THE BEST:
‘Chinese Waiter’ –
Shy Boyz
This Philly duo’s Bandcamp page is quite the spectacle. I
almost got Stendhal syndrome just looking at that beautiful album cover. Straight
off that LP, this new single is a groovy lo-fi tune about learning cultural appreciation
through the medium of a Chinese waiter. It’s a bizarrely random thing to write
a song about, and incredible for that reason alone. Can you name another song
out there about Chinese waiters? No, you can’t. There you have it – these dudes
are pioneers.
‘Boredom’ – Tyler,
the Creator
Set to appear on the rapper’s upcoming record Scum Fuck Flower Boy (what a name for an
album), this new soulful single sees the provocative rapper at his most mature
yet. Like, there isn’t a single rape joke in sight. Backed by some signature
jazzy chords and gospel vocal harmonies, it’s a personal exploration of
loneliness that feels sincere whilst still keeping the rapper’s charm as a weirdo.
‘Time to live’ – Ariel Pink
Lo-fi-loving crackpot Ariel Pink will be following up his
2014 album Pom Pom soon with another
serving of experimental tunes. ‘Time to Live’ turns out to be a catchy dose of
Adam-Ant-esque new wave – once you get past the first three minutes of
noisiness which seems to contain everything from wailing screams to fuzzy metal
riffs.
‘Wot U Gonna Do?’
– Dizzee Rascal
Backed by some spooky synths and a blitzkrieg of bass,
Dizzee delivers another speedy diss track in the same vein as his last single ‘Space’.
Many are speculating that the rapper could be taking shots at fellow grime artist
Wiley, but to be honest this track could be directed at any rapper. In fact,
judging from the lyrics, it could even be an introspective diss aimed at
himself! But maybe I’ve just been listening too much to that Ugly God track.
THE WORST:
‘It’s Everyday Bro’ –
Jake Paul ft. Team 10
Move aside Kendrick Lamar. Jake Paul and his crew of fellow
famous(?) Youtubers are here to steal the hip hop crown. My favourite line: ‘England is my city’.
‘Miracles (Someone
Special)’ - Coldplay ft. Big Sean
I had to check, but yes, Coldplay already have a single named ‘Miracles’. Despite the unoriginal title however, this is probably one of
their more original tracks musically in a while, sounding like a crossover
between U2 and early Calvin Harris, and whilst I thought I liked it initially,
I left it unable to remember a single lyric or hook – was there even a chorus? Also,
Big Sean’s verse about struggling to fame feels so out of place and clichéd.