2021 is finally heating up.
10. Rebecca Black - Better In My Memory
Rebecca Black is making you listen for all the right reasons this time. The opener for her new project Rebecca Black Was Here is a luscious, exciting piece of pop music that showcases her desire to explore new sounds.
9. Mariah The Scientist - 2 You
Mariah The Scientist sporadically drops hold. Her latest 2 You is an intergalactic heartache song that sounds like Jhene Aiko wrote with SZA on Mars. It's caught in a gravity-free daze with a voice that could soothe a storm.
8. Tate McRae & Khalid - Working
Tate McRae and Khalid are a natural fit. They're both fans of a minimal arrangement with a melancholic melody and they both are in their element here. Working is cloudy but buoyant enough to shine on radio thanks to their natural chemistry.
7. Yiigaa - Good Enough
South London artist Yiigaa is new to our radar but Good Enough is the sort of song that makes an immediate splash. Its pulsing, restless beat is complimented by a warm, emotional vocal performance. A vibrant and exciting cut from a new artist who sounds like she's bursting with ideas.
6. H.E.R. - Paradise (Feat. Yung Bleu)
H.E.R.'s debut album Back Of My Mind is finally out. It traverses through many modes of R&B but this moody, after-dark sound is where she shines best. Paradise is hypnotising from H.E.R.'s startlingly smooth vocal performance to Yung Bleu's wonky and emotional verse.
5. Tove Styrke - Mood Swings
Tove Styrke is finally back and delivering pop gold straight away. Mood Swings is a cascading 2-minutes of fast-paced verses and heady choruses. It's too short but it feels like a good re-introduction.
4. Griff - Shades Of Yellow
Griff is just so insanely good for an artist this fresh. She's written and produced this one entirely by herself. As a result it's an intimate and warm outpouring of emotion. Beautifully textured and lyrically considered, it's another breakthrough for Griff.
3. Rejjie Snow - Disco Pantz (Feat. Tinashe & grouptherapy.)
Irish rapper Rejjie Snow has teamed up with Tinashe and grouptherapy. for one of his grooviest cuts yet. Disco Pantz has a beat made for neon-lit, late night car rides powering along with an effortless cool.
2. Mabel - Let Them Know
Mabel's superstar era is here. Let Them Know, worked on with MNEK, Raye and SG Lewis, is a massive step up for the Brit. From her confident vocal to her slick dance moves in the video, you can tell she's ready to take it to the next level and it's thrilling to watch.
1. Tyler The Creator - LUMBERJACK
Next week, we'll have a new Tyler, The Creator record Call Me If You Get Lost. Lumberjack feels more like a warning than a first single. It's one of his most indestructable rap performances in ages surrounded by a beat that sounds like its destructing itself from the inside. A very exciting return.
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