DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

02/dirty projectors/dirty projectors 

Love will burn out.

And love will just fade away.

And love's gonna rot.

And love will just dissipate...

And when it does, it will force you to gather your thoughts and attempt to collect yourself. You can't see em coming down your eyes, so you go and make the songs cry. Cause this is what it is and where we are and where he is: alone, with a reset. And with this reset, David Longstreth takes his emotional distress and compositional wizardry to the studio to address and make sense of what happened, and this involves being almost uncomfortably personal and revealing, often lashing out.

And it is incredibly dazzling. David playing with all of the colors in his orbit to expand even further upon his off-center take on the contemporary pop and R&B that vibrantly floats around him and speaks for him when the words don't do enough justice to paint his emotional recollections (peep the instrumental euphoria that is 5:20 - 7:31 of album highlight "Up in Hudson").

Love burned out, and love faded away, but with Dirty Projectors it is made clear that this love can't knock him or keep him down.


KEY TRACKS: Keep Your Name/Up in Hudson/Little Bubble

03/mac demarco/this old dog

04/demi lovato/tell me you love me

05/jay z/4:44

06/amber coffman/city of no reply

07/priests/nothing feels natural

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

02/demi lovato/sorry not sorry

So the pre-chorus goes:

 

"Now payback is a bad bitch/And baby, I'm the baddest/You fuckin' with a savage/Can't have this, can't have this (ah)/And it'd be nice of me to take it easy on ya, but nah..."

 

It's, a lot.

 

BUT,

 

Fineness is the way to kill, and on “Sorry Not Sorry”, Demi kisses them off by putting her fine, new and improved self forward prominently in order to let them know and show them it's a brand new fucking day. It's a musical selection from the Church of Haters to the Left. And her delivery? It's the gospel, and savage. That beat? A monster. Bass Boomin' for days and the baddest; A testament to her statement that you fucking with a savage, marching and finger snapping with her every step of the way. 

 

It's a lot, but hey, 

 

Payback is a bad bitch. 

 

Always.

03/sza + travis scott/love galore

04/fever ray/wanna sip

05/jay z/the story of oj

06/cardi b/bodak yellow

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

03/mac demarco/this old dog

In the summer of 2015 Mac Demarco dropped his Another One EP. As the final song fades to black and the curtain starts to fall, Mac drops his real address, inviting you the listener to come over and have a cup of coffee sometime. The move was an incredibly warm and open gesture that was not a stunt, and this year he hit us up once again to replicate that feeling of being alone and candid with him over a cup of joe with his beautifully understated third LP This Old Dog. Sitting with us, Mac is reflective and looking inward while conversing with us, asking that we "don't let the world outside the windowpane get to your head, and hopefully make some sense of all this shit before you're dead", as he attempts to do in front of us here. With these attempts at maintaining a peace of mind comes a more crisp sound and production, amplifying the acoustic folk and light jazz rock tableau underlining Mac's contemplations. Turns out not every dog has his day, and on This Old Dog, Mac works through the motions to keep this from becoming a common occurrence.

KEY TRACKS: This Old Dog/A Wolf Who Wears Sheeps Clothes/Moonlight on the River

04/demi lovato/tell me you love me

05/jay z/4:44

06/amber coffman/city of no reply

07/priests/nothing feels natural

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

03/sza + travis scott/love galore

Janet once said, "Relax, it's just sex." If it only it were that simple. I mean, we want it to be that way, but oftentimes sex (particularly when it is good) is complicated and can get us all, as they say, "caught up in our feelings." It's also about love. Love of the game, love of the physical connection, and the thrill of trying to make love work or exist where maybe it can't. This is painted beautifully between SZA and Travis Scott on "Love Galore". "Love Galore" is another perfect dramatization of the highs and lows of relations (and casual sex) as presented by SZA. The song, a sensuous dream like R&B number, is the realest of conversations between two lovers who can't quit each other and are largely unavailable on various levels but... that "love".  Yeah, it's just sex until, sometimes, it just isn't, and on "Love Galore" this truth looms large for all parties involved.



