Day 18: 7 rings by Ariana Grande

New James Blake? New Future? Obviously not, today we’re focusing on arguably the biggest star on the planet right now (minus a certain Instagram egg of course), Ariana Grande. Who would’ve thought the best friend on Nickelodeon’s Victorius would turn into the this multi-faceted, strong female icon (it was my sister that watched it. Not me. Promise).

As has been the case with her most recent string of hits (her album Sweetener and her last singles thank u, next and imagine), 7 rings has had a lot of hype surrounding it. She has been teasing it on her Instagram and Twitter for weeks now and is yet again an unapologetically fierce anthem aimed at empowering successful young women.

It revolves around the true story of returning her engagement ring after she split with fiance Pete Davidson less than two months after the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller from overdosing. Having had a traumatic few months, she went with her friends to return the ring to Tiffany’s, only to buy 7 rings and give one to everyone that was with her. The video that was released earlier this morning features those friends and is a decadent, neon-lit visualisation of the freedom that Ariana’ssuccess has given her.

The song opens with a perfectly fitting sample of The Sound of Music’s song, My Favourite Things. It seems so simple and obvious when you first hear Ariana singing her extravagant wishlist, and it really sets the tone of the whole song, with the melody being used repeatedly through the song too.

This is a sassier, sharper side to the Ariana that we heard on thank u, next. Littered with expletives, it doesn’t ask for permission and clearly shows her desires and wishes (she described the song as “a flex” on her Twitter). Where thank u, next looked to the past and was an ode to her ex-boyfriends, 7 rings lives in the moment. It’s an impulse buy, a snap decision of a song with no regrets. It feels reminiscent of Beyonce’s earlier work, and the role model that Ariana is becoming for young women everywhere isn’t a million miles away from how Queen Bee is viewed.

Sweetener was a great album and seemed to showcase just how good a singer Ariana was. The singles since then have felt more timeless and iconic (despite being written in a specific, highly publicised era of her life) and this follows suit. Ariana is leading up to a new album and if the numbers across all platforms for thank u, next, imagine and 7 rings are anything to go by, I certainly wouldn’t want to be releasing music on the same day as her.

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

Day 17: Good Thing by Kideko

My first experience of Kideko came through the single Good Thing, a solo track that was released in April last year on Ministry of Sound Recordings. Upbeat and tailor-made for mainstream dance music enthusiasts and radio spins, it showcases a desire from Kideko to create more of a household name for himself. Other tracks include breakout single The Jam, which sampled Technotronic’s 1989 Pump Up The Jam, Jalisco and latest single Gonna Be, and these are all more targeted at true dance music fans rather than audiences who encounter dance music and it’s tropes through mainstream radio and national charts. Having collaborated with Tinie Tempah, amongst others, in the past, this is a sign that Kideko is trying to cover a few bases with his work.

Good Thing features a really infectious bassline that never becomes too heavy and gorgeous female vocals that are a perfect fit for the niche this project is trying to sit within. There aren’t many instances where these vocals aren’t being delivered over the beat, making it much more palatable for a potential new fan to ease themselves into.

Kideko is a Brighton based DJ/producer who, when he’s not in the studio or behind the decks, goes by Ryan Hurley. Previously a drummer, his love for electronic and dance music came later in life as he studied music production and his drumming roots shine through in his work, with the unmistakable drum beat running through Good Thing and a unique short burst to open the track. With a lot of love shown from the likes of Pete Tong and Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1, Kideko’s career looks to go from strength to strength in 2019 and beyond.

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

Day 16: Say To Me by WHTKD

WHTKD, a stylised name pronounced “White Kid”, is a DJ I discovered on Youtube as a lot of his material is featured on dedicated UK House channels. He started honing his craft when he fell in love with house music at the age of 14 and has a big underground following, with this song, in particular, amassing nearly 40 million streams on Spotify alone.

Say To Me is a big deep house track and it is clear that WHTKD made it with big DJ sets in mind. It peaks and troughs very naturally and the bass is heavy yet upbeat, with effective use of high hat drums to guide the listener/dancer through the track.

