Graphic by Nick Hardin / Contributing Writer
One of the most exciting parts of every week is “New Music Fridays.” Every Friday, new albums and singles are released across all streaming platforms for music lovers to consume. The goal of this weekly column is to break down a number of singles that are released on a given Friday and distinguish which tracks I think are the best, the ones that are average and the ones that are simply not good at all. The good thing about this column is that it will not just cover a single genre of music, but it will explore many different realms of the music world, giving you a chance to come across new music discoveries.
Best Tracks of the Week
These are the tracks that I enjoyed the most out of all the singles I listened to this week and can see myself playing on repeat.
- “Waves” by Normani x 6LACK – I am not usually a fan of individual efforts from the former Fifth Harmony member, but this track surprised me and caught me off guard. The dark production here really elevated this track to enable it to become what it is. Granted, 6LACK is one of the smoothest artists in the game right now, so having him as a feature really gave this track a huge boost in both sound and quality.
- “Heartbreak Drugs” by GOLDN – GOLDN is a young artist from St. Louis who currently resides in Los Angeles and has been consistently dropping R&B bangers as of late. This week he dropped this single titled “Heartbreak Drugs,” and that is exactly what this song is: a drug. It hooks you in with the glossy, dark production and keeps you tuned in as a result of the great vocal performance displayed here.
- “Spiral” by August 08 x WYNNE – This has to be one of the most gorgeous tracks that I have heard in quite some time. The vocals here are absolutely angelic and make you want to drift away into the sunset or stare out of your window and watch the rain pour down over the city skyline. This is simply one of those songs that just hits you right in the feels and would be a dream to see in a live setting. This has to be one of my favorite tracks in recent weeks.
Meh Tracks of the Week
These were the tracks that I did not hate but I also did not love. Some of these tracks I may revisit at some point, and others I may not.
- “I Would” by Maggie Lindemann – Another artist I had never heard of before this track, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Texas really impressed me with this outing. She has a really sweet, soft voice and exceptional vocal range. My favorite part of this track and easily the highlight of it is the bridge and how it so flawlessly leads right into the gorgeous, catchy hook. This is the kind of song that should be played on the radio constantly and get all the love in the world, but sadly it likely will not.
- “Not Today” by Alessia Cara – Alessia Cara is one of today’s artists that I feel is the most underrated. You do not really hear her name as often as you do some of these other female stars like Taylor Swift, Selana Gomez or Demi Lovato, but yet, a lot like these other ladies, she continuously manages to pull out hit after hit, and this single is no exception.
- “Beach House” by The Chainsmokers – Just a few weeks ago, I talked about how much The Chainsmokers’ style has changed and how sometimes I wish they would go back to their old ways like when they first began making music. Well, with “Beach House,” that is exactly what they did. Though Drew Taggart still provides the vocals for this track, they are not terrible lyrics, and the song itself has a beat and drop reminiscent of the 2015 Chainsmokers, the time before they decided to go mainstream pop. More of this kind of stuff is what I hope to see from Alex and Drew in the near future.
Worst Tracks of the Week
These were the tracks that just were not doing it for me. I simply did not enjoy the tracks listed below, and I will not be revisiting them anytime soon.
- “Twerk It” by City Girls x Cardi B – Now do not get me wrong, I am a fan of Cardi B and I often love her features and the choice of song in which she decides to hop on a remix for. This track, however, is not one that I particularly enjoy. The original version of the song was so bad as it was that even the Cardi feature did not begin to save this horrendous party anthem. That is about the only place you will hear this song: in the clubs and at house parties; other than that, it is a skip.
- “Take One” by Kodak Black – Kodak Black is one of those new-wave rappers that is always hit or miss. When one of his songs is a hit, it is wonderful and could be on repeat for hours, but when it misses, it misses big time. And as you can tell from where I placed this track in my column, obviously this one missed. It is repetitive and boring, and the song lacks any type of context whatsoever. I will not even lie, I could not even sit through the whole thing before I had to move on.
- “Blame It On The Kids” by AViVA – This song started off very interesting and as extremely bearable. AViVA has a nice sound to her voice, and I understand the concept of the track and what she was trying to accomplish here; I just feel as though she might have fallen a little short. The production is sometimes overbearing, and the song is simply loud. Between her vocals on the hook and the guitar synth in the hook, it can sometimes be a lot to take in. This is definitely not the worst track I heard all week, but it is also definitely something I do not see myself revisiting.
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