Is your playlist in need of refreshment? We have some suggestions.
Taylor Swift - Say Don't Go
Taylor Swift's quest to re-record her first six albums in order to reclaim ownership after her original masters were bought without her blessing, and 1989 is the latest to get the Taylor's Version treatment. Of the remake's five unreleased new tracks, Say Don’t Go shines through - the slow-building song turns into an explosion of synth-pop perfection; a well-placed addition to what was an already well-crafted crossover album, a departure from the country sounds that made Swift famous, venturing into retro-leaning synth-pop.
Black Honey - Lemonade
Four-piece indie band Black Honey return with their first single since their third album A Fistful of Peaches, released in March this year. With a raging guitar opener and thumping drums, the band launch into their latest stomper, a riotous acceptance that when life gives you lemons, you can’t always make lemonade.
Yunè Pinku - Killing Bee
London-based singer and producer Yunè Pinku releases her latest track, a high-octane, bouncy techno track with winding basslines and a two-step instrumental, featuring the singer's distorted vocals. It’s a certified chiming floorfiller that continues the theme of Pinku’s underground dance explorations.
Bad Boy Chiller Crew - Memory
West Yorkshire bassline collective Bad Boy Chiller Crew take on a UK garage steer with their latest track, oozing early Noughties appeal. The high tempo love song benefits from the group's typically brash delivery, but with its affectionate lyrics, it stands out from BBCC’s earlier material.
Barry Can’t Swim - Always Get Through To You
Scottish DJ and producer Barry Can’t Swim has been building anticipation throughout summer for his debut album When Will We Land?, out October 20 .As the release date of the project has finally arrived, his latest single acts as a great taster for the project's wider sound, a low-tempo, disco-inspired record that is both dancefloor and radio friendly, packed with groovy melodies and basslines.
Picture Parlour - Judgement Day
Rising Manchester-formed group Picture Parlour have been gradually increasing in profile since their first single Norwegian Wood, and their first gig at south London’s The Windmill venue, both of which came this year. Their second track, with its 70s-esque vibe, sees the group firmly establish their psychedelic rock appeal, with heavy synths and chimes in order, as Katherine Parlour’s vocals powerfully vocals take centre stage
Nadine Shah - Topless Mother
Off the back of her new album announcement, Filthy Underneath, released February 23, Sunderland singer-songwriter Nadine Shah drops the project's lead single, which she says she wrote about a counsellor she didn’t get on with. That tension is felt with a heavy drum build-up that soon launches into a blockbuster hook, brought to life with winding guitar chords that could soundtrack a western movie stand-off
Charli XCX & Sam Smith - In The City
To the sound of thumping drum beats and electronic synths, Charli XCX and Sam Smith team up for an energetic dance anthem, about finding your true love through nights out and parties. It’s packed full of dancefloor appeal, with its house music hook and both singers enchanting vocals making for a ready-made club filler.
I. Jordan and Planningtorock ‒ TNB (Night Version)
It always made sense that Planningtorock and I. Jordan would get along like a house on fire ‒ both DJ-producers specialise in harnessing queer joy, and have previously explored the escapism and alienation of uprooting from their hometowns (Bolton and Doncaster, respectively) in their dance music. The duo began making TNB at the very start of their friendship, and a year later, the song’s two Day and Night edits radiate the sheer euphoria of trans and non-binary identity. Both bangers in their own right, but the sprawling, heavier Night edit just about steals the top spot.
Skream x Trim – Funky Sailor
Skream is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades in dance music, after helping to pioneer dubstep in Croydon, he’s turned his hand to everything from house to techno. Here, though, he returns to his bass-heavy origins. This thumping anthem, with vocals from East London grime MC Trim, is a nod back to Skream’s roots in the run-up to a weekender at Fabric nightclub next week.
The Last Dinner Party - My Lady Of Mercy
Considering the level of hype around The Last Dinner Party, it’s hard to believe they only have three singles out. Their latest offering is a darker effort than previous singles,drawing on forbidden lust, Catholic guilt, and shameful sexuality. “Strike me, pierce me, straight through the heart!” begs charismatic lead Abigail Morris.
Muzi - Queen (feat. Chris Martin)
South African house star Muzi has been rapidly growing in profile internationally as of late, and with his new release, he finds an unlikely collaborator in Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Both Muzi and Martin sing in the South African singer’s native Zulu language on this synth-driven thumper.
Bombay Bicycle Club - Tekken 2 (feat. Chaka Khan)
Bombay Bicycle Club continue this week’s theme of unlikely collaborations, with the Crouch End band enlisting soul legend Chakka Khan for an uplifting indie rock song that embodies their usual laidback sound.. Best of all, though is the more unexpected bonus of Khan’s powerhouse vocals.
Tems - Me & U
Hotly tipped Nigerian artist Tems returns with her first solo single since 2021’s sublime If Orange Was A Place EP. A guitar-laden fusion of Afrobeats and amapiano, a South African offshoot of house, it comes packed with loved-up lyrics. “You are my everything”, she utters over a melodic instrumental that leaves plenty of room for Tems’ unique vocals to shine through.
V V Brown - History
Opening History with a powerful sample, Northampton-born V V Brown sets the tone for her upcoming album Am I British Yet? - her first full length album in eight years. Written after a visit to a slave plantation site in Jamaica, the jazz-influenced track acts as a fearless celebration of black identity, while acknowledging historical black struggles and issues of the present day.
Holly Humberstone - Kissing In Swimming Pools
One week away from the release of her debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black, singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone has dropped another preview in the run-up to her big day. The cinematic indie ballad shows off her sophisticated lyricism, with slow, and winding beginnings building to an emotional hook.
Kenya Grace - Only In My Mind
Kenya Grace is still riding off the success of her viral hit Strangers, with the drum and bass track currently at number two in the charts. And her latest track, another TikTok friendly thumper, is another step into the dance arena. This time, she ventures into euphoric trance, though still making space for her love of dnb and breakbeat.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Man of the Hour
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have built a legion of fans from their usual post-punk thumpers, but this time the band drops a more mellow effort, with the synth-driven melancholic instrumental leading to a hard rock hook, built to cause a sing-along frenzy with Frank Carter’s powerhouse vocals taking centre stage.
Matt Maltese - The Earth Is a Very Small Dot
London-based Matt Maltese excited fans with the announcement of his tour earlier this week, with a string of dates scheduled in the UK, Europe and USA. The singer-songwriter followed up the news with his latest track, a soothingly slow and sombre psychedelic rock anthem, that feels uplifting with its reassuring lyrical content.