Prima Queen – ‘Ugly’
A beautiful cacophony comes from the janky drumbeat which subtly changes time signatures, clashing against a rhythmic bass line, and dream-like vocals; echoing the unexpected twists and turns that a situationship can take. “How can it be the truth if it’s so ugly / You know I would have loved you if you let me”, Prima Queen sing, mourning an unbalanced partnership where they had a hint that something was off, but chose to sit in denial.
FKA twigs – ‘Drums of Death’
Defying the archetype of being a pop artist, in year dominated by Lesbopalooza, Brat summer, and glossy radio-friendly hits, FKA twigs leans into glitchy percussive electronics, with hushed, almost-indecipherable lyrics, which speak of carnal desire and hedonism – “Craving rabid fuck / Hard metal / Silver Stiletto / Devour the entire world / Fuck it, make it yours” – as she continues to build a world of ‘Eusexua’.
Olivia Dean – ‘Touching Toes’
Accompanied by just an acoustic guitar and celestial harmonies, adoration pours from Dean’s voice as she savours the feeling of both falling in love and knowing that it is entirely reciprocated. ‘Touching Toes’ showcases the magic of simplicity. When you’re singing about something as universally relatable as love, there’s no need for frills. You’ll be able to enrapture your listeners in a heartbeat.
IDER – ‘Know How It Hurts’
As is the state of the world these days, we tend to experience devastating events, and rather than learn from our mistakes – or those of others – we enter a self-perpetuating cycle which destines us to repeat them over and over again. IDER’s new cut was written a few years ago in response to abortion bans in the US, which feels all too familiar, following Trump’s recent victory in his presidential campaign.
Mahalia – ‘Pick Up The Pace’ (feat Bayka)
Exploring her Caribbean roots, Mahalia combines lover girl R&B with dancehall music, audaciously calling out a fuckboy and embracing the messiness of a tryst because life is too short to be weighed down by their negative traits. The collaboration between Mahalia and Bayka is the meeting of minds and the matching of freaks as they lean into call-and-response: a signature style in Caribbean music.
