MFMM March 2019
My nine favorite songs of last month!
Hi all, welcome to this round up of the nine songs I liked the most to come out in March. Please share with your friends if you’re enjoying my taste-making. Here is a Spotify playlist of the tracks to listen along with as you read:
Aloha – Denzel Curry & Charlie Heat
It’s very fitting that Charlie Heat’s producer tag on this track is “he’s heating up” because he and Denzel Curry are on fire right now. Following Curry’s exceptional 2018 project Ta13oo and a couple of high profile collaborations (Kanye West, Lili Uzi Vert, DRAM) for Heat, the two are at their best on “Aloha.”
Curry’s flow is effortlessly smooth, with a simple rhyme scheme buoyed by quotable, although sometimes corny, lyrics.
He tries an interesting cadence during chorus which might not be perfected yet, but at least shows he’s still experimenting. The content of the chorus itself is great – it’s practically impossible for any bars that seamlessly incorporate Winona Ryder and Chief Keef references to be bad.
Heat’s production on “Aloha” lives up to his name. The instrumental is built around a mariachi-inspired trumpet melody, which is boosted with some great trap production. The fat 808s and the fluttering high hats/snare combo are sure to get listeners moving.
“SUMO | ZUMO,” their previous collab, already proved Curry and Heat go well together; “Aloha” has me salivating for a full project.
it’s not u it’s me – Bea Miller & 6LACK
18-year-old me would be so mad if he found out how much I like Bea Miller’s music. Miller, a Los Angeles native, has been making unapologetically-pop music since appearing on The X Factor when she was 13. Now seven years later, with two full length albums under her belt, Miller is finding her groove as a synth-pop star.
You can tell “it’s not u it’s me” is an edgy track because the title is all lower case (just like my twitter). The lead single off of Miller’s upcoming project is heavily hip-hop influenced bop about leaving a relationship to prioritize addressing your own issues. As she sings over the playful synth melody “It's not you, it's me, I'm the only one I need / It's not you, baby, 'cause I'm leaving you for me / I don't want you blaming yourself, It's bad for your health.”
The production by Mike Sabbath, who’s also worked with J Balvin and French Montana (what range!), is unbelievably bouncy. The bass-808 combo buoys the track and the soaring vocal overlays add great depth. The chopped up beat break after the chorus is especially enjoyable.
6LACK adds some great energy to the track as well. The Atlanta rapper matches the track’s theme with bars like “I know now what I wanted is peace of mind/ It's not you, I figured I'm done wasting time.”
“it’s not u it’s me” shows that Miller is continuing to develop her sound and is someone to watch out for in 2019.
Left Hand – Beast Coast
“Left Hand” might be the posse cut of the year. Beast Coast is an absolute powerhouse of New York rappers that announced in March that they’re going to be releasing a joint project and touring together. The group is a rap Voltron of Pro Era (Joey Bada$$, CJ Fly, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, and Powers Pleasant (production)), Flatbush Zombies (Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, and Erick Arc Elliot), and the Underachievers (AKTHESAVIOR and Issa Gold). Although the 10 featured rappers have linked up frequently, “Left Hand” is their first track all together.
Meechy, the man with the best voice in rap, handles the track’s hook. His delivery is hyper aggressive and his bars set the tone for the rest of the track’s boastful verses.
The verses, punctuated by Meechy’s flexing, are relentless. Every rapper comes in strong and keeps the energy high. A few highlight reel bars:
- CJ Fly: Got the tech, I stay connected like it's Best Buy
- Zombie Juice: I'm like Jesse on the track, Owens on the mat / All I know is facts, facts, and more facts
- Kirk Knight: See my battle scars, Rurouni Kenshin (we love a good anime reference)
- Issa Gold: On a killing spree, knocking back thotties like ping pong / Ni**as Diddy Kong, follow a leader with weak hearts
All of track’s great verses are backed by some nasty production lead by foreboding synth lines and hard drums. Can’t wait to see what Beast Coast has coming down the pipe.
Offence – Little Simz
London rapper Little Simz seems primed to break through. In the last few years she’s toured with Ms. Lauryn Hill and Gorillaz and been co-signed by Kendrick Lamar. Even though she’s well-respected by other artists, her music hadn’t had mainstream success. GREY Area seems to be changing that.
Her new album opens on a high with “Offence.” Simz is at her most unapologetic on this track, displaying a confidence she was searching for on earlier projects, from the onset: “Me again, allow me to pick up where I left off / The biggest phenomenon and I'm Picasso with the pen.”
Although at other points during the project Simz is very introspective, on “Offence” she’s boastful and unbothered. She no longer needs external validation, as she belts in the chorus “I said it with my chest / I don’t care who I offend.”
There are ton of quotables from Simz on the track, but one stands out for just how cold it is: “I’m JAY-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days.”
Simz’s childhood friend Inflo handles the production. He leans heavily on live instrumentation, which turns out great. The pulsating, grimy bass makes the track even more aggressive than Simz’s bars already are. The creaky flutes and fluttering strings are an anxiety-inducing adrenaline shot to the beat.
(disclaimer: I know this song has been out since September, but the album came out this month and I wanted an excuse to talk about it)
Pace – Rome Fortune & UZ
“Pace” is easily one of the most serene rap songs I’ve ever heard. Atlanta MC Rome Fortune’s leisurely delivery and French producer UZ’s stripped back production meld perfectly.
