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Entertainment
Jimin of BTS looks for love, and Childish Gambino returns.
Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that hit the web over the course of the week. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features 10 of our favorite emerging and established artists.
“Nasty Girl Remix” - Tinashe ft. Chlöe
“15 Minutes” - Madison Beer
What could’ve been your standard drop-everything-and-hook-up bop sounds like a slasher sequence, thanks to an unexpected suspenseful and glitchy production. It’d be easy to typecast Madison Beer — a horror-flick aficionado — as the early-offed cheerleader. But by the end of its tension-filled runtime, “15 Minutes” proves her to be final-girl material.
“Who” - Jimin
Throughout his sophomore solo album Muse, BTS member Jimin draws a line between reckless infatuation and genuine love. But as the penultimate track “Who” reveals, his hunt for romantic inspiration is just beginning. In the lyrical vein of pop classics like Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” Jimin sings of a muse still to be found. Nevertheless, he stays optimistic over an early-2000's R&B beat, showing that, perhaps, the search is half the fun.
“Angel Of My Dreams” - JADE
On her debut solo single, Jade ditches any preconceived notions formed from her Little Mix days with a bombastic, boundary-pushing slice of pop heaven. What starts as an ’80s power ballad gives way to a thumping dance-floor anthem. Consider this the new bar for star-marking reintroductions.
“Scumbag” - Role Model
With a pulsating beat and tinge of country, this self-deprecating ditty is constantly at odds with its sunny production. Evoking the carelessness of a summer car ride, Role Model (aka Tucker Pillsbury) has us ready to reclaim “scumbag” in three minutes flat.
“Hey Homie” - Sofi Tukker
Thanks to a sparse, spitting, and synth-y production, Sofi Tukker’s latest single sounds like an invitation to dance like no one’s watching. Shakespeare only wishes he could write a couplet as undeniable as “Hey homie / Let me love you low-key.”
“Cruisin’” - Childish Gambino ft. Yeat
Donald Glover may be shedding his Childish Gambino moniker with the release of Bando Stone and The New World, but he’s not leaving without another genre-spanning and experimental odyssey. With desperate screams, frog noises, and cinematic swings, his Yeat collab shows that cruising doesn’t always guarantee a smooth ride.
“Dead Man” - Alessia Cara
Alessia Cara shoots daggers at a lover who’s gone comatose on her quippy, horn-filled return. The vibe is very “unhinged confessions at a jazz club” as she trades the chance of resuscitation for a burst of creativity.
“Bad Remake” - Wallows
On the fifth anniversary of their debut album, this fan-favorite outtake from Wallows’ Nothing Happens sessions sees the light of day. Life isn’t a movie, but alt-rock’s resident sad-boy trio can make even regret sound cinematic.
“Better” - Lava La Rue ft. Cuco
Who knew self-empowerment could sound so psychedelic? With a dash of strings, unbridled screeches, cranked-up horns, and spoken encouragements, Lava La Rue and Cuco deliver the rare feel-good tune that will actually make you feel better.