Tag Archives: song-to-know

On King’s Disease II, Nas enlists a respectable collection of guests from across generations, including Gap Band legend Charlie Wilson, early-2000s rap sensation Eminem, laid-back golden-agers EPMD, and hip-hop newcomer Blxst. The highlight, though, is his reunion with Ms. Lauryn Hill, his co-star on 1996’s classic “If I Ruled the …

The members of the Colombian duo Bomba Estéreo have been slowly unveiling glimpses of Deja, their upcoming album that will be divided into four ambitious parts inspired by the earth’s four elements. After releasing three-song EPs for Agua (water) and Aire (air), the band is coming back to earth with …

The English duo Children of Zeus spin a cocoon of neo-soul on “No Love Song,” a single from their new album, Balance. This track is a magnificent bummer, a laundry lists of flaws, failings, and shortcomings. The first line is a warning: “The emotions of a stone expectin’ me to …

Saidêra’s “Sincronicidade” opens as if a couple of friends are winding down their evening by playing soft, pretty music in a living room, weaving samba-like acoustic riffs together with a gentle throb of hand percussion. But as the other listeners lean in, eager to catch the velvety details, Saidêra jolt …

It’s rare to hear someone say “Play that new Isaiah Rashad!” in a turnt setting. Rashad has been an introspective rapper signed to hip-hop powerhouse Top Dawg Entertainment since 2013; he’s has the immense skill and vulnerability of his labelmate Kendrick Lamar, but none of the party songs. His 2014 …

The British musician Tirzah constructs hushed songs that echo regardless. Across a handful of releases — an excellent string of EPs followed by her 2018 debut Devotion — the singer born Tirzah Mastin, alongside her longtime collaborators Mica Levi and Coby Sey, unfurl emotions with the patience and care of …

Linda Perry may have been writing hits for Adele, Christina Aguilera, and Pink, but it’s been over a decade since the former 4 Non Blondes front woman has released original music that she sang herself. “The Letter” is a deeply moving song that she wrote for the soundtrack of Soleil …

Leela James applies her gale-force voice in precise, leveling blasts in “Complicated,” a bouncy, lavish love song that marks her first release since 2019. This is a track about tearing through, if not obliterating, the red-tape that’s been standing in the way of a romance. James reduces everything to the …

Scorpeze and Cordell Johnson’s “Jazzgalaktik” starts with a pair of tributes. A brief, descending squeak, as if a machine is powering down, evokes the opening of turn-of-the-century club-fillers like Spiller’s “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love),” while a grandly wobbling synthesizer nods to Mr. Fingers’ “Qwazars.” This is house music homage, …

“Angelene,” a somber monologue sung from the perspective of the “prettiest mess you’ve ever seen,” may be the most inauspicious opening track in PJ Harvey‘s catalogue. She plucks an awkward chord on her guitar and assumes her character, describing the life of a prostitute with penchants for Salinger and pining …