New Music Friday edited, curated and served to ya with a ranking.
10. The Weeknd - Reminder (Feat. A$AP Rocky and Young Thug)
The Weeknd's Starboy LP lives on with the singer breathing new life into Reminder by adding Young Thug and A$AP Rocky to the mix.
The album highlight benefits from a Thug hook and some Rocky verses with The Weeknd adding nothing new in the way of vocals to the track.
9. Naomi Wild - Lessons
Naomi Wild has featured on a number of tracks in the past including one of ODESZA's last drops but she's stepping out on her own with Lessons and it's a strong start. The dark, R&B track has the internet buzzing this week and for good reason. It packs a serious punch thanks to Wild's infectious charisma.
8. Kesha - Hymn
Kesha drops Rainbow next week but before she does that she's got a fourth track to preview Hymn. Hymn is probably the most pop-leaning thing she's dropped from the LP but it's still defined by big, powerful lyrics.
7. Cassie - Lose A Lover (Feat. G.Eazy)
We're still waiting on the follow-up to Cassie's 2006 debut album but she's back with her first official single in five years so we've got to be happy with that. In true Cassie style, she's nailed the whispery R&B aesthetic, weaving subtle but beautiful melodies together with that intoxicating voice.
6. Rae Sremmurd - Perplexing Pegasus
It's not going to be an easy task for Rae Sremmurd following up their last album but they're giving it a red hot go with new cut Perplexing Pegasus. The song, produced by Mike Will Made-It, sees them constructing classic hooks over an icy, minimal beat. Swae Lee really knows his way round a delectable melody as he proves in the chorus here.
5. Jordan Rakei - Nerve
New Zealand-born, Australian-raised soul singer Jordan Rakei has announced his new album Wallflower with a gorgeous new cut Nerve.
Nerve is an expertly refined soul track that puts Rakei's voice front and centre where it should be.
4. Camila Cabello - Havana
Camila Cabello is back with her third and fourth solo drops, recruiting Young Thug and Quavo for Havana and OMG respectively. OMG is a straight-up R&B cut that sees Cabello enter Rihanna territory while the far superior Havana is, as the title suggests, a Cuban-flavoured track that sees Thug in his element.
3. Swick - Slopes (Feat. Tkay Maidza & Capo Lee)
Swick and Tkay Maidza have done some of their strongest work together so it should come as no surprise that this latest jam is a knockout. Slopes is an aggressive, forthright track that once again sees Swick experimenting with some of the wildest sounds around. Camo Lee's grime injection is also a choice move too.
2. Starrah & Diplo - Imperfections
If you don't think you know who US singer/songwriter Starrah is yet, you may wanna check her resumé. In the past year alone she's written for Nicki Minaj, Drake, Big Sean and Calvin Harris and she's also responsible for huge tracks like Rihanna's Needed Me and Drake's Fake Love. It should come as no surprise then that her latest drop Imperfections is brilliant. She's teamed up with Diplo on this one and the pair have created something wavy and effortless with a knockout hook to match.
1. Kelela - LMK
Kelela fans, it's been a trying two years but we can finally rest easy. Kelela's debut album has a name, a cover, a release date and a first single. The boundary-pushing R&B artist has announced Take Me Apart due for release on 6th October. It's preceded by the sublime first single LMK which reminds us immediately of her genius. It's a slinky, industrial R&B track that sounds like Janet Jackson signed to Warp and started working with Bok Bok.