04/fever ray/wanna sip

05/jay z/the story of oj

06/cardi b/bodak yellow

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

04/demi lovato/tell me you love me

She, admittedly, gets a little obsessive, a little aggressive, and a little bit too invested. And she's willing to give you whatever you want, whenever you want. She's insatiable and heavily invested in these games of love. That sexy, dirty, love and everything that comes along with it (even if it ruins the friendship...). Her heart is on her sleeve, and her goals and ambitions are clear, and on Tell Me You Love Me, Demi lets the passion behind every tale of woe and desire manifest itself in her assured and astonishing vocal presence here. Tell Me You Love Me is an impeccably sung and sequenced R&B leaning pop record that lets love takeover and carry us over. It is full of humor and personality that never lets up no matter the state of her heart, and can get the party started or bring comfort, like sitting down for a few minutes with a good friend. By putting love on top, Demi and Tell Me You Love Me shine bright.

KEY TRACKS: Sorry Not Sorry/You Don't Do It For Me Anymore/Concentrate

05/jay z/4:44

06/amber coffman/city of no reply

07/priests/nothing feels natural

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

04/fever ray/wanna sip

Plunge is a demanding album, and it comes on strong right off the bat with "Wanna Sip". "Wanna Sip" is the sound of hearts beating rapidly and endorphins running wild. It's Fever Ray's laser beam shot to the chest, intoxicating, done her way, the only way she'd have it, and demands it. Demand that you be curious. Demand that you get high and stomp to the industrial rhythms. Demand that you turn the volume up (especially for that closing minute where the song seems to lose itself to the dizzying spell of the situation at hand, and is slightly on the verge of exploding), and do as she does here: take the plunge into the dark unknown.



05/jay z/the story of oj

06/cardi b/bodak yellow

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

05/jay z/4:44

I was up early. Sometime before sunrise, 25 minutes or so after 4:44 AM. Lit lightly in the kitchen, standing over the sink, 4:44 playing through my headphones. "I'll be damned if I drink some Belverdere while Puff got Ciroc." A quick line to close out Family Feud, eliciting another quick laugh and a feeling of warmth. This time with a lump in my throat. For some reason I was moved by a throwaway line about supporting the homies and got caught up in the Black camaraderie and candid joy in Jay's voice. Whenever I returned to 4:44, I found solace in these candid, open moments; in this album of "SUPER FACTS!" that's so fresh and so clean, like wearing all white with no socks. He and No I.D. in the pocket with soul for days, being inspirations and stepping over those who are still in doubt or forgot what's up and what it is: 

Black excellence from a kid who used to pitch bricks and still can't be pigeonholed out here in these streets, still connecting. 

"Can I get an amen?"

KEY TRACKS: The Story of OJ/Moonlight/Marcy Me

06/amber coffman/city of no reply

07/priests/nothing feels natural

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

05/jay z/the story of oj

Earlier this year, the home of Lebron James was vandalized in Los Angeles. The N-Word was spray painted on his front gate. 

 

Meanwhile, "O.J. like:

 

‘I'M NOT BLACK! I'M O.J.!’

 

"Ok." 

 

We can reach the mountain top, elect a black president even, and yet, that pesky problem of ours still rears its ugly little head every now and then. The same way it has penetrated our housing and loan practices over time, the shape of our communities, the way we distribute our wealth, and the hoops some of us must jump through to attain a little (financial) stability. And yet, try as they might, we break through. 

 

"Fuck living rich and dying broke."

 

All of this colors Jay's "The Story of OJ". A weighted track that doesn't present itself as such. No I.D.'s jazzy back beat with Nina Simone's "Four Women" and Jay's comfortable delivery atop it, while coupled with his words of wisdom, give us a track as American as apple pie. On 4:44, "The Story of OJ" comes at you fast, two tracks in, but it doesn't want to be confrontational just to startle you, or attempt to put you in your place. It's having the conversation as an attempt to understand, and remain optimistic.

