Day 28: Hillside Boys by Kim Petras

Originating from Cologne in Germany, Kim Petras is a 26-year-old electropop singer, whose sound is reminiscent of artists like Charlie XCX, Avril Lavigne and Cyndi Lauper. Indeed, Girls Just Want To Have Fun seems to be a big inspiration to the instrumental. Synths and electro beats combine to create a teenage anthem. Her lyrics are of lust, romantic interest and break up. It takes you back to your first love, your first kiss, and I’ve never read anything more fitting than when someone described her sound in this song as “retro bubblegum pop”.

Petras is actually a hugely interesting person outside of her music. She hit German and international headlines in her mid-teens when she campaigned for early gender reassignment surgery. Her parents say that she has vocally expressed that she was a girl from as young as 2, and was one of the youngest people to undergo female hormone treatments and gender confirmation surgery. As such, she is a gay icon, actively raising awareness of transgender and broader LGBTQ+ issues and pulling in a huge fan base from that community. In an interview with the Huffington Post in 2018, she stated: “I think the ultimate goal for me is if a transgender person can be known for anything but being transgender”.

Her music speaks for itself and is very good, well-written pop. It is important to have artists like her to break down the stigma of these issues, and as time progresses I’m sure she will gain an even bigger fan base. Her music should be judged on its quality as art, not the artist’s identity, and I believe that the growing awareness and acceptance of the transgender community will only help the development of her growth, stripping away any prejudices and allowing her art to flourish.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 27: The Video In The Pool by Francis and the Lights

Francis Farewell Starlite, as well as having the coolest name in existence, is known professionally as Francis and the Lights. He came to my attention through his huge hit collaboration with Chance The Rapper (May I Have This Dance) and, though I fell in love with the track, remained devastated that he didn’t use his real name for his alt-RnB project.

His October 2018 release, The Video In The Pool, is typical of Francis. It opens with a digital electronic beat that wouldn’t feel out of place as the theme tune for an arcade video game. When the vocals come in, they are heavily autotuned and are reminiscent of 808’s and Heartbreaks Kanye West. It evokes an eery mystery that Francis is so good at, and it is a beautiful amalgamation of tributes to his influences; Kanye West as mentioned, Bon Iver, even Phil Collins/Genesis. There are elements of all in there and hopefully signals a new, longer project from Francis over the coming months.

As he released the song, he tweeted out David Hockney’s famous painting, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), and cements Francis’ seeming obsession with pools. The music video for this song clearly signifies he took a lot of inspiration from Hockney’s work, whilst the album artwork for his 2017 project Just For Us features a man preparing to dive into a pool. Perhaps, then, this is the follow-up piece to that photo and album, with a similar looking character being the focal point of the Jake Schreier-directed video?

Either way, it’s an interesting angle for an interesting artist to maybe go in with his work, creating links within all of his art, not just the music. The song fits beautifully with the video and it sounds like it is being listened to whilst enveloped by calm water. His discography is perfect to wind down and relax to, and The Video In The Pool is another haunting addition to that.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 26: Capricorn by Elderbrook

Coming up alongside dance titans Camelphat on their 2017 hit Cola, Elderbrook is a British DJ/producer who started making music under the Eldebrook moniker following graduating in 2015. Having collaborated with Gorgon City and the aforementioned Camelphat, as well as receiving Grammy and Ivor Novello nominations, he is a rising star of the British dance scene.

His song Capricorn was released in August as a jazzy bone thrown to his fans whilst he was deep into working on his debut album. It is a heavyweight, and it is infectious in your earphones and on the dancefloor alike. In an interview with Complex, Elderbrook discussed the songs meaning, saying “she’ll read the paper and say, ‘We’re in trouble today because I’m a Capricorn and you’re a whatever.’ This keeps on happening, so he decides he’s going to get a job so he can write all this stuff and quite sinisterly regain control. I think people can identify with the guy who’s just thinking it’s utter nonsense, but maybe others will identify with her instead.”

His description feels very effervescent, but makes sense when studying the lyrics. It is a satirical observation of the manic nature of some astrologists and is housed within a fragmented relationship. This shows a maturity and complexity to his work, and he isn’t being restricted from making meaningful music within a genre that has been historically renowned for repetition and it’s monotony.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 25: MIDDLE CHILD by J. Cole

Oh boy, new J. Cole is sounding fire on a Friday! Released on Wednesday (it’s new music, let me off the hook please), the title is a reference to where he sees himself in the rap game, citing in the song that he feels like a “little bro and big bro all at once”, referencing working with 21 Savage on his song A Lot and going for lunch with Jay-Z. J. Cole falls into a generation with some esteemed company; the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Drake all rose up in a similar time frame and this is the battle he faces on the track.

