This week Latto has a message for the misogynists and Steve Lacy and FKA Twigs sing of love and life after it. Here are some of our favorite new music and videos released!
Rico Nasty – Skullflower
Rico Nasty‘s artistry has pivoted from curated to spontaneous and instinctual. En route to Splash Festival in Germany, she spotted a sunflower field (the wholesome moment captured on her TikTok). Already performance ready, sans brows and beat to black punk perfection, she took advantage of the scenery to shoot the “Skullflower” video. “Skullflower” is a single from her upcoming album Las Ruinas, set to release July 22nd. As the title meshes the soft and spooky, this song and visual follows suit. As Rico raps with pitched-up vocals over the dance party drums, this track is one to request at the club.
Steve Lacy ft. Fousheé – Sunshine
Steve Lacy’s second album, Gemini Rights, dropped July 15th and was instantly praised by fans and throughout the music industry. “Sunshine” featuring Fousheé is the second single from the album. The song is about a relationship that has long ended but the connection between the two still lingers. Foushee’s light and airy vocals are a smart addition to the chords and bass line Steve provides. And the isolated harmonies in the chorus make the listener feel like they are floating. Sometimes the visual for a track is a complete departure from what you may envision, but the “Sunshine” video is a spot-on representation of the sonics. Both Steve and Fousheé suspended in the air with only their instruments.
“I would let you cut the line just so I could be right where you are”
Steve Lacy – Sunshine
Alicia Keys ft. Khalid, Lucky Daye – Come For Me
Off her 26-track two-volume album, Keys, Alicia Keys enlists Lucky Daye and Khalid for “Come For Me”. All of the artists are listed in the writing and composing credits, and the natural collaborative process in this song is emphasized in the first official video. It shows a behind-the-scenes look into a few studio sessions with the trio, Alicia behind the keys, and takes between Khalid and Lucky Daye behind the mic. A second video for “Come For Me (Unlocked)” recently dropped with more extensive video editing, styling, and lighting in anticipation of the deluxe version of the album (out on August 12th). Warm and dim, the lighting captures the smooth essence of the song. They sing of wanting a loud and proud love with the clear communication of just telling it like it is.
Look me in my eye, know you know the vibe / In you I confide, something I can’t hide
Alicia Keys – Come for Me
Latto – PUSSY
Sampling the sample, Latto flips Betty Wright’s “Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do” (also heard on Beyoncé’s “Upgrade U”) for “PUSSY”. With the title already off-putting for the faint of heart, Latto has a few words and bars in favor of women’s rights. Set in a home surrounded by felines, in the video for “PUSSY”, Latto raps directly to the camera while clips of protestors of the Supreme Court’s recent Roe v Wade rulings played on the TV screen. The Clay-Co artist touches on everything from abuse and abortion to media misconceptions surrounding women artists.
Y’all the reason we make music, teaching b****** how to use you / Speak up and they gon’ defend the abuser, these n***** losers
Latto – PUSSY
FKA Twigs – Killer
Following her mixtape, CAPRISONGS, released early this year, FKA Twigs is back with “Killer”. She recently performed a rendition of the song on the COLORS stage. She sings of wanting love but believing one shouldn’t have to sacrifice themselves for it. It is a recurring theme for Twigs, but her vocals and production choices convey a beautiful and heartbreaking performance that continues to captivate her fans.
It’s dangerous to be a woman in love / I’m walkin’ quicker, but you’re pickin’ up
FKA Twigs – Killer
JELEEL! – UNCIVILIZED! (GO!)
“Jeleel, yeah!” With undoubtedly more energy than anyone out right now, Jeleel, the rising star from Rhode Island, proves the exclamation points are necessary. His recent track “UNCIVILIZED! (GO!)” is nothing short of what we’ve come to expect from Jeleel, “real, raw, energy”. Since beginning his music career in 2018, his ascension has been a steady climb, gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram through backflips, countless white tanks ruined, and of course, the music. Jeleel released a video along with this track, solely starring Jeleel with as much energy as a full cast.
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