It was released in 2016, but it never made any real dent in the house music world outside of some late night radio spins and the occasional club play. WHTKD hasn’t released much original music at all, as he prefers to perform sets and remix other artist’s track. What we have in this track, then, is a rare gem from a house artist that does his thing at his own pace, and because he is truly invested in a project, rather than for monetary gain or fame.

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

Day 15: Goldie by A$AP Rocky

World famous rapper, unashamed drug enthusiast, successful model, and fashion icon. A$AP Rocky has “made it” not just in the rap world, but in popular culture. Today’s track pays homage to his debut studio album, Long. Live. ASAP, which today celebrates its 6th birthday. This was the first hip-hop album I bought a physical copy of, and the summer after it’s release I vividly remember being the only one from a group of about 20 of my friend’s ar Reading Festival that ventured into a tent to watch him perform. The air-filled with weed and cigarette smoke, my first experience of live hip-hop was like many others (live hip-hop is, as a rule of thumb, never something to shout home about anyway), but the memory of rapping Goldie word for word, on my own, surrounded by veteran hip-hop/festival enthusiasts was really formative for me and my music tastes.

It was this album that solidified my love for hip-hop. After listening to this a lot, it encouraged me to explore older hip-hop and more nuanced projects within the genre. It also introduced me to artists I would go on to discover, such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Action Bronson, Schoolboy Q, Joey Badass, and A$AP Ferg, as any good early album experience should. This is why I’ve chosen to honour this album, and it is fittingly done with one of my favourite hip-hop songs of all time.

Goldie was the first single from the album, released 8 months to the prior album in April 2012. Produced by Hit-Boy (of N*ggas In Paris fame), it almost feels, at times, detached from the rapper, both in delivery style and lyrical content. It is typical of hip-hop themes; bitches, cars, weed, and guns, but Rocky brings the arrogance of a new, emerging artist to make it fresh and palatable. Hit-Boy has revealed that the beat was originally intended for rap royalty Jay-Z, but Rocky jumped on it while they were jamming in the studio.

The start of the instrumental is like a time machine for me. It brings back so many memories and I am obliged, whatever my mind, to badly rap along as loud as possible. A defining song for me, if you haven’t heard it before I hope you enjoy it a share apart of my musical upbringing. If you have, we should collab on a cover. Hmu.

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

Day 14: Cherrypie Blues by Noname

When people are drawing comparisons between your work and Ms. Lauryn Hill’s, and you feature on, arguably, Chance The Rapper’s defining mixtape Acid Rap, Noname becomes quite an ironic name for an artist.

Coming out of Chicago, rapper/songstress/lyrical poet Noname brings a wonderfully raw, evocative touch to the crowded world of hip-hop. She gained recognition through a number of guest appearances around 2013 (including the aforementioned project with Chance) and went on to release Telefone in 2016 as an unsigned artist, with the credits on that debut album reading like a Chicago-natives-only afterparty. Saba and Monte Booker were just some of the amazing collaborators she brought in over the three years she crafted the album, all whilst working again with Chance, this time on his Grammy-nominated 2016 project, Colouring Book. In September last year, Noname followed up her highly commended debut album with her sophomore work, Room 25.

Today’s track, however, comes from a compilation album called TwoSyllable Records Chicago Cassette Compilation Vol. 2. Twosyllable records are based in Brooklyn and the owner, Zach Pollakoff, has put out several compilation discs of his favourite Chicago artists. Noname features on the 2014 record and sings of love lost. Previously a spoken-word poet, her wordplay is vivid and imaginative, the lines “Let it be a bygone how you python/Mama said never dance wit snakes wit the lights on”. She effortlessly dances between rapping and singing and, as the name would suggest, breathes a modern twist into the blues genre that is still recognisable between her bars.

Whilst originally released on her Soundcloud, Pollakoff’s documentation of the work of Chicago artists has done a great deal for the lesser known natives of a city that boasts a certain Mr.West as one of its children. Bringing this, and many other, singles onto streaming platforms has allowed for much wider consumption of the art, and everyone is better for it.

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