06/cardi b/bodak yellow

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

06/amber coffman/city of no reply

A few times this year, whenever track six ended, I had to run it back. “Do You Believe”. Amber and her vivid poetry; a reflection on a love now lost and her side of the story. It is calm and steady, and light as a feather. Crafted in part with producer and former partner David Longstreth, the song is a starry jazz like soliloquy that lets itself succumb to Amber's ever stunning harmonizing and clear, melancholic vocals. It is a true headphone masterpiece that perfectly captures the musical essence of Ms. Coffman and her debut album. Like “Do You Believe”, City of No Reply is an incredibly stunning debut that shimmers and sparkles like sunlit ocean waves, even when her heart is not getting what it wants. Playing like Tapestry for these modern times, Amber approaches pop in an almost scholastic manner with just a touch of the eccentric, bending the colors and tones to her fancy. Ever present, ever clear, and wonderfully fun to return to, in order to give your heart what it wants.

KEY TRACKS: Dark Night/Miss You/Do You Believe

07/priests/nothing feels natural

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

06/cardi b/bodak yellow

Give it up for 2017's "WE IN THIS BITCH!" anthem. A Boss level, stadium status anthem that gave the people what they needed: bars for days, and an overwhelming sense of pride and joy. We were all just feeding off the giant life force that is Cardi B on this track, on that hook, in every nook and open space of the beat, playing her own back up singer and hype man. When she says she "makes money moves", you believe it, you see it. "I'm a boss, you a worker bitch!" Damn. Okay. "I put my hand above my hip, I bet, you dip, he dip, she dip." Yessir. We sure did. All day, everyday since this hit the streets, soundtracking money moves.

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

07/priests/nothing feels natural

"Kneel at the feet of programming, I’m really not concerned with what you think/You are just a cog in the machine and I am a wet dream soft and mean/Thick line steam, slick and mean/You’re too pitiful to be obscene, too cowardly to be embarrassing..."

 

These words are uttered from the perch of "Pink White House", eight tracks in, in a world where nothing feels natural; Bullshit people, folks' sympathy, and their stances or poses. It can lead to a lot of tongue biting and haughty sighing, but not with Priests. They are not concerned with what you think, and on their debut album Nothing Feels Natural, the D.C. punk band bang the drum and bang their chests, shouting "Enough is enough already. Please, shut the fuck up!" And listen. Nothing feels natural, but they're going to try to make sense of it all. And making sense of it all requires fucking some shit up: earbuds, vocal chords, your stupidity, the patriarchy, and all these poses. All of the fucking posing. Nothing Feels Natural takes the head seat at the table, steering the conversation, leaving you no choice but to be polite and listen.

 

KEY TRACKS: jj/pink white house/suck

08/fever ray/plunge

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

07/two chainz/riverdale rd

2 Chainz is always good for a laugh. But on “Riverdale Rd”, he ain't got time for the jokes. You see, it may be all jokes and shit for you, but for 2 Chainz, this ain't a game, and this hustle ain't been easy, including keeping you entertained. “Riverdale Rd” is a reminder that 2 Chainz is not the one, and should not be underestimated. Yeah, keep laughing, meanwhile he got "gold everywhere, gold over there", and just like that, "abracadabra!", he turned himself into a millionaire. His "Riverdale Rd” is a thrilling reminder of one’s greatness wrapped in a trap music version of the Halloween theme, just as menacing as his voice and take no bullshit, smirks, or laughter delivery. It’s hanging off the net, getting bands. And no laughing matter.



