Best Tracks of the Week: City Girls, Tyler, the Creator, Sade & More
It is somehow mid-November, and we're gearing up for some major end of year #content. This week brought some serious contenders for best songs of 2018. City Girls and Leikeli47 dropped incredible albums, Girl Code and Acrylic respectively. If you haven't already, you best be streaming those in their entirety. Tyler, the Creator continues his greatest collab to date with a The Grinch-inspired 6 tracker on a serious holiday season tip.
Lil Wayne updated one of his Tha Carter V tracks with a Post Malone feature that's got us all up in our feelings, 2 Chainz has cured our seasonal depression with a single song, and queen of everything Sade is back with another heavy-hitter. All those and more in this here edition of Best Tracks of the Week.
2 Chainz - "Hot Wings"
The piercing squawk of 2 Chainz spitting “Bitch get your shit together” may not be the most remarkable musical moment of the year, but damn if it isn’t exactly what I needed to hear right now. The dwindling sunlight hours have met their match in the warm embrace of a new 2 Chainz single, with the lyrical admissions on “Hot Wings” making it hard to dwell on seasonal depression, particularly with an opening line like “I got my spunk, Louis Vuitton.” - J
City Girls - “Give It A Try” ft. Jacquees
I didn't know that I needed this collab in my life until it came on rotation while I was getting ready for work this morning. The slow-burning ballad shows Yung Miami and JT opening up about some of their insecurities in relationships due to shitty men from their pasts and present. As for Jacquees, he smoothly holds it down the chorus by professing his feelings and making a plea to take things to the next level. Because who doesn't enjoy listening to a man beg for your attention? Girl Code is out now and I strongly suggest that women worldwide blast it all weekend long. - S
K Á R Y Y N - SEGMENT & THE LINE
Ever since I had the pleasure of interviewing K Á R Y Y N last year, I’ve been waiting for her to drop another low-key earth shattering banger. “SEGMENT & THE LINE” is absolutely doing it for me. The ASMR-inducing percussion is like being gently hugged for three minutes straight, and I overall love the sentiment, “You are the segment and I am the line.” I’m not entirely sure if the intentions here are romantic, but I look forward to saying this to someone this cuffing season. - B
Leikeli47 - "Bad Gyal Flex"
Okay, ob-vious-ly the entirety of Leikeli47's new, vaguely nail salon-themed album Acrylic absolutely bangs. However, "Bad Gyal Flex" is... a major flex! Pure, undadulterated LK-47 locked and loaded with a dancefloor-ready bashment beat, yes please! Will be bumpin' this anytime I need to pump myself up. - B
Lil Wayne - “What About Me” ft. Post Malone
Alright so yes, this track technically already came out when Weezy dropped Tha Carter V. However, this updated version now includes none other than possibly-cursed, notable crazy suit wearer Post Malone. I’m extremely into it. I love when men share their vulnerability with the world. Thanks for reading. - B
Marques Martin - “About to Die”
Normani & 6LACK - “Waves”
Do you enjoy sexual contact with other humans? If so, this author can humbly recommend “Waves,” a track that must have been lab-tested to inspire pheromones to get jiggy with it. While the author has not actually had any copulation with “Waves” as the soundtrack, a single play through should dispel any notions outside of this thesis. Also, 6LACK lowkey sounds better here than at any point on his new album, sorry not sorry. - J
Sade - “The Big Unknown”
If the world is really on the verge of ending any day now, I would like for everything to go down in flames while this song plays in the background. It feels so strange that Sade would be summoned to return in 2018 for the sake of contributing to movie soundtracks, but I'm certainly not complaining about the fact that she's back. "The Big Unknown" is featured in the Steve McQueen-directed thriller Widows starring Viola Davis and evokes the kind of sadness that can only be understood by someone who has experienced the heartbreaking pain of grief (but because it's Sade on the mic, the hurt feels so good). - S
The Japanese House - “Follow My Girl”
English singer-songwriter Amber Bain has been making indie pop gems as The Japanese House since 2015, but only ever in a burst of small batches. Fans of her breakout hit "Saw You In A Dream" will immediately gravitate toward the new single "Follow My Girl." The production has a chillwave vibe going on as Bain sings about losing your sense of direction and allowing someone else to lead the way for a change. The Japanese House's debut full-length album Good At Falling is due out on out March 1, 2019 via Dirty Hit/Interscope Records. - S
Tyler, the Creator - “Hot Chocolate” ft. Jerry Paper
Forget Palace and Ralph Lauren, the best collab of the year in my books is Tyler, the Creator and The Grinch. My fave of the newly-released 6 track collection is “Hot Chocolate” featuring the weird and wonderful Jerry Paper. Now we all know how Tyler likes his hot chocolate! What a blessing! I simply cannot wait to bump this entire thing during the holiday season instead of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” on repeat. - B
In case you missed it, revisit last week's best tracks right here.