slick whistles over a wobbling, relentless bassline. Can I get an Amen for this evolution? Listen here
“All The Work” - Amber Mark | We have another cmd+f alum making an appearance this week! I would have had this song up sooner had I not be rendered half-conscious for nearly all of May…. Now my ears are wide awake and fallen into utter BLISS for Amber’s new Conexão EP. My personal pick for standout track is the sultry and finger-snappin’ “All The Work.” Listen here
“Small World” - Sabina Ddumba | Sabina Ddumba’s vocals. This is where I’m launching my pitch. The Swedish singer made her start in 2012 on Swedish X Factor, released her debut album in 2016 (which includes the marvelous track “Time” produced by MNEK), and has proven herself to be a powerhouse R&B vocalist in her own country (which already has a reputation for housing some of the greatest pop artists of ALL TIME). “Small World” is Sabina’s latest release, and honestly it’s about time for the world outside of Europe to hear Sabina and all her glory. Listen here
New Music Friday Selects
- Christina Aguilera’s dropped a new single, “Like I Do” featuring GoldLink. It’s another god damn JAM. Xtina’s album is shaping up to be one of the best albums of the year… this song is so damn good Listen here
- Interpol have announced a new album is on the way, and have shared a new ball-busting tune, “The Rover” Listen here
- Jorja Smith’s highly anticipated debut album Lost & Found is out and everyone is losing their mind Listen here
- Everyone’s favorite dreampop outfit Wild Nothing returns with “Letting Go” Listen here
- Former Disney Channel star and cmd+f alumnus Sabrina Carpenter is back with a BOP! Listen here
- 20gayteen coming thru with some fab video content!!:
- The Internet have dropped a charming new video for their new single “Come Over,” starring Syd wooing cute girl next door with her sexy vocals, and Steve Lacy in a yellow turtleneck with smiley faces on it. Watch here
- Troye Sivan out here serving high fashion, god tier LQQKS in his new music video for “Bloom” Watch here
- Tove Lo recruits Charli XCX, Icona Pop, ALMA, and Elliphant to teach ya mans how to eat pussy in the “bitches” music video. I mean, I guess I should note it’s a bit NSFW? Watch here
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A(lmost a)ll of the tracks I have shared in this week’s letter are archived into a single playlist on Spotify for you to follow here.
Subscribe to that playlist, share it with friends, or take some inspiration from the ever growing list to compile some of your own.
If you’re interested in listening to what I’m rinsing this month, you can follow my June 2018 playlist here. There I will dump a hodgepodge of new and old songs that fit my mood and the trends of the month. Having a personal monthly playlist makes a year in review so easy. Share your playlists with me!
See you next week!