08/future/mask off

09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

08/fever ray/plunge

Fever Ray's Plunge is most concerned with three things: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is an album about pushing beyond what's possible, both sonically and sexually; existing for all babies pushing boundaries, and for those who are curious. "I wanna do it, when we do it, it's my way..." is slurred forcefully at the outset, and never forgotten as Plunge plays and Karin Dreijer voices and addresses this woman's wants and needs, and indulges in them despite the outside forces around us who may find them too queer, or countries who make it hard to fuck. All done in the pursuit of life, liberty, and that which brings happiness which, for Dreijer, is all of the above, and these chaotic experimental dance tracks. She wants to feel dirty again in a room full of the clean cut, and with Plunge she gets her life by indulging in the dark. 

KEY TRACKS:  Falling/This Country/To the Moon and Back

09/sza/ctrl

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

08/future/mask off

You got one of the baddest on your arm? Fuck it, "Mask Off". Long week and ready to get turnt up? Fuck it, "Mask Off". Time to function with the homies? Got something to celebrate? Fuck it, "Mask Off". Constantly, "Mask Off", always the perfect fit. An anthem for everyone out here living the good life, seeing hard work pay off and dreams achieved. "Mask Off" is a two cup salute to graduating to another level, led by Future with Metro Boomin on the track, all chill, like that flute that floats in and out like blunt smoke disappearing in the breeze. It's a hypnotizing track, doing what hip-hop does best: encourage you to be on your best Rick James. Fuck it, mask off.

 09/ema/breathalyzer

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

 

09/sza/ctrl

 

I know SZA. Okay, I don't KNOW SZA, but I feel like she is a good friend from way back. Or at least I did whenever playing this record. So many of us felt this way this year. We all felt like this because she came at us on a personal level, completely open on a topic on which we can all relate: relations and all the unpredictable and often times messy attachments that come with them. All the worrying and the highs and the crying and the guilt (and yes, fantastic sex). On her debut, SZA keeps it 100% real when speaking on these affairs of the heart, the act of pouring one's heart out, and being apprehensive about doing so. SZA is upfront and open throughout as the slick and sensual contemporary rhythm & blues rides with her underneath, bringing along a few jazz and hip-hop inflections. It's about love; Self love, complicated love, all encompassing, upsetting, problematic love. It's a means to understand love in all its forms in order to maintain CTRL. A little music, a little netflix and chill, and these few moments of clarity. Can you relate? I think you can.

 

(And we did.)

KEY TRACKS: Supermodel/Love Galore/The Weekend

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

 

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

09/ema/breathalyzer

Breathalyzer has a clear and direct storyline. A boy & a girl cruise about in a Toyota Camry. They chill down by the park. They sit in dark apartment parking lots. Down by the malls, and around places where they'll be concealed by big boxes and empty space. Together and alone. They get fucked up. And in this story, our narrator is the female companion of this trip. Going in, you may not know this back story. And what is presented here might come off as dangerous or menacing to others, or represent something else completely. Or cause distress, leading you to ask, should I even be taking part in this? Such is the beauty of EMA's Breathalyzer, an incredibly riveting and dark industrial track that sounds like it’s backed by Nine Inch Nails, and perfectly captures and places you within the dizzying spell of these escapades accompanied by intoxicants. When the song descends into a swirling paranoia followed by her repeat cries of the word "baby" into his deep, exhausting breaths for its closing, you too feel high and heavy, just like our lifted protagonists in that Camry backseat. 




10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

hot thoughts.

a playlist.

1/die 4 u - perfume genius

2/bad liar - selena gomez

3/the lourve - lorde

4/rake it up - yo gotti + nicki minaj

5/doves in the wind - sza + kendrick lamar

6/bartier cardi - cardi b & 21 savage

7/femmebot - charli xcx + dorian electra + mykki blanco

8/unlock it - charli xcx + kim petras + jay park

9/backseat - charli xcx + carly rae jepsen

10/wanna sip - fever ray

11/scream - weaves + tanya tagag

12/summer bummer - lana del rey + a$ap rocky + playboi cater

13/charli xcx - boys

14/blue cheese - 2 chainz + migos

15/door swangin' - 2 chainz

16/realize - 2 chainz + nicki minaj

17/butterfly effect - travis scott

18/bounce back - big sean

19/incredible - future

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

10/ariel pink/dedicated to bobby jameson

This one's for Bobby. For the day his music died. For the outside hands and mouthpieces with a note or something to say. This one's for you. From A. Pink with love. Another rollicking stomp through funkytown, lost in his cosmic space. Bubblegum dreams with Kitchen Witches and Dreamdate Narcissists with Dark Santas and fantastical artistic flourishes... 

