Here are our top 5 songs to stream this week.
Janet Jackson – No Sleeep
For a singer best known for her powerful voice, Janet Jackson has been quiet for some time now. It’s been seven years since the living legend has released new music, a hiatus that has left a notable gap in the R&B landscape. With nothing more than a tweet, she broke that silence by sharing her new single No Sleeep. And just like that, the floodgates started to open. A new album is expected later this year, and a tour to support it will follow shortly after.
Though No Sleeep is an all new offering from Ms. Jackson, it has a familiar air to it. Production duties are handled by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, both longtime collaborators with the R&B artist. The track, which was accompanied with the message, “I dedicate this to My Love,” tells the story of a long distance romance. Janet Jackson displays her soothing vocals over the top of a mellow, relaxed beat. It’s a slow burn of a start, but she’s sure to have some surprises ahead as she gets back to making music.
Nappy Roots – A Party for the Ages
The Nappy Roots are too often passed over in discussions about southern rap. The collective of Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Clutch, and Fish Scales have been grinding away in Kentucky since the ’90s, and they’re still very much at it, as evidenced by this week’s new album, 40 Akerz Project. Few tracks capture both the old and the new better than A Party for the Ages. It’s a chopped and screwed inspired track with a political message, which is the sweet spot of the Nappy Roots’ style.
New Politics – Girl Crush
New Politics has been climbing its way up the rungs of the pop-punk ladder recently. After the 2013 sophomore album Bad Girl in Harlem, the Danish up-and-comers netted themselves a gig opening for the punk princes of Fall Out Boy and the queen of the genre, Hayley Williams of Paramore. New Politics has a third record on the way, which will feature Girl Crush, a rhythm-heavy track driven forward by clapping hands and an infectious chorus.
Wolf Alice – Fluffy
Wolf Alice has been keeping people waiting. The alt-rock quartet from North London have been around since 2010, pleasing fans with tracks off their two EPs, but until this week, they didn’t have a full-length album. That’s been rectified with the release of My Life is Cool, and it’s a doozy of a debut. A near-perfect introduction, it features Fluffy, a track that gets a new coat of paint and absolutely rips with sliding guitar riffs and aggressive, angry vocals that kick in right as the intensity peaks.
Everything Everything – Distant Past
Manchester, United Kingdom’s art-rock outfit Everything Everything has been an indie favorite ever since they hit the scene in 2007. After strong showings with their first two albums, the band is back with its third, Get to Heaven, which dropped this week. Distant Past showcases what the group is capable of. It sends you into a sci-fi inspired soundscape, complete with a trippy backbeat and screechy chords that will have you tapping your toe until you feel yourself floating off the ground.
That’s it for this week, but check back every Saturday for more new tunes to stream!