The song itself is very well written. Each line feels iconic and reflects J. Cole’s quiet evolution he has gone through as he has matured. From 2014 Forest Hill Drive, to his bold single False Prophets and his complex, textured and downright brilliant 2018 album KOD, the song has a sense of graduation about it. 2019 could be the year that J. Cole finally breaks into the mainstream by rapping his way. There has always been a gulf between chart-topping Drake’s style and J. Cole, with Drake very focused on producing hits whilst J. Cole has always spoken his mind. Kendrick falls in between the two, more towards J. Cole’s end of the spectrum historically (although his Taylor Swift collab followed Drake’s school of thought more).

J. Cole has been very open and honest on his views of the new generation of rappers. The last song on KOD was called 1985 – Intro to “The Fall Off” and detailed his feelings towards these freshmen. He has discussed the career of 6ix9ine with hip-hop and radio royalty Angie Martinez and has released a video discussing the state of rap with Lil Pump. This song is capturing his current views, after the aforementioned 21 Savage studio session, talking with Kodak Black and his recent recording sessions for his collaborative project Revenge of the Dreamers III, chalked for release this year, with a myriad of artists. It is exciting to see a rapper’s views on a subject evolve as time goes by, and to discover it through songs from an artist as expressive as J. Cole makes it all the better.

T-Minus and J. Cole produced, the beat is typical Cole and is the first frame in the J. Cole movie that 2019 is going to be. The dreaded, North Carolina rapper is going from strength to strength, and this year is his to lose.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 24: New Patek by Lil Uzi Vert

LeBron James is a great source for hip-hop. Being really matey with all the artists means his Instagram Stories of his daily workouts are soundtracked by new Tunechi, Drizzy, Yeezy and Hove. A few months back, it was Lil Uzi Vert’s New Patek that graced the ears of his 46.6 million followers.

Philly born and raised, Symere Woods began rapping as Lil Uzi Vert in 2014 at the age of 24. He became well established within the trap movement as it rose to prominence and got his first break into the mainstream spotlight with his Migos collaboration, Bad and Boujee. New Patek was the first single to tease upcoming album Eternal Awake, but as of 11th January it was still unreleased when the rapper claimed he wanted to go back a few years and quit music, leading to taking his music off streaming services.

The song is still a banger though, referring to the luxury watch brand Patek Philippe. It is creative in it’s lyricism, and blisteringly fast (a godsend really; at six minutes long, who knows how long Uzi would have spat for at a mere mortal’s pace), capturing the essence of him as an artist and why so many were devastated when he announced his premature retirement. Drawing, as many of the new breed of trap-rappers do, from the punk world, it is quintessentially chaotic and infectiously destructive, especially (I assume) when performed live.

It will be interesting to see if and when Lil Uzi Vert returns to music. His sudden announcement shows there is a strong desire from the community for him to retake his place within it, but only time will tell. I pray we get Eternal Awake at some point in the future, especially if New Patek is anything to go by.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 23: Wait For You by Ady Suleiman

I was first introduced to Ady Suleiman during my time at university. He was playing a gig held in the first week of term on campus and it got me listening to his music and I joined a high-profile fan group of his that includes Joey Badass and Chance The Rapper.

Half Tanzanian and half English, he was born in the Nottingham suburbs and honed his craft in the East Midlands setup. He is no stranger to gigs at The Bodega and Rescue Rooms, but his debut album was only released last year, two years after joining Syco (and subsequently leaving the label and pursuing a unassisted music career).

This single, however, was my first glimpse into Suleiman’s talent and has stuck with me. Reggae sounds are knitted into the core of the track, lying underneath neo-soul, emotive vocals and a cacophony of instruments including a beautiful piano piece to open the song.

It’s refreshing to see that this song doesn’t feature on the album. It could be very easy for an artists to bulk out their debut album with their successful singles that established them, especially when that debut album has been as long in the making as Suleiman’s has been. This song now stands alone as it’s own entity, free of any album, and is representative of a piece of Suleiman’s past; a memory that hasn’t been regurgitated to boost album sales. His album (Memories for those wondering) is brilliant and I would highly recommend all of you to go and sample his music and enjoy his amazing, soul-heavy voice.

Day 22: Midnight Mischief by Jordan Rakei (Tom Misch Remix)

What a combination I have for you today. New Zealand-born, Australian-raised, Jordan Rakei is the source artist with the lead single from his debut album, Cloak. The up and coming instrumentalist Tom Misch has worked with Jordan Rakei several times, but this brings out the best in both artists. The song retains the tone and vocal beauty that Rakei brings, whilst embedding lo-fi, hip-hop beats into the structure of the track to create a truly cohesive collaboration between both artists.

Both artists are part of a pioneering genre, arguably led by Loyle Carner. The fusion of hip-hop, soul and disco sounds is their bread and butter. They then strip it back and produce mellow hit after mellow hit, none of which I imagine are any stranger to a 5am DMC over a joint.