 

That feels like heaven. 

 

Playing like a wonderfully curated playlist from the 1960s, Ariel's Dedicated to Bobby Jameson gets loose on Bobby’s behalf by being lighthearted and fancy free. So here's to you Bobby. Dedicated to Bobby Jameson. A simply gorgeous and worthy salute.

KEY TRACKS: Feels Like Heaven/Death Patrol/Another Weekend

11/miguel/war & leisure

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy

 

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE SONGS, 2017.

10/lcd soundsystem/how do you sleep?

Things fall apart. And when that thing is a close bond or friendship, it can be devastating and damn near earth shattering. Especially if things ended on a sour note, and shortly thereafter came your "you know what?" moment after taking stock of the totality of the now gone relationship. Somehow, someway, James Murphy and company manages to capture all of this energy and channel it in the viciously deployed and caustic "How Do You Sleep?". Placed directly at the heart of American Dream, "How Do You Sleep?" enters with a vengeance, expertly crafting the act of airing out grievances and the art of the slow burn in song form. Nine minutes of pointing the finger, and being heard, and sweating it out, cause sometimes it's the only way to get over and cope when things fall apart.

11/j balvin + willy william + beyonce/mi gente

12/thundercat + michael mcdonald + kenny loggins/show you the way

13/drake/passionfruit

14/kendrick lamar + rihanna/loyalty

15/joe goddard/home

16/n.e.r.d + rihanna/lemon

17/vince staples/big fish

18/charli xcx/blame it on u

19/cut copy/standing in the middle of the field

20/haim/right now

21/ariel pink/feels like heaven

22/harry styles/sign of the times

23/lorde/green light

24/st. vincent/los ageless

25/miley cyrus/malibu

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER : THE ALBUMS, 2017.

11/miguel/war & leisure

 

There's a riot going on, and trouble's on our mind. And the sunshine often steps aside to make way for stormy weather, and yet...

 

"Everything's gonna be alright."

 

Don't believe me? Believe Miguel, who, on War & Leisure, asks that you take him up on his word and let him show you. With War & Leisure, Miguel soothes and consoles you, becoming that bridge over troubled waters during your time with him and this album. "Take a shot, make a friend, just enjoy the moment." "Don't sleep you gotta stay up." "Celebrate everyday like a birthday." When coupled with this music, no further encouragement to keep strong and carry on is needed, as Miguel's unfailing musicality and confidence looms large, consuming you. Need to get caught up in a effervescent groove? He got you. Want to stay woke and engage in conversations on the the state of the world? He got you. Let him help you work it out til its turnt out, get over and carry on. With War & Leisure, Miguel reminds us what the look of freedom is through his sounds of freedom: expressive vocals, an unflinching snarl, and guitar laced R&B mixed in with uptempo Prince like excursions. It's so good it feels criminal riding the waves beneath the pineapple skies with him, but it is a necessary respite from the ways of the world , and a reminder that, despite it all, you gotta keep your head up. 

 

KEY TRACKS: Pineapple Skies/Sky Walker/City of Angels

12/ema/exile in the outer ring

13/charli xcx/number 1 angel

14/lcd soundsystem/american dream

15/lorde/melodrama

16/syd/fin

17/spoon/hot thoughts

18/st. vincent/masseduction

19/cherry glazerr/apocalipstick

20/kesha/rainbow

21/vince staples/big fish theory

22/thundercat/drunk

23/kehlani/sweetsexysavage

24/palberta/bye bye berta

25/father john misty/pure comedy