Fortune is one of the genre’s most versatile artists, who seems to be just as comfortable collaborating with Young Thug and Toro y Moi. On “Pace” his delivery is quick but relaxed – as he asks in the hook “A marathon not a race you know? / Are you pacing?”
Fortune drops some complex bars about personal growth and cutting out things you don’t need.
“Pace is based on a premise of welcoming all elemental opposition experienced along my professional journey, essentially serving as strength & condition training for an ‘ascend.’ It can also be viewed as simply taking the good with the bad to make best version of yourself,” Fortune explained in a press release.
UZ’s production takes this track to the next level. A jazzy piano melody leads the way on the track, backed by some understated drums that complement Fortune’s delivery. By not being too busy, the instrumental enhances the track’s calm mood.
Part III – Crumb
I’ve been looking for an excuse to talk about Crumb for a long time. The New York-based pysch pop outfit has a unique combination of indie instrumentation, trippy vocals, jazz, and a penchant for risk-taking that make them a must-listen.
“Part III,” the group’s first release since their 2017 EP Locket, showcases everything that makes them so special. Split into two parts, Crumb transports listeners from an energetic and full mood to a dreamy state, characterized by significantly slower and hazier instrumentation. Despite the pronounced difference between the front and back of the track, the transition is smooth because of how the backing seemingly melts away.
Lili Ramani’s vocals are soothing and complex. She sounds almost lazy when she delivers dreary lines like “I feel it coming, don't know where it can stay / My eyes go cloudy almost every day.” Between verses she embeds her voice into the melody, adding an extra layer of character.
The rest of the band is fantastic in its own right. The hypnotic guitar and piano melodies weave in and out of each other’s way flawlessly. The drums are the best example of the group’s infusion of jazz and save listeners from losing themselves entirely in the tune’s ethereal morass.
I've never heard a Crumb song I didn’t like, and I'm pretty confident that won't change anytime soon.
Room Temperature – Faye Webster
Faye Webster has a unique ability to transport her listeners, both physically and emotionally. “Room Temperature” will not only make you feel like you’re at the beach, but it’ll fill you with overwhelming loneliness as well.
“Looks like I've been crying again over the same thing,” Webster sings over a lackadaisical, folksy guitar line, “I wonder if anyone has ever cried for me.”
Webster is at her introspective best from that opening line throughout the track as she struggles to balance loneliness and wanting to stay where she feels comfortable.
Her repetition of “I should get out more” in the chorus seem more like Webster trying to convince herself of the fact than being sure of it.
The overall mood of “Room Temperature” is amplified by its serene instrumental. A big part of the track’s beach-y feel comes from a heavy dose of pedal steel guitar.
“Pedal steel has always been one of my favorite instruments and I generously sprinkle it throughout the record, but in ‘Room Temperature’ it is unarguably prominent,” Webster explained.
Webster’s sophomore project Atlanta Millionaires Club is due to come out on May 24. Make sure to mark your calendars now.
Throwaway – SG Lewis & Clairo
“Throwaway” is a sweet pop collaboration from producer SG Lewis and singer-songwriter Clairo, their second time linking up after 2018’s “Better.”
Clairo, who has made her name as one of the faces of bedroom pop, delivers some of her best singing yet on this track. Her vocals are angelic, but have inescapable tinge of sadness as she discusses wanting to be valued by her partner.
“Baby take my hand and I’ll show you the way,” she wistfully sings, “Bring you a little closer, tell you it’s okay / I don’t wanna be something you can throw away.”
Lewis’s stripped back production that manages to say more with less. The track’s soft, silky synths give it a dreamy feel and the cycling melody is super soothing. The bass line mirrors Clairo’s lyrics, giving her singing even more body.
The two’s chemistry is clear on the track and we’re bound to get more great collaborations from them down the line.
“‘Throwaway’ was written in LA one evening,” Lewis noted. “We were both super tired and had some shit going on in our respective personal lives. We sat and talked for ages, and after that ‘Throwaway’ flowed out in no time at all. Clairo is such a special artist and an incredible songwriter, and I'm super proud of this song.”
You Seemed so Happy – The Japanese House
Important disclaimers: The Japanese House, a.k.a Amber Bain, is not Japanese and does not make house music. The British singer-songwriter’s debut album Good at Falling is a wonderful collection of surprisingly bright pop songs, despite its deeply personal storytelling about a relationship falling apart.
“You Seemed so Happy” is my favorite track off the album. Bain discusses presenting a composed, happy version of yourself in public to cover up internal problems, and the subsequent surprise from friends when those issues bubble to the surface. Bain tackles the case of a relationship that seemed healthy to an outsider but was actually deeply troubled.
Bain’s emotions are fully on display when she sings “Sometimes I start concealing the way that I work in my head / Can't take it anymore / I won't stop feeling the weight of my world.”
Playful synths and acoustic strumming keep the track’s energy bright, providing a nice contrast to Bain’s wistful crooning. The whole album is worth a listen, but “You Seemed so Happy” stands out for Bain’s raw expression and the lively production.
It would be difficult to talk about this project’s sound without acknowledging the strong influence of the 1975 on it. Matt Healy, who many people thought was behind The Japanese House before Bain revealed herself, provides backgrounds throughout the project. George Daniel produced the song alongside BJ Burton, a frequent collaborator of Bon Iver and Francis and the Lights.