JANELLE MONÁE – ‘FLOAT’
The new era from multi-talented actor and singer, Janelle Monáe, has arrived and a trumpeting horn procession lines their comeback parade. In collaboration with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, ‘Float’ is a swaggering hype track about keeping your chin high and moving through the world with confidence, apparently inspired by everything from Muhammed Ali and Aladdin’s magic carpet to Mary Poppins’ umbrella. “I used to walk into the room head down / I don’t walk, now I float,” the singer says, breezy, bold and totally self-assured.
LANA DEL REY – ‘A&W’
The second single from the baroque pop star’s anticipated ninth album, ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’, is a big one. Totalling seven minutes long, the always cinematic storyteller pulls us straight into the middle of a dark underworld, the track progressing from an intricate piano and guitar melody to warped, turbulent beats. “Call ’em up, come in to my bedroom / Ended up, we fuck on the hotel floor / It’s not about having someone to love me anymore / This is the experience of being an American whore,” she sings, alternating between whispery sing-speak and her intoxicating Americana drone.
BEABADOOBEE – ‘GLUE SONG’
Beabadoobee has fallen hard in love and wants everyone to know it. A fan favourite from her recent string of live shows, ‘Glue Song’ is as sweet and sugary as candy floss, her airy vocals floating along like a lazy river ride. The first love song about her new relationship, the syrupy new track captures the untouchable high of new love that feels like it might just last forever. “I’ve never known someone like you,” Bea chimes. “Tangled in love, stuck by you / From the glue / Don’t forget to kiss me / Or else you’ll have to miss me.”
ANNA OF THE NORTH – ‘SWIRL’
“I’m afraid of change,” Anna of the North confesses on her vulnerable new single ‘Swirl’. “Stuck in my old ways / Wondering where this life will take me / Wondering what’s the meaning lately.” It’s a universal quandary that finds its way to us all, as the Norwegian singer-songwriter reflects on making the same mistakes and getting her heart broken like the changing of the seasons. Pairing crisp pop vocals with lush guitar melodies and a plucky baseline, it’s the story of plodding on forwards even when it feels like you’re going round in circles.
100 GECS – ‘HOLLYWOOD BABY’
After fans had to survive only on bootleg live recordings since 2021, hyperpop‘s most maximalist duo have officially released their raucous, shattering single ‘Hollywood Baby’. “I’m going crazy / Little tiny Hollywood baby / Brand new Mercedes / I’ve been in the crib going crazy,” Laura Les and Dylan Brady shout atop grating, distorted guitars. With a drums assist from Josh Freese, who’s performed with Blink-182 and Paramore, it’s no wonder this track screams with old-school pop-punk sensibility.
Listen to these tracks and more of the week’s new releases on the BRAND NEW playlist.
