Self Esteem – ‘The 345 (Choose You Edit)‘
As anyone who has attended a Self Esteem show in the last 18 months will attest, ‘The 345’ is a special moment in the set, an invitation to care for yourself the way you might care for others. Hearing this ode to self-love set atop a video montage of the sights and scenes that Rebecca Lucy Taylor has experienced on the road (presumably as an end to the album era) still brings a serious lump to the throat; a reminder that great things can come from simply having your own back. If the lyrics don’t make you cry, that stirring new vocal mix at the end absolutely will.
PinkPantheress – ‘Boy’s a Liar‘
At a time of year when most artists begin to wind down, PinkPantheress is still keeping her nose to the grind. Fresh off her recent triumphant Boiler Room performance, ‘Boy’s a liar’ completes her steady stream of standalone 2022 singles, paving the way for a very promising 2023. “LITERALLY NONE OF HER SONGS ARE BAD” screams the current top YouTube commenter, and they aren’t wrong; from the subtle chiptune glimmers in the second verse to the poolside shift in the chorus, she proves once again that she has the Midas touch. This, it seems, is PinkPantheress’s perpetual summer and we’re all just living in it.
Kaeto – ‘Good Morning‘
Ever wondered how to make a big impression with your very first single? Dig deep into the insecurities that every one of us feels. An ode to the imposter syndrome that stares back from the mirror (“I’m gonna make you feel like a piece of sh*t today”), ‘Good Morning’ sees Scottish-born artist Kaeto balancing low self-esteem with an irresistibly funky Mighty-Boosh beat, almost as if daring that bad mood to stick. With every ‘Owww!’ or hilarious call-and-response line about body image and workplace insecurity, she writes herself into a very fresh kind of pop stardom: the sort where we’re not afraid to admit our flaws.
Memphis LK – ‘Coffee’
With the cold, hard realisation that her lover has left after last night’s big sesh, Memphis LK picks up the pieces on ‘Coffee’, wondering how it could have all gone so wrong so fast. “Last night/you said that you loved me,” she sings: “was it the drugs in your bloodstream?” Teaming her hushed, doleful vocals with a thumping dancefloor filler of a chorus, she pays homage to the low-key house of the early noughties, raving her way through the pain.
Mui Zyu – ‘Rotten Bun‘
Rolling and stirring with every smooth wave of piano, there is something deeply meditative about Mui Zyu’s ‘Rotten Bun’. Exploring her Hong Kong heritage, it uses traditional Chinese instruments to play with folklore of witches and night terrors, but also manages to tap into the glacial, calming cool of modern electronica, floating on a breeze of its own design. If the excesses of Christmas socials and miserable weather are getting you down, this is the perfect way to ease into a more restful winter.
Listen to this and more new tracks on our BRAND NEW playlist