It’s such an evocative remix, and creates a scene of an early morning city, quiet and peaceful, with a sole character a few floors above, contemplating life. This record, whilst some may see it as easily forgettable and a means to an end, is an entire story. The beat takes you to another world; it takes me away from a sofa in Redditch and builds a life around me. As you can probably tell, I really like this song and music should make you feel things, even if you can’t properly convey what that is. Listen to the song with your eyes closed and forget about whatever it is that is stressing you. And just experience it.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 21: King’s Dead by Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake

What a rollercoaster of a track. A blockbuster anthem for a blockbuster film, King’s Dead came from the Black Panther soundtrack as it’s second single, and boasts a monstrous line-up that includes Mike Will Made-It and Teddy Walton with production credits.

The song is a great advert for each artist, and the song feels like it is comprised of distinct chapters. There is no question as to when a new artist is being introduced to the song. Jay Rock brings a ferocity to an already tenacious beat after Kendrick opens with the chorus, only for Future to deliver the most notable verse of the track. It will almost certainly be the highest-pitched verse of his career, and the most memorable moment of the song was nearly left off it. Future raps “La di da di da, slob on me knob” and admitted in a recent interview he would have omitted the voice-breaking falsetto had Kendrick not convinced him otherwise.

Kendrick himself is his usual impeccable self, driving the song with his earworm of a chorus and puts the song into top gear with his verse. In contrast, James Blake’s ghostly, ethereal vocals add a new facet to make this song an experience, a memorable moment. And it’s from a film soundtrack. A DISNEY film soundtrack. Such is the brilliance of Kendrick in, not only rapping and lyricism, but in curating a masterpiece. Lamar did good with this one.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 20: Balenciaga by Cheat Codes

I can’t hear this song without thinking of University Radio Nottingham. My student radio station, I spent three years there and in my final year, had a dance music show on Fridays, 7-9pm, to get students in the mood for going to the student club, Ocean (for which I also gave away four tickets). I played this song so much in that little basement, and fills me with fond memories that I look back on that room (not least because, after being the last person to have gone on air in those studios whilst interviewing Big Narstie, a group of us stripped it to its bones as the station prepared to move basecamp last summer).

Trevor Dahl, Kevin Ford, and Matthew Russell sound like they should be a group of uncle’s, but, whilst I can’t confirm or deny that, they do make up DJ/Producer trio Cheat Codes. Based in Los Angeles, they broke into the charts in 2017 with their song No Promises, which featured Demi Lovato on the vocals. They ticked the box of dance music producers who were looking for chart success, however with Balenciaga, there is at least a slight venture towards more traditional dance/electronic music.

The song was released on 4th May on Spinnin’ Records and, unsurprisingly from a song called Balenciaga, focuses on the superficial and materialistic nature of the 21st Century population. The male vocals speak about buying a romantic interest Balenciaga and Prada products, with little emotional return on his monetary investment coming from the subject of his affections. Typical love stuff, but the instrumental is slightly heavier than your usual dance-pop track and seems to be a gradual evolution of the trio’s sound to move away from the typical chart music.

Nothing is wrong with creating that sort of music. In fact, one of the next songs they released was Only You which featured Little Mix and probably helped pay the bills. It’s refreshing though, alongside these major chart singles, to see Cheat Codes experimenting with different sounds. Their early work was very housey and it’s exciting to see the artistic variation continuing over the years from a dance artist that have made an impact on the charts and the dance-pop crossover revolution.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex

Day 19: Hear Dis by Chip ft. Stormzy

Quintessential grime beef is the dish of the day this Saturday, with Chip and Stormzy coming hard for Bugzy Malone. HARD.

The track was released on Chip’s Rap vs. Grime mixtape in 2016 as a reply to a number of shots fired by Tinie Tempah on his Junk Food mixtape. Stormzy did actually feature on some of the tracks that included the disses but didn’t realise what he was getting in the midst of, so used Chip’s track to fire some of his own shots towards Cadell, Wiley’s half-brother (the subject of a little-known track called Shut Up). What resulted was three minutes and twenty seconds of pure fire.

It’s all verse and is as aggressive and fiery as you need from a grime diss track. Stormzy introducing himself on the beat with “Eeerm, you cunt” says it all really. The pair show solidarity with each other and state their admiration for each other’s lyricism, a dig at Tinie and his cheeky omittance of his subliminals at Chip on Peak and Been The Man (the tracks Stormzy featured on).

This is refreshing evidence of the grime artist Chip can be. A highly publicised and controversial venture into the world of pop. His tracks Oopsy Daisy and Champion (featuring Chris Brown, hence the American artist’s namechecking on this track) are now infamous and are viewed by a lot of the community as selling out. The pop venture was the subject of another heavyweight grime beef Chip was involved with between himself and Manchester grime artist Bugzy Malone, with it being mentioned repeatedly in Relegation Riddim.

This is a return to the Chip that broke through over a 140 bpm instrumental though, and the inclusion of grime royalty in Stormzy makes this an unbelievable track, even long after it is relevant as a diss track. A tough feat, but one that has been navigated successfully.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex