A little bit of aural nutrition to get you over the mid-week blues.
Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer [Emotion Picture]
A few of us in the FIB office have been frothing at the gills over Janelle Monáe’s latest releases, ‘PYNK’ and ‘I Like That’, and praise be! The singer/songwriter/actress/activist’s third record has finally dropped – hand in hand with a spectacular visual album.
I’m kinda cheating here because I’m not suggesting one singular song for you to crank, but if you’ve got a spare fiddy minutes up your sleeve then I’d highly recommend you sit back and soak up Dirty Computer [Emotion Picture]. The film also stars Tessa Thompson (Monáe’s rumoured partner, and for keen Westworld fans: the formidable Charlotte Hale).
Kanye West – Ye vs. the People (starring TI as the People)
Okay, hear me out first! Kanye might be completely batshit insane, but he’s one hell of a creative genius – and it’s pretty hard to convince me otherwise, so don’t even try.
It’s no secret that I absolutely despise Trump, so I certainly can’t agree with Yeezy’s alignment with that Twitter-happy egomaniac. I can, however, appreciate his ability to craft a thought-provoking rap about the volatile political climate in America, and provide a pinch of justification for ‘rocking’ an MAGA cap and siding with that presidential buffoon. I guess, Ye did give us fair warning in ‘New Slaves’:
You see, there’s leaders and there’s followers / But I’d rather be a dick than a swallower.
‘Ye vs. the People’ isn’t your usual grinding, high voltage Yeezy flow but I appreciate it for it’s depth and honesty. Ye and TI present two sides to the proverbial coin, and it’s pretty powerful stuff – wherever you stand on the political spectrum. Give it a listen below! And if you’re looking for something equally as controversial and, let’s face it, the lyrical equivalent of a cross between peak Twitter-rant Yeezy and a ‘smiling poop’ emoji then mosey on over to ‘Lift Yourself’ post-haste.
Post Malone – Ball For Me feat. Nicki Minaj
Post’s very, very long-awaited second studio album Beerbongs & Bentleys dropped last week. One track that’s earned certified earworm status in my books is ‘Better Now’. It’s peak Post Malone in catchiness: painting his signature auto-tuned crooning over a toe-tapping hook. Give it a whirl, Pearl! And while you’re there, I’d recommend you give ‘Ball For Me feat. Nicki Minaj’ a spin too.
DMA’S – Tape Deck Sick
Another fresh record on the block, DMA’S For Now premiered last Friday and hoooo boy, she’s a doozy. To be perfectly candid, I had kinda fallen off the DMA’S wagon prior to this album release. I know, shock horror. But their debut hit ‘Delete’ was too hard an act to follow in my books, and the rest of their catalogue just didn’t seem to cut it for my temperamental ears.
BUT, the Sydney lads’ second album For Now has me clambering back up on that wagon. Probably more specifically, however, ‘Tape Deck Sick’ reeled me back in with a vengeance. Previously released singles ‘For Now’ and ‘Break Me’ had me perched gingerly on the fence, but the surfy vibes of this track calls to me like an Orca cooing a tropical rendition of ‘Delete’. I don’t know if it’s just because one of the film editors has been working with The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ in the office all day, but I’m finding the chords in ‘Tape Deck Sick’ fairly similar. Call me tone deaf, even question my validity as a music writer – I dare ya! But I have a feeling you’ll enjoy this track too.
What’s on your hitlist? Let us know below!
