This week I look at The Carters' new banger, the strange new single from Ariana Grande and the 'Flossing' dance craze that's blowing up on the internet...
THE
BEST:
‘APESH*T’ – The Carters
Music
mogul power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce are now writing music under the alias ‘The
Carters’. Lyrically, it’s nothing but braggadocio, but the crazy trap beat and
energetic delivery make up for it (besides, if anyone has a right to brag, it’s them). I
can’t bring myself to create a Tidal account just to listen to their new Tidal-exclusive
album, but I do feel like I’m missing out now that I’ve heard this banger.
‘Not Obvious’ – Firstworld
I do
love myself a bit of Chillwave. Firstworld’s new track is beautifully lo-fi complete
with a music video simulated to look like warped VHS footage. There
are elements of Washed Out and Neon Indian in his sound, but there’s also a uniquely
dark feel to it all, especially present during the chord change that accompanies
‘and as my wallet begs for mercy, I can’t
hear it’.
‘Alike’ – Auramancer
Belgian
rockers Auramancer deliver this new song about a man who has reluctantly
resigned to his boring everyday life (‘I
paid my bills/ and it was fun’). It comes accompanied with a video that sees
the protagonist trying to break out of the vicious circle by gambling and joining a Fight Club only for it to end in failure. It’s accompanied by some satisfying guitar riffage that feels very QOTSA-inspired,
shifting to a meaner tone towards the end.
‘Graceville’ – Strangely Enough
‘Graceville’
pushes the bands’ already epic sound to cosmic proportions – with it’s sparkling
synths, celestial strings and euphoric vocals the whole track feels absolutely
huge as it glides along like planet on orbit. According to project founder Greg
Olley, the song is about a ‘vain search
for Utopia’.
THE
WORST:
‘The Light Is Coming’ – Ariana Grande ft.
Nicki Minaj
I
actually think this is a really fun song – Nicki’s verse is fantastic, Ariana’s
voice is gorgeously sultry as always and the bubbly synths are cool (Pharrell
Williams produced the beat) – but that bloody sample in the background ruins it:
‘YOU WOULDN’T LET ANYBODY SPEAK AND INSTEAD…’. It’s completely out of place and
is looped continuously throughout the song.
‘Flossin’ – The Backpack Kid ft. DJ Suede
‘Flossin’
seems set to become the new dance craze. It’s a pity the song itself is utter shite – how
do these kids sounds out-of-tune even with autotune?